Microphone arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9357294-B2
Application number	US-201213980700-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2012
Priority date	Feb 7, 2011
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates to a microphone arrangement (M) which has a charge pump (LP), which produces a DC voltage, a transducer (WA), which converts acoustic signals into electrical signals and which is connected to the charge pump (LP), and a control unit (VCLFS), which controls the charge pump (LP) and which adjusts the DC voltage produced by the charge pump (LP).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A microphone arrangement having:
a charge pump, which produces a DC voltage,
a transducer, which converts acoustic signals into electrical signals and which is connected to the charge pump,
a control unit, which controls the charge pump and which adjusts the DC voltage produced by the charge pump, and
a differential amplifier configured to output a signal proportional to the difference between a voltage produced at present by the charge pump and an optimum operating voltage of the transducer,
wherein the output signal from the differential amplifier is applied to the control unit, and
wherein the control unit is configured to adapt the voltage produced by the charge pump in accordance with the output signal from the differential amplifier.

2. The microphone arrangement according to claim 1 , in which the control unit regulates the input voltage of the charge pump and/or the frequency at which the charge pump is controlled.

3. The microphone arrangement according to claim 1 , in which the maximum DC voltage able to be produced by the charge pump is larger than the optimum operating voltage of the transducer.

4. The microphone arrangement according to claim 1 ,
in which the control unit can vary the absolute value and/or the frequency of a voltage applied to the charge pump.

5. The microphone arrangement according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in a first phase after the microphone is switched on, the control unit controls the charge pump in such a way that the charge pump produces a maximum DC voltage.

6. The microphone arrangement according to claim 5 ,
wherein, in a second phase following the first phase, the control unit controls the charge pump in such a way that the charge pump produces a DC voltage the absolute value of which is lower than the absolute value of the maximum DC voltage.

7. The microphone arrangement according to claim 1 , also having
a voltage divider, which is interconnected with the charge pump and the transducer,
a reference voltage source, which produces DC voltage with a fixed absolute value, and
a differential amplifier with two inputs, which outputs a signal that is proportional to the difference in the voltage being applied to the two inputs, wherein the first input is connected to the voltage divider, the second input is connected to the reference voltage source and an output is connected to the control unit.

8. The microphone arrangement according to claim 7 ,
wherein the control unit adjusts the voltage produced by the charge pump depending on the signal which is output by the differential amplifier.

9. The microphone arrangement according to claim 7 ,
wherein the voltage divider has a plurality of diodes or capacitors connected in series.

10. The microphone arrangement according to claim 7 ,
wherein the voltage divider has a plurality of diodes connected in series and also has a plurality of capacitors connected in series, wherein the diodes are arranged in a first path and the capacitors are arranged in a second path, which is connected in parallel with the first path.

11. The microphone arrangement according to claim 1 , also having
a voltage divider, which is interconnected with the charge pump and the transducer,
a reference voltage source, which produces DC voltage with a fixed absolute value,
a trigger, which is connected to the control unit and to a switch, wherein the switch interconnects the voltage divider with the charge pump and the transducer in a closed state and decouples the voltage divider from the charge pump and the transducer in an open state, and
a differential amplifier with two inputs, which outputs a signal that is proportional to the difference in the voltage being applied to the two inputs, wherein the first input is connected to the voltage divider, the second input is connected to the reference voltage source and an output is connected to the trigger.

12. The microphone arrangement according to claim 11 ,
wherein the trigger opens the switch when the signal produced by the differential amplifier reaches a threshold value.

13. The microphone arrangement according to claim 11 ,
wherein the control unit adjusts the voltage produced by the charge pump depending on the signal which is output by the differential amplifier.

14. The microphone arrangement according to claim 11 ,
wherein the voltage divider has a plurality of diodes connected in series and also has a plurality of capacitors connected in series, wherein the diodes are arranged in a first path and the capacitors are arranged in a second path, which is connected in parallel with the first path.

15. The microphone arrangement according to claim 1 , also having
means for measuring the time since the microphone arrangement was switched on, wherein the means for measuring the time are connected to the control unit.

16. The microphone arrangement according to claim 15 ,
wherein the control unit adjusts the voltage produced by the charge pump depending on the time since the microphone arrangement was switched on.

17. The microphone arrangement according to claim 1 ,
wherein the charge pump and the transducer are connected to one another via a high-impedance circuit.

18. The microphone arrangement according to claim 17 ,
wherein the high-impedance circuit has a pair of cross-coupled diodes.

19. The microphone arrangement according to claim 1 ,
wherein the transducer is also interconnected with a capacitor and an amplifier.

20. The microphone arrangement according to claim 1 ,
wherein the transducer has a fixed electrode and a moving electrode, and
wherein the voltage produced by the charge pump is applied between said two electrodes.

Assignees

• Rombach Pirmin Hermann Otto
• Sassene Daifi Haoues
• Epcos Ag

Inventors

• Rombach Pirmin Hermann Otto
• Sassene Daifi Haoues

Classifications

• H04R3/00 Primary

  Circuits for transducers (arrangements for producing a reverberation or echo sound G10K15/08; amplifiers H03F) · CPC title

• H04R19/04 Primary

  Microphones (H04R19/01 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R2499/11

  Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's · CPC title

• H04R2201/003

  Mems transducers or their use · CPC title

• H02M3/07

  using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode {, e.g. charge pumps} · CPC title