USE OF AN EARPIECE ACOUSTIC OPENING AS A MICROPHONE PORT FOR BEAMFORMING APPLICATIONS

• US 20140071221A1
• Filed: 10/16/2012
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Dave, Ruchir M., Lee, Jae H., Nicholson, Guy C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,988,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/02 Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein H04R1/28 takes precedence ; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/08 Mouthpieces; Microphones; Attachments therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/326 for microphones H04R1/34 and H04R1/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/406 microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/23 Direction finding using a sum-delay beam-former
• 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 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

A mobile multi-function device that includes a speaker, two or more microphones, and a beamformer processor is described. The beamformer processor uses the microphones to perform beamforming operations. One of the microphones shares a receiver acoustic opening with the speaker while the other microphone uses a separate acoustic opening. The receiver acoustic opening may be an earpiece opening that is held to the ear of a user while conducting a phone call with the device and provides acoustic input and output paths for the microphone and the speaker, respectively.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a mobile multi-function housing that contains;

a speaker to produce sound for an audio application that is to execute in the mobile device;

first and second microphones for capturing audio proximate to the mobile multi-function device; and

a beamformer processor for performing directional signal reception of audio using the first and second microphones, where the housing has a first acoustic opening located on a front face of the housing to provide shared acoustic input and output paths for the first microphone and the speaker.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the first acoustic opening is an ear piece receiver opening designed to be held to the ear of a user during a phone call.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the housing further includes a second acoustic opening located on a rear face of the housing that is used by the second microphone as an input acoustic port.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the beamformer processor generates a reception beam directed at an area along the front face of the mobile device during a call performed by the mobile device.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the beamformer processor generates a reception beam directed at an area along the rear face of the mobile device during a video capture operation performed by the mobile device.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising:

a third microphone on a bottom side of the mobile device, wherein the third microphone uses a third acoustic opening for acoustic input.

7. A method for operating a mobile multi-function device, comprising:

running an application on the mobile multi-function device; and

performing beamforming operations using a first microphone installed in a first opening of the mobile multi-function device and a second microphone.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first opening is an ear piece receiver opening designed to be held to the ear of a user during a phone call.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein performing the beamforming operations includes generating a reception beam directed at an area along the front face of the device during a video conference call performed by the mobile multi-function device.

10. A method for constructing a mobile multi-function device, comprising:

forming a speaker opening on a front face of a housing of the mobile multi-function device;

installing a first microphone and a speaker to use the speaker opening as an acoustic input and output port;

forming a microphone opening on a rear face of the housing of the mobile multi-function device;

installing a second microphone to use the microphone opening as an acoustic input port; and

configuring a beamformer processor in the mobile multi-function device to perform directional signal reception of sound using the first and second microphones.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the speaker opening is located at a top end of the housing.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the speaker opening is an ear piece receiver opening designed to be held to the ear of a user during a phone call.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the beamformer processor is configured to generate a reception beam directed at an area along the front face of the device during a video conference call performed by the mobile multi-function device.