Granted Patent B2

US 9,195,740 · App. 13/979,900 · Granted Nov 24, 2015

Abstract

Claims (37)

1. Apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code, the at least one memory and the computer code configured to with the at least one processor cause the apparatus to at least:

determine for a set of received audio signals at least one dominant audio signal source by the apparatus being caused to;

determine for at least one of the set of received audio signals at least one audio event, determine at least one dominant audio event by the apparatus being further caused determine at least one dominant audio event associated audio signal direction for a first time being the average of at least one audio event associated audio signal direction and determine the at least one dominant audio event associated audio signal direction for further times by selecting the audio event with an associated audio signal direction closest to a preceding dominant audio event associated audio signal direction, and

determine at least one dominant audio signal source dependent on the dominant audio event determined; and

select from the set of audio signals at least one audio signal dependent on the at least one dominant audio signal source.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is caused to determine for at least one of the set of received audio signals at least one audio event is further caused to:

determine for each of the received audio signals an associated audio signal direction;

determine a stable audio signal direction from the associated audio signal direction;

associate at least one audio event with a time interval for the stable audio direction.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the apparatus caused to associate at least one audio event with the timings associated with the stable audio signal direction is further caused to:

determine whether the time interval for the stable audio signal direction intersects with a time interval associated with any determined audio event.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the apparatus caused to determine whether the time interval for the stable audio signal direction intersects with a time interval associated with any determined audio event is further caused to generate a further audio event, the further audio event being associated with the time interval for the stable audio signal direction dependent on determining the time interval for the stable audio signal direction is disjoint with every audio event associated time interval.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the apparatus caused to determine whether the time interval for the stable audio signal direction intersects with a time interval associated with any determined audio event is further caused to associate an intersection of the time interval associated with a audio event and the time interval for the stable audio signal direction where the time interval associated with the audio event intersects with the time interval for the stable audio signal direction.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the apparatus caused to determine a stable audio signal direction is further caused to:

determine a first direction value of the associated audio signal direction at a first time;

determine a second direction value of the associated audio signal direction at a second time; and

determine the difference between the first direction value and the second direction value is less than or equal to a determined difference threshold.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the apparatus caused to determine at least one dominant audio signal source is further caused to define a position of the at least one dominant audio signal source dependent on the dominant audio event determined.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the apparatus caused to select from the set of audio signals at least one audio signal dependent on the at least one dominant audio signal source is further caused to select from the set of audio signals at least one audio signal dependent on an associated direction of the at least one audio signal and the position of the at least one dominant audio signal source.

9. A method comprising:

determining for a set of received audio signals at least one dominant audio signal source by;

determining for at least one of the set of received audio signals at least one audio event, determining at least one dominant audio event by determining at least one dominant audio event associated audio signal direction for a first time being the average of at least one audio event associated audio signal direction and determining the at least one dominant audio event associated audio signal direction for further times by selecting the audio event with an associated audio signal direction closest to a preceding dominant audio event associated audio signal direction, and

determining at least one dominant audio signal source dependent on the dominant audio event determined; and

selecting from the set of audio signals at least one audio signal dependent on the at least one dominant audio signal source.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein determining for at least one of the set of received audio signals at least one audio event comprises:

determining for each of the received audio signals an associated audio signal direction;

determining a stable audio signal direction from the associated audio signal direction; and

associating at least one audio event with a time interval for the stable audio direction.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein associating at least one audio event with the timings associated with the stable audio signal direction comprises determining whether the time interval for the stable audio signal direction intersects with a time interval associated with any determined audio event.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein determining whether the time interval for the stable audio signal direction intersects with a time interval associated with any determined audio event comprises generating a further audio event, the further audio event being associated with the time interval for the stable audio signal direction dependent on determining the time interval for the stable audio signal direction is disjoint with every audio event associated time interval.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein determining whether the time interval for the stable audio signal direction intersects with a time interval associated with any determined audio event comprises associating an intersection of the time interval associated with an audio event and the time interval for the stable audio signal direction where the time interval associated with the audio event intersects with the time interval for the stable audio signal direction.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein determining a stable audio signal direction comprises:

determining a first direction value of the associated audio signal direction at a first time;

determining a second direction value of the associated audio signal direction at a second time; and

determining the difference between the first direction value and the second direction value is less than or equal to a determined difference threshold.

15. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein determining at least one dominant audio signal source comprises defining a position of the at least one dominant audio signal source dependent on the dominant audio event determined.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein selecting from the set of audio signals at least one audio signal dependent on the at least one dominant audio signal source comprises selecting from the set of audio signals at least one audio signal dependent on an associated direction of the at least one audio signal and the position of the at least one dominant audio signal source.

Assignments (8)