Microphone having multiple transducer elements

• US 8,594,347 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2012
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Knowles Electronics Llc (Knowles Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Knowles Electronics Llc (Knowles Corporation)
• Inventors: Ryan, William A., Abry, Michael, Loeppert, Peter V.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN DUC
• Application Number:
  US13/456,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20120207334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 381/355, 381/361, 381/369, 381/174, 381/175
• US Class Current: 381/174
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/406 microphones

Abstract

A microphone is provided. The microphone has a housing; an acoustic port located in the housing; a substrate coupled with the housing; an integrated circuit positioned onto the substrate; and two or more MEMS transducers mounted on the substrate wherein the transducers are connected in parallel.

Claims

1. A microphone package comprising:

a housing;

a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) acoustic transducer positioned in the interior of the housing, said transducer comprising a plurality of individual MEMS acoustic motor assemblies, each of said individual MEMS acoustic motor assemblies being variable capacitors well matched with one another with regard to sensitivity;

an integrated buffer circuit positioned in the interior of the housing; and

an acoustic port in the housing, positioned to be aligned with the MEMS acoustic transducer;

where said individual MEMS acoustic motor assemblies are connected in parallel with one another and connected to the integrated buffer circuit.

2. A microphone package comprising:

a housing;

a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) acoustic transducer positioned in the interior of the housing, said transducer comprising at least four individual MEMS acoustic motor assemblies, each of said individual MEMS acoustic motor assemblies being variable capacitors well matched with one another with regard to sensitivity;

an integrated buffer circuit positioned in the interior of the housing; and

an acoustic port in the housing, positioned to be aligned with the MEMS acoustic transducer;

where pairs of said individual MEMS acoustic motor assemblies are connected in parallel and said pairs are summed and connected to the buffer integrated circuit.