# US 2020/0400489 A1 · Directional acoustic sensor, and methods of adjusting directional characteristics and attenuating acoustic signal in specific direction using the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0400489 A1 - Document ID: US20200400489A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/738,123 - Filed: 2020-01-09 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-20 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Sungchan KANG; Cheheung KIM; Choongho RHEE; Hyeokki HONG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200400489A1 ## CPC - G01H 3/005: {Testing or calibrating of detectors covered by the subgroups of G01H3/00 (calibrating geophysical instruments, e.g. seismic receivers G01V13/00)} - H04R 17/02: Microphones - H04R 3/005: {for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} - H04R 17/10: Resonant transducers, i.e. adapted to produce maximum output at a predetermined frequency - H04R 23/006: {using solid state devices (solid state devices per se H10)} - H04R 1/406: {microphones} - H04R 2410/01: Noise reduction using microphones having different directional characteristics - H04R 2430/23: Direction finding using a sum-delay beam-former - H04R 2430/25: Array processing for suppression of unwanted side-lobes in directivity characteristics, e.g. a blocking matrix - G01H: MEASUREMENT OF MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OR ULTRASONIC, SONIC OR INFRASONIC WAVES - 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 Disclosed are a directional acoustic sensor, a method of adjusting directional characteristics using the directional acoustic sensor, and a method of attenuating an acoustic signal in a specific direction using the directional acoustic sensor. The directional acoustic sensor includes a plurality of resonance units arranged to have different directionalities and a signal processor configured to adjust directional characteristics by calculating at least one of a sum of and a difference between outputs of the resonance units. In this state, the signal processor attenuates an acoustic signal in a specific direction by using a plurality of directional characteristics obtained by calculating at least one of the sum of and the difference between the outputs of the resonance units at a certain ratio. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A directional acoustic sensor comprising: a plurality of resonance units arranged to have different directionalities; and a signal processor configured to adjust directional characteristics of output signals that are received from the plurality of resonance units, by calculating at least one of a sum of the output signals of the plurality of resonance units and a difference between the output signals of the plurality of resonance units. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The directional acoustic sensor of claim 1, wherein the plurality of resonance units comprise: a plurality of substrates, each of the plurality of substrates having a cavity formed therethrough; and at least one resonator provided in each of the plurality of substrates. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The directional acoustic sensor of claim 2, wherein the plurality of substrates are arranged to form an angle less than 180 degrees with each other. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The directional acoustic sensor of claim 1, wherein the signal processor is further configured to acquire first directional characteristics of a first direction by calculating the sum of the output signals of the plurality of resonance units, and acquire second directional characteristics of a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction by calculating the difference between the output signals of the plurality of resonance units. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The directional acoustic sensor of claim 1, wherein the signal processor is further configured to adjust at least one of output levels of the output signals so that the output levels are different from each other, and calculate the sum or the difference based on the adjusted at least one of the output levels. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The directional acoustic sensor of claim 1, wherein the signal processor is configured to attenuate an acoustic noise signal by calculating the at least one of the sum of and the difference between the output signals of the resonance units at a predetermined ratio. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The directional acoustic sensor of claim 1, wherein the signal processor is further configured to attenuate an acoustic noise signal generated in a second direction by processing a first signal that is obtained from the plurality of resonance units and is oriented in a first direction, and processing a second signal that is obtained from the plurality of resonance units and is oriented in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The directional acoustic sensor of claim 7, wherein each of the first and second signals is obtained by summing the output signals generated in the first direction and the output signals generated in the second direction at a predetermined ratio. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The directional acoustic sensor of claim 8, wherein the signal processor is further configured to process the first and second signals such that the acoustic noise signal generated in the second direction is removed. ### Claim 10 A method of adjusting directional characteristics, the method comprising: receiving output signals from a plurality of resonance units arranged to have different directionalities; and adjusting directional characteristics of the output signals by calculating at least one of a sum of the output signals of the plurality of resonance units and a difference between the output signals of the plurality of resonance units. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the adjusting the directional characteristics of the output signals comprises: acquiring first directional characteristics of a first direction by calculating the sum of the output signals of the plurality of resonance units; and acquiring second directional characteristics of a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction by calculating the difference between the outputs of the plurality of resonance units. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the adjusting the directional characteristics of the output signals comprises: adjusting at least one of output levels of the output signals so that the output levels are different from each other, and calculating the sum or the difference based on the adjusted at least one of the output levels. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of resonance units comprise: a plurality of substrates, each of the plurality of substrates having a cavity formed therethrough; and at least one resonator provided in each of the plurality of substrates. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of substrates are arranged to form an angle less than 180 degrees with each other. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: attenuating an acoustic noise signal generated in a second direction by calculating the at least one of the sum of and the difference between the output signals of the resonance units at a predetermined ratio. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the attenuating the acoustic noise signal comprises: attenuating the acoustic noise signal in a second direction by processing a first signal that is obtained from the plurality of resonance units and is oriented in a first direction, and processing a second signal that is obtained from the plurality of resonance units and is oriented in the second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the processing the first signal and the processing the second signal comprises: summing the output signals generated in the first direction and the output signals generated in the second direction at a predetermined ratio. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the first and second signals are processed such that the acoustic noise signal generated in the second direction is removed. ### Claim 19 A directional acoustic sensor comprising: a plurality of first resonators configured to have a first directionality; a plurality of second resonators configured to have a second directionality different from the first directionality; and a signal processor configured to receive a first output signal from the plurality of first resonators, receive a second output signal from the plurality of second resonators, and attenuate a noise acoustic signal detected by the plurality of first resonators and the plurality of second resonators, based on a sum of the first output signal and the second output signal or a difference between the first output signal and the second output signal. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The directional acoustic sensor of claim 19, wherein the signal processor is further configured to apply a weight to at least one of the first output signal and the second output signal and obtain the sum or the difference by using the at least one of the first output signal and the second output signal to which the weight is applied.