Vehicle accessory microphone

• US 7,120,261 B1
• Filed: 11/19/1999
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Watson, Alan R., Turnbull, Robert R., Knapp, Robert C., Poe, G. Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Grier, Laura A.
• Application Number:
  US09/444,176
• Time in Patent Office: 2,517 Days
• Field of Search: 381/94.1, 381/94.7, 381 57- 58, 381/122, 381/93, 381/66, 381/86, 381/92, 381/365, 381/91, 381355-359, 381/361, 381/369, 381/182
• US Class Current: 381/86
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0247 for microphones or earphones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1284 with communication systems other than radio-receivers, e.g. keyless entry systems, navigation systems; with anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/08 Mouthpieces; Microphones; Attachments therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/342 for microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/38 in which sound waves act upon both sides of a diaphragm and incorporating acoustic phase-shifting means, e.g. pressure-gradient microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/406 microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

A microphone assembly includes at one or more transducers positioned in a housing. Circuitry is coupled to the transducer for outputting an electrical signal such that the microphone has a main lobe directed forwardly and attenuates signals originating from the sides. The microphone transducers can advantageously include multiple transducers which with the circuit produce a desired sensitivity pattern. The microphone can be employed in a vehicle accessory.

Claims

1. A vehicle accessory, comprising:

a housing;

at least one first transducer positioned in said housing;

at least one second transducer positioned in said housing, wherein the first and second transducers are positioned in spaced relation; and

a circuit coupled to the first and second transducers for combining the output signal of the first and second transducers to produce a signal with a reduced noise component, wherein the circuit subtracts the signal from the at least one first transducer from the signal from the at least one second transducer,

wherein the at least one first transducer has a front face ported to the front of the housing and the at least one second transducer has a front face ported to the rear of the housing, the at least one first transducer is closer to front ports provided in the housing than the at least one second transducer, the rear of the at least one second transducer is ported to the front of the housing, the at least one first and second transducers are substantially the same, and a distance between the at least one first transducer and front housing ports provided in the housing is substantially equal to a distance between the at least one second transducer and rear housing ports provided in the housing.

2. A vehicle accessory, comprising:

a housing;

at least one first transducer positioned in said housing;

at least one second transducer positioned in said housing, wherein the first and second transducers are positioned in spaced relation; and

a circuit coupled to the first and second transducers for combining the output signal of the first and second transducers to produce a signal with a reduced noise component, wherein the at least one first transducer is closer to front ports provided in the housing than the at least one second transducer,

wherein the second transducer is spaced from the first transducer by a distance approximately equal to the distance between the first transducer and the front ports.

3. The vehicle accessory as defined in claim 2, wherein the at least one first transducer has a front face ported to the front of the housing and the at least one second transducer has a front face ported to the rear of the housing.

4. The vehicle accessory as defined in claim 3, wherein the circuit subtracts the signal from the at least one first transducer from the signal from the at least one second transducer.

5. The vehicle accessory as defined in claim 4, wherein the rear of the at least one first transducer it ported to the rear of the housing.

6. The vehicle accessory as defined in claim 5, wherein the rear of the at least one second transducer is ported to the front of the housing.

7. The vehicle accessory as defined in claim 5, wherein the at least one first and second transducers are substantially the same.

8. The vehicle accessory as defined in claim 2, wherein the circuit includes a delay for adding to the output of the at least one second transducer a delay equal to the time required for sound to travel the distance between the first and second transducers.

9. The vehicle accessory as defined in claim 2, wherein the housing includes a microphone housing and a mirror housing, and wherein the at least one first transducer and the at least one second transducer are mounted within the microphone housing.

10. A vehicle accessory, comprising:

a housing including a microphone housing and a mirror housing;

at least one first transducer positioned in the microphone housing;

at least one second transducer positioned in the microphone housing, wherein the first and second transducers are positioned in spaced relation;

a transducer mount positioned within the microphone housing, the at least one first transducer and the at least one second transducer positioned within the transducer mount, and the transducer mount including channels for porting the transducers; and

a circuit coupled to the first and second transducers for combining the output signal of the first and second transducers to produce a signal with a reduced noise component,

wherein the circuit is mounted on a circuit board positioned within the microphone housing.

11. The vehicle accessory as defined in claim 10, wherein the at least one first transducer and the at least one second transducer are mounted to the circuit board, and the transducer mount is positioned between the circuit board and the microphone housing, wherein a chamber is located behind the transducers to provide a sound channel for porting the rear of the transducers.

12. A rearview mirror assembly, comprising:

a rearview mirror housing;

a mirror positioned in the rearview mirror housing;

a microphone housing mounted on the rearview mirror housing;

first and second transducers positioned in the microphone housing, said transducers including front surfaces aimed in opposite directions from one another and towards a respective side of said rearview mirror housing such that, when experiencing mechanical vibration, said transducers output electrical signals having a vibrational noise component corresponding to the mechanical vibration that are out of phase with one another; and

a circuit coupled to said transducers for receiving the outputs therefrom for combining the electrical signals from said transducers such that the vibrational noise components cancel one another.

13. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 12, wherein the front surfaces of said first and second transducers face one another.

14. A rearview mirror assembly, comprising:

a rearview mirror housing;

a mirror positioned in the rearview mirror housing;

a microphone housing mounted on the rearview mirror housing;

first and second transducers positioned in the microphone housing, said transducers including front surfaces aimed in opposite directions from one another such that, when experiencing mechanical vibration, said transducers output electrical signals having a vibrational noise component corresponding to the mechanical vibration that are out of phase with one another; and

a circuit coupled to said transducers for receiving the outputs therefrom for combining the electrical signals from said transducers such that the vibrational noise components cancel one another.

15. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 14, wherein the front surfaces of said first and second transducers face one another.