Microphone and a method of manufacturing a microphone

• US 7,888,840 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2006
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation), University of Tokyo
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation), University of Tokyo
• Inventors: Shimaoka, Keiichi, Ando, Shigeru, Mitsushima, Yasuichi, Funabashi, Hirofumi, Ono, Nobutaka, Nakagawa, Toshiaki, Wakita, Toshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Dougherty; Thomas M
• Application Number:
  US11/448,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20060284516A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,713 Days
• Field of Search: 381/174, 310/309
• US Class Current: 310/309
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/04 Microphones H04R19/01 takes precedence
• 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 that identifies the direction along which acoustic waves propagate with one diaphragm, and has superior durability is provided. The microphone includes a circular diaphragm supported at a center portion thereof. When the diaphragm receives acoustic waves, each position around the center thereof will vibrate with a phase depending upon the direction of the acoustic waves. First electrodes are arranged on one surface of the diaphragm and second electrodes are arranged facing corresponding first electrodes to form a first capacitor. Third electrodes are arranged on the other surface of the diaphragm and fourth electrodes are arranged facing corresponding third electrodes to form a second capacitor. A controller applies a voltage to the second capacitors so that the capacitance of the first capacitors will be constant and identifies the direction along which the acoustic waves propagate based on the difference in the voltages applied to each of the second capacitors.

Claims

1. A microphone comprising:

a diaphragm supported at a center thereof, and which vibrates when the diaphragm receives acoustic waves;

first electrode pairs, each of the first electrode pairs having a first electrode and a second electrode;

second electrode pairs, each of the second electrode pairs having a third electrode and a fourth electrode; and

a controller;

wherein;

the first electrodes of the first electrode pairs are arranged on a surface of the diaphragm at positions distributed around the center of the diaphragm;

each of the second electrodes of the first electrode pairs is arranged at a position facing a uniquely corresponding first electrode of the first electrode pairs to form a gap between each of the second electrodes of the first electrode pairs and the corresponding first electrode of the first electrode pairs, each of the first electrode pairs forming a first capacitor;

the third electrodes of the second electrode pairs are arranged on a surface of the diaphragm at positions distributed around the center of the diaphragm; and

each of the fourth electrodes of the second electrode pairs is arranged at a position facing a uniquely corresponding third electrode of the second electrode pairs to form a gap between each of the fourth electrodes of the second electrode pairs and the corresponding third electrode of the second electrode pairs, each of the second electrode pairs forming a second capacitor;

the controller applies electric energy to each of the first capacitors and each of the second capacitors;

the controller applies predetermined electric energy to each of the first capacitors;

the controller detects the capacitance of each of the first capacitors;

the controller applies electric energy to each of the second capacitors, and each electric energy applied to the corresponding second capacitor is independently controlled such that a detected capacitance of each first capacitor is maintained at a constant value; and

the controller identifies a direction along which the acoustic wave propagates based on values of the electric energies, each electric energy being applied to each of the second capacitors.

2. A microphone as in claim 1, wherein the first electrode pairs are arranged on one side of the diaphragm, and the second electrode pairs are arranged on an other side of the diaphragm.

3. A microphone as in claim 1, wherein both of the first electrode pairs and the second electrode pairs are arranged on a same side of the diaphragm.

4. A microphone as in claim 1, wherein the controller identifies the direction from a phase difference between the electric energies, each electric energy being applied to each of the second capacitors.

5. A microphone as in claim 1, wherein:

the controller applies bias electric energy to each of the second capacitors so that the capacitances of the first capacitors are to be substantially equal to each other when the diaphragm does not vibrate;

the controller calculates a value subtracting a value of each bias electric energy from a value of the electric energy being applied to the corresponding second capacitor while the diaphragm vibrates; and

the controller identifies the direction from the calculated values.

6. A microphone as in claim 1, wherein the controller outputs an electric signal corresponding to the electric energy being applied to one of the second capacitors when the identified direction is substantially equal to a predetermined direction.

7. A microphone as in claim 1, wherein the first electrode pairs are arranged on a circle around the center of the diaphragm at substantially equal intervals.

8. A microphone as in claim 1, wherein the second electrode pairs are arranged on a circle around the center of the diaphragm at substantially equal intervals.

9. A microphone as in claim 1, wherein a number of the first electrode pairs is the same as a number of the second electrode pairs, each first electrode pair and corresponding second electrode pair being aligned when viewed along a direction perpendicular to the diaphragm.

10. A microphone as in claim 1, wherein the diaphragm has a substantially circular shape.

11. A microphone as in claim 1, wherein the center of the diaphragm and a periphery of the diaphragm are connected with a gimbal.

12. A microphone comprising:

a diaphragm supported at a center thereof, and which vibrates when the diaphragm receives acoustic waves;

first electrode pairs, each of the first electrode pairs having a first electrode and a second electrode;

second electrode pairs, each of the second electrode pairs having a third electrode and a fourth electrode; and

a controller;

wherein;

the first electrodes of the first electrode pairs are arranged on a surface of the diaphragm at positions distributed around the center of the diaphragm;

each of the second electrodes of the first electrode pairs is arranged at a position facing a uniquely corresponding first electrode of the first electrode pairs to form a gap between each of the second electrodes of the first electrode pairs and the corresponding first electrode of the first electrode pairs, each of the first electrode pairs forming a first capacitor;

the third electrodes of the second electrode pairs are arranged on a surface of the diaphragm at positions distributed around the center of the diaphragm; and

each of the fourth electrodes of the second electrode pairs is arranged at a position facing a uniquely corresponding third electrode of the second electrode pairs to form a gap between each of the fourth electrodes of the second electrode pairs and the corresponding third electrode of the second electrode pairs, each of the second electrode pairs forming a second capacitor;

the controller applies electric energy to each of the first capacitors and each of the second capacitors;

the first electrode pairs are arranged on one side of the diaphragm, and the second electrode pairs are arranged on an other side of the diaphragm;

the controller has a bridge circuit with the first capacitors and the second capacitors, the bridge circuit having a pair of input terminals and a pair of output terminals;

the controller applies predetermined electric energy to the first capacitors and the second capacitors via the pair of input terminals; and

the bridge circuit is formed so as to output an electric signal via the pair of output terminals when capacitances of the first capacitors change with substantially a same phase, the outputted electric signal corresponding to a change of capacitance of at least one of the first capacitors.

13. A microphone as in claim 12, wherein:

the first capacitors that are located within a half region of the diaphragm are connected in series between one input terminal of the bridge circuit and one output terminal of the bridge circuit;

the first capacitors that are located within an other half region of the diaphragm are connected in series between an other input terminal of the bridge circuit and an other output terminal of the bridge circuit;

the second capacitors that are located within the other half region of the diaphragm are connected in series between the one input terminal and the other output terminal; and

the second capacitors that are located within the half region of the diaphragm are connected in series between the other input terminal and the one output terminal.

14. A microphone as in claim 12, wherein the first electrode pairs are arranged on a circle around the center of the diaphragm at substantially equal intervals.

15. A microphone as in claim 12, wherein the second electrode pairs are arranged on a circle around the center of the diaphragm at substantially equal intervals.

16. A microphone as in claim 12, wherein a number of the first electrode pairs is the same as a number of the second electrode pairs, each of the first electrode pairs and corresponding second electrode pair being aligned when viewed along a direction perpendicular to the diaphragm.

17. A microphone as in claim 12, wherein the diaphragm has a substantially circular shape in plane.

18. A microphone as in claim 12, wherein the center of the diaphragm and a periphery of the diaphragm are connected with a gimbal.

19. A microphone comprising:

a diaphragm supported at the center thereof, and which vibrates when the diaphragm receives acoustic waves;

sensors distributed around the center of the diaphragm for detecting displacements of the diaphragm at the distributed positions;

actuators distributed around the center of the diaphragm for canceling the detected displacements; and

a controller identifying a direction along which the acoustic wave propagates based on values of electric energies applied to the actuators for canceling the displacements of the diaphragm during vibration.