Sound collecting device minimizing electrical noise

• US 6,975,735 B1
• Filed: 10/05/1999
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kinoshita, Hidetoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Mei, Xu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jacobson, Tony M.
• Application Number:
  US09/412,647
• Time in Patent Office: 2,261 Days
• Field of Search: 381/123, 381/163, 381/189, 340/582, 340/580, 244/134.D, 244/134.F
• US Class Current: 381/163
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/351 Environmental parameters, e.g. temperature, ambient light, atmospheric pressure, humidity, used as input for musical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/14 using mechanically actuated vibrators with pick-up means G10H3/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/086 Protective screens, e.g. all weather or wind screens

Abstract

A sound collecting device is provided which is designed to minimize adverse effects on an output caused by exposure of an electroacoustic transducer to the air. The device includes an electroacoustic transducer and a vibrating circuit. The transducer is exposed to the air and responsive to input of a sound wave to produce a corresponding acoustic signal. The vibrating circuit vibrates the transducer to shake foreign substances such as dust or drops of water from the transducer. In a modified form, an electromagnetic sensor is provided which measures an electromagnetic noise transmitted to the transducer and which removes the electromagnetic noise from an output of the transducer to produce a noiseless acoustic signal.

Claims

1. A sound collecting device comprising:

a transducer responsive to an input of a sound wave to vibrate, producing a corresponding acoustic signal;

an amplifier amplifying the acoustic signal from said transducer;

a vibrating circuit connected to said transducer in parallel to said amplifier to vibrate said transducer;

a controller which controls an operation of said vibrating circuit; and

a temperature sensor which measures an ambient temperature, wherein said controller controls said vibrating circuit to vibrate said transducer at a first time interval when the ambient temperature measured by the temperature sensor is lower than a given value and at a second time interval longer than the first time interval when the ambient temperature measured by the temperature sensor is higher than the given value.

2. A second collecting device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a switch which selectively establishes and blocks communications between said transducer and said amplifier and between said transducer and said vibrating circuit.

3. A sound collecting device as set forth in claim 2, further comprising a second controller which controls a switching operation of said switch.