Microphone and a method of manufacturing a microphone

A microphone comprising:

• a diaphragm supported at a center thereof, and which vibrates when the diaphragm receives acoustic waves;
• first electrode pairs, each of the first electrode pairs having a first electrode and a second electrode;
• second electrode pairs, each of the second electrode pairs having a third electrode and a fourth electrode;
• and
• a controller;
• wherein:
• the first electrodes of the first electrode pairs are arranged on a surface of the diaphragm at positions distributed around the center of the diaphragm;
• each of the second electrodes of the first electrode pairs is arranged at a position facing a uniquely corresponding first electrode of the first electrode pairs to form a gap between each of the second electrodes of the first electrode pairs and the corresponding first electrode of the first electrode pairs, each of the first electrode pairs forming a first capacitor;
• the third electrodes of the second electrode pairs are arranged on a surface of the diaphragm at positions distributed around the center of the diaphragm;
• and
• each of the fourth electrodes of the second electrode pairs is arranged at a position facing a uniquely corresponding third electrode of the second electrode pairs to form a gap between each of the fourth electrodes of the second electrode pairs and the corresponding third electrode of the second electrode pairs, each of the second electrode pairs forming a second capacitor;
• the controller applies electric energy to each of the first capacitors and each of the second capacitors;
• the first electrode pairs are arranged on one side of the diaphragm, and the second electrode pairs are arranged on an other side of the diaphragm;
• the controller has a bridge circuit with the first capacitors and the second capacitors, the bridge circuit having a pair of input terminals and a pair of output terminals;
• the controller applies predetermined electric energy to the first capacitors and the second capacitors via the pair of input terminals;
• and
• the bridge circuit is formed so as to output an electric signal via the pair of output terminals when capacitances of the first capacitors change with substantially a same phase, the outputted electric signal corresponding to a change of capacitance of at least one of the first capacitors.

A microphone comprising:

• a diaphragm supported at the center thereof, and which vibrates when the diaphragm receives acoustic waves;
• sensors distributed around the center of the diaphragm for detecting displacements of the diaphragm at the distributed positions;
• actuators distributed around the center of the diaphragm for canceling the detected displacements;
• and
• a controller identifying a direction along which the acoustic wave propagates based on values of electric energies applied to the actuators for canceling the displacements of the diaphragm during vibration.