Microphone package and method for providing a microphone package

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9380381-B2
Application number	US-201414218602-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2014
Priority date	Mar 18, 2014
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

A microphone package comprises a microphone. The microphone package also comprises a first analog-to-digital converter coupled to the microphone to provide a first digital signal. The microphone package further comprises a second analog-to-digital converter coupled to the microphone to provide a second digital signal. Furthermore, the microphone package comprises a circuit coupled to the first analog-to-digital converter and the second analog-to-digital converter to provide the microphone signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A microphone package comprising:
a microphone;
a first analog-to-digital converter coupled to the microphone to provide a first digital signal;
a second analog-to-digital converter coupled to the microphone to provide a second digital signal;
a circuit coupled to the first analog-to-digital converter and the second analog-to-digital converter to provide a microphone signal, wherein the circuit determines the microphone signal using a combination of the first digital signal, a first weighting coefficient, the second digital signal and a second weighting coefficient; and
a controller configured to control a mode of operation of the circuit and to change the mode of operation when an input to the first analog-to-digital converter or the second analog-to-digital converter exceeds a predetermined threshold, the controller further being configured to determine the first weighting coefficient for the first digital signal and the second weighting coefficient for the second digital signal using a level of the input to the first analog-to-digital converter or the second analog-to-digital converter.

2. The microphone package of claim 1 , wherein a first dynamic range of the first analog-to-digital converter differs from a second dynamic range of the second analog-to-digital converter.

3. The microphone package of claim 1 , wherein the microphone signal corresponds to the first digital signal or to the second digital signal.

4. The microphone package of claim 1 , wherein the circuit is configured to determine the microphone signal using a sum of a product of the first digital signal and the first weighting coefficient and a product of the second digital signal and the second weighting coefficient.

5. The microphone package of claim 1 , wherein the first analog-to-digital converter, the second analog-to-digital converter and the circuit are integrated in an application specific integrated circuit.

6. The microphone package of claim 5 , wherein the application specific integrated circuit and the microphone are mounted on a common integrated circuit board.

7. The microphone package of claim 1 , further comprising a single output port to provide the microphone signal.

8. The microphone package of claim 1 , further comprising a common housing enclosing the microphone, the first analog-to-digital converter, the second analog-to-digital converter and the circuit.

9. The microphone package of claim 1 , further comprising a sealing compound enclosing at least one of the microphone, the first analog-to-digital converter, the second analog-to-digital converter and the circuit.

10. The microphone package of claim 1 , further comprising terminals to electrically connect all components of the microphone package to further circuitry.

11. The microphone package of claim 1 , further comprising a single supply voltage terminal to receive a common supply voltage for the microphone, the first analog-to-digital converter, the second analog-to-digital converter and the circuit.

12. The microphone package of claim 1 , further comprising a sound port in the microphone package to enable pressure variations at a membrane of the microphone within the microphone package.

13. The microphone package of claim 1 , wherein the microphone is implemented as a micro-electro-mechanical system.

14. The microphone package of claim 1 , wherein the microphone comprises a first membrane portion having a first sensitivity, the first membrane portion being configured to provide a first input signal to the first analog-to-digital converter, and a second membrane portion having a second sensitivity, the second membrane portion being configured to provide a second input signal to the second analog-to-digital converter.

15. A microphone package comprising:
a micro-electro-mechanical microphone;
a first analog-to-digital converter coupled to the micro-electro-mechanical microphone to provide a first digital signal;
a second analog-to-digital converter coupled to the micro-electro-mechanical microphone to provide a second digital signal;
a circuit coupled to the first analog-to-digital converter and the second analog-to-digital converter, the circuit being configured to provide a microphone signal to an output terminal of the microphone package, wherein the circuit determines the microphone signal using a combination of the first digital signal, a first weighting coefficient, the second digital signal and a second weighting coefficient; and
a controller configured to control a mode of operation of the circuit and to change the mode of operation when an input to the first analog-to-digital converter or the second analog-to-digital converter exceeds a predetermined threshold, the controller further being configured to determine the first weighting coefficient for the first digital signal and the second weighting coefficient for the second digital signal using a level of an input to the first analog-to-digital converter or the second analog-to-digital converter.

16. A method for providing a microphone package, the method comprising:
providing an integrated circuit comprising:
a first analog-to-digital converter to provide a first digital signal;
a second analog-to-digital converter to provide a second digital signal;
a circuit to provide a microphone signal using a combination of the first digital signal, a first weighting coefficient, the second digital signal and a second weighting coefficient; and
a controller configured to control a mode of operation of the circuit and to change the mode of operation when an input to the first analog-to-digital converter or the second analog-to-digital converter exceeds a predetermined threshold, the controller further being configured to determine the first weighting coefficient for the first digital signal and the second weighting coefficient for the second digital signal using a level of an input to the first analog-to-digital converter or the second analog-to-digital converter;

coupling a microphone to the first analog-to-digital converter and to the second analog-to-digital converter; and
integrating the microphone, the first analog-to-digital converter and the second analog-to-digital converter in a common package.

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Straeussnigg Dietmar
• Wiesbauer Andreas
• Bach Elmar

Classifications

• H04R2420/01

  Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers · CPC title

• H04R19/016

  for microphones · CPC title

• H04R25/50

  Customised settings for obtaining desired overall acoustical characteristics · CPC title

• H04M1/18

  Telephone sets specially adapted for use in ships, mines, or other places exposed to adverse environment (H04M1/19 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R19/005

  using semiconductor materials · CPC title