Ceiling Array Microphone Housing for Low-Noise Suspended Ceiling Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ceiling-mounted microphones face challenges with obtrusiveness, audio pickup issues, and compliance with building codes, particularly when integrated into suspended ceilings, due to their mounting configurations and proximity to noise sources.
Innovation Solution
A housing design for ceiling array microphones that allows flexible mounting within suspended ceilings, incorporating a protruding mounting element to position electronics and microphones below the ceiling plane, ensuring compliance with building codes and reducing noise interference while providing aesthetic appeal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If microphones are placed on a table near the audio source, then sound capture is optimized, but the microphones become obtrusive and pick up unwanted noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the microphone mounting from horizontal (table surface) to vertical (ceiling plane), changing the spatial dimension of deployment. This allows the microphone array to capture sound from above, maintaining audio quality while avoiding tabletop noise sources and visual obtrusiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The microphone array is extracted from the table surface and relocated to the ceiling, separating the audio capture function from the table environment. This extraction eliminates interference from paper shuffling, pen tapping, and other table-based noise sources.
2Ease of operation
If shotgun microphones are used to detect sound from a distance, then table space is freed, but it becomes difficult to determine the optimal pointing direction
Solution Approach 1:
The single directional shotgun microphone is segmented into a multi-element microphone array distributed across the ceiling surface. This array can capture sound from multiple directions simultaneously, eliminating the need for precise directional pointing while maintaining detection accuracy through spatial processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The microphone array provides universal sound capture capability across multiple directions and positions, replacing the single-directional shotgun microphone. The distributed array can detect sound from any location in the room without requiring manual orientation adjustments.
3Ease of manufacture
If ceiling microphones are mounted close to speakers and HVAC systems, then installation is simplified, but audio pickup quality deteriorates due to noise interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different mounting approaches for different locations within the ceiling space. Microphone arrays can be positioned in zones optimized for audio capture, away from HVAC noise sources and speakers, while still utilizing the ceiling infrastructure. Each mounting location is selected based on its specific acoustic properties.
4Shape
If microphones are mounted within a suspended ceiling grid, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but compliance with building codes and certification requirements becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The microphone array housing is nested within the suspended ceiling grid structure, with the array positioned in the plenum space above the ceiling tiles. This nesting approach maintains the aesthetic appearance of a flush-mounted ceiling while providing adequate clearance for electronics and acoustic performance, potentially satisfying building code requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
Housings and associated mechanical and ornamental design features directed to ceiling-mounted electro-acoustical components, such as array microphones, for example, for use in a suspended ceiling, are provided. In an embodiment, a housing for a ceiling array microphone is configured for mounting the microphone within a grid system of a suspended ceiling. The housing comprises a mounting element for mounting the housing within the grid system. The mounting element includes a lipped portion positioned approximate a periphery of the housing and configured to engage the grid when the housing is mounted with the grid system.