Method for electronically beam forming acoustical signals and acoustical sensor apparatus
AssigneePhonak AG
InventorsJoseph Maisano, Werner Hottinger
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Abstract
A predetermined characteristic of amplification in dependency of the direction (θ) from which acoustical signals are received at two spaced apart acoustical/electrical transducers (1, 2) is formed in that repetitively a mutual delay signal (A10) is determined from the output signals of the transducers and according to the reception delay at the transducers, one (S1) of the output signals is filtered, thereby the filtering transfer characteristic is controlled in dependency of the mutual delay signal (A12). The output signal of the filtering (14) is exploited as electrical reception signal (Sr).
Claims31
A method for electronically forming a predetermined characteristic of amplification in dependency of direction (θ) from which acoustical signals (IN) are received at at least two spaced apart acoustical/electrical transducers (1, 2), comprising, at least within a predetermined frequency band, the steps of:
- repetitively determining from signals (S1, S2) dependent from said acoustical signals a respective mutual delay signal (dtω) according to reception delay at said at least two transducers;
- subjecting a signal dependent from the output signal (S1) of at least one (1) of said at least two transducers (1, 2) to filtering with a filtering transfer characteristic (14);
- controlling said filtering transfer characteristic (14) in dependency of said mutual delay signal (A12);
- exploiting a signal dependent from the output signal of said filtering (14) as electrical reception signal (Sr).
An acoustical sensor apparatus comprising
- at least two acoustical/electrical transducers (1, 2) at a predetermined mutual distance (p);
- a time delay detection unit (10) with at least two inputs and an output, the inputs thereof being respectively operationally connected to the outputs of said at least two transducers (1, 2), said time delay detection unit (10) generating an output signal (A10) in dependency of the time delay of acoustical signals (IN) impinging on said at least two transducers (1, 2);
- a weighing unit (12) with a predetermined weighing characteristic and with an input and with an output, the input thereof being operationally connected to the output of said time delay detection unit (10);
- a filter unit (14) with a controllable transfer characteristic and with at least one input, a characteristic control input and an output, the input thereof being operationally connected to the output of at least one of said at least two transducers, the control input thereof being operationally connected to the output of said weighing unit (12), the filter unit (14) generating an output signal (Sr) in dependency of its input signal and said characteristic controlled by the signal (A12) applied at said control input, being dependent from said output signal of said delay detection unit converted by said weighing characteristic of said weighing unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.