Camera including means for acquiring bi-directional sound

• US 6,243,138 B1
• Filed: 10/22/1998
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Keirsbilck, Richard Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Ngoc-Yen, VU, NGOC YEN T
• Application Number:
  US09/177,163
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.5225, 348/207, 348/373, 348/374, 348/375, 348/376, 358/906, 358/909.1, 181/157, 181/158, 181/171, 181/179, 381/87, 381/91, 381/122, 381/355, 381/356, 381/357, 381/358, 379/420, 379/430, 379/431, 396/310, 396/312
• US Class Current: 348/374
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/406 microphones
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/906 Hand-held camera with recorder in a single unit

Abstract

A camera having means for detecting sound in a bi-directional manner. A microphone, for example a first order gradient microphone, is placed within a camera body and is in communication with two apertures extending from the front and rear surfaces of the camera body. Background noise is reduced and sound from the scene being photographed and the user of the camera is preferentially detected by the microphone. Preferably, the microphone is mounted in a substantially resilient and acoustically opaque material to reduce stray noises, such as from the motors of the camera.

Claims

1. A camera having sound detection means, comprising:

a camera body having a front surface and a back surface;

microphone means mounted within said camera body, said microphone means comprising a forward surface and a rearward surface;

a front aperture extending through at least a portion of said camera body forming a front port on said front surface for receiving sound waves and terminating at said forward surface of said microphone means; and

a rear aperture extending through at least a portion of said camera body forming a rear port on said back surface for receiving sound waves and terminating at said rearward surface of said microphone means;

wherein the front and rear apertures are positioned so that the camera body increases directionality of the microphone by means extending the acoustic path to an opposite surface of the microphone means for sound waves arriving toward the forward or rearward surface and on-axis to the maximum sensitivity axis of the microphone means.

2. A camera as recited in claim 1, wherein said microphone means is mounted in said camera body with mounting means comprising a substantially resilient and acoustically opaque material.

3. A camera as recited in claim 2, wherein said resilient and acoustically opaque material comprises ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer.

4. A camera as recited in claim 1, wherein said microphone means is a single microphone with a moveable diaphragm which moves in reaction to sound waves impinging on the forward surface and the rearward surface.

5. A camera as recited in claim 1, wherein the length of said front and rear apertures is substantially the same.

6. A camera as recited in claim 1, wherein said microphone means is positioned such that the maximum sensitivity axis of said microphone means is substantially parallel to a central axis formed by said front and rear apertures.

7. A camera as recited in claim 1, wherein said camera further comprises recording means adapted to record sound detected by said microphone means.

8. A camera as recited in claim 1, wherein said camera is a video camera.

9. A camera as recited in claim 1, wherein said camera is a photographic camera.

10. A camera including sound detection and recording means, comprising;

(a) a camera body having a front surface and a back surface;

(b) a microphone mounted within said camera body, said microphone comprising a forward surface and a rearward surface;

(c) a front aperture extending through at least a portion of said camera body forming a front port on said front surface for receiving sound waves and terminating at said forward surface of said microphone;

(d) a rear aperture extending through at least a portion of said camera body forming a rear port on said back surface for receiving sound waves and terminating at said rearward surface of said microphone;

(e) mounting means substantially surrounding and securing said microphone within said camera body, wherein said mounting means comprises a material that is substantially resilient and acoustically opaque; and

(f) recording means adapted to record sound detected by said microphone;

wherein the front and rear apertures are positioned so that the camera body increases directionality of the microphone by extending the acoustic path to an opposite surface of the microphone for sound waves arriving toward the forward or rearward surface and on-axis to a maximum sensitivity axis of the microphone.