Patent ID: 9621984
Date: 2017-04-11
CPC Classifications: G01S,G06F,G10L,H04R

Claim:
1. A computing device comprising: a microphone array; a processor that converts an acoustic input received by the microphone array into an audio signal; and memory storing: program instructions; a first number of reference azimuth values, wherein each reference azimuth value of the first number of reference azimuth values that is greater than a lowest azimuth value of the reference azimuth values differs from an immediately preceding reference azimuth value of the first number of reference azimuth values, by a degree increment equal to 360 divided by the first number; and a plurality of candidate vectors each having a corresponding azimuth value and a corresponding elevation value, the plurality of candidate vectors numbering at least an order of magnitude greater than the first number; the computing device executing the program instructions to: generate a second number of average power values, the second number equal to the first number, wherein each average power value of the second number of average power values is initially zero and is associated with a corresponding reference azimuth value of the first number of reference azimuth values; apply a steered response power (SRP) algorithm to the audio signal to calculate, for each candidate vector of the plurality of candidate vectors, a corresponding power value of the candidate vector, the corresponding power value representing the acoustic input at the corresponding azimuth value and the corresponding elevation value of the candidate vector; determine a first candidate vector from the plurality of candidate vectors, the first candidate vector having a first azimuth value and a first power value, wherein the first azimuth value differs from a first reference azimuth value of the first number of reference azimuth values by less than half of the degree increment; determine a second candidate vector from the plurality of candidate vectors, the second candidate vector having a second azimuth value and a second power value, wherein the second azimuth value differs from the first reference azimuth value by less than half of the degree increment; determine a first average power value of the second number of average power values, the first average power value comprising an average of the first power value and the second power value, the first average power value being associated with the first reference azimuth value; determine that the first average power value is greater than each other average power value of the first number of average power values; determine that the first reference azimuth value represents, in degrees measured from zero degrees azimuth of the computing device and in a plane perpendicular to a vertical orientation of the computing device, a first direction of a first source of the acoustic input; and modify a first phase shift of the microphone array to focus the microphone array in the first direction.