IP Library Granted Patent US 11,405,722
Granted Patent B2
US 11,405,722 · App. 16/991,748 · Granted Aug 2, 2022

Beamforming for wind noise optimized microphone placements

Inventor: Erich Tisch (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
H04R3/005H04R3/12H04R2203/12H04R2410/01H04R2410/07H04R2430/23
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,405,722
App. No.
16/991,748
Granted
Aug 2, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

An image capture device with beamforming for wind noise optimized microphone placements is described. The image capture device includes a front facing microphone configured to capture an audio signal. The front facing microphone co-located with at least one optical component. The image capture device further includes at least one non-front facing microphone configured to capture an audio signal. The image capture device further includes a processor configured to generate a forward facing beam using the audio signal captured by the front facing microphone and the audio signal captured by the at least one non-front facing microphone, generate an omni beam using the audio signal captured by the at least one non-front facing microphone, and output an audio signal based on the forward facing beam and the omni beam.

Claims (43)

1. An image capture device with beamforming for wind noise optimized microphone placements, the image capture device comprising:

a front facing microphone configured to capture an audio signal, the front facing microphone co-located with at least one optical component;

at least one non-front facing microphone configured to capture an audio signal; and

a processor configured to:

apply tuned beamforming parameters to the audio signal captured by the front facing microphone to account for body shadowing and delay effects;

generate a forward facing beam using the audio signal captured by the front facing microphone and the audio signal captured by the at least one non-front facing microphone;

generate an omni beam using the audio signal captured by the at least one non-front facing microphone; and

output an audio signal based on the forward facing beam and the omni beam.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-front facing microphone is a side microphone.

3. The device of claim 1 , for the omni beam generation, the processor further configured to:

apply tuned beamforming parameters to the audio signal captured by the at least one non-front facing microphone to account for body shadowing and delay effects.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein stereo audio is generated from an output audio signal.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the front facing microphone and the least one non-front facing microphone are relationally offset from an optical axis of the at least one optical component.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the front facing microphone and the least one non-front facing microphone are angularly offset from an optical axis of the at least one optical component.

7. An image capture device with beamforming for wind noise optimized microphone placements, the image capture device comprising:

a microphone configured to capture an audio signal, the microphone co-located with at least one optical component;

another microphone configured to capture an audio signal; and

a processor configured to:

apply tuned beamforming parameters to the audio signal captured by the microphone and the audio signal captured by the other microphone to account for body shadowing and delay effects;

generate an audio source facing beam using the audio signal captured by the microphone and the audio signal captured by the other microphone;

generate a non-rear facing beam using the audio signal captured by the other microphone, wherein the non-rear facing beam leans more toward an audio source than away from the audio source; and

output an audio signal based on the audio source facing beam and the non-rear facing beam.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the microphone is facing the audio source and the other microphone is a side microphone.

9. The device of claim 7 , for the non-rear facing beam generation, the processor further configured to:

apply tuned beamforming parameters to the audio signal captured by the other microphone to account for body shadowing and delay effects.

10. The device of claim 7 , wherein the non-rear facing beam is generated from non-delayed versions of the audio signal captured by the microphone and the audio signal captured by the other microphone.

11. The device of claim 10 , the processor further configured to:

apply tuned beamforming parameters to the audio signal captured by the microphone and the audio signal captured by the other microphone to account for body shadowing effects and non-application of delay effects.

12. The device of claim 7 , wherein stereo audio is generated from an output audio signal.

13. The device of claim 7 , wherein the microphone and the other microphone are relationally offset from an optical axis of the at least one optical component.

14. The device of claim 7 , wherein the microphone and the other microphone are angularly offset from an optical axis of the at least one optical component.

15. A method for beamforming for wind noise optimized microphone placements, the method comprising:

capturing an audio signal from an audio source facing microphone on an image capture device;

capturing an audio signal from another microphone on the image capture device, the microphone and the other microphone being angularly offset from an optical axis of an optical component on the image capture device;

applying tuned beamforming parameters to the audio signal captured by the other microphone to account for body shadowing and delay effects;

generating an audio source facing beam from the audio signal captured by the audio source facing microphone and the audio signal captured by the other microphone;

generating a non-rear facing beam from at least the audio signal captured by the other microphone, wherein the non-rear facing beam leans more toward an audio source than away from the audio source; and

outputting an audio signal based on the audio source facing beam and the non-rear facing beam.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the non-rear facing beam is an omni beam generated from the audio signal captured by the other microphone.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the non-rear facing beam is generated from the audio signal captured by the audio source facing microphone and the audio signal captured by the other microphone without application of delay effects.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the other microphone is a side microphone.

19. The device of claim 7 , wherein the body shadowing effects are leveraged to provide separation between the microphone and the other microphone.

20. The device of claim 1 , wherein the body shadowing effects are leveraged to provide separation between the microphone and the other microphone.

Assignments (5)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 4, 2025
From: GOPRO, INC.
To: FARALLON CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.L.C., AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 072340/0676 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 4, 2025
From: GOPRO, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 072358/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 5, 2022
From: TISCH, ERICH
To: GOPRO, INC.
Reel/Frame 059829/0159 →
RELEASE OF PATENT SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 25, 2021
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: GOPRO, INC.
Reel/Frame 055106/0434 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 19, 2020
From: GOPRO, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 054113/0594 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 62901505 · Sep 17, 2019
Related Publication 20210084408A1 · Mar 18, 2021