IP Library Granted Patent US 11,676,618
Granted Patent B1
US 11,676,618 · App. 17/564,073 · Granted Jun 13, 2023

Microphone array with automated adaptive beam tracking

Inventors: Iain Alexander McCowan (Ashmore, AU); Stefano Davolio (Highvale, AU); Richard S. Juszkiewicz (Portland, OR); Nicholas William Metzar (Beaverton, OR); Matthew V. Kotvis (Portland, OR); Jeffrey William Sondermeyer (Auburn, AL); Jason Damori (Portland, OR)
Assignee: Biamp Systems, LLC
G10L21/0216H04R1/406H04R3/005G10L2021/02166H04R2410/01
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,676,618
App. No.
17/564,073
Granted
Jun 13, 2023
Kind
B1
Abstract

An example method of operation may include designating sub-regions which collectively provide a defined reception space, receiving audio signals at a controller from the microphone arrays in the defined reception space, configuring the controller with known locations of each of the microphone arrays, assigning each of the sub-regions to at least one of the microphone arrays based on the known locations, and creating beamform tracking configurations for each of the microphone arrays based on their assigned sub-regions.

Claims (46)

1. A method, comprising:

assigning each of a plurality of sub-regions to at least one of a plurality of microphone arrays in a space, based on known locations of each of the plurality of microphone arrays;

combining beamformed signals from each of the plurality of the microphone arrays into a single joint beamformed signal; and

creating beamform tracking configurations for each of the plurality of microphone arrays based on their assigned sub-regions and the single joint beamformed signal.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming one or more beamformed signals according to the beamform tracking configurations for each of the plurality of microphone arrays.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

combining, via the controller, the one or more beamformed signals from each of the plurality of microphone arrays.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving an audio calibration signal at each of the microphone arrays.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the audio calibration signal comprises one or more of a pulsed tone, a pseudorandom sequence signal, a chirp signal and a sweep signal.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

emitting the audio signals as the audio calibration signal from a known position, wherein the audio calibration signals are emitted from each of the microphone arrays.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying beam zone and microphone array locations on a user interface.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiver; and

a processor configured to:

combine beamformed signals from each of a plurality of the microphone arrays into a single joint beamformed signal,

assign each of a plurality of sub-regions to at least one of the plurality of microphone arrays in a space, based on known locations of each of the plurality of microphone arrays, and

create beamform tracking configurations for each of the plurality of microphone arrays based on their assigned sub-regions and the single joint beamformed signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

form one or more beamformed signals according to the beamform tracking configurations for each of the plurality of microphone arrays.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

combine, via the controller, the one or more beamformed signals from each of the plurality of microphone arrays.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the receiver is further configured to:

receive an audio calibration signal at each of the microphone arrays.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the audio calibration signal comprises one or more of:

a pulsed tone, a pseudorandom sequence signal, a chirp signal and a sweep signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to emit the audio signals as the audio calibration signal from a known position, wherein the audio calibration signals are emitted from each of the microphone arrays.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

display beam zone and microphone array locations on a user interface.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store one or more instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform:

assigning each of a plurality of sub-regions to at least one of a plurality of microphone arrays in a space, based on known locations of each of the plurality of microphone arrays;

combining beamformed signals from each of the plurality of the microphone arrays into a single joint beamformed signal; and

creating beamform tracking configurations for each of the plurality of microphone arrays based on their assigned sub-regions and the single joint beamformed signal.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions are further configured to cause the processor to perform:

forming one or more beamformed signals according to the beamform tracking configurations for each of the plurality of microphone arrays.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the one or more instructions are further configured to cause the processor to perform:

combining, via the controller, the one or more beamformed signals from each of the plurality of microphone arrays.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions are further configured to cause the processor to perform:

receiving an audio calibration signal at each of the microphone arrays.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the audio calibration signal comprises one or more of:

a pulsed tone, a pseudorandom sequence signal, a chirp signal and a sweep signal.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions are further configured to cause the processor to perform:

displaying beam zone and microphone array locations on a user interface, and wherein audio calibration signals are emitted from each of the microphone arrays.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 3, 2024
From: BIAMP SYSTEMS, LLC
To: MIDCAP FINANCIAL TRUST, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 067308/0631 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 27, 2022
From: MCCOWAN, IAIN ALEXANDER; DAVOLIO, STEFANO; JUSZKIEWICZ, RICHARD S.; METZAR, NICHOLAS WILLIAM; KOTVIS, MATTHEW V.; SONDERMEYER, JEFFREY WILLIAM; DAMORI, JASON
To: BIAMP SYSTEMS, LLC
Reel/Frame 059109/0786 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16990924 · Aug 11, 2020
Continuation 16279927 · Feb 19, 2019
Continuation 16017538 · Jun 25, 2018