Microphone Array Switching for Wider Sound Pickup
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Solution Overview
Problem
The sound pickup range of electronic devices is limited by the hardware constraint of a finite number of microphones and analog to digital converters, preventing the expansion of sound collection capabilities.
Innovation Solution
The method involves dynamically switching microphone arrays by establishing and disconnecting connections between microphones and analog to digital converters based on different device poses and user inputs, allowing multiple microphones to share a limited number of converters, thereby expanding the sound pickup range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the quantity of microphones is increased to expand sound pickup range, then the sound pickup range is improved, but the hardware complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the analog-to-digital converter serve multiple microphones through time-multiplexed switching. Instead of dedicating one ADC per microphone, a single ADC is shared among multiple microphones by dynamically switching connections based on device pose, allowing the same hardware component to handle multiple sound sources sequentially
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic switching of microphone-ADC connections based on real-time device pose detection. The system continuously monitors device orientation and automatically reconfigures which microphones are connected to the ADC, enabling adaptive sound pickup that responds to changing operational conditions without requiring additional hardware
2Area of stationary object
If the quantity of analog to digital converters is increased to support more microphones, then the sound pickup range is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the analog-to-digital converter serve multiple microphones through time-multiplexed switching. Instead of dedicating one ADC per microphone, a single ADC is shared among multiple microphones by dynamically switching connections based on device pose, allowing the same hardware component to handle multiple sound sources sequentially
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple microphone inputs into a single ADC processing channel by implementing a switching matrix that routes different microphone signals to the same ADC at different times. This merging approach allows multiple physical microphones to be processed by one converter without signal loss or interference
3Area of stationary object
If multiple microphone arrays are enabled simultaneously to widen sound pickup range, then the sound pickup range is improved, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic switching between different microphone arrays based on device pose changes. Instead of continuously powering all microphones and ADCs, the system activates only the currently needed microphone-ADC connections, turning others off to save power while maintaining the capability to switch to alternative arrays when needed
Data Source
AI summary
When the electronic device is in a first pose, enabling a first array to collect first sound data, where the first array includes a first microphone and a second microphone in a plurality of microphones; and the starting a first array includes: establishing a connection between the first microphone and a first analog to digital converter, and establishing a connection between the second microphone and a second analog to digital converter; and when the electronic device is in a second pose, enabling a second array to collect second sound data, where the second array also includes a third microphone and a fourth microphone in the plurality of microphones; the starting a second array includes: establishing a connection between the third microphone and the first analog to digital converter, and establishing a connection between the fourth microphone and the second analog to digital converter.