# US 2018/0324530 A1 · Piezoelectric contact microphone with mechanical interface

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- Number: US 2018/0324530 A1
- Document ID: US20180324530A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/589,203
- Filed: 2017-05-08
- Published: 2018-11-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-05-08
- Assignees: Intel Corporation
- Applicants: Intel Corporation
- Inventors: Kevin R. Hoskins; Arun P. Jose; David Harkness; Georgios C. Dogiamis; Rajashree Raji Baskaran
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180324530A1

## CPC

- H04R 17/02: Microphones
- H04R 1/265: {of microphones}
- H04R 1/46: Special adaptations for use as contact microphones, e.g. on musical instrument, on stethoscope (throat mountings H04R1/14)
- H04R 2410/07: Mechanical or electrical reduction of wind noise generated by wind passing a microphone
- H04R 2499/11: Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
- H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K)

## Abstract

A piezoelectric contact microphone with a mechanical vibration conduction interface provides an improved mobile electronic device microphone. In an embodiment, the mechanical vibration conduction interface is placed on a bone structure and conducts vibration from the bone structure to the piezoelectric contact microphone. Because of the direct contact, this use of piezoelectric contact microphone reduces or eliminates interferences effects due to wind and other airflow over the microphone. The mechanical vibration conduction interface materials and structure are selected to provide effective transmission of vibration from the bone structure to the piezoelectric element within the piezoelectric contact microphone. This piezoelectric contact microphone enables mobile electronic devices to provide improved voice communication, voice transcription, and voice command recognition in the presence of wind noise and other noise.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A piezoelectric contact microphone system comprising:
a piezoelectric microphone element;
a coupler strain relief disposed on the piezoelectric microphone element;
a coupler condenser disposed on the coupler strain relief; and
an external contact surface disposed between the coupler condenser and a bony surface to conduct vibrations from the bony surface through the coupler condenser and coupler strain relief to the piezoelectric microphone element.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, the coupler strain relief configured to conduct vibrations from the coupler condenser to the piezoelectric microphone element while resisting a larger piezoelectric deformation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, the coupler strain relief including an initially pliable material cured during manufacturing to form the vibration-conductive condenser material.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, the coupler strain relief including a shear thickening material to conduct an instantaneous vibration signal and to allow for a low-frequency readjustment.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, the coupler strain relief including at least one flexible surface to accommodate movement of the shear thickening material.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, the coupler condenser including a larger surface proximate to the external contact surface and a smaller surface proximate to the coupler strain relief, the combination of the larger surface and the smaller surface to increase a force per area unit on the coupler strain relief.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of materials within the piezoelectric microphone element, coupler strain relief, coupler condenser, and external contact surface are selected to produce a voice signal that minimizes digital signal processing.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric microphone element, coupler strain relief, and coupler condenser are disposed within a microphone body housing.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the microphone body housing is disposed within a head-worn accessory.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the head-worn accessory includes a pair of eyeglasses.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the microphone body housing is disposed within an eyeglasses bridge, within an eyeglasses nose support, within an eyeglasses temple, or within an eyeglasses temple tip.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further including a secondary piezoelectric microphone element, a secondary coupler strain relief, and a secondary coupler condenser disposed in a second location to provide a spatially disparate signal processing feature.

### Claim 13

A method for implementing a piezoelectric contact microphone comprising:
receiving a vibration from a bony surface at an external contact surface;
conveying the vibration from the external contact surface through a coupler condenser and a coupler strain relief to a piezoelectric microphone element; and
transducing the vibration into an electrical signal at the piezoelectric microphone element.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the coupler strain relief is configured to conduct vibrations from the coupler condenser to the piezoelectric microphone element while resisting a larger piezoelectric deformation.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the coupler strain relief includes an initially pliable material cured during manufacturing to form the vibration-conductive condenser material.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the coupler strain relief includes a shear thickening material to conduct an instantaneous vibration signal and to allow for a low-frequency readjustment.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein a plurality of materials within the piezoelectric microphone element, coupler strain relief, coupler condenser, and external contact surface are selected to produce a voice signal that minimizes digital signal processing.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein a plurality of materials within the piezoelectric microphone element, coupler strain relief, coupler condenser, and external contact surface are selected to produce a voice signal that does not require digital signal processing.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of materials are selected to provide at least one of a linearized frequency response, a reduced total harmonic distortion (THD), and an extended frequency response.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of materials are selected to provide at least one of an improved vocal recognition and an improved vocal clarity.

### Claim 21 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further including generating a secondary electrical signal based on a secondary piezoelectric microphone element, a secondary coupler strain relief, and a secondary coupler condenser disposed in a second location, the secondary electrical signal to provide a spatially disparate signal processing feature.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein the spatially disparate signal processing feature includes at least one of noise cancellation, directional audible beamforming, and characterization of a head-related transfer function (HRTF).

### Claim 23

At least one machine-readable storage medium, comprising a plurality of instructions that, responsive to being executed with processor circuitry of a computer-controlled device, cause the computer-controlled device to:
receive a vibration from a bony surface at an external contact surface;
convey the vibration from the external contact surface through a coupler condenser and a coupler strain relief to a piezoelectric microphone element; and
transduce the vibration into an electrical signal at the piezoelectric microphone element.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The machine-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the coupler strain relief is configured to conduct vibrations from the coupler condenser to the piezoelectric microphone element while resisting a larger piezoelectric deformation.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The machine-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the coupler condenser includes a larger surface proximate to the external contact surface and a smaller surface proximate to the coupler strain relief, the combination of the larger surface and the smaller surface to increase a force per area unit on the coupler strain relief.