Planar microphone array module, three-dimensional microphone array system using same, and implementation method thereof

Abstract

A three-dimensional microphone array system is disclosed. The system includes at least two planar microphone array modules having a structure in which at least one microphone is disposed on a planar printed circuit board having a predetermined shape, and a support member for supporting the at least two planar microphone array modules. At this time, the at least two planar microphone array modules are three-dimensionally arranged on the support member to form a three-dimensional microphone array.

Description

Planar microphone array module, three-dimensional microphone array system using the same, and implementation method thereof

[0001] The present invention relates to a planar microphone array module and a three-dimensional microphone array system and implementation method using the same.

[0002] The present invention can be utilized in sound source tracking systems such as security surveillance, interactive artificial intelligence systems, and directional sound source collection systems such as acoustic radar.

[0003] A microphone is a device that converts sound into an electrical signal, and a microphone array refers to multiple microphones arranged in a pattern.

[0004] Advances in MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) technology are leading to the increasing use of microphone arrays. These microphone arrays offer the advantage of accurately estimating the location of sound sources, even when multiple sources are present.

[0005] In the field of microphone array technology, the formation of a three-dimensional (3D) microphone array can secure higher directivity because it allows microphones to be arranged not only along the x-axis and y-axis but also along the z-axis (depth direction).

[0006] However, in order to implement multiple microphones and circuits on a printed circuit board (PCB), multiple microphones and circuits must be implemented on a flat printed circuit board (or a two-dimensional flat plate), so it was difficult to implement a microphone array in a three-dimensional form, such as a spherical microphone array.

[0007] The applicant's prior patent document, KR10-1956784 (filed on November 30, 2017, and registered on March 5, 2019), discloses an invention for forming a three-dimensional microphone array by arranging microphones on a three-dimensional spherical surface. However, as in the prior patent document, arranging microphones on a spherical surface requires complex wiring and structural molding, which increases the cost.

[0008] In addition, in the past, in order to implement a 3D microphone array, there were cases where a number of microphone sensor units and circuit units were implemented in a form that were separated from each other and connected by cables. However, in this case, since the advantage of the MEMS microphone, which can be made in a fixed position by performing the circuit and formation directly on the printed circuit board, is not taken advantage of, there is no advantage over the conventional condenser microphone other than the sensor unit price, and when the conventional condenser microphone is used, the size of the microphone itself and the space required for the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuit increased, causing inconvenience in use.

[0009] The present invention has been devised to solve the above-described problem, and an object of the present invention is to propose a method of forming a three-dimensional microphone array by three-dimensionally arranging at least two microphone array modules having a structure in which at least one microphone is arranged on a flat printed substrate of a predetermined shape on a support member.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above-described purpose, a three-dimensional microphone array system includes at least two planar microphone array modules having a structure in which at least one microphone is arranged on a planar printed circuit board of a predetermined shape, and a support member that supports the at least two microphone array modules, and the at least two planar microphone array modules can be arranged three-dimensionally on the support member to form a three-dimensional microphone array.

[0011] And, the predetermined shape may include at least one of a curved shape having a predetermined width and a straight shape having a predetermined width.

[0012] Additionally, the support member may be formed with at least two connectors to which the planar microphone array module is connected.

[0013] And, each of the at least two planar microphone array modules may be assigned dimensional information of the module.

[0014] Additionally, each of the at least two connectors may be assigned connector location information.

[0015] In addition, the device may further include a data processing unit that calculates coordinate values ​​of microphones included in a three-dimensional microphone array using the dimension information of the module and the connector position information.

[0016] In addition, the data processing unit can perform beam forming on an acoustic signal received from an acoustic scene using the coordinate values ​​of microphones included in the generated three-dimensional microphone array.

[0017] Meanwhile, a planar microphone array module according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above-described purpose includes a planar printed circuit board of a predetermined shape and at least one microphone arranged on the printed circuit board, wherein the predetermined shape may include at least one of a curved shape having a predetermined width and a straight shape having a predetermined width.

[0018] And, the curved shape may include at least one of a circle and an arc.

[0019] Additionally, the microphones can be arranged at equal intervals on the printed circuit board.

[0020] Meanwhile, in order to achieve the above-described purpose, a method for implementing a three-dimensional microphone array using at least two planar microphone array modules having a structure in which at least one microphone is arranged on a planar printed circuit board of a predetermined shape and a support member for supporting the at least two planar microphone array modules according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a step of forming a three-dimensional microphone array by three-dimensionally arranging the at least two planar microphone array modules on the support member.

[0021] And, the method may further include a step of assigning dimension information of the module to each of the at least two planar microphone array modules, assigning connector position information to each of the at least two connectors formed on the support member, and calculating coordinate values ​​of microphones included in the three-dimensional microphone array using the dimension information of the module and the connector position information.

[0022] In addition, the method may further include a step of performing beam forming on an acoustic signal received from an acoustic scene using the coordinate values ​​of microphones included in the above-described three-dimensional microphone array.

[0023] According to the present invention, since a three-dimensional microphone array can be formed by combining planar microphone array modules, it is possible to implement a three-dimensional acoustic array system including a curved surface without complex wiring.

[0024] According to the present invention, since the planar microphone array module is of a modular type, installation and disassembly of the module are easy, and installation and change are possible even on site.

[0025] According to the present invention, the advantages of MEMS microphones can be fully utilized in implementing the proposed three-dimensional stereoscopic configuration, curved arrangement, etc.

[0026] According to the present invention, a three-dimensional microphone array can be configured by combining planar microphone array modules whose information is known in advance, so that the coordinates of the entire microphone can be easily known only by the relative positions between the modules, and thus, the beamforming operation process is easy even in the case of expansion through a change in the array configuration or installation of an additional module.

[0027] According to the present invention, since the microphone array module is easy to reconfigure, it is possible to develop a solution in a programmable form by creating a standardized module, etc.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a planar microphone array module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing a planar microphone array module according to various embodiments of the present invention.

[0030] FIGS. 3 to 5 are drawings showing a three-dimensional microphone array system according to various embodiments of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing a data processing unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] FIG. 7 is a drawing showing a reference point of a microphone array system according to various implementation examples of the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for implementing a three-dimensional microphone array according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figures 9 and 10 are simulation drawings for explaining changes in the directional characteristics of a three-dimensional microphone array system according to various embodiments of the present invention.

[0035] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following detailed description is provided to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the methods, devices, and / or systems described herein. However, these are merely examples and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0036] In describing embodiments of the present invention, if a detailed description of a known technology related to the present invention is judged to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted. In addition, the terms described below are terms defined in consideration of their functions in the present invention, and this may vary depending on the intention or custom of the user or operator. Therefore, the definitions should be made based on the contents throughout this specification. The terminology used in the detailed description is only for the purpose of describing embodiments of the present invention and should not be limited in any way. Unless clearly used otherwise, the singular form includes the plural form. In this description, expressions such as "comprises" or "having" are intended to indicate certain features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts or combinations thereof, and should not be construed to exclude the presence or possibility of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts or combinations thereof other than those described.

[0037] Additionally, in describing components of embodiments of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used. These terms are only intended to distinguish the components from other components, and the nature, order, or sequence of the components are not limited by the terms.

[0038]

[0039] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a planar microphone array module according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a drawing showing a planar microphone array module according to various embodiments of the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a planar microphone array module (100) may include a planar printed circuit board (10) of a predetermined shape and at least one microphone (20-1, 20-2, .. 20-n: 20) arranged on the printed circuit board.

[0040] A microphone (20) can receive an acoustic signal from an acoustic scene and generate acoustic data based on the received acoustic signal.

[0041] An audio scene can refer to a space in the real world where a sound source that generates sound is located.

[0042] Here, the acoustic signal of the sound scene may include audible sounds, ultrasound, infrasound, etc. Accordingly, the acoustic data may include audible sound data in the range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz, which is the frequency of sound waves that can be heard by the human ear, and inaudible sound data in a band outside the audible range.

[0043] To this end, the microphone (20) can recognize an acoustic signal having a frequency in the inaudible range and generate inaudible acoustic data corresponding to the inaudible acoustic signal, and can recognize an acoustic signal having a frequency in the audible range and generate audible acoustic data corresponding to the audible acoustic signal.

[0044] The microphone (20) can be implemented as a MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) microphone.

[0045] Meanwhile, the printed circuit board (10) can be implemented as a flat printed circuit board of a predetermined shape, and at least one microphone (20) can be placed on the printed circuit board (10).

[0046] The predetermined shape of the printed circuit board (10) may include at least one of a curved shape having a predetermined width and a linear shape having a predetermined width. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2(b), the printed circuit board (10) may be implemented as an arc shape having a predetermined width, or as a circular shape having a predetermined width, as shown in FIG. 2(a), or as a linear shape having a predetermined width, as shown in FIG. 2(c).

[0047] This printed circuit board (10) may be implemented as a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) and may be composed of a substrate and a printed layer that performs a printed circuit function. At this time, at least one microphone (20) may be surface-mounted on the printed layer to form an array. For example, the microphones (20) may be arranged at equal intervals on the printed circuit board (10).

[0048] Meanwhile, the printed circuit board (10) is implemented as a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) with flexibility, thereby increasing the ease of implementing a three-dimensional microphone array.

[0049] According to these drawings 1 and 2, a planar microphone array module (100) having a structure in which at least one microphone (20) is arranged on a planar printed circuit board (10) of a predetermined shape can be proposed, and the planar microphone array module (100) can form a two-dimensional microphone array.

[0050]

[0051] Figures 3 to 5 are drawings illustrating a three-dimensional microphone array system according to various embodiments of the present invention. Referring to Figures 3 to 5, the three-dimensional microphone array system (1000) may include a planar microphone array module (100) and a support member (30).

[0052] A planar microphone array module (100) may have a structure in which at least one microphone (20) is arranged on a planar printed circuit board (10) of a predetermined shape, and a three-dimensional microphone array system (1000) may include at least two or more planar microphone array modules (100). Here, the predetermined shape may include at least one of a curved shape having a predetermined width and a straight shape having a predetermined width, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 described above.

[0053] Here, each of the plurality of planar microphone array modules (100) may be assigned module dimension information. The module dimension information may include position information of a microphone (20) located on a printed circuit board (10). In this case, the position information may be a coordinate value of a microphone located on the printed circuit board (10).

[0054] In addition, the dimensional information of the module may include at least one of module identification information such as the ID of the planar microphone array module (100), positional relationship information between a plurality of microphones (10) included in the planar microphone array module (100) (e.g., distance between microphones), shape information of the planar microphone array module (100), and planar size information of the planar microphone array module (100).

[0055] The support member (30) can support at least two planar microphone array modules (100). Specifically, a connector connection portion (not shown) can be formed on the planar microphone array module (100), a connector (not shown) to which a connector connection portion of the planar microphone array module (100) is connected can be formed on the support member (30), and the connector connection portion (not shown) of the planar microphone array module (100) can be connected to the connector (not shown). Accordingly, the planar microphone array module (100) can be implemented to be easily attached to and detached from the support member (30) and replaced.

[0056] Here, connector position information may be assigned to each of a plurality of connectors (not shown) of the support member (30). The connector position information may include support member identification information such as the ID of the support member on which the connector is installed, connector identification information such as the ID of the connector, and positional relationship information between the plurality of connectors (e.g., X-axis distance, Y-axis distance, and Z-axis distance between connectors).

[0057] At this time, at least two planar microphone array modules (100) can be arranged in three dimensions by being connected to connectors formed on the support member (30). In this case, a plurality of microphones included in the three-dimensional microphone array system (1000) can form a three-dimensional microphone array.

[0058] According to the present invention, a three-dimensional microphone array can be formed by combining planar microphone array modules, so that a three-dimensional acoustic array system including a curved surface can be implemented without complex wiring.

[0059] In addition, according to the present invention, since the planar microphone array module is of a modular type, installation and disassembly of the module are easy, and installation and change are possible even on site.

[0060]

[0061] FIG. 3 is a drawing showing a spherical microphone array system (1000) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, a plurality of arc-shaped microphone array modules (100-1, 100-2, . . . 100-10) of different sizes can be connected to a connector (not shown) of a support member (30) in a vertical direction (Z-axis direction) in parallel with each other. Accordingly, a plurality of microphones (100-1, 100-2, . . . 100-10) included in the three-dimensional microphone array system (1000) can form a spherical three-dimensional microphone array.

[0062] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing a hemispherical microphone array system (1000) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, a plurality of arc-shaped microphone array modules (100-1, 100-2, . . . 100-5) of different sizes can be connected to a connector (not shown) of a support member (30) in a vertical direction (Z-axis direction) in parallel with each other. Accordingly, a plurality of microphones (100-1, 100-2, . . . 100-5) included in the three-dimensional microphone array system (1000) can form a hemispherical three-dimensional microphone array.

[0063] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a corner-type microphone array system (1000) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, each of a plurality of arc-type microphone array modules (100-1, 100-2, . . . 100-3) of different sizes or the same size can be connected to connectors (not shown) on each side of a support member (30) having a shape with three converging corners. Accordingly, a plurality of microphones (100-1, 100-2, . . . 100-3) included in the three-dimensional microphone array system (1000) can form a corner-type three-dimensional microphone array.

[0064] According to the present invention, the advantages of the MEMS microphone can be fully utilized in implementing the proposed three-dimensional stereoscopic configuration, curved arrangement, etc.

[0065]

[0066] Meanwhile, the data processing unit (300) can perform data processing on the dimensional information of the planar microphone array module (100) and the position information of the connector.

[0067] Specifically, the data processing unit (300) can calculate the relative position of the three-dimensional microphone array using the dimensional information of the planar microphone array module (100) and the position information of the connector.

[0068] Additionally, the data processing unit (300) can calculate and apply an optimal filter to the 3D microphone array by using the relative positions of the calculated 3D microphone array.

[0069] This data processing unit (300) will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a data processing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6, the data processing unit (300) may be implemented as a computing device. One or more of the respective modules constituting the computing device according to an embodiment of the present invention are implemented on a general-purpose computing processor, and thus may include a processor (308), an input / output I / O (302), a memory (340), an interface (306), and a bus (314). The processor (308), the input / output device (302), the memory (304), and / or the interface (306) may be coupled to each other via the bus (314). The bus (314) corresponds to a path through which data is moved.

[0070] Specifically, the processor (308) may include at least one of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processor Unit), an MCU (Micro Controller Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a microprocessor, a digital signal processor, a microcontroller, an application processor (AP), and logic elements capable of performing functions similar thereto.

[0071] The input / output device (302) may include at least one of a keypad, a keyboard, a touchscreen, and a display device. The memory device (304) may store data and / or programs, etc.

[0072] The interface (306) may perform a function of transmitting data to or receiving data from a communication network. The interface (306) may be wired or wireless. For example, the interface (306) may include an antenna or a wired / wireless transceiver. The memory (304) may further include high-speed DRAM and / or SRAM, etc., as a volatile operating memory that enhances the operation of the processor (308) while protecting personal information.

[0073] Additionally, the memory (304) stores programming and data configurations that provide the functionality of some or all of the modules described herein.

[0074] A program or application is loaded as a set of instructions including each step of performing the above-described method stored in memory (304) and enables the processor to perform each step.

[0075] Furthermore, the various embodiments described herein may be implemented in a recording medium readable by a computer or similar device, for example, using software, hardware, or a combination thereof.

[0076] In terms of hardware implementation, the embodiments described herein can be implemented using at least one of ASICs (application specific integrated circuits), DSPs (digital signal processors), DSPDs (digital signal processing devices), PLDs (programmable logic devices), FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and other electrical units for performing functions. In some cases, the embodiments described herein can be implemented as a control module itself.

[0077] In a software implementation, the procedures and functions described herein, as well as other embodiments, may be implemented as separate software modules. Each of these software modules may perform one or more of the functions and operations described herein. The software code may be implemented as a software application written in a suitable programming language. The software code may be stored in a memory module and executed by a control module.

[0078] The data processing unit (300) according to the present invention uses information assigned to each of the planar microphone array module (100) and connector (not shown) to determine the relative positions between a plurality of microphones (10) included in the three-dimensional microphone array without separate measurement, and uses this to calculate and apply an optimal filter suitable for the three-dimensional microphone array configuration.

[0079] In other words, for beamforming operations, the relative positions of multiple microphones within a microphone array are the most important factor. Therefore, when designing or modifying a microphone array, the precise positional information of the multiple microphones within the array must be known.

[0080] To this end, the data processing unit (300) can calculate a reference point using the dimensional information of the planar microphone array module (100) stored in the memory (304) and the position information of the connector (not shown) of the support member (30).

[0081]

[0082] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a reference point of a microphone array system (1000) according to various implementation examples of the present invention. For example, in a spherical microphone array system (1000) such as FIG. 7(a), the data processing unit (300) can calculate the center point (41) of the sphere located on the central axis (51) of the sphere as the reference point. As another example, in a hemispherical microphone array system (1000) such as FIG. 7(b), the data processing unit (300) can calculate the center point (42) of the hemisphere located on the central axis (52) of the hemisphere as the reference point. As another example, in a corner-type microphone array system (1000) such as FIG. 7(c), the data processing unit (300) can calculate the corner point (53) located on the central axis (53) as the reference point.

[0083] However, it is not limited to the examples of the above-described reference points, and the data processing unit (300) may be configured to select any one point among the above-described central axes (51, 52, 53) and calculate it as a reference point. Alternatively, the data processing unit (300) may be configured to calculate a point that is not located on the above-described central axes (51, 52, 53) as a reference point.

[0084] Meanwhile, when a reference point is calculated, the data processing unit (300) can calculate the coordinate values ​​of each of the plurality of microphones (10) included in the three-dimensional microphone array based on the calculated reference point.

[0085] In addition, the data processing unit (300) can perform beam forming on an acoustic signal received from an acoustic scene using the coordinate values ​​of a plurality of microphones (10) included in a three-dimensional microphone array. Specifically, the data processing unit (300) can perform beam forming by calculating distances between microphones and acoustic scene points using the coordinate values ​​of each of the plurality of microphones (10) included in the three-dimensional microphone array and the coordinates of the real-world acoustic scene, applying time delay correction to each of the acoustic signals using the delay distances calculated based on the calculated distances, and calculating the sound source values ​​of each of the plurality of acoustic scene points by adding them up.

[0086] According to the present invention, a three-dimensional microphone array can be configured by combining planar microphone array modules (100) whose information is known in advance, such as the dimensional information of the planar microphone array module (100) previously stored in the memory (304) and the positional information of the connector (not shown) of the support member (30), so that the relative position of the three-dimensional microphone array with respect to the reference point can be easily calculated, and the coordinates of the entire microphone can be easily known only with the relative positions between the modules (100), and thus, even in the case of expansion through a change in the array configuration or installation of an additional module, the beamforming operation process is easy.

[0087] That is, in order to calculate a beamforming filter, the sensor coordinates must be accurately calculated. However, when using a standardized module (100) as in the present invention, the relative position of the microphone (20) on the module (100) can be known, and when assembling standardized modules (10), if it is known which module (10) is connected to which connector of the support member (30), the coordinate values ​​of each of the plurality of microphones (10) included in the three-dimensional microphone array can be calculated, making the calculation process of the beamforming filter easy.

[0088] That is, when each of the flat microphone array module (100) and the support member (30) is manufactured in a standardized form, it is possible to implement a system that automatically recognizes the position through the relative position information of the connector of the support member (30) and the unique number of the connection module (100).

[0089] As described above, according to the present invention, by combining modules developed in advance and designated, the relative position of a microphone can be known without separate measurement, and a position tracking filter operation function using the same can be included.

[0090] In addition, according to the present invention, since the microphone array module is easy to reconfigure, it is possible to develop a solution in a programmable form by creating a standardized module, etc.

[0091]

[0092] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for implementing a three-dimensional microphone array according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 8, the method for implementing a three-dimensional microphone array includes a step (S110) of preparing at least two planar microphone array modules having a structure in which at least one microphone is arranged on a planar printed circuit board of a predetermined shape, a step (S120) of preparing a support member that supports the at least two planar microphone array modules, and a step (S130) of forming a three-dimensional microphone array by three-dimensionally arranging the at least two planar microphone array modules on the support member.

[0093] Meanwhile, each of at least two microphone array modules may be assigned module dimension information, and each of at least two connectors formed on the support member may be assigned connector position information.

[0094] In this case, the method for implementing a 3D microphone array includes a step (S140) of calculating coordinate values ​​of microphones included in the 3D microphone array using dimensional information of the module and connector position information, and a step (S150) of performing beam forming on an acoustic signal received from an acoustic scene using the coordinate values ​​of microphones included in the 3D microphone array.

[0095]

[0096] Figures 9 and 10 are simulation diagrams for explaining changes in the directional characteristics of a three-dimensional microphone array system according to various embodiments of the present invention. In the present invention, the directional characteristics at a radius of 0.1 m were simulated using an MVDR (Minimum variance Distortionless Response) beamformer.

[0097] Fig. 9(a) is a drawing showing the change in directivity characteristics when the circular microphone array module is arranged in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction) which is the beam direction direction. It can be confirmed that the directivity characteristics (Directivity Index) improve as the number of modules arranged in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction) increases.

[0098] Fig. 9(b) is a drawing showing the change in directivity characteristics when the circular microphone array modules are arranged in a vertical direction (Z-axis direction) perpendicular to the Beam Direction direction. It can be confirmed that the directivity characteristics (Directivity Index) improve as the number of modules arranged in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) increases.

[0099] Referring to Fig. 9, when forming a sphere using a plurality of microphone array modules, there is a difference in directivity performance between forming a sphere by arranging the array modules in the Beam Direction direction and the horizontal direction as in Fig. 9(a) and forming a sphere by arranging the array modules in the Beam Direction direction and the vertical direction as in Fig. 9(b). Forming a sphere by arranging the array modules in the Beam Direction direction and the horizontal direction as in Fig. 9(a) has a better directivity (Directivity Index) than forming a sphere by arranging the array modules in the Beam Direction direction and the vertical direction as in Fig. 9(b), and the more spherical it is, the more similar the three-dimensional array becomes, so it has similar performance.

[0100] That is, when creating a three-dimensional array in the same direction as the Beam Direction, high directivity can be achieved by combining a smaller number of arrays.

[0101] Fig. 10(a) is a drawing showing changes in the directional characteristics of a spherical three-dimensional microphone array formed by arranging circular microphone array modules in both directions of the Z-axis, Fig. 10(b) is a drawing showing changes in the directional characteristics of a hemispherical three-dimensional microphone array formed by arranging circular microphone array modules in one direction of the Z-axis, and Fig. 10(c) is a drawing showing changes in the directional characteristics of a three-dimensional microphone array formed by arranging arc-shaped microphone array modules in one direction of the Z-axis.

[0102] As above, referring to Fig. 10, it can be confirmed that the directivity performance improves in the order of 10(c), 10(b), and 10(a), and in the case of the spherical three-dimensional microphone array of Fig. 10(a), it can be seen that the best directivity can be secured because the microphones can be arranged in the depth direction.

[0103] Meanwhile, the methods according to the various embodiments of the present invention described above can be implemented as programs and provided to servers or devices. Accordingly, each device can access the server or device where the program is stored and download the program.

[0104] In addition, the methods according to the various embodiments of the present invention described above may be implemented as programs and stored and provided on various non-transitory computer-readable media. A non-transitory computer-readable medium refers to a medium that permanently stores data and can be read by a device, rather than a medium that stores data for a short period of time, such as a register, cache, or memory. Specifically, the various applications or programs described above may be stored and provided on non-transitory computer-readable media, such as a CD, DVD, hard disk, Blu-ray disk, USB, memory card, or ROM.

[0105] While various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications to the above-described embodiments are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined not only by the claims set forth below but also by equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. At least two planar microphone array modules having a structure in which at least one microphone is arranged on a planar printed circuit board of a predetermined shape; and A support member supporting at least two microphone array modules; A three-dimensional microphone array system, characterized in that the at least two planar microphone array modules are three-dimensionally arranged on the support member to form a three-dimensional microphone array.

2. In paragraph 1, A three-dimensional microphone array system wherein the above-mentioned predetermined shape includes at least one of a curved shape having a predetermined width and a straight shape having a predetermined width.

3. In paragraph 1, A three-dimensional microphone array system, characterized in that the support member has at least two connectors formed thereon to which the planar microphone array module is connected.

4. In paragraph 3, A three-dimensional microphone array system, characterized in that each of the at least two planar microphone array modules is assigned dimensional information of the module.

5. In paragraph 4, A three-dimensional microphone array system, characterized in that each of the at least two connectors above is assigned connector position information.

6. In paragraph 5, A three-dimensional microphone array system, characterized in that it further includes a data processing unit that calculates coordinate values ​​of a plurality of microphones included in a three-dimensional microphone array using the dimension information of the module and the connector position information.

7. In paragraph 6, The above data processing unit, A dimensional microphone array system characterized in that a reference point is calculated using the dimensional information of the module and the connector position information, and the coordinate values ​​of each of a plurality of microphones included in the three-dimensional microphone array are calculated based on the calculated reference point.

8. In paragraph 6, The above data processing unit, A three-dimensional microphone array system characterized in that it performs beam forming on an acoustic signal received from an acoustic scene using the coordinate values ​​of microphones included in the three-dimensional microphone array produced above.

9. In paragraph 1, A three-dimensional microphone array system characterized in that the microphones are arranged at equal intervals on the printed circuit board.

10. In paragraph 1, The above three-dimensional microphone array, A three-dimensional microphone array system characterized by including at least one of a spherical shape, a hemispherical shape, an arc shape, and a corner shape.

11. A flat printed circuit board of a predetermined shape; and At least one microphone disposed on the printed circuit board; A planar microphone array module having a predetermined shape including at least one of a curved shape having a predetermined width and a straight shape having a predetermined width.

12. In paragraph 11, A planar microphone array module characterized in that the above curved shape includes at least one of a circle and an arc shape.

13. In paragraph 11, A planar microphone array module characterized in that the microphones are arranged at equal intervals on the printed circuit board.

14. A method for implementing a three-dimensional microphone array using at least two planar microphone array modules having a structure in which at least one microphone is arranged on a planar printed circuit board of a predetermined shape and a support member supporting the at least two planar microphone array modules, A method for implementing a three-dimensional microphone array, comprising: a step of forming a three-dimensional microphone array by three-dimensionally arranging at least two planar microphone array modules on the support member.

15. In paragraph 14, Each of the above at least two planar microphone array modules is assigned dimensional information of the module, At least two connectors formed on the above support member are each assigned connector position information, A method for implementing a three-dimensional microphone array, characterized in that it further includes a step of calculating coordinate values ​​of microphones included in the three-dimensional microphone array using dimension information and connector position information of the module.

16. In paragraph 15, The above calculating steps are: A step of calculating a reference point using the dimension information of the above module and the connector position information; and A method for implementing a three-dimensional microphone array, characterized by comprising a step of calculating coordinate values ​​of each of a plurality of microphones included in the three-dimensional microphone array based on the calculated reference point.

17. In paragraph 15, A method for implementing a three-dimensional microphone array, characterized in that it further includes a step of performing beam forming on an acoustic signal received from an acoustic scene using the coordinate values ​​of microphones in the three-dimensional microphone array produced above.

18. In paragraph 14, A method for implementing a three-dimensional microphone array, characterized in that the microphones are arranged at equal intervals on the printed circuit board.

19. In paragraph 14, The above three-dimensional microphone array, A method for implementing a three-dimensional microphone array, characterized in that it comprises at least one of a spherical shape, a hemispherical shape, an arc shape, and a corner shape.

20. In paragraph 14, A method for implementing a three-dimensional microphone array, wherein the above-mentioned predetermined shape includes at least one of a curved shape having a predetermined width and a straight shape having a predetermined width.

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