Wireless microphone system

Abstract

1. A wireless microphone system comprising: a first wireless microphone having a first microphone element configured to generate a first audio signal, the first microphone configured to generate a first output signal including the first audio signal and information identifying the first wireless microphone; a second wireless microphone having a second microphone element configured to generate a second audio signal, the second microphone configured to generate a second output signal including the second audio signal and information identifying the second wireless microphone; and a monitoring device having a display configured to receive the first and second output signals and to generate, using the display, visualizations of at least one aspect of the first and second audio signals, and to associate each visualization with a representation of information identifying the corresponding first or second wireless microphone.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wireless microphone system and a method for use in such a system.

Background Art

[0002] Often, it is convenient to use a wireless microphone to capture audio from a sound source. For example, in a scenario where an acoustic scene includes several sound sources, it may be useful to associate one microphone with each sound source in order to separate the audio from each source and improve the quality of the audio. Using a wireless microphone in such a scenario can avoid associating a complex and cumbersome setup with a wired microphone (e.g., requiring a wired connection to a central unit). Wireless microphones can also be useful for capturing audio from one or more moving sound sources because the microphone can move with the sound source (e.g., by being attached to the sound source) without fear of cables getting tangled or exceeding the length of the connecting wires. In productions that include video capture, it may also be desirable to avoid having cables extending unsightly from a wired microphone.

[0003] Using wireless microphones also allows for more flexibility in the post-processing or editing of a finished recording of an acoustic scene by enabling individual editing or modification of the audio signals received from each microphone, including adjustment of volume, alteration of the frequency spectrum (equalization), and application of effects such as reverb and echo. If the acoustic scene is captured in a way that enables the generation of spatially encoded sound, individual sound sources within the acoustic scene can be manipulated much more by changing the spatial appearance of the individual sound sources.

[0004] When capturing audio from several sound sources, it is useful to be able to quickly and easily associate an audio signal with the sound source that produces that audio signal, i.e., the source of the audio signal. For example, an audio engineer might notice that the amplitude of a particular audio signal is too low (e.g., by listening to the audio signal at a monitoring station such as a mixing desk, or by looking at a visual representation of the audio signal) and want to adjust the position and / or orientation of the microphone producing that signal (e.g., by moving it closer to the sound source). However, to do so, the engineer needs to know which microphone is producing the problematic audio signal. With wired microphones, the engineer can simply trace the wire to the microphone and identify it, but when wireless microphones are used, there is no such physical wired connection to trace. Some wireless systems allow the engineer to manually name the transmitter, receiver, and recorder inputs, but this is time-consuming and complicates the recording process.

[0005] Furthermore, the applicant recognizes that during post-processing (e.g., after a recording session), the user may not know which sound source audio signal originated from, and therefore, during the audio capture itself, the audio engineer must rely on making handwritten notes. With respect to spatially encoded sounds, the audio engineer may have to rely on combining such handwritten notes with estimations of location based on listening to the captured acoustic scene. The applicant recognizes that an improved approach is desirable. [Overview of the project]

[0006] Viewed from a first aspect, the present invention is a wireless microphone system, A first wireless microphone comprising a first microphone element configured to generate a first audio signal, wherein the first microphone is configured to generate a first output signal comprising a first audio signal and information identifying the first wireless microphone, A second wireless microphone comprising a second microphone element configured to generate a second audio signal, wherein the second microphone is configured to generate a second output signal comprising a second audio signal and information identifying the second wireless microphone, The present invention provides a wireless microphone system comprising a monitoring device having a display, which is configured to receive first and second output signals, use the display to generate visualizations of at least one aspect of the first and second audio signals, and associate each visualization with a representation of information identifying the corresponding first or second wireless microphone.

[0007] Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that, advantageously, the present invention facilitates the association of first and second audio signals with corresponding first and second wireless microphones. This can be useful both during audio acquisition (e.g., for live monitoring and / or troubleshooting) and after audio acquisition (e.g., for editing or post-processing), and can mitigate at least some of the aforementioned drawbacks by fixing the association at a technical level rather than relying on user-dependent determination.

[0008] Those skilled in the art will understand that a system having first and second wireless microphones can be generalized to a system having three or more microphones, just as any system having any number of microphones is an embodiment of a system having two microphones (i.e., two microphones and an additional microphone).

[0009] In some embodiments, a first wireless microphone has a first visual or auditory feature representing information that identifies the first wireless microphone, and a second wireless microphone has a second visual or auditory feature representing information that identifies the second wireless microphone. This facilitates the identification of individual microphones and their association with signals, sound control, and visual representations of audio signals during setup and audio acquisition. The first and second visual or auditory features may be selected from, for example, a group consisting of first and second colors, first and second symbols, first and second alphanumeric strings, and first and second playable audio files.

[0010] Therefore, the first and second visual or auditory features provide a simple mechanism that allows the wireless microphone to be essentially linked at a technical level to the audio signal it generates. In some embodiments, the first and / or second visual features include permanent visual features (i.e., those that cannot be altered). For example, the first and / or second wireless microphone may include a microphone housing, and the first and / or second visual features may include a permanently colored portion of the microphone housing. In such embodiments, information identifying the first and / or second colors may be hardcoded into the first and / or second wireless microphone (e.g., during manufacturing).

[0011] In other embodiments of the wireless microphone system, the first and second visual or auditory features are programmable features selected from a group consisting of LEDs that can be controlled to emit light of different colors, displays that can be programmed to display one or more different symbols or alphanumeric characters, and memories that can store one or more selectable or interchangeable audio files. This allows the system to configure itself by dynamically assigning identification features, or the user to select and program the system according to their needs or preferences.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the visualization of at least one aspect of the first and second output signals generated and displayed by the monitoring device is a visualization of a composite signal comprising the first and second audio signals, and the system is further configured to determine that one of the first and second audio signals is the primary contributor to the composite signal. The representation of information identifying the corresponding first or second wireless microphone may be a representation of information identifying the wireless microphone (e.g., by symbol, color, or name) that is the source of the audio signal determined to be the primary contributor to the composite signal. The definition of what it means for a signal to be a primary contributor will be explained in more detail below. The composite signal may be the sum or superposition of the two signals, but may also be a signal that switches back and forth between the two signals, i.e., a signal consisting of either the first audio signal or the second audio signal at any point in time. The composite signal may also be a signal derived from the two signals and, optionally, additional signals, such as a spatially encoded sound field signal.

[0013] Whether it is a visual representation of one or more of the first and second audio signals or a visual representation of a composite signal, at least one aspect may be selected from the group consisting of signal level, waveform, spectrum, and corresponding microphone position.

[0014] Additionally or alternatively, the wireless microphone system may include a storage device (i.e., a recording device) configured to receive and store the first and second output signals. Thus, the first and second audio signals and information identifying the corresponding wireless microphone, such as color information, can be retrieved and used later (e.g., by an editing device for post-processing a considerable time after the recording has finished). In some embodiments, the storage device may be configured to store signals derived from the first and second output signals, such as spatially encoded signals in which the first and second audio signals are components. In various embodiments, the storage device may be located in a base station, monitoring device, editing device, or remote computer.

[0015] If the microphone system according to the present invention is configured to be monitored during manufacturing (i.e., during audio acquisition), it will be understood that the visualization of at least one aspect of the audio signal is most likely to be the current value of one or more of that aspect. Examples may include volume, power, frequency spectrum, or a representation of the microphone's current position. In embodiments where the system is arranged or adapted for post-processing or editing of acquired audio signals stored in a memory device, the visualization of at least one aspect of the first and second output signals is a visualization of the composite signal, including the first and second audio signals during the period covered by the signal stored in the memory device. The system may then be further configured to store information identifying the audio signal in which one of the first and second audio signals is determined to be the primary contributor to the composite signal, along with the first and second output signals, or signals derived from the first and second output signals. A representation of the information identifying the corresponding first or second wireless microphone may be a representation of the information identifying the wireless microphone that is the source of the audio signal determined to be the current primary contributor to the composite signal for each period.

[0016] In a set of embodiments, a wireless microphone system is configured to determine the positions of a first and / or second wireless microphone during voice acquisition. The positions can be determined using voice analysis techniques. For example, the wireless microphone system may include a base station equipped with a microphone array, and the respective first and second positions (relative to the base station) of the first and second microphones may be determined by comparing the first and second audio signals with the outputs from the microphone array (e.g., by identifying the time delay between the sound acquired by the first and second microphones and the microphone array of the base station, and using these delays to calculate the distance between the base station and the first and second wireless microphones). Additionally or alternatively, the first and / or second positions of the first and / or second wireless microphones can be determined by analyzing radio signals transmitted between the first and / or second wireless microphones (e.g., radio communication signals transmitted between the wireless microphones and the base station).

[0017] Accordingly, an embodiment of the wireless microphone system may further include a base station having a microphone array configured to generate a plurality of local audio signals capable of generating spatially encoded sound field signals, and further configured to determine the positions of the first and second wireless microphones relative to the base station by comparing the first and second audio signals with the outputs from the microphone array. The determined positions of the first and second wireless microphones may be stored together with the first and second output signals (i.e., together with the first and second audio signals and identification information), or together with signals derived from the first and second output signals. The derived signals may be, for example, spatially encoded sound field signals at least partially generated from the first and second audio signals.

[0018] A wireless microphone system may be configured to receive first and / or second output signals (e.g., after audio capture is complete) and may include an editing device adapted to perform one or more audio processing techniques on the first and / or second audio signals. For example, the editing device may be configured to generate an immersive (i.e., spatially encoded) soundtrack from the first and second audio signals based on user input.

[0019] Therefore, the editing device may be configured to utilize the stored identification and stored location of the first and second wireless microphones during post-processing or editing of the signals derived therefrom, by generating or editing a first audio signal, a second audio signal and a plurality of local audio signals, or, for example, a spatially encoded sound field signal from the microphone array.

[0020] In another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for performing the following steps in a wireless microphone system.

[0021] A step of capturing a first audio signal using a first wireless microphone and generating a first output signal that includes the first audio signal and information identifying the first wireless microphone.

[0022] A step of capturing a first audio signal using a second wireless microphone and generating a first output signal that includes the first audio signal and information identifying the second wireless microphone,

[0023] A monitoring device receives a first output signal and a second output signal, generates and displays a visualization of at least one aspect of the first audio signal and the second audio signal, and

[0024] The step of associating each visualization with a representation of information that identifies the corresponding first or second wireless microphone.

[0025] The method may further include providing a visual or auditory feature representing information for identifying a first wireless microphone to the first wireless microphone and providing a visual or auditory feature representing information for identifying the first wireless microphone to a second wireless microphone.

[0026] In some embodiments of the present method, the first visual or auditory feature and the second visual or auditory feature are selected from the group consisting of the first and second colors, the first and second symbols, the first and second alphanumeric strings, and the first and second playable audio files.

[0027] In some embodiments, the method further includes generating a composite signal from the first and second audio signals, determining that one of the first and second audio signals is a major contributing factor to the composite signal, and visualizing at least one aspect of the first and second audio signals being the visualization of the composite signal, and the visualization of the composite signal is associated with the representation of information identifying the wireless microphone that is the source of the audio signal determined to be the current major contributing factor to the composite signal.

[0028] The first output signal and the second output signal, or a signal derived from the first output signal and the second output signal can be stored in a storage device.

[0029] In some embodiments, the method further includes capturing a plurality of audio signals using a microphone array, determining the positions of the first and second wireless microphones relative to the position of the microphone array using the first audio signal, the second audio signal, and the plurality of audio signals, and storing the first output signal, the second output signal, the plurality of audio signals, and the determined positions in a storage device.

[0030] In some embodiments, at least one of the first audio signal, the second audio signal, a plurality of local audio signals, and signals derived therefrom may be edited based on at least one of the following: information identifying a wireless microphone, a determined location of the identified wireless microphone, and a determined major contributing factor to the synthesized signal.

[0031] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a cloud-based service is provided, comprising: a first communication interface configured to receive a first input signal including a first audio signal and information identifying a first microphone, and a second input signal including a second audio signal and information identifying a second microphone; a monitoring module configured to receive first and second output signals from the first communication interface and generate a visualization of at least one aspect of at least one of the first and second audio signals, the visualization including a representation of information identifying the corresponding first or second microphone; and a second communication interface configured to transmit the generated visualization in a format that can be displayed on a remote device. Thus, the cloud-based service represents an implementation of a monitoring device, configured to receive output signals as input signals and transmit visualizations as graphic information that can be displayed on a computer, tablet, or mobile phone. Additional functions of monitoring, editing, and storage can, of course, also be implemented in the cloud-based service. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0032] Herein, with reference to the attached drawings, one or more non-limiting embodiments will be described as merely examples.

[0033] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a wireless microphone system according to an example of the present invention.

[0034] [Figure 2]The wireless microphone in the system shown in Figure 1 is shown in more detail.

[0035] [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of another wireless microphone.

[0036] [Figure 4] The monitoring equipment for the system shown in Figure 1 is shown in more detail.

[0037] [Figure 5] Alternative visualizations of the first and second audio signals are shown.

[0038] [Figure 6] This flowchart shows how to use it with a wireless microphone system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0039] In the following description of various embodiments, the drawings are referenced, and similar reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding elements. The drawings are not necessarily scaled; rather, certain features may be shown in a scaled, somewhat simplified, or schematic manner, or in an exaggerated manner. Certain prior art elements may be omitted for illustrative purposes rather than to clutter the drawings with details that do not contribute to understanding the principles of the invention.

[0040] Unless otherwise specified, it should be noted that different features or elements can be combined with each other, whether or not they are described together as part of the same embodiment below. The combination of features or elements in exemplary embodiments is done to facilitate understanding of the invention rather than to limit the scope of the invention to a limited set of embodiments, and they are intended to be interchangeable insofar as alternative elements having substantially the same function are shown in each embodiment; however, for the sake of brevity, no attempt has been made to disclose all possible substitutions of features in full. Similarly, a particular feature or component may be described as part of a particular device in a system, but may be part of a different device in other embodiments. Where appropriate, an attempt will be made to refer to such alternative configurations, but this will not be exhaustive.

[0041] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be implemented without many of the details included in this detailed description. Conversely, some well-known structures or functions may not be illustrated or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the relevant descriptions of various embodiments. The terms used in the following descriptions are intended to be interpreted in their broadest and most reasonable form, even when used in conjunction with the detailed descriptions of specific special embodiments of the present invention.

[0042] Where used herein, the phrase “identifying information” means information specific to the device it refers to, for example, a visual feature, a number, or a name that identifies the wireless microphone associated with that visual feature, number, or name. It does not mean performing an act to determine its identity. While the word “identify” may be used to refer to an act of determining the identity of a device or signal, the formal definition of the Invention in the claims uses the word “determine” any such act. Similarly, where one signal is “derived” from another signal, this is intended to encompass any signal that carries information based on information extracted from another signal. This includes encryption, decryption, compression, decompression (lossless or lossy), and generation, such as filtered versions of the other signal, acoustically processed versions, and versions combined with other signals and used to generate spatially encoded sound field signals. For the purposes of this disclosure, signals are considered the same signal even if they are distorted, noisy, lossy compressed, or modified in an intentional or substantial way. For example, the audio signal generated by a microphone element can be considered the same audio signal extracted from the transmitted, received, and possibly decoded output signal.

[0043] A wireless microphone system 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown in Figure 1. The wireless microphone system 2 comprises a first wireless microphone 4, a second wireless microphone 6, a base station 8, and a portable monitoring and editing device 10. Not all embodiments of the present invention include all of these devices, and in some embodiments, the functions described below may be distributed differently among the devices.

[0044] A wireless microphone can transmit the audio signal it captures (or a version of the audio signal, such as a compressed version) to another device without requiring a wired electrical connection. This can be done using a radio frequency (RF) link (for example, according to the Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi® communication standard). The first and second wireless microphones may be battery-powered.

[0045] Using long-range wireless communication such as WiMAX, or mobile or cellular communication standards such as LTE, 4G, and 5G, to establish communication between the microphone and other components of the system is also consistent with the principles of the present invention. This makes it possible to capture voices generated in different locations and allows many of the system components, such as monitoring devices, storage devices, and editing devices, to be implemented as cloud services. Similar communication capabilities can be utilized in communication between other components of the system, for example, such as a base station being a local device that communicates with cloud-based monitoring and editing devices.

[0046] In some embodiments, the first wireless microphone comprises a radio frequency wireless transmission module. The wireless transmission module may be configured to transmit a first output signal (e.g., to a monitoring device). Similarly, the second wireless microphone may comprise a radio frequency wireless transmission module that can be configured to transmit a second output signal. The first and / or second wireless microphones may also be arranged to receive wireless signals (i.e., the first and / or second wireless microphones may comprise wireless transceivers). For example, the first and / or second wireless microphones may be configured to receive wireless control signals for controlling one or more parameters of the microphone (e.g., gain, visual or auditory identification configuration).

[0047] In some embodiments, the first wireless microphone may include a local storage module in which the first wireless microphone is positioned to store a first output signal (i.e., mounted on the first wireless microphone). Similarly, the second wireless microphone may be configured to store a second output signal in the local storage module. By locally storing the first and / or second output signals, it may be possible to store the first and / or second audio signals with a higher quality than would be practical or possible if the audio signals were transmitted wirelessly. This is because the quality of the signals that can be stored locally is typically not affected by factors that can affect wireless transmission (such as bandwidth, transmit power, or limitations due to the presence of radio interference).

[0048] An exemplary embodiment of the first wireless microphone 4 is shown in detail in Figure 2 and comprises a first microphone element 11, a first visual feature 12, and a first electrical connector 14, together with a local memory module 16, a wireless transceiver 18, and a battery 20. The first visual feature 12 comprises a portion of the housing of the first wireless microphone 4 and has a first color (e.g., red). Similarly, the second wireless microphone 6 comprises a second microphone element 22, a second visual feature 24, and a second electrical connector 26, together with a local memory module, a wireless transceiver, and a battery. The second visual feature 24 comprises a section of the housing of the second wireless microphone 6 and has a second color (e.g., blue).

[0049] In other embodiments, the visual features may be something other than color, such as symbols, alphanumeric characters or strings of characters, colored light or patterns of light, or similar. Instead of visual features, some embodiments may have auditory features, such as audio files stored in the local memory module 16. Such audio files can be played back when the user performs some predetermined action, such as pressing a button, shaking the microphone, or sending a control signal to the microphone.

[0050] In some sets of embodiments, the first and / or second visual or auditory features may be modifiable (e.g., between voice captures) to allow a single wireless microphone to be associated with different identifying features (e.g., colors) depending on the user's choice. For example, the first and / or second visual features may include a removable (i.e., interchangeable) colored portion of the microphone housing. In some embodiments, the first and / or second visual features may include at least one configurable indicator, such as a light source capable of emitting light of different colors depending on its configuration (e.g., a colored LED configurable via user input and / or software). The color of the configurable indicator may be assigned before recording begins via a wired connection (e.g., when the first and / or second wireless microphones are connected to a base station) or a radio connection (e.g., using radio control signals).

[0051] In such embodiments, the information identifying the first and / or second microphones is updatable to ensure it matches the visual features currently in use. The first and / or second wireless microphones may be configured to automatically update the information identifying the first and / or second visual or auditory features when the associated visual features are changed (for example, as part of the light source configuration or by automatic detection of the visual features in use). Alternatively, the information identifying the first and / or second colors may be manually updated by the user.

[0052] In the above embodiment in which the output signal is stored in a local memory module, the first and / or second wireless microphones may be configured to subsequently transmit the stored output signal over the wireless connection after the voice acquisition is complete. For example, a lower-quality version of the first audio signal or first output signal may be transmitted wirelessly in real time (or near real time, taking into account the inherent system latency), while a higher-quality version is stored in local storage and subsequently transmitted.

[0053] In some embodiments, the first wireless microphone includes a wired electrical connector (e.g., having one or more electrical contacts) for transmitting a stored first output signal. Similarly, the second wireless microphone may include a wired electrical connector for transmitting a second output signal. For example, the wired electrical connectors of the first and / or second wireless microphones may be adapted to connect the first and / or second wireless microphones to another device (e.g., a base station or computer) from which the output signals can be downloaded from local storage (e.g., after voice capture has finished).

[0054] In some embodiments, including that shown in Figure 1, the wireless microphone system includes a base station. The base station may include at least one wired electrical connector for connecting to the wired electrical connectors of the first and / or second wireless microphones. For example, the base station may include a docking section into which the wired electrical connectors of the first and / or second wireless microphones are positioned to connect directly (thus eliminating the need for separate connection cables).

[0055] The base station may be configured to receive first and / or second output signals from the first and / or second wireless microphones (e.g., in real time or near real time during or after audio acquisition). The base station may be configured to receive first and / or second output signals via a wired electrical connector (e.g., via cable or via docking). For example, a user may dock the first and / or second wireless microphones to the base station to download the first and / or second output signals to the base station after voice acquisition is complete. In some embodiments, the wired electrical connector of the base station may be configured to charge the batteries of the first and / or second wireless microphones (e.g., simultaneously with the reception of the first and / or second output signals). In some embodiments, the wireless microphone system may include a docking device (e.g., a separate, dedicated docking device from the base station) having a wired electrical connector for charging and / or transferring data to and from the wireless microphones. The docking device may also be configured to charge and / or transfer data to and from the base station or other devices such as other wireless microphones. Therefore, the docking device does not need to be adapted for wireless communication (for example, to receive output signals), but only needs to provide a simple method for charging and / or transferring data to and from the wireless microphone via a wired connection.

[0056] The base station may be equipped with first and second wired electrical connectors (e.g., sockets and / or docking parts) for connecting to the first and second wireless microphones, respectively. In such embodiments, the first and second wired electrical connectors can enable the first and second wireless microphones to be connected simultaneously, thereby enhancing convenience by enabling, for example, the simultaneous download of the first and second output signals and / or the simultaneous charging of the batteries of the first and second wireless microphones.

[0057] The first wired electrical connector of the base station may include first identification information, for example, a visual feature having a first color (i.e., matching the first visual feature of the first wireless microphone). Correspondingly, the second wired electrical connector of the base station may include second identification information, for example, a visual feature having a second color.

[0058] In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the base station 8 comprises a first docking portion 28 having a first electrical connector 30 and a second docking portion 32 having a second electrical connector 34. The first wireless microphone 4 and the second wireless microphone 6 are configured to dock with the first docking portion 28 and the second docking portion 32 to form a wired electrical connection (i.e., the electrical connectors 14 and 26 of the wireless microphones 4 and 6 contact the electrical connectors 30 and 34 of the base station 8). The first docking portion 28 includes a portion having a first color to match the first wireless microphone 4. The first docking portion 28 also includes a portion having a second color to match the second wireless microphone 4.

[0059] In embodiments in which the first and / or second visual feature includes a configurable indicator (e.g., one or more configurable LEDs), the base station may be configured to assign a color to the configurable indicator (i.e., to select what the first or second color is). The base station may also be configured to assign a color to the first and / or second microphone device via a wired electrical connector, and the assignment may be triggered by the connection of the wired electrical connector. For example, when the first and / or second microphone device is docked to a docking portion of the base station, the base station may assign a color to the first or second microphone device that matches the color of the visual feature of the docking portion to which the microphone device is docked.

[0060] The base station 8 may include a radio receiving module 36 and / or a radio transmitting module (e.g., a radio transceiver module) 38 configured to transmit and / or receive signals between the first and / or second wireless microphones (i.e., between the radio transceivers of the first and / or second wireless microphones 18, 118). In some embodiments, the base station 8 can act as an intermediary (i.e., router) between the wireless microphones 4, 6 and the monitoring device 10 or editing device 15, receiving output signals from the wireless microphones 4, 6 and relaying them to the monitoring device 10 or editing device 15. In some such embodiments, the base station 8 can transmit additional information along with the output signals to the monitoring device 10 or editing device 15. For example, the base station 8 may be configured to determine location information regarding the first and / or second wireless microphones 4, 6 (e.g., the location of the wireless microphones relative to the base station) and then transmit this information along with the output signals to the monitoring device 10 or editing device 15.

[0061] For location determination by the base station 8, some embodiments of the present invention include a microphone array 39 in the base station 8. The microphone array 39 may include a plurality of physically arranged microphone elements to generate audio signals that can generate spatially encoded sound field signals. In some embodiments, the base station 8 may be configured to locally generate spatially encoded signals and transmit the sound field signals to the monitoring device 10 and / or editing device 15. In other embodiments, a plurality of local audio signals generated by the microphone array 39 are transmitted in real time or near real time to the monitoring device 10 or editing device 15, or to some remote computer, or subsequently to the editing device 15 or for the subsequent generation of spatially encoded signals at a remote location.

[0062] When base station 8 receives the first and second output signals from the first and second wireless microphones 4 and 6, the received audio signals can be combined with the signals from microphone array 39 to generate a spatially encoded sound field signal that includes the signals from wireless microphones 4 and 6. The positions of the first and second wireless microphones 4 and 6 can also be determined. The positions can be determined using speech analysis techniques. For example, the first and second positions (relative to the base station) of the first and second microphones 4 and 6 may be determined by comparing the first and second audio signals with the outputs from the microphone array (e.g., to identify the time delay between the sound captured by the first and second microphones and the base station's microphone array, and to use these delays to calculate the distance between the base station and the first and second wireless microphones). Additionally or alternatively, the first and / or second positions of the first and / or second wireless microphones can be determined by analyzing the radio signals transmitted between the first and / or second wireless microphones (e.g., radio communication signals transmitted between the wireless microphones and the base station).

[0063] A more detailed description of the generation of spatially encoded signals and the determination of microphone position can be found in the applicant's international (PCT) patent application, application number PCT / NO2020 / 050320, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0064] In some embodiments, the base station 8 is configured to relay only a portion of the output signals to the monitoring device 10. For example, the base station 8 may not transmit audio signals to the monitoring device 10, but only transmit what is necessary for visual monitoring (e.g., information identifying a first and / or second color, along with a determination of location information and / or an indication of which audio signal is dominant at a particular time). The base station 8 may store the portion of the output signals that are not transmitted to the monitoring device 10.

[0065] In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the monitoring device 10 (e.g., a tablet computer or smartphone) includes a display 13. In this embodiment, the editing device 15 is a component of the monitoring device, for example, a computer program installed in the monitoring device 10 to be executed by the processor 17 of the monitoring device 10. In other embodiments, the editing device may be a separate device or a service residing on a remote computer, for example, as a cloud service. The operation of the monitoring device 10 is described in more detail below with reference to Figure 4, which shows in more detail what is displayed on the display 13 of the monitoring device 10.

[0066] When in use, the first microphone element 11 of the first wireless microphone 4 generates a first audio signal that includes sounds in the vicinity of the first wireless microphone 4. For example, the first wireless microphone 4 may be attached to the clothing of a first person such that the first audio signal is occupied by the sound of the first person speaking. Similarly, the second microphone element 22 of the second wireless microphone 6 generates a second audio signal that includes sounds in the vicinity of the second wireless microphone 6 (for example, occupied by the speech of a second person to which the second wireless microphone 6 is attached).

[0067] The first microphone 4 generates a first output signal that includes a first audio signal and information identifying a first color of a first visual feature 12. For example, the first wireless microphone 4 may embed information in the first audio signal that identifies the first color of the first visual feature 12 as an inaudible audio watermark in order to generate the first output signal. For example, the audio watermark can be implemented by defining a set of pseudo-noise (PN) sequences mapped to different colors, where the least significant bit (LSB) of the PN sequence corresponds to a color according to a predetermined lookup table. The LSB may be modified in the portion of the audio signal that masks the watermark. In other embodiments, the identification information may be something other than color as described above, and the embedded information may reflect this.

[0068] In this example, the first wireless microphone 4 stores the first output signal in its local memory section 16, although this is not mandatory. Correspondingly, the second wireless microphone 6 generates a second output signal that includes a second audio signal and information identifying the second color of the second visual feature 24.

[0069] The first microphone 4 transmits a first output signal to the monitoring device 10 in real time via the wireless transceiver 18 (for example, directly or via the base station 8). The monitoring device 10 receives the received first output signal and reconstructs from it the first audio signal and information identifying the first wireless microphone, such as a reference to a first color. For example, if the first color is encoded as an inaudible audio watermark of the first audio signal, the color (or other feature in other embodiments) can be extracted by filtering the encoded signal LSB sequence using a matching filter for each PN sequence, which is implemented as a 1-bit correlator. If the matching filter returns "1" to the output, this means that a watermark corresponding to a given PN sequence has been detected. The corresponding color can then be determined by referring to the lookup table described above. The monitoring device 10 then uses the first audio signal and the first color to generate a visualization 40 of the first audio signal (i.e., waveform) on the display 13 (see Figure 4) with the first color of the first visual feature 12.

[0070] The second microphone 6 transmits a second output signal to the monitoring and editing device 10 in real time (for example, directly or via the base station 8), which displays a visualization 42 of the second audio signal in the second color (of the second visual feature 24) along with a visualization 40 of the first audio signal.

[0071] The colored visualizations 40, 42 allow the user of the monitoring and editing device 10 to intuitively and easily identify which audio signal corresponds to which wireless microphone during an audio capture session simply by matching the colors of the visualizations to the colors of the visual features of the wireless microphones.

[0072] In embodiments where the identifying feature is something other than a visual feature having an identifying color, the visualizations 40, 42 may be associated with some other identifier displayed in close proximity to each visualization 40, 42, such as a symbol, an alphanumeric string, a name, etc.

[0073] In some audio capture scenarios (e.g., conference calls), at a given point in time, there is one sound source that is the primary contributor to the overall audio (e.g., one person speaking). In such scenarios, it may be useful to identify the primary contributor during monitoring and / or editing (e.g., to highlight or emphasize the audio signal containing the primary contributor).

[0074] Accordingly, in some embodiments, the monitoring or editing device is configured to display a visualization of the composite signal including the first and second audio signals. The system may be configured to determine that one of the first and second audio signals is the primary contributor to the composite signal. The monitoring or editing device may be configured to highlight or emphasize the primary contributor to the composite signal. For example, the visualization of the composite signal may consist of the first audio signal when it is the primary contributor and the second audio signal when it is the primary contributor. In some embodiments, the composite signal has a first color when the first audio signal is the primary contributor and a second color when the second audio signal is the primary contributor.

[0075] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, audio is taken from several sound sources (e.g., several people talking), and at any given time (e.g., one person is talking and the other is silent), one sound source is dominant over the others. As mentioned above, it may be useful to identify this dominant sound source. Therefore, Figure 5 shows an alternative visualization 502 that may be shown on the display 13 of the monitoring device 10, which includes an indication of which audio signal currently contains the dominant sound source of the acoustic scene. The alternative visualization 502 includes the waveform of a composite audio signal 504 made from first and second audio signals (e.g., including a superposition of the first and second audio signals). Visualization 502 is divided into several periods in which different audio sources are dominant. In a first period 506, the first audio signal is dominant (e.g., has a larger amplitude than the second audio signal), and in the subsequent second period 508, the second audio signal is dominant. To enable the user to quickly and intuitively identify which of the first and second wireless microphones is associated with the primary sound source at any given time, the first period 506 (and other periods in which the first audio signal is dominant) is colored with a first color, and the second period 508 (and other periods in which the second audio signal is dominant) is colored with a second color.

[0076] The specific criteria used to determine which audio signal should be considered the primary contributor to the synthesized signal may differ or be configurable parameters in different embodiments of the present invention. For example, in situations where several people speak in turns, such as a conversation, panel discussion, or video conference, it may be sufficient to determine which audio signal has the highest amplitude, power, or energy. However, this is not the only criterion that can be used. Other possibilities include determining based on the determined location of the wireless microphone. For example, the primary contributor may be the audio signal originating from the wireless microphone determined to be the closest to the base station, originating at that location on the base station and therefore closest to the centerline (or symmetry line) of the sector at the center of the sound field (e.g., equally large in two stereo channels), or having the best channel isolation from other audio signals. The specific mathematical modeling of such criteria may vary and depend on the method used to determine the location, but may include the use of relative power, cross-correlation, crosstalk (channel bleed), etc., for each signal.

[0077] In addition to signal strength and absolute or relative microphone position, other types of criteria can also be used. Machine learning can be used to determine the relative speech intelligibility of each signal, or machine learning or conventional pattern recognition can be used to identify specific types of sounds, such as bird songs, traffic noise, voices, or specific musical instruments. By using speech recognition technology, it may even be possible to identify audio signals with the most relevant content based on text search and topic identification.

[0078] The process of determining the main contributing factors to the synthesized signal can be performed in various parts of the system, including the base station 8, the monitoring device 10, and the editing device 15, in various embodiments.

[0079] In embodiments where the wireless microphone system is configured to determine the first and / or second positions of the first and / or second microphones during voice capture, the monitoring and / or editing device may be configured to visually associate the first position with a first color or some other first information that identifies the first wireless microphone, and / or the second position with a second color or similarly, some other second information that identifies the second wireless microphone. For example, the monitoring and / or editing device may be configured to display a first visual indicator (e.g., a symbol, label, or icon) having a first color at a display position that actually corresponds to the position of the first microphone. Of course, the monitoring and / or editing device may be configured to display a second visual indicator (e.g., a symbol, label, or icon) having a second color at a display position that actually corresponds to the position of the second microphone.

[0080] By providing visual indicators for the location of the first and / or second wireless microphones on the monitoring and / or editing equipment, the user may be able to locate and identify the first and / or second microphones very quickly. For example, during audio capture, the user may be able to quickly locate a particular microphone even if it is out of the user's line of sight (e.g., behind them).

[0081] Therefore, the wireless microphone system 2 of the exemplary embodiment is configured to determine the positions of the first and second wireless microphones 4 and 6 during voice acquisition. For example, the monitoring device 10 may be configured to analyze the RF signals received from the wireless RF transceivers 18 of the first and second microphones (e.g., transmitting the first and second output signals) to determine the first position of the first wireless microphone 4 and the second position of the second wireless microphone 6. Alternatively, the base station 8 may be configured to determine the positions of the wireless microphones 4 and 6 and transmit them to the monitoring device 10. The monitoring device 10 uses this information to generate a visualization 44 of the positions of the wireless microphones 4 and 6 on the display 13. The visualization 44 includes a first symbol 46 indicating the first position (of the first wireless microphone 4) and a second symbol 48 indicating the second position (of the second wireless microphone 6). The first symbol 46 has a first color (i.e., matching the features of the first visual feature 12), and the second symbol 48 has a second color (i.e., matching the features of the second visual feature). Thus, the user of the monitoring device 10 can use the visualization 44 (for example, in combination with the aforementioned visualizations of the first and second audio signals 40, 42) to easily locate and identify a particular wireless microphone (for example, even if the wireless microphone is initially located outside the field of view).

[0082] In other embodiments, symbols, numbers, or names may be used instead of colors to identify each wireless microphone.

[0083] Once audio capture is complete, the first and second wireless microphones 4 and 6 are docked to the first and second docking sections 28 and 30 of the base station 8, forming a wired electrical connection between the wireless microphones 4 and 6 and the base station 8. The first and second output signals are then downloaded to the base station 8 via this wired electrical connection. The batteries of the first and second wireless microphones 4 and 6 are simultaneously charged via the wired electrical connection. Because the wired electrical connection may not be subject to the same limitations as the wireless connection (e.g., limited bandwidth, transmission power, or interference), the output signals can be transmitted more quickly and / or a higher quality version of the audio signal can be transmitted. Once the first and second output signals are transmitted to the base station 8, they may be transmitted to other locations (e.g., via an internet connection) for censorship or post-processing (e.g., to generate an immersive soundtrack). The base station 8 itself may include a user interface and display for censoring or editing the downloaded output signals.

[0084] The monitoring device 10 may also include an editing device 15 that allows the user to perform one or more post-processing techniques on the first and / or second audio signals. For example, the editing device 15 can be used to generate a spatially encoded soundtrack that precisely positions the first and second audio signals within an acoustic scene using the determined positions of the first and second wireless microphones. In such embodiments, since the first and second colors are associated with the first and second audio signals at a technical level, a visual association between the two (e.g., in colored waveforms) is automatically provided throughout the editing or post-processing process, making it easier and more intuitive for the user to track which audio signal is which at all stages of production. Thus, the technical-level association between the audio signals and the colors or any other identifying features provided by the present invention is also beneficial in embodiments that do not include equipment for live monitoring.

[0085] When the acquired audio signal is used to generate a spatially encoded sound field signal, the visualization and knowledge of the actual position of the wireless microphone during voice acquisition can be used to edit the spatially encoded signal and "move" the signal components, such as the first audio signal, to different positions within the sound field. By consistently identifying the position of each sound source, it becomes easier to determine whether a given audio signal is correctly positioned according to the desired design of the entire sound field. This gives the acoustic engineer more to rely on than their own ears when deciding how to edit the spatially encoded sound field signal. The editing can even be subject to automated processing by software based on the available information provided by the present invention, including the identification, position, and mainity of each audio signal in the sound field.

[0086] An alternative wireless microphone 104 is shown in Figure 3 (for example, it may be used instead of the first and / or second wireless microphones 4, 6 of System 2 described above). The wireless microphone 104 comprises a microphone element 111, a configurable visual feature 112, and a first electrical connector 114, together with a local memory module 116, a wireless transceiver 118, and a battery 120. The general operation of the wireless microphone 104 is similar to that of the first and second wireless microphones 4, 6 described above.

[0087] The configurable visual feature 112 comprises a plurality of RGB LEDs 113 that can be configured to emit light of a specific color in response to corresponding software or hardware settings. Thus, the color of the visual feature 112 can be configured by changing the corresponding settings. For example, a random color of the LEDs 113 may be selected by the software each time the wireless microphone 104 is used. Alternatively, the user can select a specific color of the LEDs 113 (for example, for a specific audio capture session).

[0088] During use, the microphone element 111 of the wireless microphone 104 generates an audio signal containing sounds in the vicinity of the wireless microphone 104. The wireless microphone 104 also generates an output signal containing the audio signal, along with information identifying the color of the visual feature 112 (i.e., the color of the LED 113) when the audio signal is captured. Since the color of the LED 113 is configurable (i.e., can change between audio captures), it is particularly useful to maintain a record (along with the output signal) of what color the LED 113 was when a particular audio signal was captured.

[0089] The present invention has been described in relation to an exemplary wireless microphone system. According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for capturing and processing audio using such a system is provided. An embodiment of this method is shown in Figure 6.

[0090] The embodiment shown in Figure 6 includes several steps that are not necessarily included in all embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, many embodiments may omit some of the illustrated steps, and some embodiments may perform the steps in a different order. Thus, the methods according to the present invention should not be construed as being limited to this embodiment, but also include a subset of steps that can be performed in any possible order, meaning that the only requirement is that steps that generate inputs intended to be processed by other steps must be performed in a sequence that allows this. However, it should also be understood that many of the illustrated steps are processes that are performed concurrently and are not separate steps that are performed and completed before subsequent steps can begin.

[0091] It should also be noted that the illustrated method does not strictly specify where each step is performed (e.g., in a base station, editing device, or monitoring device) or where the signal is stored before processing (e.g., locally in a wireless microphone, at a base station, in an editing or monitoring device, on a remote computer, or not stored at all and processed only in real time or near real time). These alternative forms are described above and are not essential to understanding the steps or subprocesses of this method.

[0092] With this in mind, refer to the first step 601 in which the first and second audio signals are captured using wireless microphones. In the next step 602, the corresponding first and second output signals are generated. The output signals are generated by adding information identifying the first and second wireless microphones to the audio signals. In other words, the output signals are audio signals with microphone identification information added. How the output signals are generated and how they are transmitted and / or stored is described above.

[0093] In some embodiments, in step 603, simultaneously with the acquisition performed by the wireless microphone, multiple local audio signals are acquired using a microphone array. The multiple local audio signals may be suitable for generating a spatially encoded sound field signal in step 604. Such a signal may be generated solely from the multiple local audio signals from the microphone array, and the first and second audio signals may be incorporated into the sound field signal at this stage. In embodiments where the sound field signal is generated solely from the multiple local audio signals, the first and second audio signals from the wireless microphone may be edited into the sound field signal during a later editing process.

[0094] In some embodiments, the next step 605 determines the relative position of the wireless microphone to the microphone array. How this determination can be performed is described above.

[0095] In step 606, it is determined or decided whether the visualization should be based on one or more separate signals (e.g., one visualization for each wireless microphone, and possibly one visualization for a spatially encoded sound field signal) or from a composite signal. Note that this is not necessarily a step actually performed by the method, but may be a decision made during the design or configuration of the system. The composite signal may be a superposition (or summation) of the wireless microphone signals, a signal that switches back and forth between the wireless microphone signals, a sound field signal incorporating information from the first and second audio signals, or any other signal derived from the first and second audio signals.

[0096] If the visualization is one of (or contains) the composite signals, in step 607, it is possible to determine which audio signal is the primary contributor to the composite signal. What this means and how it is performed is discussed above.

[0097] In the next step 608, at least one of a plurality of local audio signals emitted from the first, second, and first wireless microphones, the second wireless microphone, and the microphone array, respectively, is transmitted to the monitoring device. Alternatively or additionally, a signal derived from one or more of these signals, such as a spatially encoded sound field signal, is transmitted.

[0098] In step 609, a representation of at least one of the first audio signal, the second audio signal, or a signal derived therefrom. Such a derived signal may be a composite signal as described above. The visualization may be based on one or more aspects of the signal, including the position of the transmitting wireless microphone relative to the microphone array.

[0099] Each visualization is associated in step 610 with a representation of the identity of the originating wireless microphone or the wireless microphone that contributed primarily to the synthesized signal. The visualization may be a color, symbol, pattern, number, alphanumeric string, or any other feature that can be readily associated with the identifying information of the output signal and the visual or auditory identifying features of the wireless microphone, as described above.

[0100] Visualizations may be presented during audio capture to assist engineers or producers during setup and recording. Furthermore, some embodiments of the present invention generate visualizations in conjunction with playback and editing or post-processing of recorded audio files. In step 611, one or more of the stored signals, i.e., derived signals including audio and / or output signals, composite signals, and spatially encoded sound field signals, are edited or post-processed. The editing or post-processing may utilize identification information contained in the output signal in step 602, positional information determined in step 605, and key information determined in step 607. This information may be used by a sound engineer during manual editing or may be used as input to an automated process that edits stored signals according to some predetermined script or specification.

[0101] Although the present invention has been described in detail in relation to only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the present invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the present invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, changes, substitutions, or equivalent configurations that are not described herein but are within the scope of the invention. Furthermore, although various embodiments of the present invention have been described, it should be understood that aspects of the present invention may include only a subset of the embodiments described. Therefore, the present invention should not be considered limited by the foregoing description, but only by the appended claims.

[0102] A single physical device (e.g., a tablet computer or smartphone) may include any combination of a monitoring device, an editing device, and a storage device. In other embodiments, the monitoring device, editing device, and storage device may be implemented as separate components. One or all of these may be implemented as, or on, one or more remote computers reachable via a communication network such as the Internet, for example, as a cloud service. In embodiments where one or more devices are implemented as a cloud-based service, the display device is implemented as a service capable of generating a graphical representation that can be transmitted over the network for display by a client or user agent installed on the user's device, such as a web browser or application.

[0103] Features of any aspect or embodiment described herein may, at any time, be applied to any other aspect or embodiment described herein, where appropriate. When referring to different embodiments, it should be understood that they may not necessarily be separate but may overlap.

[0104] The present invention has been described above with reference to a system comprising two wireless microphones. However, naturally, the present invention extends to systems comprising three or more wireless microphones, for example, three, four, five, or more wireless microphones. In such a system, each wireless microphone has a visual characteristic having a unique color.

[0105] Features or embodiments disclosed herein, unless they are covered by the appended claims, are not waived by the applicant who reserves the right to file amended claims or a divisional application to cover such embodiments. Some such combinations of features are described below.

[0106] The monitoring and / or editing device may include a display. The monitoring and / or editing device may be configured on the display to visually associate a first audio signal (e.g., as a waveform) with a first color and / or a second audio signal with a second color. For example, the monitoring and / or editing device may simply be configured to display the first audio signal in the first color and / or the second audio signal in the second color. This can assist in live monitoring of audio acquisition or facilitate editing after audio acquisition (e.g., by helping the user quickly identify which microphone is which). Since the first output signal links the first audio signal to the first color, the first audio signal can be quickly and easily associated with the first wireless microphone by simply looking for the microphone that has the first color. A user monitoring the first and second output signals can immediately determine that the first audio signal was captured by a wireless microphone having a first visual feature (i.e., the first wireless microphone) and that the second audio signal was captured by a wireless microphone having a second visual feature (i.e., the second wireless microphone).

[0107] For example, if a user monitoring the first and second output signals notices a problem with the first audio signal (e.g., it is too quiet), the user can immediately identify which wireless microphone should be adjusted to correct the problem (e.g., by changing its position to move it closer to the sound source) (by visually identifying a first visual feature having a first color). Similarly, the process of identifying which audio signal is associated with which sound source during post-processing (i.e., after audio capture) can be made more convenient because the first and second audio signals are essentially linked in the output signals with information that identifies the first and second colors.

[0108] In some embodiments, the first and / or second visual features are positioned to be visible when the first and / or second microphones are in use. For example, the first and / or second visual features may include a portion of the microphone housing that is visible when the first and / or second microphones are in a sound capture configuration (e.g., attached to a sound source).

[0109] Naturally, in some embodiments, it may be equally desirable to conceal, or otherwise hide, the first and / or second wireless microphones during sound capture (for example, in some video productions, for aesthetic reasons, it may be desirable to see and hear the sound source without seeing the microphone capturing the sound from it). Therefore, in some embodiments, the first and / or second wireless microphones may be positioned so that the first and / or second visual features (which may be designed to be distinctive, for example, to be a bright color) are concealed or can be hidden while the first and / or second microphones are in use. For example, in such embodiments, the first and / or second visual features may include a part of the microphone housing that can be concealed when the first and / or second wireless microphones are in use. For example, the first and / or second wireless microphones may include a clip configured to secure the wireless microphones to a person's clothing, and the first and / or second visual features may include a part of the wireless microphone or clip designed to be concealed by a person's clothing when attached. In such embodiments, visual features may still be manifestable if necessary (for example, by a person removing the microphone clip before, during, or after voice capture).

[0110] To reduce the possibility of confusion and ensure quick and easy identification of wireless microphones corresponding to specific audio signals, it is preferable that the first color be easily distinguishable from the second color. The first color may include a color that is complementary or contrasting to the second color. The first and second colors may include shades of black, white, and gray. In some embodiments, the first and second colors may be selected from a list including red, green, blue, yellow, purple, black, white, pink, brown, and orange.

[0111] Information identifying the first and / or second color may simply be appended to the first and / or second audio signals to generate the first and / or second output signals (e.g., as metadata included in the beginning or end of the output signals, such as a file header). Additionally or alternatively, information identifying the first and / or second color may be transmitted to the first and / or second audio signals as part of a separate radio signal (i.e., so that the first and / or second output signals consist of two separate radio signals). However, in some embodiments, the first and / or second output signals may contain the first and / or second audio signals but are modified to embed information identifying the first and / or second color. For example, information identifying the first and / or second color may be included in an inaudible audio watermark signal appended to the first and / or second audio signals (e.g., in the time or frequency domain of the audio signals that does not affect the captured audio). This allows the output signal to be processed using standard audio equipment (e.g., a standard wireless audio transmitting module) with little or no modification (e.g., transmitted via a wireless transmitting module). The encoded audio can then be decoded (e.g., by a receiving device) to restore information identifying its color and / or a second color.

[0112] The information identifying the first and / or second color may include a description of the color itself (e.g., "red" or "blue" or RGB values), or it may include a reference to a lookup table containing several possible colors.

[0113] The wireless microphone system is

[0114] A first wireless microphone comprising a first microphone element configured to generate a first audio signal and a first visual feature having a first color, wherein the first microphone is configured to generate a first output signal comprising a first audio signal and information identifying a first color, and

[0115] A second wireless microphone may include a second microphone element configured to generate a second audio signal and a second visual feature having a second color different from a first color, wherein the second microphone is configured to generate a second output signal having a second audio signal and information identifying a second color.

[0116] In a wireless microphone system, the first wireless microphone may include a local memory module in which a first output signal is stored.

[0117] The wireless microphone system described above, wherein the first wireless microphone comprises a wireless transmitting module configured to transmit a first output signal.

[0118] The wireless microphone system described above, wherein the first wireless microphone comprises a wireless electrical connector configured to transmit a first output signal.

[0119] The wireless microphone system described above, wherein the first and / or second visual feature includes a permanent visual feature.

[0120] A wireless microphone system in which the first and / or second visual feature includes a permanently colored portion of the microphone housing.

[0121] A wireless microphone system in which the first and / or second visual features include non-permanent visual features.

[0122] A wireless microphone system featuring a light source that can operate to emit light of different colors depending on its configuration, with non-permanent visual features.

[0123] A wireless microphone system in which the first and / or second visual features are positioned to be visible while the first and / or second microphones are in use.

[0124] A wireless microphone system in which information identifying a first and / or second color is added to a first and / or second audio signal.

[0125] A wireless microphone system in which information identifying a first and / or second color is transmitted to the first and / or second audio signal as part of a separate radio signal.

[0126] A wireless microphone system in which information identifying the first and / or second color is contained in an inaudible audio watermark signal appended to the first and / or second audio signal.

[0127] A wireless microphone system further comprising a base station configured to receive first and second output signals.

[0128] A wireless microphone system in which the base station is configured to receive first and second output signals via a wired connection.

[0129] A wireless microphone system further comprising a monitoring or editing device having a display, wherein the monitoring or editing device is configured to receive a first output signal and a second output signal.

[0130] A wireless microphone system in which a monitoring or editing device is configured to visually associate a first audio signal with a first color and a second audio signal with a second color on a display.

[0131] A wireless microphone system, wherein the system is configured to determine the first and second positions of the first and second microphones, respectively, and a monitoring or editing device is configured to visually associate the first position with a first color and the second position with a second color on a display.

[0132] A wireless microphone system wherein a monitoring or editing device is configured to display a first audio signal and / or a first position in a first color, and a second audio signal and / or a second position in a second color.

[0133] A wireless microphone system wherein a monitoring or editing device is configured to display a visualization of a composite signal including first and second audio signals, the system is configured to determine that one of the first and second audio signals is the primary contributor to the composite signal, and the visualization of the composite signal has a first color when the first audio signal is the primary contributor, and a second color when the second audio signal is the primary contributor.

[0134] A wireless microphone comprising a microphone element configured to generate an audio signal and a visual feature having a unique color, wherein the microphone is configured to generate an output signal comprising an audio signal and information identifying a unique color.

Claims

1. A wireless microphone system, A first wireless microphone having a first microphone element configured to generate a first audio signal, wherein the first wireless microphone is configured to generate a first output signal including the first audio signal and information identifying the first wireless microphone, A second wireless microphone having a second microphone element configured to generate a second audio signal, wherein the second wireless microphone is configured to generate a second output signal including the second audio signal and information identifying the second wireless microphone, A monitoring device having a display, which is configured to receive the first and second output signals, and to use the display to generate a visualization of at least one aspect of the first and second audio signals, and to associate each visualization with a representation of identification information corresponding to one of the first or second wireless microphones from which the respective audio signal was acquired, The first wireless microphone is provided with a first visual or auditory feature that represents the information used to identify the first wireless microphone, and the second wireless microphone is provided with a second visual or auditory feature that represents the information used to identify the second wireless microphone. A wireless microphone system further comprising a base station having a microphone array configured to generate a plurality of local audio signals capable of generating spatially encoded sound field signals, and further configured to determine the positions of the first and second wireless microphones relative to the base station by comparing the first and second audio signals with the plurality of local audio signals generated by the microphone array.

2. The wireless microphone system according to claim 1, wherein the first visual or auditory feature and the second visual or auditory feature are selected from the group consisting of first and second colors, first and second symbols, first and second alphanumeric strings, and first and second playable audio files.

3. The wireless microphone system according to claim 2, wherein the first and second visual or auditory features are programmable features selected from the group consisting of LEDs that can be controlled to emit light of different colors, displays that can be programmed to display one or more different symbols or alphanumeric characters, and memories that can store one or more selectable or interchangeable audio files.

4. The wireless microphone system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the visualization of at least one aspect of the first and second output signals is a visualization of a composite signal comprising the first and second audio signals, the system is further configured to determine that one of the first and second audio signals is a primary contributor to the composite signal according to at least one configurable parameter of the composite signal, and the representation of the information identifying the corresponding first or second wireless microphone is a representation of the information identifying the wireless microphone which is the source of the audio signal determined to be the current primary contributor to the composite signal.

5. The wireless microphone system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one aspect is selected from the group consisting of the signal level, waveform, spectrum, and position of the corresponding microphone.

6. The wireless microphone system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a storage device configured to receive and store the first output signal and the second output signal, or a signal derived from the first output signal and the second output signal.

7. The visualization of at least one aspect of the first and second output signals is a visualization of a composite signal including the first and second audio signals for the period covered by the signal stored in the storage device, The system is further configured to determine that one of the first and second audio signals is the main contributing factor to the composite signal, and to store information identifying the audio signal determined to be the main contributing factor, together with the first output signal and the second output signal, or a signal derived from the first output signal and the second output signal. The wireless microphone system according to claim 6, wherein the representation of the information identifying the corresponding first or second wireless microphone is a representation of the information identifying the wireless microphone which is the source of the audio signal determined to be the primary contributor to the composite signal according to at least one configurable parameter of the signal during each period.

8. The wireless microphone system according to claim 6, wherein the system is further configured to store information relating to the determined positions of the first and second wireless microphones (position information) in the storage device, together with the first output signal and the second output signal, or signals derived from the first output signal and the second output signal.

9. The wireless microphone system according to claim 8, further comprising an editing device configured to utilize information identifying the first and second wireless microphones and location information stored in the storage device during post-processing or editing of the first audio signal, the second audio signal, and the plurality of local audio signals, or signals derived therefrom.

10. A method in a wireless microphone system, A first wireless microphone is used to capture a first audio signal, and a first output signal is generated that includes the first audio signal and information identifying the first wireless microphone. A second wireless microphone is used to capture a second audio signal, and a second output signal is generated that includes the second audio signal and information identifying the second wireless microphone. The monitoring device receives the first and second output signals and generates and displays a visualization of at least one aspect of the first and second audio signals. Each visualization is associated with a representation of the information that identifies the corresponding first or second wireless microphone. To provide the first wireless microphone with visual or auditory features representing the information used to identify the first wireless microphone, and to provide the second wireless microphone with visual or auditory features representing the information used to identify the second wireless microphone, Using a microphone array to capture multiple local audio signals, Using the first audio signal, the second audio signal, and the plurality of local audio signals, the positions of the first and second wireless microphones relative to the installation position of the microphone array are determined, and A method comprising storing the first output signal, the second output signal, the plurality of local audio signals, and the determined position in a storage device.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the visual or auditory features representing information identifying the first wireless microphone and the visual or auditory features representing information identifying the second wireless microphone are selected from the group consisting of first and second colors, first and second symbols, first and second alphanumeric strings, and first and second playable audio files.

12. To generate a combined signal from the first and second audio signals, The further includes determining that one of the first and second audio signals is the primary contributor to the composite signal, The visualization of at least one aspect of the first and second audio signals is the visualization of the composite signal, The method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the visualization of the composite signal is associated with a representation of information identifying the wireless microphone which is the source of the audio signal determined to be the current primary contributor to the composite signal according to at least one configurable parameter of the composite signal.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, further comprising storing the first output signal and the second output signal, or a signal derived from the first output signal and the second output signal, in a storage device.

14. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 13, further comprising editing the first audio signal, the second audio signal, the plurality of local audio signals, and at least one of the signals derived therefrom, based on information identifying a wireless microphone, a determined location of the identified wireless microphone, and at least one of the major contributing factors to the composite signal, determined according to at least one configurable parameter of the composite signal.

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