1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microphone array with an acoustic extending structure, which utilizes the acoustic extending structure so as to:
2. Description of the Related Art
Microphone arrays used in mobile communication devices using two or more microphone membranes are getting more and more popular nowadays because more acoustic information can be received thereby versus the conventional single microphone for the separation of a desired voice and unwanted noises. The CMOS-MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) technology allows fabrication of microphone arrays on one single chip to the size and pin out of a single microphone with two chips. In this case, the center to center distance between the two microphone membranes is smaller than the minimum distance required for voice processing algorithms.
In one embodiment of the invention, an electronic device is provided utilizing small array microphone (SAM). The electronic device includes a case, a microphone array housing consists of a first acoustic extending structure, a second acoustic extending structure, an interface IC, a first membrane and a second membrane. The case includes a first acoustic opening and a second acoustic opening. The first acoustic extending structure is connected to the first acoustic opening. The second acoustic extending structure is connected to the second acoustic opening. The first membrane receives a first acoustic signal via the first acoustic opening and the first acoustic extending structure. The second membrane receives a second acoustic signal via the second acoustic opening and the second acoustic extending structure.
In another embodiment of the invention, a microphone array is provided. The microphone array comprises a first acoustic extending structure, a second acoustic extending structure, an interface IC, a first membrane and a second membrane. A first sound inlet is formed on the first acoustic extending structure. A second sound inlet is formed on the second acoustic extending structure. The first membrane receives a first acoustic signal via the first sound inlet and the first acoustic extending structure. The second membrane receives a second acoustic signal via the second sound inlet and the second acoustic extending structure. The microphone array consists of two membranes and an interface IC placed in between. The interface IC is an integration of two transducers or an integration of two transducers and a phase/sensitivity matching logic or more.
In the embodiment of the invention, the first acoustic extending structure and the second acoustic extending structure establish two separated sound paths from acoustic openings to the membranes. Utilizing the embodiments of the invention, the effective distance of the microphone can be extended.
A detailed description is given in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The following description is of the best-contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims.
Refer to
A first sound inlet 25 is formed on the first extending portion 22, and a second sound inlet 35 is formed on the sound extending portion 32. The first sound inlet 25 is communicated with the first acoustic opening 11, and the second sound inlet 35 is communicated with the second acoustic opening 12.
Refer to
Utilizing the embodiments of the invention, the microphone effective distance from the acoustic openings (11, 12) to the membranes (41, 42) can be extended to D1 and D2, for example D1=5 mm to 10 mm, and D2=5 mm to 20 mm.
The electronic device can be a mobile phone, notebook, tablet or other portable electronic devices. The electronic device can also be a television, computer or other electronic devices.
Use of ordinal terms such as “first”, “second”, “third”, etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed, but are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish the claim elements.
While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.
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