Microphone array geometry
This disclosure relates in general to microphone arrangement of a wearable head device.
1 . A wearable head device, comprising:
a plurality of first microphones, wherein the plurality of first microphones is co-planar;
a second microphone, wherein the second microphone is not co-planar with the plurality of first microphones; and
one or more processors configured to perform:
capturing, with the first microphones and the second microphone, a sound of an environment;
forming a beamforming pattern, wherein:
the beamforming pattern comprises a location of the sound of the environment, and
the beamforming pattern comprises a component that is not co-planar with the plurality of first microphones;
applying the beamforming pattern on a signal of the captured sound to generate a beamformed signal; and
processing the beamformed signal,
wherein the one or more processors are configured to further perform:
generating a first microphone signal based on the sound captured by a microphone of the plurality of first microphones;
generating a second microphone signal based on the sound captured by the second microphone;
calculating a magnitude difference, a phase difference, or both between the first and second microphone signals; and
based on the magnitude difference, the phase difference, or both, deriving a coordinate of the sound not co-planar with the plurality of first microphones.
2 . The wearable head device of claim 1 , wherein a number of the plurality of first microphones is three.
3 . The wearable head device of claim 1 , wherein the beamforming pattern comprises a radial component, an azimuthal angle component, and a non-zero polar angle component.
4 . The wearable head device of claim 1 , wherein the beamforming pattern comprises at least one of cardioid, hypercardioid, supercardioid, dipole, bipolar, and shotgun shapes.
5 . The wearable head device of claim 1 , wherein the processing the beamformed signal comprises at least one of:
reducing a noise level in the signal,
performing post conditioning on the signal, detecting a voice activity in the signal,
generating a speaker signal for acoustic cancellation,
analyzing an audio scene associated with the captured sound, and
compensating for a movement of the wearable head device.
6 . The wearable head device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to further perform preconditioning the signal of the captured sound.
7 . The wearable head device of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of first microphones and the second microphone are located on a front of the wearable head device.
8 . The wearable head device of claim 1 , wherein the beamforming pattern does not include a location of a second sound on a plane co-planar with the plurality of first microphones.
9 . The wearable head device of claim 1 , wherein a microphone of the plurality of first microphones is located proximal to an ear location.
10 . A method of operating a wearable head device, comprising:
capturing, with a plurality of first microphones and a second microphone, a sound of an environment, wherein:
the plurality of first microphones is co-planar, and
the second microphone is not co-planar with the plurality of first microphones;
forming a beamforming pattern, wherein:
the beamforming pattern comprises a location of the sound of the environment, and
the beamforming pattern comprises a component that is not co-planar with the plurality of first microphones;
applying the beamforming pattern on a signal of the captured sound to generate a beamformed signal;
processing the beamformed signal; and
generating a first microphone signal based on the sound captured by a microphone of the plurality of first microphones;
generating a second microphone signal based on the sound captured by the second microphone;
calculating a magnitude difference, a phase difference, or both between the first and second microphone signals; and
based on the magnitude difference, the phase difference, or both, deriving a coordinate of the sound not co-planar with the plurality of first microphones.
11 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors of a wearable head device, cause the wearable head device to perform a method comprising:
capturing, with a plurality of first microphones and a second microphone, a sound of an environment, wherein:
the plurality of first microphones is co-planar, and
the second microphone is not co-planar with the plurality of first microphones;
forming a beamforming pattern, wherein:
the beamforming pattern comprises a location of the sound of the environment, and
the beamforming pattern comprises a component that is not co-planar with the plurality of first microphones;
applying the beamforming pattern on a signal of the captured sound to generate a beamformed signal;
processing the beamformed signal;
generating a first microphone signal based on the sound captured by a microphone of the plurality of first microphones;
generating a second microphone signal based on the sound captured by the second microphone;
calculating a magnitude difference, a phase difference, or both between the first and second microphone signals; and
based on the magnitude difference, the phase difference, or both, deriving a coordinate of the sound not co-planar with the plurality of first microphones.
12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the beamforming pattern comprises a radial component, an azimuthal angle component, and a non-zero polar angle component.
13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the beamforming pattern comprises at least one of cardioid, hypercardioid, supercardioid, dipole, bipolar, and shotgun shapes.
14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the processing the beamformed signal comprises at least one of:
reducing a noise level in the signal,
performing post conditioning on the signal, detecting a voice activity in the signal,
generating a speaker signal for acoustic cancellation,
analyzing an audio scene associated with the captured sound, and
compensating for a movement of the wearable head device.
15 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising preconditioning the signal of the captured sound.
16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein one of the plurality of first microphones and the second microphone are located on a front of the wearable head device.
17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the beamforming pattern does not include a location of a second sound on a plane co-planar with the plurality of first microphones.
18 . The method of claim 10 , wherein a microphone of the plurality of first microphones is located proximal to an ear location.