Audio source and audio sensor testing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9769582-B1
Application number	US-201615226443-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 2, 2016
Priority date	Aug 2, 2016
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

An example method includes controlling an audio source to generate a test tone, controlling a plurality of audio sensors to sense the test tone simultaneously, receiving an output signal from each audio sensor, and determining an acoustic characteristic of each audio sensor based at least in part on the received output signals. The method also includes determining a difference between the acoustic characteristic and a corresponding reference value, identifying at least one audio sensor for which a difference corresponding to the at least one audio sensor is within a predetermined range of the reference value, and generating a compensation factor of the at least one audio sensor based at least in part on the respective output signal of the at least one audio sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for testing a plurality of microphones, comprising:
a soundproof enclosure;
a speaker located within the enclosure;
a first microphone, a second microphone, and a third microphone all located in a common plane within the enclosure and spaced apart from each other and the speaker; and
a processor coupled to the speaker and the first, the second, and the third microphones, wherein the processor in conjunction with the speaker and the first, the second, and the third microphones is configured to:
generate a plurality of test tones, each test tone of the plurality of test tones having an associated frequency,
for each test tone of the plurality of test tones:
receive first output data from the first microphone, second output data from the second microphone, and third output data from the third microphone, each of the first, the second, and the third output data including information about a frequency response of the respective microphone corresponding to the test tone,

generate an audio file, the audio file comprising a first channel including output data of the first microphone for the plurality of test tones, a second channel including output data of the second microphone for the plurality of test tones, and a third channel including output data of the third microphone for the plurality of test tones,
determine, using the audio file, a first acoustic characteristic of the first microphone, a second acoustic characteristic of the second microphone, and a third acoustic characteristic of the third microphone,
determine a first difference between the first acoustic characteristic and a reference value, a second difference between the second acoustic characteristic and the reference value, and a third difference between the third acoustic characteristic and the reference value,
determine that the first difference is within a predetermined range of the reference value, and
generate, based at least in part on the output data of the first microphone for the plurality of test tones, a compensation factor of the first microphone.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic characteristic of the first microphone comprises at least one of a sensitivity and a total harmonic distortion of the first microphone.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of test tones are in a frequency range from approximately 80 Hz to approximately 10 kHz and wherein a time between two successive test tones of the plurality of test tones is approximately 20 ms.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive additional output data from the first microphone, the additional output data including information about a frequency response of the first microphone corresponding to a voice input sensed by the first microphone and originating external to the enclosure after the plurality of test tones have been generated; and
generate modified frequency response data based at least in part on the additional output data and using the compensation factor of the first microphone.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first microphone is spaced from the second microphone and the third microphone by a first radial distance, and wherein a plurality of additional microphones disposed within the common plane are spaced radially from the first microphone by the first distance, each microphone of the plurality of additional microphones being spaced from an adjacent microphone by a second distance.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, and third microphones are disposed along a common axis within the common plane, and the first microphone is disposed between the second and third microphones.

7. A method, comprising:
generating a first test tone, at a first frequency, with an audio source disposed within a substantially soundproof enclosure;
receiving first output data from a first audio sensor disposed within the enclosure, the first output data including information about a parameter of the first test tone as determined by the first audio sensor;
receiving second output data from a second audio sensor disposed within the enclosure and spaced from the first audio sensor, the second output data including information about the parameter of the first test tone as determined by the second audio sensor;
determining an acoustic characteristic of the first audio sensor based at least in part on the first output data;
determining an acoustic characteristic of the second audio sensor based at least in part on the second output data;
determining a first difference between the acoustic characteristic of the first audio sensor and a reference value;
determining a second difference between the acoustic characteristic of the second audio sensor and the reference value;
determining that the first difference is within a predetermined range of the reference value; and
generating a compensation factor of the first audio sensor based at least in part on determining that the first difference is within the predetermined range and using the first output data.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the acoustic characteristic of the first audio sensor comprises at least one of a sensitivity and a total harmonic distortion.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising generating a second test tone at a second frequency higher than the first frequency;
receiving third output data from the first audio sensor, the third output data including information about a parameter of the second test tone as determined by the first audio sensor;
receiving fourth output data from the second audio sensor, the fourth output data including information about the parameter of the second test tone as determined by the second audio sensor;
determining the acoustic characteristic of the first audio sensor based at least in part on the first and third output data; and
determining the acoustic characteristic of the second audio sensor based at least in part on the second and fourth output data.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
generating an average frequency response of the first audio sensor based at least in part on the first and third output data;
generating an average frequency response of the second audio sensor based at least in part on the second and fourth output data;
generating an average value using the average frequency response of the first audio sensor and the average frequency response of the second audio sensor; and
generating the compensation factor of the first audio sensor based at least in part on the average value.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first and second audio sensors are disposed in a common first plane, and the audio source is disposed in a second plane spaced from the first plane by a first distance.

12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining that the second difference is outside of the predetermined range of the reference value; and
providing an indication, via a display associated with the processor, that the second difference is outside of the predetermined range and identifying the second audio sensor.

13. The method of claim 7 , further comprising receiving output data from a plurality of audio sensors arranged in one of a linear array, a planar array, a circular array, or a three-dimensional array within the enclosure, wherein the plurality of audio sensors includes the first and second audio sensors.

14. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first and second audio sensors are disposed within a common plane with a third audio sensor, and wherein the second and third audio sensors are spaced from the first s

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Lin Xiaobin

Classifications

• H04R1/02

  Casings; Cabinets {; Supports therefor;} Mountings therein (H04R1/28 takes precedence {; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075}) · CPC title

• H04R29/008

  Visual indication of individual signal levels (visual indication of stereophonic sound image H04S7/40) · CPC title

• H04R29/006 Primary

  Microphone matching · CPC title

• H04R29/005 Primary

  Microphone arrays · CPC title

• H04R2499/11

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