Microphone windguard

#This invention relates to microphones and, more particularly, to windguards for hands-free microphones such as those used in automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems.

#ASR technology enables microphone-equipped computing devices to interpret speech and thereby provide an alternative to conventional human-to-computer input devices such as keyboards or keypads. For example, vehicle telecommunications devices can be equipped with voice dialing features enabled by an ASR system. The ASR system typically includes a hands-free microphone to receive speech from an occupant of a vehicle. The hands-free microphone is usually located in a forward portion of a passenger compartment of the vehicle, such as in an instrument panel, an A-pillar molding, a rear view mirror assembly, a headliner, overhead console, or the like. Such a forward-positioned microphone is generally satisfactory to enable reliable recognition of speech from a driver.

#A forward-mounted microphone may be susceptible to airflow noise due to local pressure variations in an air stream such as from windshield defroster vents, open windows, or open roofs. Accordingly, some ASR systems deploy complex digital signal processing and noise cancellation techniques, or multiple microphone arrays, to reduce the influence of airflow noise. But these approaches add cost and complexity to the ASR system. Therefore, windguards are often provided to ameliorate the effects of rapidly moving air over a microphone.

#Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements, and wherein:

#FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary windguard;

#FIG. 2 shows a side view of the windguard of FIG. 1;

#With reference to the drawings, FIGS. 1 through 6 illustrate a windguard 10 for protecting a microphone M from airflow to improve a signal-to-noise ratio of the microphone M. The windguard 10 can include a base 12, and a skirt 14 depending from the base 12 to divert airflow around the microphone M. The windguard 10 also includes a hood 16 projecting from the base 12 in a direction substantially opposite that of the skirt 14, to divert airflow over and away from the microphone M. The base 12, the skirt 14, and the hood 16 at least partially define an interior I of the windguard 10 in which the microphone M may be disposed.

#The base 12 interconnects the skirt 14 and the hood 16. The base 12 can be generally planar as shown, but can be of any suitable shape and configuration. The base 12 connects to the skirt 14 at the sides of the windguard 10 as shown in FIG. 4 and at the upstream and downstream ends of the windguard 10 as shown in FIG. 5. The wall thickness of the base 12 can be substantially constant or variable.

#The skirt 14 generally provides several functions. First, it spaces the base 12 away from another component C (FIG. 2) to which the windguard 10 may be mounted in order to accommodate the microphone M. Second, the skirt 14 provides a wall to protect the microphone M from airflow by diverting the airflow around the skirt 14. The skirt 14 is preferably substantially circumferentially continuous, can be substantially cylindrical in shape, and can be of substantially constant or varying wall thickness. Third, the skirt 14 can include a mounting surface 18 having several retainers 20 extending therefrom for attaching the windguard 10 to the other component C. The retainers 20 can be any suitable type of retainers including snap-in bayonet style retainers as shown. The windguard 10 can be mounted against and attached to any suitable component, such as a wall, panel, housing, bezel, or the like, wherein the retainers 20 snap into corresponding openings O in the component C. The skirt 14 can also include one or more reliefs 22 such as in the mounting surface 18 as shown. The reliefs 22 can provide flexibility for the skirt 14 and ventilation for the interior I of the windguard 10. The reliefs 22 are preferably located on the sides and downstream portions of the skirt 14.