# US 2019/0174244 A1 · Directional acoustic sensor and electronic device including the same

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- Number: US 2019/0174244 A1
- Document ID: US20190174244A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/162,795
- Filed: 2018-10-17
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-06
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Cheheung KIM; Sungchan KANG; Yongseop YOON; Choongho RHEE; Sangha PARK; Hyeokki HONG
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190174244A1

## CPC

- H04S 7/30: {Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field}
- B60K 35/25: using haptic output
- B60K 35/265: {Voice}
- G06F 3/167: {Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback}
- G10L 21/0216: characterised by the method used for estimating noise
- H04R 1/245: {of microphones}
- H04R 1/323: {for loudspeakers (H04R1/34 and H04R1/40 take precedence)}
- H04R 1/406: {microphones}
- H04R 5/04: Circuit arrangements, {e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments (combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S)}
- B60K 35/10: Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
- B60K 2360/148: Instrument input by voice
- G10L 2021/02165: {Two microphones, one receiving mainly the noise signal and the other one mainly the speech signal}
- H04R 17/02: Microphones
- H04R 17/025: {using a piezoelectric polymer}
- H04R 2201/003: Mems transducers or their use
- H04R 2201/401: 2D or 3D arrays of transducers
- H04S 2400/01: Multi-channel, i.e. more than two input channels, sound reproduction with two speakers wherein the multi-channel information is substantially preserved
- H04S: STEREOPHONIC SYSTEMS
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING
- 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

Provided are a directional acoustic sensor that detects a direction of sound, a method of detecting a direction of sound, and an electronic device including the directional acoustic sensor. The directional acoustic sensor includes a sound inlet through which a sound is received, a sound outlet through which the sound received through the sound inlet is output, and a plurality of vibration bodies arranged between the sound inlet and the sound outlet, in which one or more of the plurality of vibration bodies selectively react to the sound received by the sound inlet according to a direction of the received sound.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A directional acoustic sensor comprising:
a sound inlet through which a sound is received;
a sound outlet through which the sound, received through the sound inlet, is output, wherein the sound outlet is disposed below the sound inlet; and
a plurality of vibration bodies arranged between the sound inlet and the sound outlet, wherein one or more of the plurality of vibration bodies selectively react to the sound received through the sound inlet according to a direction of the received sound.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The directional acoustic sensor of claim 1, wherein the plurality of vibration bodies are arranged on a single plane in an array surrounding a central point on the plane, wherein the central point is aligned, in a vertical direction, with a center of the sound inlet.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The directional acoustic sensor of claim 2, wherein the array is symmetric with respect to the central point.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The directional acoustic sensor of claim 3, wherein the plurality of vibration bodies are radially arranged such that the array has a shape of one of a circle, an oval, and a polygon.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The directional acoustic sensor of claim 1, wherein the sound outlet overlaps, in a vertical direction, with each of the plurality of vibration bodies.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The directional acoustic sensor of claim 5, wherein the sound outlet comprises a plurality of sound outlets respectively corresponding to the plurality of vibration bodies.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The directional acoustic sensor of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of vibration bodies has a same resonant frequency.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The directional acoustic sensor of claim 1, wherein the plurality of vibration bodies comprises at least a first vibration body having a first resonant frequency and a second vibration body having a second resonant frequency, different from the first resonant frequency.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The directional acoustic sensor of claim 8,
wherein the plurality of vibration bodies are grouped into a plurality of subgroups, each subgroup oriented in a different direction; and
wherein each of the plurality of subgroups comprises a plurality of vibration bodies comprising a first vibration body having a first resonant frequency and a second vibration body having a second resonant frequency, different from the first resonant frequency.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The directional acoustic sensor of claim 9, wherein the plurality of vibration bodies of each of the plurality of subgroups are arranged in an order of magnitude of resonant frequency.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The directional acoustic sensor of claim 10, wherein, of the plurality of subgroups, adjacent subgroups comprise pluralities of vibration bodies arranged in opposite orders of magnitude of resonant frequency.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The directional acoustic sensor of claim 9, wherein the plurality of subgroups are arranged such that vibration bodies, arranged symmetrically to each other with respect to a central point of arrangement of the plurality of vibration bodies, have an identical resonant frequency.

### Claim 13

A method of detecting a direction of a sound, the method comprising:
providing a vibration body array comprising a plurality of vibration bodies arranged such that one or more of the plurality of vibration bodies selectively react to a received sound based on a direction of the received sound; and
estimating a sound source distribution profile of a target sound by comparing outputs of the plurality of vibration bodies with each other, when the target sound is received to the vibration body array.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising, setting a matching graph for estimating a direction of a received sound based on an output of each of the plurality of vibration bodies,
wherein the estimating of the direction of the received sound comprises determining a direction of the target sound by comparing an amplitude of one or more vibration bodies reacting to the target sound with the matching graph.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the setting the matching graph comprises setting a plurality of matching graphs indicating a relationship between an amplitude difference between two vibration bodies included in the vibration body array and a direction of a received sound.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

An Internet of Things (IoT) device comprising:
the directional acoustic sensor according to claim 1, configured to receive a voice signal provided by a user;
a memory in which an application module is stored; and
a processor configured to execute the application modules.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The IoT device of claim 15, further comprising:
a movable device; and
a control module configured to move the movable device in a specific direction based on an execution result of the application module executed using a signal received by the directional acoustic sensor as an input variable.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The IoT device of claim 17, wherein the movable device comprises an output device configured to output the execution result of the application module.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The IoT device of claim 16, further comprising a learning module configured to learn whether a sound signal received by the directional acoustic sensor is a valid sound signal in association with a direction.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

A vehicle voice interface device comprising:
the directional acoustic sensor according to claim 1; and
a valid signal extraction module configured to determine whether a sound signal received by the directional acoustic sensor is a valid sound signal based on a direction of the sound signal, and to deliver the sound signal to a vehicle control module when the sound signal is a valid sound signal.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The vehicle voice interface device of claim 20, wherein the valid signal extraction module is further configured to cancel, as noise, a sound signal having a direction different from a direction of a driver and to deliver a noise-cancelled sound signal to the vehicle control module.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

A spatial recording device comprising:
the directional acoustic sensor according to claim 1;
a processor configured to determine a direction of a sound signal received by the directional acoustic sensor by analyzing the sound signal sensed by the directional acoustic sensor; and
a memory in which a program for signal processing by the processor and an execution result of the processor are stored.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The spatial recording device of claim 22, further comprising a multi-channel speaker,
wherein the processor is further configured to control the multi-channel speaker such that an audio signal stored in the memory is played appropriately to a direction.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

An omnidirectional camera comprising:
the directional acoustic sensor according to claim 1;
an omnidirectional photographing module;
a processor configured to control the directional acoustic sensor and the omnidirectional photographing module such that a directional sound signal sensed by the directional acoustic sensor and an omnidirectional image signal captured by the omnidirectional photographing module match each other; and
a memory in which the directional sound signal and the omnidirectional image signal are stored.

### Claim 25

A directional acoustic sensor comprising:
a case;
an input opening formed in an upper side of the case;
an output opening formed in a lower side of the case; and
an array, comprising a plurality of vibration bodies, disposed within the case between the input opening and the output opening.