MEMS Spring Device for High-Fidelity Sound Reverberation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing reverberation technologies, such as echo chambers, spring reverberations, and digital reverb effects, are either bulky, difficult to implement, or provide an incomplete and complex approximation of natural reverberation effects, lacking a compact and faithful rendering of sound reverberation.
Innovation Solution
A MEMS spring device with piezoelectric transducers and a miniaturized MEMS spring structure is used to recreate a sound reverberation effect, featuring a hermetic housing, piezoelectric blades, and a compact design that minimizes thermoviscous losses, allowing for high-quality factor and efficient sound propagation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional spring reverberation devices are used to recreate natural reverberation effects, then the reverberation effect can be produced, but the devices become bulky and long
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical spring system with a MEMS-based system that uses piezoelectric actuators to generate controlled vibrations. This substitution allows achieving the same reverberation effect with a miniaturized structure, eliminating the need for long mechanical springs while maintaining the acoustic quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operating parameters by using high-frequency vibrations generated by piezoelectric elements instead of low-frequency mechanical spring oscillations. This parameter change enables the creation of effective reverberation paths within a compact footprint, transforming the scale at which the reverberation effect occurs.
2Reliability
If plate reverberation devices are used to achieve natural reverberation rendering, then the sound rendering approaches natural acoustics, but the plates become heavy and bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces heavy mechanical plates with a MEMS structure that uses piezoelectric actuators to create controlled vibrations. This substitution maintains the complex reflection patterns and sound rendering qualities of plate reverberation while reducing the weight and bulk to microscopic dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from macroscopic plate vibrations to microscopic MEMS structure vibrations, effectively moving the reverberation mechanism to another size dimension. This allows achieving the same acoustic effects with structures that are orders of magnitude smaller and lighter.
3Volume of moving object
If digital reverb effects are used to simulate room acoustics, then compact integration is achieved, but the results are only approximate simulations rather than faithful physical reproduction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces digital signal processing with a physical MEMS-based acoustic system that actually generates and propagates sound waves through controlled vibrations. This maintains the physical authenticity of the reverberation effect while achieving compact integration, bridging the gap between digital compactness and physical accuracy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The MEMS spring device provides a compact, lightweight, and efficient means to recreate natural-like reverberation effects with low power consumption, suitable for integration into sound production systems and musical instruments, offering high fidelity and ease of use.
Implementation Method 1
an input electromechanical transducer configured to set the articulation in motion
Implementation Method 2
a MEMS spring comprising a first end, a second end, the first end and the second end being respectively connected to the input electromechanical transducer by means of an articulation to the output electromechanical transducer by means of another articulation
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3B
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A micro-electromechanical device (100) for distorting an electrical signal to recreate a sound reverberation effect comprising: - an input connector (1121) for an incoming electrical signal; - an output connector (1122) for an outgoing electrical signal; - an electromechanical input transducer (123) coupled to the input connector (1121); - an electromechanical output transducer (124) coupled to the output connector (1122); - a support structure (121);- said device being provided with a MEMS spring (122) comprising a first end (1222), a second end (1223), the first end and the second end being connected respectively to the input electromechanical transducer (123) by means of an articulation (125) to the output electromechanical transducer (124) by means of another articulation (125), the input electromechanical transducer (123), the output electromechanical transducer (124) and the articulations (125) being partly embedded on the support structure (121), the input electromechanical transducer (123) being configured to set the articulation (125) in motion.;