Use of an earpiece acoustic opening as a microphone port for beamforming applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017195786-A1
Application number	US-201715435068-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 16, 2017
Priority date	Sep 10, 2012
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A mobile multi-function device that includes a speaker, two or more microphones, and a beamformer processor is described. The beamformer processor uses the microphones to perform beamforming operations. One of the microphones shares a receiver acoustic opening with the speaker while the other microphone uses a separate acoustic opening. The receiver acoustic opening may be an earpiece opening that is held to the ear of a user while conducting a phone call with the device and provides acoustic input and output paths for the microphone and the speaker, respectively.

First claim

1 . A mobile device, comprising:
a mobile multi-function handset device housing that contains:
a speaker to produce sound for an audio application that is to execute in the mobile device;
first, second, and third microphones for capturing audio proximate to the mobile multi-function handset device housing;
a programmed processor configured to execute an application selected from the group consisting of a telephony application, a multimedia video call application, a voice dictation application, a voice activation application, and a video recording application; and
a beamformer processor for performing directional signal reception of audio using at least two of the first, second, and third microphones during performance of the application; where the housing has a first acoustic opening located on a front face and at a top end of the housing, and designed to be held to an ear of a user when the device is being used like a telephone handset during a phone call, the first acoustic opening being shared by i) an acoustic input path to the first microphone and ii) an acoustic output path from the speaker, wherein the housing further includes a second acoustic opening located on a rear face and at the top end of the housing that is used by the second microphone as an input acoustic port, wherein the housing further includes a third acoustic opening located on a bottom side of the housing that is near the mouth of the user when the device is being used like a telephone handset during the phone call, wherein the third acoustic opening is used by the third microphone as an input acoustic port.

2 . (canceled)

3 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the beamformer processor generates a reception beam directed at an area along the front face of the mobile device while the mobile device is held away from the ear of the user.

4 - 12 . (canceled)

13 . The mobile device of claim 3 wherein the reception beam that is directed at an area along the front face of the mobile device is generated during an audio-only call.

14 . The mobile device of claim 13 wherein the beamformer processor is configured to sum a sound signal from the first microphone and a sound signal from the second microphone, and on that basis determine a directional angle of sound.

15 . The mobile device of claim 13 , where the beamformer processor generates a reception beam directed at an area along the rear face of the mobile device.

16 . The mobile device of claim 15 further comprising a camera on the rear face of the mobile multi-function handset device housing, wherein the reception beam that is directed at an area along the rear face is generated during a video capture operation performed using the camera.

17 . The mobile device of claim 3 wherein the reception beam that is directed at an area along the front face of the mobile device is generated during a multimedia video call.

18 . The mobile device of claim 17 wherein the beamformer processor is configured to sum a sound signal from the first microphone and a sound signal from the second microphone, and on that basis determine a directional angle of sound.

19 . The mobile device of claim 3 wherein the reception beam that is directed at an area along the front face of the mobile device is generated during a voice activation operation.

20 . The mobile device of claim 19 wherein the beamformer processor is configured to sum a sound signal from the first microphone and a sound signal from the second microphone, and on that basis determine a directional angle of sound.

21 . The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the beamformer processor generates a reception beam directed at an area along the rear face of the mobile device.

22 . The mobile device of claim 21 further comprising a camera on the rear face of the mobile multi-function handset device housing, wherein the reception beam that is directed at an area along the rear face is generated during a video capture operation performed using the camera.

23 . The mobile device of claim 22 wherein the beamformer processor is configured to sum a sound signal from the first microphone and a sound signal from the second microphone, and on that basis determine a directional angle of sound.

24 . A method for operating a mobile multi-function device, comprising:
running an application on the mobile multi-function device, wherein the application is one of the ground consisting of a telephony application, a multimedia video call application, a voice dictation application, a voice activation application, and a video recording application, wherein the mobile multi-function device includes a first microphone and a speaker located in a first acoustic opening on a front face and top end of the mobile multi-function device includes a second microphone located in a second acoustic opening on a rear face and the top end of the mobile multi-function device, and a third microphone located in a third acoustic opening on a bottom side of the mobile multi-function device; and performing beamforming operations while the application is running, using at least two of the first microphone in the first acoustic opening, the second microphone in the second acoustic opening, and the third microphone in the third acoustic opening.

25 . The method of claim 24 wherein performing the beamforming operations comprises summing a sound signal from the first microphone and a sound signal from the second microphone and on that basis determining a directional angle of sound.

26 . The method of claim 25 wherein performing the beamforming operations comprises generating a reception beam directed at an area along the front face of the device during an audio-only call.

27 . The method of claim 25 wherein the beamforming operations comprises generating a reception beam directed at an area along the front face of the device during a multimedia video call.

28 . The method of claim 25 wherein performing the beamforming operations comprises generating a reception beam directed at an area along the front face of the device during a voice activation operation.

29 . The method of claim 25 wherein performing the beamforming operations comprises generating a reception beam directed at an area along the rear face of the mobile device.

30 . The method of claim 29 wherein the mobile multi-function device comprises a camera on the rear face, and wherein the reception beam that is directed at an area along the rear face is generated during a video capture operation performing using the camera.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Dave Ruchir M
• Lee Jae H
• Nicholson Guy C

Classifications

• H04R1/08

  Mouthpieces; {Microphones;} Attachments therefor · CPC title

• H04R2430/23

  Direction finding using a sum-delay beam-former · CPC title

• H04R3/005 Primary

  for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407) · CPC title

• H04R1/326

  for microphones (H04R1/34 and H04R1/40 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04N7/15

  Conference systems · CPC title