Speakerphone and/or microphone arrays and methods and systems of the using the same
First Claim
1. A device, comprising:
- at least three microphone elements;
at least one loudspeaker;
at least one housing, wherein the at least one housing is configured to support the at least three microphone elements in a first orientation and the at least one loudspeaker in a second orientation; and
the at least three microphones are substantially equispaced in a horizontal plane around a circle with a predetermined diameter approximately equal to one-half of the wavelength of a predetermined highest frequency of operation of the device and arranged with appropriate phase and delay characteristics such that when the signals from the array of microphones are appropriately phased, weighted and summed, the resultant signal in a three-dimensional space is substantially zero in the vertical direction and substantially additive in the horizontal plane to achieve a substantial null response in positions having a substantially equal sound path from the at least three microphone elements over a desired audible range of frequencies; and
the device is able to provide a response to sounds over a range of second oriented elevations away from the first orientation containing the at least three microphone elements; and
the uncompensated response of the device falls off at a multiple of 6 dB per octave from high to low frequencies.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present disclosure is directed to devices, methods and systems for microphone arrays wherein enhancing performance of directional microphone arrays is provided. Enhanced performance of speaker phones is also provided. In certain embodiments, the housing of the device is configured to support the at least three microphones and the loudspeaker in a substantially first orientation; and the at least three microphones and the loudspeaker are arranged in a spatial relationship such that appropriate phase and delay characteristics achieve a substantial null response in the at least three microphones and in the loudspeaker in a substantial vertical direction away from the substantially first orientation over a desired audible range of frequencies and the device is able to provide a response to sounds over a range of first oriented elevations.
30 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A device, comprising:
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at least three microphone elements; at least one loudspeaker; at least one housing, wherein the at least one housing is configured to support the at least three microphone elements in a first orientation and the at least one loudspeaker in a second orientation; and
the at least three microphones are substantially equispaced in a horizontal plane around a circle with a predetermined diameter approximately equal to one-half of the wavelength of a predetermined highest frequency of operation of the device and arranged with appropriate phase and delay characteristics such that when the signals from the array of microphones are appropriately phased, weighted and summed, the resultant signal in a three-dimensional space is substantially zero in the vertical direction and substantially additive in the horizontal plane to achieve a substantial null response in positions having a substantially equal sound path from the at least three microphone elements over a desired audible range of frequencies; and
the device is able to provide a response to sounds over a range of second oriented elevations away from the first orientation containing the at least three microphone elements; and
the uncompensated response of the device falls off at a multiple of 6 dB per octave from high to low frequencies. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 16)
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9. A device, comprising:
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at least six microphone elements; and at least one housing, wherein the at least one housing is configured to support the at least six microphone elements in a first orientation; and
the at least six microphones are substantially equispaced in a horizontal plane around a circle with a predetermined diameter approximately equal to one wavelength of a predetermined highest frequency of operation of the device and arranged with appropriate phase and delay characteristics such that when the signals from the at least six microphones are appropriately phased, weighted and summed, the resultant signal in a three-dimensional space is substantially zero in the vertical direction and substantially additive in the horizontal plane direction to achieve a substantial null response in positions having a substantially equal sound path from the at least six microphone elements over a desired audible range of frequencies; and
the device is able to provide a response to sounds over a range of second oriented elevations away from the first orientation containing the at least six microphone elements; and
the uncompensated response of the device falls off at a multiple of 6 dB per octave from high to low frequencies. - View Dependent Claims (10, 12, 13)
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11. A device comprising:
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at least three microphone elements; at least one housing, wherein the at least one housing is configured to support the at least three microphone elements in a first orientation, and the at least three microphone elements are substantially equispaced in a first circular arrangement and the first circular arrangement has a first diameter and each microphone element has a relative phase 0°
; anda second at least three microphone elements which are substantially equispaced in a second circular arrangement with a second diameter and each microphone element has a relative phase 180°
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wherein the first diameter is greater than the second diameterwherein the at least three microphones and the second at least three microphones are configured such that when the signals from the at least three microphones and the second at least three microphones are appropriately phased, weighted and summed, the resultant signal in a three-dimensional space is substantially zero in the vertical direction and substantially additive in the horizontal plane to achieve a substantial null response in positions having a substantially equal sound path from the at least three microphones and the second at least three microphones. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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14. A device, comprising:
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at least three microphone elements; at least one loudspeaker; and at least one housing, wherein the at least one housing is configured to support the at least three microphone elements in a first orientation and the at least one loudspeaker in a second orientation; wherein the at least three microphones are of substantially equal gain and substantially equal phase arranged on a substantially horizontal plane in a circle of diameter 2d, where d is approximately equal to half of the wavelength at a predetermined highest frequency of operation of the device; and
wherein at least one further microphone element is positioned at the centre of the circle with gain of approximately n times that of the n microphone elements and a phase shift of 180 degrees relative to the n microphone elements such that when the signals from the at least three microphones and the at least one further microphone are appropriately phased, weighted and summed, the resultant signal in a three-dimensional space is substantially zero in the vertical direction and substantially additive in the horizontal plane to achieve a substantial null response in positions having a substantially equal sound path from the at least three microphones and the at least one further microphone. - View Dependent Claims (15, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification