Microphone and corresponding digital interface

• US 10,020,008 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2014
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Knowles Electronics Llc (Knowles Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Knowles Electronics Llc (Knowles Corporation)
• Inventors: Dai, Weiwen, Popper, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahee, Md S
• Application Number:
  US14/533,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20150058001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,343 Days
• Field of Search: 700 94, 381111, 381 7, 704208, 4555561
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/78 Detection of presence or absence of voice signals switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/00 Microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

Analog signals are received from a sound transducer. The analog signals are converted into digitized data. A determination is made as to whether voice activity exists within the digitized signal. Upon the detection of voice activity, an indication of voice activity is sent to a processing device. The indication is sent across a standard interface, and the standard interface is configured to be compatible to be coupled with a plurality of devices from potentially different manufacturers.

Claims

1. A method in a microphone, the method comprising:

producing analog signals using a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) transducer of the microphone;

converting the analog signals into digital data using an analog-to-digital convertor of the microphone;

determining whether acoustic activity exists within the digital data using a voice activity detector of the microphone;

upon the detection of acoustic activity, providing an indication of acoustic activity at an external-device interface of the microphone, the external-device interface standardized for compatibility with a plurality of devices from different manufacturers;

before detecting voice activity, operating the microphone in a first mode by clocking at least a portion of the microphone with an internal clock signal based on a local oscillator of the microphone while determining whether acoustic activity exists; and

after detecting voice activity, operating the microphone in a second mode by providing output data, representing the analog signals, at the external-device interface, wherein the output data is not provided at the external-device interface in the first mode.

2. The method of claim 1, operating the microphone in the second mode includes synchronizing the output data with either the internal clock signal or an external clock signal received at the external-device interface.

3. The method of claim 1, receiving an external clock signal at the external-device interface in response to providing the indication of acoustic activity, wherein the output data is synchronized with the external clock signal when the external clock signal is present at the external-device interface.

4. The method of claim 3, transitioning the microphone from operating in the second mode to operating in the first mode after acoustic activity is no longer detected, wherein the first mode has lower power consumption than the second mode.

5. The method of claim 1,

providing the indication of acoustic activity by providing the internal clock signal at the external-device interface,

operating the microphone in the second mode includes synchronizing the output data with the internal clock signal,

receiving an external clock signal at the external-device interface in response to providing the internal clock signal at the external-device interface,

synchronizing the output data with the external clock signal after receiving the external clock signal.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising buffering data representing the analog signal during voice activity detection, at least some of the output data based on the buffered data.

7. A microphone apparatus comprising:

a MEMS transducer configured to produce an analog signal in response to acoustic input;

an analog-to-digital converter coupled to the transducer and configured to convert the analog signal into digital data; and

a voice activity detector configured to determine whether voice activity is present by performing voice activity detection on the digital data;

wherein the microphone apparatus is configured to operate in a first mode before voice activity is detected by performing voice activity detection using an internal clock signal generated from a local oscillator of the microphone apparatus; and

wherein the microphone apparatus is configured to operate in a second mode after voice activity is detected by providing output data, representing the analog signal, on an external-device interface of the microphone apparatus, the external-device interface standardized for compatibility with devices from different manufacturers, the external-device interface of the microphone apparatus devoid of the output data in the first mode.

8. The apparatus of claim 7,

the external-device interface including a clock connection, a select connection and a data connection,

the clock connection configured to receive an external clock signal in response to providing a signal on the select connection after detecting voice activity,

the output data provided on the data connection using the external clock signal after receiving the external clock signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further configured to transition from operating in the second mode to operating in the first mode when the external clock signal is no longer received on the clock connection.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, further configured to provide the output data on the external-device interface of the microphone for a specified time after determining that voice activity is no longer present before discontinuing providing the output data on the external-device interface.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, further configured to buffer data representing the analog signal during voice activity detection, at least some of the output data obtained from the buffered data.

12. The apparatus of claim 7,

the external-device interface including a data connection and a select connection,

the microphone configured to provide the output data on the data connection and provide the internal clock signal on the select connection after voice activity is detected.

13. The apparatus of claim 12,

further configured to receive an external clock signal on the external-device interface while providing the output data at the external-device interface using the internal clock signal, and

synchronize the output data provided on the external-device interface with the external clock signal after receiving the external clock signal on the external-device interface.

14. A microphone apparatus comprising:

a MEMS transducer having an output and configured to produce an analog signal in response to acoustic input at the MEMS transducer;

an analog-to-digital converter coupled to the MEMS transducer output, the analog-to-digital converter configured to output digital data based on the analog signal from the MEMS transducer;

a voice activity detector coupled to the output of the analog-to-digital converter;

a controller having an input and an output, the input of the controller coupled to the output of the analog-to-digital converter,

a local oscillator;

an external-device interface standardized for compatibility with devices from different manufacturers, the external-device interface coupled to the controller output,

the microphone apparatus having a first mode of operation before voice activity is detected, at least a portion of the microphone clocked by an internal clock signal of the local oscillator during voice activity detection in the first mode of operation,

the microphone apparatus having a second mode of operation after voice activity is detected, the controller output coupled to the external-device interface,

wherein the controller is configured to provide output data, representing the analog signal, at the external-device interface during the second mode of operation but not during the first mode of operation.

15. The apparatus of claim 14,

the external-device interface including a clock connection, a select connection and a data connection,

the controller output coupled to the select connection after voice activity is detected wherein a signal on the controller output is provided on the select connection,

in the second mode of operation, the controller output coupled to the data connection when the controller provides the output data on the data connection, and wherein the output data on the data connection is synchronized with an external clock signal on the clock connection.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, the controller output coupled to the select connection after voice activity is detected wherein a signal on the controller output is provided at the select connection and wherein the external clock signal is received on the clock connection in response to the signal on the select connection.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, the microphone transitioned from the second mode of operation to the first mode of operation when the external clock signal is removed from the clock connection.

18. The apparatus of claim 14,

a buffer having an input and an output, the buffer input coupled to the output of the analog-to-digital converter, the buffer output coupled to the controller input, wherein data representing the analog signal is buffered in the buffer during voice activity detection,

in the second mode, data based on the buffered data is provided at the external-device interface after voice activity is detected.

19. The apparatus of claim 14,

the external-device interface including a data connection and a select connection,

in the second mode, the controller output coupled to the data connection after voice activity is detected wherein the internal clock signal is provided on the select connection, and wherein the output data at the external-device interface is synchronized with the internal clock signal.

20. The apparatus of claim 19,

the external-device interface including a clock connection,

in the second mode, the output data on the data connection synchronized with an external clock signal provided on the clock connection in response to the signal on the select connection.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, synchronization of the output data with the internal clock signal transitioned to the external clock signal when the external clock signal is present on the clock connection.

22. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the interface is compatible with at least one of a PDM protocol, an I²S protocol, or an I²C protocol.