US 12,464,281 B2
Method, apparatus and computer-readable media to create audio focus regions dissociated from the microphone system for the purpose of optimizing audio processing at precise spatial locations in a 3D space
Erica Patricia Yorga, Calgary (CA); Richard Dale Ferguson, Okotoks (CA); Kael Blais, Calgary (CA); Mahdi Javer, Calgary (CA); and Nicholas Norrie, Calgary (CA)
Assigned to NUREVA, INC., Calgary (CA)
Filed by Nureva, Inc., Calgary (CA)
Filed on May 29, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/676,812.
Application 18/676,812 is a continuation of application No. 17/516,480, filed on Nov. 1, 2021, granted, now 12,010,484.
Application 17/516,480 is a continuation of application No. 16/774,258, filed on Jan. 28, 2020, granted, now 11,190,871, issued on Nov. 30, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/798,102, filed on Jan. 29, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0314495 A1, Sep. 19, 2024
Int. Cl. H04R 1/40 (2006.01); H04R 3/00 (2006.01); H04R 29/00 (2006.01); H04S 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC H04R 1/406 (2013.01) [H04R 3/005 (2013.01); H04R 29/005 (2013.01); H04S 7/30 (2013.01); H04R 2201/401 (2013.01); H04R 2201/403 (2013.01); H04S 2400/15 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus configured to apply location and inheritance region based virtual microphone post-processing of combined sound signals from a plurality of physical microphones based on the targeted virtual microphone's location in a shared 3D space to optimize one or more sound sources audio processing based on their location relative to the specific virtual microphone location in the shared 3D space, the apparatus comprising:
at least one processor receiving plural microphone input signals from the plurality of physical microphones in the shared 3D space, the at least one processor being configured to determine one or more sound source locations based on a plurality of pre-distributed virtual microphones in the shared 3D space, wherein:
the at least one processor is configured to provide one or more real-time, adaptable, configurable region processing profiles based on requirements of sound source locations in the shared 3D space;
the region processing profiles each comprise one or more attributes and/or one or more functions, the attributes and/or functions defining audio post-processing functions for each virtual microphone assigned to the region processing profile;
the at least one processor is configured to apply the region processing profiles to the plurality of pre-distributed virtual microphones assigned to the region processing profiles in order to create one or more precisely positioned regions with configurable shapes and sizes regardless of locations of the physical microphones, wherein the one or more regions comprise one or more assigned virtual microphones that inherit the region processing profiles; and
the at least one processor is configured to perform the audio post-processing functions for one or more selected virtual microphones corresponding to the one or more sound source locations in the 3D space based on profiles or inherited profiles from the region processing profiles, which include locations, attributes and/or functions, of the one or more selected virtual microphones.