Sound-direction detector having a miniature sensor
AssigneeAlcatel Lucent
InventorDennis S. Greywall
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A representative embodiment of the invention provides a sound-direction detector having a miniature sensor coupled to a signal-processing block. The sensor has (i) a microphone responsive to a sound wave and (ii) a differential pressure sensor (DPS) responsive to a pressure difference induced by the sound wave between two inlet ports located in proximity to the microphone. The signal-processing block applies phase-sensitive detection to the output signal generated by the DPS, while using the output signal generated by the microphone as a reference for the phase-sensitive detection, to measure the pressure difference. The signal-processing block then determines direction to the sound-wave source based on the amplitude of the sound wave at the microphone and the measured pressure difference.
Claims20
A device, comprising:
- a microphone adapted to generate a first electrical signal in response to a sound wave from a sound-wave source;
- a differential pressure sensor (DPS) adapted to generate a second electrical signal in response to a pressure difference induced therein by said sound wave, said second electrical signal being different from the first electrical signal;
- and
- circuitry adapted to process the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal to determine a direction angle corresponding to the sound-wave source.
A method of sound detection, comprising:
- generating a first electrical signal using a microphone configured to receive a sound wave from a sound-wave source;
- generating a second electrical signal using a differential pressure sensor (DPS) configured to respond to a pressure difference induced in the DPS by said sound wave, said second electrical signal being different from the first electrical signal;
- and
- processing the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal to determine a direction angle corresponding to the sound-wave source.
An integrated device, comprising:
- a microphone formed in a multilayered wafer and adapted to generate a first electrical signal in response to a sound wave;
- and
- a differential pressure sensor (DPS) formed in the multilayered wafer and adapted to generate a second electrical signal in response to a pressure difference induced therein by said sound wave, said second electrical signal being different from the first electrical signal, wherein:
- the DPS comprises:
- a chamber having first and second inlet ports;
- and
- a first movable membrane that divides the chamber into first and second portions, wherein:
- the first inlet port is adapted to admit the sound wave into the first portion;
- the second inlet port is adapted to admit the sound wave into the second portion;
- the pressure difference is a pressure difference between the first and second portions induced by the sound wave at the first movable membrane;
- and
- the first movable membrane is adapted to move in response to said pressure difference;
- the microphone comprises a second movable membrane;
- and
- the first movable membrane and the second movable membrane have been fabricated using different respective portions of a single layer of a multilayered wafer.
A device, comprising:
- a microphone adapted to generate a microphone signal in response to a sound wave from a sound-wave source;
- a differential pressure sensor (DPS) adapted to generate a DPS signal in response to a pressure difference induced therein by said sound wave;
- and
- circuitry adapted to determine direction to the sound-wave source based on the microphone signal and the DPS signal, wherein the DPS comprises:
- a chamber having first and second inlet ports;
- and
- a membrane that divides the chamber into first and second portions, wherein:
- the first inlet port is adapted to admit the sound wave into the first portion;
- the second inlet port is adapted to admit the sound wave into the second portion;
- the pressure difference is a pressure difference between the first and second portions induced by the sound wave;
- the membrane is adapted to move in response to said pressure difference;
- and
- a distance between the first and second inlet ports is smaller than about 7 mm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.