Method and apparatus for active speaker selection using microphone arrays and speaker recognition

摘要

A method and apparatus for performing active speaker selection in teleconferencing applications illustratively comprises a microphone array module, a speaker recognition system, a user interface, and a speech signal selection module. The microphone array module separates the speech signal from each active speaker from those of other active speakers, providing a plurality of individual speaker's speech signals. The speaker recognition system identifies each currently active speaker using conventional speaker recognition/identification techniques. These identities are then transmitted to a remote teleconferencing location for display to remote participants via a user interface. The remote participants may then select one of the identified speakers, and the speech signal selection module then selects for transmission the speech signal associated with the selected identified speaker, thereby enabling the participants at the remote location to listen to the selected speaker and neglect the speech from other active speakers.