Audio visualization in telecommunications applications
An audio system and method for enhancing audio quality in telecommunications applications. Specifically, a graphical user interface (GUI) is provided to allow an observer to visualize pickup zones within an environment that schematically represent areas of heightened microphone sensitivity. A microphone array and camera are arranged to obtain an audio signal and an image which correspond to a talker within the environment. The images are displayed via a first device or are transmitted to a second device and are displayed to the observer, while the audio signal is converted into an audio output by the second device. Visual overlays are provided, via the visualization window, corresponding with pickup zones within the environment corresponding to areas of heightened microphone sensitivity. The observer may adjust the visual overlay corresponding with each pickup zone using the GUI provided, resulting in an adjustment of the pickup zones by the microphone array within the environment.
1. A method for enhancing audio quality in telecommunication
applications, the method comprising:
receiving an audio signal via a first and second microphone within an environment;
capturing a first image, via a camera, of the environment including a first talker;
displaying the first image via a display screen; and
generating a first visual overlay of a first pickup zone on the display screen over the first image, wherein the first pickup zone corresponds with a first location of the first talker within the environment and is based on the audio signal received by the first and second microphone.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first microphone and the second microphone are arranged to have a first sensitivity to the audio signal generated at the first location.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the camera is arranged on or in communication with a first device, and the display screen is arranged on or in communication with a second device.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first visual overlay of the first pickup zone can be manually positioned by a first observer via a graphical user interface of the second device over the first image of the environment displayed on the second device.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the manual positioning of the first visual overlay by the first observer causes a proportional adjustment to the first pickup zone such that the first pickup zone corresponds with the first visual overlay.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first pickup zone is automatically generated by the first device based at least in part on the audio signal received by the first and second microphones.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first visual overlay is proportionally adjusted by the first device or the second device such that the first visual overlay displayed on the display screen corresponds to the first pickup zone.
8. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first device or the second device is configured to generate a second visual overlay of a second pickup zone on the display screen and over the first image, wherein the second pickup zone corresponds with a second location of a second talker within the environment.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first and second microphones are arranged to have a first sensitivity to the audio signal generated at the first location, and the first device or the second device is arranged to generate a first exclusion zone, wherein the first and second microphones are arranged to have a second sensitivity, less than the first sensitivity, to the audio signal generated in the first exclusion zone.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first exclusion zone can be manually positioned by a first observer via a user interface of the second device; or, the first exclusion zone can be automatically generated by the first device or the second device based at least in part on the audio signal received by the first and second microphones.
11. An audio system for generating enhancing audio quality in telecommunications applications, the audio system comprising:
a first and second microphone arranged to receive an audio signal from within the environment;
a camera arranged to capture a first image of the environment including a first talker; and,
a display screen arranged to display the first image to a first observer;
at least one audio output device arranged to generate a first audio output corresponding with the audio signal;
wherein the display screen is arranged to display a first visual overlay of a first pickup zone over the first image, wherein the first pickup zone corresponds with a first location of the first talker within the environment and is based on the audio signal received by the first and second microphone.
12. The audio system of claim 11 , wherein the first microphone and the second microphone are arranged to have a first sensitivity to the audio signal generated at the first location.
13. The audio system of claim 11 , wherein the camera is arranged on or in communication with a first device, and the display screen is arranged on or in communication with a second device.
14. The audio system of claim 13 , wherein the first visual overlay of the first pickup zone can be manually positioned by the first observer via a graphical user interface displayed on the second device over the first image of the environment displayed on the second device, and wherein the manual positioning of the first visual overlay by the first observer causes a proportional adjustment to the first pickup zone such that the first pickup zone corresponds with the first visual overlay.
15. The audio system of claim 13 , wherein the first pickup zone is automatically generated by the first device based at least in part on the audio signal received by the first and second microphones and wherein the first visual overlay is proportionally adjusted by the first device or the second device such that the first visual overlay displayed on the display screen of a second device corresponds to the first pickup zone.
16. The audio system of claim 13 , wherein the first device or the second device is configured to generate a second visual overlay of a second pickup zone on the display screen of a second device and over the first image, wherein the second pickup zone corresponds with a second location of a second talker within the environment.
17. The audio system of claim 16 , wherein the first and second microphones are arranged to have a first sensitivity to the audio signal generated at the first location, and the first device or the second device is arranged to generate a first exclusion zone, wherein the first and second microphones are arranged to have a second sensitivity, less than the first sensitivity, to the audio signal generated in the first exclusion zone.
18. The audio system of claim 17 , wherein the first exclusion zone can be manually positioned by the first observer via a user interface of the second device; or, the first exclusion zone can be automatically generated by the first device or the second device based at least in part on the audio signal received by the first and second microphones.
19. The audio system of claim 11 , wherein the first visual overlay corresponding to the first pickup zone can be modified automatically to indicate the first talker who is actively speaking and wherein the display screen of the audio system is further configured to display a second visual overlay of a second pickup zone over the first image, wherein the second pickup zone corresponds with a second location of a second talker within the environment, and wherein the second visual overlay corresponding to the second pickup zone can be modified automatically to indicate the second talker who is not actively speaking, where the modification to the first visual overlay and the modification to the second visual overlay are different.
20. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium which includes a set of non-transitory computer-readable instructions for generating enhancing audio quality in telecommunications applications, that when executed on a processor is arranged to:
capture a first image, via a camera, of an environment including a first talker;
display the first image via a display screen; and
generate a first visual overlay of a first pickup zone on the display screen over the first image, wherein the first pickup zone corresponds with a first location of the first talker within the environment and is based on the audio signal received by a first and second microphone within the environment.