Passive voice-activated microphone and transceiver system

• US 6,760,454 B1
• Filed: 08/04/2000
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Huang, Marshall Y., Stokes, Robert B., Shreve, Gregory A., Allen, Barry R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAO, LUNSEE
• Application Number:
  US09/632,444
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 381/110, 381/111, 381/92, 455/41.1, 455/106, 455/88, 455/41.2, 455/41.8, 455/41.9, 455/420, 455/41.3, 340/10-- 1, 340/10.31, 340/10.41, 340/10.51, 340/10.42, 340/5-1-, 340/5.72, 340/5.52, 340/426.16, 367/198, 367/197, 367/199, 701/4, 704/273, 704/275, 307/10.1, 307/10.2, 307/10.5, 342/41-52
• US Class Current: 381/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/083 Special constructions of mouthpieces

Abstract

A voice-activated microphone and transceiver system includes an interrogator unit for transmitting a signal, receiving a modulated signal, and demodulating the modulated signal such that the difference between the transmitted signal and the modulated signal correspond to a unique sound wave signal. An acoustically driven microphone unit is also included for receiving the signal from the interrogator unit, modulating the signal with the sound wave signal, wherein the sound wave signal contains instructions for controlling an electronic device, and transmitting the modulated signal back to the interrogator unit for analysis by a signal processor.

Claims

1. A system for providing sound wave activated control of an electronic device, comprising:

an interrogator unit for generating a signal and transmitting a pulse of the signal, for receiving a modulated signal, for determining a difference between the signal and the modulated signal corresponding to a sound wave signal containing instructions for controlling the electronic device, and for controlling the electronic device using the instructions of the sound wave signal; and

an acoustically driven microphone unit spaced from the interrogator unit, the acoustically driven microphone unit receiving the signal pulse from the interrogator unit, modulating the signal pulse with the sound wave signal to form the modulated signal and transmitting the modulated signal to the interrogator unit.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the signal is a continuous radio frequency (RF) signal.

3. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the interrogator unit comprises a surface acoustic wave (SAW) oscillator for generating the signal.

4. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the interrogator unit comprises a transmit radio frequency (RF) switch for gating the signal thereby forming the signal pulse.

5. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the interrogator unit comprises a transmit antenna for transmitting the signal pulse to the microphone unit.

6. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the interrogator unit comprises a receive antenna for receiving the modulated signal from the microphone unit.

7. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the interrogator unit comprises a receive radio frequency (RF) switch for gating the modulated signal.

8. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the interrogator unit comprises a digital countdown divider for counting positive pulses of the signal until the number of pulses reaches a predetermined value and, where the predetermined value is reached, actuating the transmission of the signal pulse to the microphone unit and, upon the expiration of a predetermined delay, actuating the receipt of the modulated signal from the microphone unit.

9. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the interrogator unit comprises a low noise amplifier for amplifying the modulated signal.

10. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the interrogator unit comprises a surface acoustic wave (SAW) band pass filter for removing out-of-band noise and interference from the modulated signal.

11. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the interrogator unit comprises a multiplier for measuring the difference between the continuous signal and the modulated signal and generating the sound wave signal corresponding thereto.

12. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein the interrogator unit comprises a low pass filter for removing high frequency component from the sound wave signal and generating a voltage signal corresponding thereto.

13. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein the voltage signal is a smoothly varying voltage signal.

14. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein the interrogator unit comprises a signal processor unit, the signal processor unit receiving the voltage signal and interpreting the voltage signal as the instructions for controlling the electronic device.

15. A system as recited in claim 14, wherein the signal processor unit is a voice vocoder.

16. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the acoustically driven microphone unit comprises a surface acoustic wave (SAW) element for producing the modulated signal as a delayed echo burst of the signal pulse, the delayed echo burst generated by a force applied to a surface of the surface acoustic wave element, the force resulting from a pressure of a sound wave in the air surrounding the microphone unit.

17. A system as recited in claim 16, wherein the surface acoustic wave (SAW) element is a delay line.

18. A system as recited in claim 16, wherein the acoustically driven microphone unit comprises a diaphragm for absorbing the pressure of the sound wave in the air surrounding the microphone unit.

19. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the acoustically driven microphone unit comprises a first pushrod disposed between the diaphragm and the surface acoustic wave element, the first pushrod transferring the pressure absorbed by the diaphragm into the force applied to the surface of the surface acoustic wave element.

20. A system as recited in claim 19, wherein the acoustically driven microphone unit further comprises a lever disposed between the diaphragm and the surface acoustic wave element, the lever absorbing the sound wave pressure on the diaphragm at the first pushrod;

and

a second pushrod disposed between the lever and the surface acoustic wave element, the second pushrod transferring the pressure absorbed by the lever to the surface of the surface acoustic wave element, the transferred pressure increasing the force applied to the surface of the surface acoustic wave element by a factor of M in response thereto.

21. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the acoustically driven microphone unit comprises an antenna for receiving the signal pulse from the interrogator unit and transmitting the modulated signal to the interrogator unit.

22. A system as recited in claim 21, wherein the antenna is an antenna selected from the group consisting of dipole antenna, patch antenna, and loop antenna.