IP Library Granted Patent US 12684088
Granted Patent B1
US 12684088 · App. 18/220,812 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Remotely adjusting audio capture during video conferences

Inventor: Shane Paul Springer (Manchester, MI)
Assignee: Zoom Communications, Inc.
H04N7/15G06V10/235G06V20/41H04R1/406H04R3/005
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12684088
App. No.
18/220,812
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B1
Abstract

One example method includes joining, by a first client device, a videoconferencing meeting hosted by a video conference provider, the videoconference meeting including a plurality of participants; providing an audio stream and a video stream to a video conference provider; receiving, from a second client device, an audio focus area associated with a video stream provided the first client device; determining, based on the audio focus area, a bounding region within an environment shown in the video stream; directing a audio capture device to capture audio from the bounding region; and providing the captured audio as an audio stream to the video conference provider.

Claims (48)

1 . A method comprising:

receiving, by a first client device from a second client device during a video conference, an audio focus area associated with a video stream provided by the first client device;

determining, by the first client device, a bounding region based on the audio focus area;

determining a location within the bounding region as a target for an audio capture device;

adjusting, by the first client device, the audio capture device based on the target; and

after adjusting the audio capture device, providing, by the first client device, an audio stream from the audio capture device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the audio focus area identifies a portion of a video frame received from the first client device.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the audio focus area identifies a person in a video frame received from the first client device.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the location within the bounding region as the target for the audio capture device comprises:

determining an audio focus zone within the bounding region; and

wherein directing the audio capture device comprises directing the audio capture device to capture audio from the audio focus zone.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the bounding region within an environment is based on dimensions of a room and a location and orientation of a camera providing the video stream.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein directing the audio capture device comprises changing a position or orientation of the audio capture device or one or more microphones in the audio capture device.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein directing the audio capture device comprises changing one or more beamforming parameters of the audio capture device.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the audio capture device is a first audio capture device, and further comprising:

receiving, from a third client device, a second audio focus area associated with the video stream provided the first client device;

determining, based on the second audio focus area, a second bounding region within an environment shown in the video stream;

directing a second audio capture device to capture second audio from the second bounding region concurrently with the audio capture device capturing the audio stream; and

providing the captured second audio as a second audio stream to a video conference provider.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating, using the audio capture device, and transmitting a first audio stream, wherein the audio stream is a second audio stream, and the first and second audio stream are provided concurrently, and the second audio stream is provided to the second client device.

10 . A client device comprising:

a communications interface;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

one or more processors communicatively coupled to the communications interface and the non-transitory computer-readable medium, the one or more processors configured to execute processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to cause the one or more processors to:

receive, from a second client device during a video conference, an audio focus area associated with a video stream provided by the client device;

determine a bounding region based on the audio focus area;

determine a location within the bounding region as a target for an audio capture device;

adjust the audio capture device based on the target; and

after adjusting the audio capture device, provide an audio stream from the audio capture device.

11 . The client device of claim 10 , wherein the audio focus area identifies a portion of a video frame provided the client device.

12 . The client device of claim 10 , wherein the audio focus area identifies a previously received audio focus area.

13 . The client device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute further processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to cause the one or more processors to:

determine an existing bounding region similar to the bounding region, and,

determine the existing bounding region as the bounding region.

14 . The client device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute further processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to cause the one or more processors to change one or more beamforming parameters of the audio capture device.

15 . The client device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute further processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to cause the one or more processors to generate, using the audio capture device, and transmitting a first audio stream, wherein the audio stream is a second audio stream, and the first and second audio stream are provided concurrently, and the second audio stream is provided to the second client device.

16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising processor-executable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:

receive, from a second client device during a video conference, an audio focus area associated with a video stream provided by a client device;

determine a bounding region based on the audio focus area;

determine a location within the bounding region as a target for an audio capture device;

adjust the audio capture device based on the target; and

after adjusting the audio capture device, provide an audio stream from the audio capture device.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the audio focus area identifies a portion of a video frame provided the client device.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the audio focus area identifies a previously received audio focus area.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute further processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to cause the one or more processors to:

determine an existing bounding region similar to the bounding region, and,

determine the existing bounding region as the bounding region.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute further processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to cause the one or more processors to generate, using the audio capture device, and transmitting a first audio stream, wherein the audio stream is a second audio stream, and the first and second audio stream are provided concurrently, and the second audio stream is provided to the second client device.