Beamforming Microphone Dynamic Angle Adjustment for Driver Voice Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beamforming microphones in vehicle hands-free systems struggle to reliably capture the driver's voice due to surrounding noise and variable driver seat positions, leading to suboptimal phone quality.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that includes a driver seat sensor to determine the driver seat location, a directivity control unit to calculate a beamforming angle based on this location, and a signal processing unit to extract and output voice signals from the direction corresponding to this angle, adjusting the beamforming region based on vehicle speed and noise intensity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a beamforming microphone is used to minimize surrounding noise, then noise rejection is improved, but the ability to capture driver voice reliably deteriorates when driver seat position varies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the beamforming angle adjustable rather than fixed. The directivity control unit dynamically changes the beamforming angle based on real-time driver seat position detection, allowing the microphone to adapt its noise rejection pattern to match the driver's actual location, thereby maintaining both noise rejection capability and voice capture reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback through a closed-loop system where the driver seat sensor continuously monitors seat position and feeds this information back to the directivity control unit. This feedback mechanism enables the system to automatically adjust the beamforming angle to compensate for changes in driver position, resolving the contradiction between fixed noise rejection and variable voice capture requirements
2Device complexity
If the beamforming angle is fixed, then the system is simple to control, but it cannot adapt to variable driver seat positions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by enabling the system to automatically adjust the beamforming angle based on driver seat position detection without requiring manual intervention. The directivity control unit autonomously processes sensor data and updates the beamforming parameters, providing adaptability while maintaining relatively simple control architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the beamforming angle parameter dynamically based on driver seat position. By modifying this critical parameter in response to sensor feedback, the system achieves adaptability to variable driver positions while maintaining controlled and manageable system complexity through parameter-based adjustment rather than structural complexity
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for controlling a beamforming microphone considering the location of a driver seat may include: a driver seat sensor configured to sense the location of the driver seat and output the sensed location as a driver seat signal; a directivity control unit configured to calculate a beamforming angle based on the driver seat signal; and a signal processing unit configured to process voice signals outputted from first and second microphones, respectively, and extract and output a voice signal generated from a direction which coincides with the beamforming angle.