Voice input apparatus

• US 8,433,089 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2009
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Advanced Applied Technology Research Institute Inc. (Funai Electric Co., Ltd.), Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tanaka, Fuminori, Horibe, Ryusuke, Inoda, Takeshi, Ono, Masatoshi, Takano, Rikuo, Fukuoka, Toshimi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Phan
• Application Number:
  US12/618,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20100142743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 381/328, 381/361, 381/369, 381/191, 381/357, 381/355, 381/356, 381/358, 381/360, 381/368, 381/346, 455/575.1
• US Class Current: 381/346
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/04 Structural association of microphone with electric circuitry therefor in deaf-aid sets H04R25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/28 Transducer mountings or enclosures modified by provision of mechanical or acoustic impedances, e.g. resonator, damping means combinations of transducers with horns, i.e. front-loaded horns H04R1/30
• 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 19/005 using semiconductor materials
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/003 Mems transducers or their use of the electrostatic type H04R19/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's

Abstract

A microphone unit is disposed in the inside of a first housing of a voice input apparatus. The microphone unit includes: a second housing; a diaphragm which is disposed in the inside of the second housing; and an electric circuit portion which processes an electric signal that is generated based on a vibration of the diaphragm. In the voice input apparatus, a first sound guide space which guides a sound outside the first housing to a first surface of the diaphragm and a second sound guide space which guides a sound outside the first housing to a second surface of the diaphragm are formed. The electric circuit portion is disposed in either one of the first sound guide space and the second sound guide space; and an acoustic resistance portion which adjusts at least one of a frequency characteristic of the first sound guide space and a frequency characteristic of the second sound guide space is formed.

Claims

1. A voice input apparatus comprising:

a first housing; and

a microphone unit which is disposed in the inside of the first housing;

wherein the microphone unit includes;

a second housing located under the first housing in a vertical direction, in which a first sound hole and a second sound hole are formed;

a diaphragm which is disposed in the inside of the second housing; and

an electric circuit portion which processes an electric signal that is generated based on a vibration of the diaphragm,

wherein, in the first housing, a first opening portion which communicates with the first sound hole and a second opening portion which communicates with the second sound hole are formed;

a first sound guide space which guides a sound outside the first housing from the first opening portion to a first surface of the diaphragm and a second sound guide space which guides a sound outside the first housing from the second opening portion to a second surface of the diaphragm, that is, an opposite surface of the first surface of the diaphragm is formed;

the electric circuit portion is disposed in either one of the first sound guide space and the second sound guide space; and

an acoustic resistance portion which adjusts at least one of a frequency characteristic of the first sound guide space and a frequency characteristic of the second sound guide space is formed.

2. The voice input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic resistance portion is so formed as to selectively act on a sound in a specific high-frequency band.

3. The voice input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic resistance portion is formed by mounting an acoustic resistance member on the first housing or on the second housing.

4. The voice input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first opening portion and the second opening portion includes a plurality of through-holes and doubles as the acoustic resistance portion.

5. The voice input apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the acoustic resistance portion is formed by mounting an acoustic resistance member on the first housing or on the second housing.

6. The voice input apparatus according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the first opening portion and the second opening portion includes a plurality of through-holes and doubles as the acoustic resistance portion.

7. The voice input apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the acoustic resistance member blocks at least part of a route that extends from the first opening portion to the first surface or at least part of a route that extends from the second opening portion to the second surface.

8. The voice input apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the acoustic resistance member blocks at least part of a route that extends from the first opening portion to the first surface and at least part of a route that extends from the second opening portion to the second surface.

9. The voice input apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the acoustic resistance member blocks at least part of a route that extends from the first opening portion to the first surface or at least part of a route that extends from the second opening portion to the second surface.

10. The voice input apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the acoustic resistance member blocks at least part of a route that extends from the first opening portion to the first surface and at least part of a route that extends from the second opening portion to the second surface.

11. The voice input apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the acoustic resistance member includes a first acoustic resistance member and a second acoustic resistance member that are separately mounted on the first housing or the second housing.

12. The voice input apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the acoustic resistance member includes a first acoustic resistance member and a second acoustic resistance member that are separately mounted on the first housing or the second housing.