Two active element in-the-ear microphone system

A speech pickup system for use in a system requiring voice input for operation, control, information submission, or communication comprising:

• a housing having a hollow extension tip with an ear canal tip mounted thereon for insertion into the ear canal of a user;
• first sound sensing and transducing means and second sound sensing and transducing means mounted within said housing, said first sound sensing and transducing means being responsive to nonairborne sound, and said second sound sensing and transducing means being responsive to airborne sound;
• first sound transmission means and second sound transmission means in said housing, hollow extension tip and ear canal tip, coupling said first and second sound sensing and transducing means respectively to the user, for reception of the user's speech thereby;
• electronic circuitry to normalize a first and second transducer speech signals and thence combine them into a single composite signal;
• and
• means for coupling the output of said circuitry to an external device or system.

Apparatus for detecting user speech for use in a system requiring voice input, said apparatus being adapted for placement in the ear of a user during operation, said apparatus comprising:

• a housing having a dense outer surface for transmitting vibration therethrough, and a hollow ear canal tip mounted thereon for insertion into the ear canal of a user;
• a first sound sensing and transducing means mounted within said housing in operating contact with said housing surface and adapted to detect speech generated sound vibration present in said surface, said first sound sensing and transducing means being adapted to generate first electrical signals responsive to detected speech generated sound vibration;
• and,
• a second sound sensing and transducing means being adapted to generate second electrical signals responsive to airborne sound located in said ear canal.