User-controlled beam steering in microphone array

Abstract

Various aspects include approaches for controlling acoustic beams. In some particular aspects, a system includes: a microphone array; a camera system for detecting a visual characteristic of a user; and a control system coupled with the microphone array and the camera system, the control system programmed to control the microphone array by: receiving a camera signal from the camera system; and focusing the microphone array in response to the camera signal indicating the visual characteristic of the user, prior to receiving an audio input from the user at the microphone array.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a microphone array;   a camera system for detecting a visual characteristic of a user; and   a control system coupled with the microphone array and the camera system, the control system programmed to control the microphone array by:
 receiving a camera signal from the camera system; and 
 focusing the microphone array in response to the camera signal indicating the visual characteristic of the user, prior to receiving an audio input from the user at the microphone array. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to compare the visual characteristic of the user detected by the camera system with a stored visual characteristic library, wherein focusing the microphone array is performed in response to the detected visual characteristic matching a visual characteristic in the stored visual characteristic library. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the visual characteristic library comprises a thresholding mechanism for comparing the camera signal with pre-sorted video data or pre-sorted image data to determine whether the detected visual characteristic is linked with a focus direction for the microphone array. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the visual characteristic comprises at least one of: a detected presence of the user, a detected location of the user, a detected identity of the user, or a detected gesture by the user. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the microphone array is contained within an audio and video conferencing system. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the audio and video conferencing system includes a video display for providing video captured by the camera system at a remote geographic location. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising a directional controller for indicating a desired direction of focus for the microphone array. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the directional controller is at a remote geographic location from the microphone array when sending the command indicating the desired direction of focus, and wherein the directional controller is configured to send a command signal through the audio and video conferencing system to indicate the desired direction of focus for the microphone array at the remote geographic location. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a directional controller for training a visual characteristic engine to identify the visual characteristic of the user. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control system includes a digital signal processor for modifying the focus direction of the microphone array toward a physical location of the user or away from the physical location of the user as detected by the camera system. 
     
     
         11 . An audio and video conferencing system comprising:
 a microphone array;   a camera system for detecting a visual characteristic of a user at a first geographic location; and   a control system coupled with the microphone array and the camera system, the control system programmed to control the microphone array by:
 receiving a camera signal from the camera system; and 
 focusing the microphone array toward the user at the first geographic location in response to the camera signal indicting the visual characteristic of the user, prior to receiving an audio input from the user at the microphone array. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the control system is further configured to compare the visual characteristic of the user detected by the camera system with a stored visual characteristic library, wherein focusing the microphone array is performed in response to the detected visual characteristic matching a visual characteristic in the stored visual characteristic library. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the visual characteristic library comprises a thresholding mechanism for comparing the camera signal with pre-sorted video data or pre-sorted image data to determine whether the detected visual characteristic is linked with a focus direction for the microphone array. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the visual characteristic comprises at least one of: a detected presence of the user, a detected location of the user at a geographic location, a detected identity of the user, or a detected gesture by the user. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a video display and a speaker located at a second, distinct geographic location. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising a directional controller for indicating a desired direction of focus for the microphone array. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the directional controller is at the second, distinct geographic location when sending the command indicating the desired direction of focus. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the directional controller is configured to send a command signal through the audio and video conferencing system to indicate a desired direction of focus for the microphone array at the first geographic location. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a directional controller for training a visual characteristic engine to identify the visual characteristic of the user. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the control system includes a digital signal processor for modifying the focus direction of the microphone array toward a physical location of the user or away from the physical location of the user as detected by the camera system.