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US 12,010,483 B2Granted
Acoustic microphone arrays
AssigneeQsc, LLC
InventorsChristopher Charles Nighman, Gerrit Eimbertus Rosenboom, Mauricio Greene, Alfredo Martin Aguilar
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Abstract
Acoustic microphone array systems including arrays of microphones placed on a printed circuit board or other substrate in asymmetric patterns. A plurality of additional non-microphone components also reside on the board. The asymmetric placement of the microphones in the array provides flexibility in physically accommodating the additional non-microphone components.
Claims19
An acoustic microphone array system, comprising:
- a single substrate;
- and
- an array of acoustic microphones including a first group of acoustic microphones placed on the single substrate in an asymmetric pattern and a second group of acoustic microphones, wherein the radial distance of each microphone in the first group of microphones is larger than the radial distance of each microphone in the second group of microphones,
- wherein the first group of microphones includes N microphones, and the maximum difference in polar angle between any two angularly adjacent microphones of the first group of microphones is at least 130% of 360/N.
1 more element
An audio system, comprising:
- a single substrate;
- an array of acoustic microphones including a first group of acoustic microphones arranged on the single substrate in an asymmetric pattern and a second group of acoustic microphones arranged on the substrate in an asymmetric pattern, wherein the radial distance of an innermost microphone of the first group of microphones from a center of the single substrate is greater than a radial distance of an outermost microphone of the second group of microphones and no more than about 40% of the radial distance of an outermost microphone of the first group of microphones, and the radial distance of the outermost microphone in the second group of microphones is no more than about 25% of the radial distance of the outermost microphone in the first group of microphones;
- and
- a processor configured to combine signals output by the first group of acoustic microphones to generate output sound within a first frequency range and to combine signals output by the second group of acoustic microphones to generate output sound within a second frequency range, wherein the first group of microphones includes N microphones, and the maximum difference in polar angle between any two angularly adjacent microphones of the first group of microphones is at least 130% of 360/N.
1 more element
A method of generating a microphone layout for an array microphone, comprising:
- placing each microphone in first and second groups of microphones in an initial position on a single substrate, wherein subsequent to said placing each microphone, the microphones are arranged at an initial set of microphone positions, wherein the first group of microphones includes N microphones, and the maximum difference in polar angle between any two angularly adjacent microphones of the first group of microphones is at least 130% of 360/N;
- with a software simulator, determining array performance with the microphones at the initial set of microphone positions;
- subsequent to said determining array performance, adjusting placement of one or more microphones in one or both of the first group of microphones and the second group of microphones such that the microphones are arranged at an adjusted set of microphone positions;
- with the software simulator, determining adjusted array performance at the adjusted set of microphone positions;
- repeating said adjusting placement and determining adjusted array performance said adjusted array performance indicates sufficient performance at a set of final microphone positions in which the first group of microphones is arranged in a first asymmetric pattern and the second group of microphones is arranged in a second asymmetric pattern;
- and
- placing a plurality of non-microphone components on the single substrate.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.