US 11,778,407 B2
Camera-view acoustic fence
Peter L. Chu, Lexington, MA (US); and Stephen C. Botzko, Reading, MA (US)
Assigned to Plantronics, Inc., Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Filed by Plantronics, Inc., Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 10, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/444,828.
Prior Publication US 2023/0053202 A1, Feb. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. G10L 21/0216 (2013.01); H04S 7/00 (2006.01); H04N 23/58 (2023.01); H04N 7/14 (2006.01); H04N 7/15 (2006.01)
CPC H04S 7/303 (2013.01) [G10L 21/0216 (2013.01); H04N 7/147 (2013.01); H04N 7/15 (2013.01); H04N 23/58 (2023.01); G10L 2021/02166 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for selecting audio to be transmitted in a videoconference,
the method comprising:
reviewing, by a processing unit, an output of a microphone for sound;
providing, by the processing unit from a camera having a field-of-view (FoV), an image from the camera;
determining, by the processing unit, whether or not the sound originates from within the FoV of the camera;
muting, by the processor, the microphone when the processing unit determines that the sound does not originate from within the FoV of the camera; and
unmuting, by the processor, the microphone when the processing unit determines that the sound originates from within the FoV of the camera,
wherein the camera includes a centerline, and
wherein determining if whether or not the sound originates within the FoV of the camera includes:
using a microphone array and sound source localization (SSL) to determine an angle of the sound; and
determining whether or not the sound originates within the FoV of the camera based on the determined SSL sound angle and the centerline and the FoV of the camera.