Endfire linear array microphone
AssigneeShure Acquisition Holdings, Inc.
InventorJordan Schultz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Endfire linear array microphone systems and methods with consistent directionality and performance at different frequency ranges are provided. The endfire linear array microphone includes a delay and sum beamformer and a differential beamformer. The delay and sum beamformer may produce pickup patterns with good directionality at higher frequency ranges, but cause the pickup patterns to become more omnidirectional at lower frequencies. The differential beamformer may produce pickup patterns with good directionality at lower frequencies. By combining the delay and sum beamformer and differential beamformer within the linear array microphone, the overall directionality of the linear array microphone may be maintained at different frequency ranges while using the same microphone elements.
Claims20
An array microphone, comprising:
- a plurality of microphones arranged in a plurality of groups, wherein each group of the plurality of groups comprises at least two of the plurality of microphones and is configured to cover a different frequency range;
- a delay and sum beamformer in communication with the plurality of microphones, the delay and sum beamformer configured to generate a first beamformed signal based on audio signals of the plurality of microphones when a frequency of detected sound is within a first frequency range;
- and
- a differential beamformer in communication with the plurality of microphones, the differential beamformer configured to generate a second beamformed signal based on the audio signals of the plurality of microphones when the frequency of the detected sound is within a second frequency range.
A method, comprising:
- receiving audio signals from a plurality of microphones at a delay and sum beamformer and a differential beamformer that are both in communication with the plurality of microphones, wherein the plurality of microphones is arranged in a plurality of groups, wherein each group of the plurality of groups comprises at least two of the plurality of microphones and is configured to cover a different frequency range;
- generating a first beamformed signal using the delay and sum beamformer when a frequency of detected sound is within a first frequency range, based on the audio signals of the plurality of microphones;
- and
- generating a second beamformed signal using the differential beamformer when the frequency of the detected sound is within a second frequency range, based on the audio signals of the plurality of microphones.
An array microphone, comprising:
- a plurality of microphones arranged in a plurality of groups, wherein at least one group of the plurality of groups is nested within another group of the plurality of groups;
- a delay and sum beamformer in communication with the plurality of microphones, the delay and sum beamformer configured to generate a first beamformed signal based on audio signals of the plurality of microphones when a frequency of detected sound is within a first frequency range;
- and
- a differential beamformer in communication with the plurality of microphones, the differential beamformer configured to generate a second beamformed signal based on the audio signals of the plurality of microphones when the frequency of the detected sound is within a second frequency range.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.