Orthogonal Microphone Speaker Arrangement for Echo Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Video teleconference devices often experience echo or howling effects due to sound loops between microphones and speakers, which degrade the quality of two-way communication.
Innovation Solution
The conference device is designed with a configuration where the microphone and speaker are positioned orthogonally to each other within the housing, with distinct sound input and output openings, and optionally includes a cooling system to isolate the microphone from the fan's airflow and noise, effectively reducing echo and howling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the microphone and speaker are placed close together in the housing, then the device structure is compact, but echo and howling effects occur due to sound loops
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the microphone and speaker in orthogonal directions (e.g., microphone facing forward, speaker facing upward) rather than placing them close together in the same direction. This dimensional separation prevents sound waves from looping back to the microphone while maintaining a compact housing structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetric positioning where the microphone and speaker are oriented at different angles and directions. The microphone is positioned to receive sound from one direction while the speaker outputs sound to a different direction, creating an asymmetric arrangement that eliminates echo paths.
2Device complexity
If the microphone is positioned near the speaker, then the device structure is simple, but noise from the speaker and fan interferes with microphone input
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the microphone from the speaker and fan in different spatial dimensions and orientations. The microphone is positioned in a direction away from the speaker output and fan airflow path, eliminating noise interference while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the housing structure itself as an intermediary to isolate the microphone from noise sources. The orthogonal positioning and separate openings act as physical barriers that prevent speaker and fan noise from reaching the microphone.
3Temperature
If the fan is positioned to cool the heating element effectively, then cooling performance is improved, but fan noise and airflow interfere with the microphone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the fan and microphone in orthogonal directions with separate airflow paths. The fan operates in one direction for cooling while the microphone faces a different direction, preventing fan noise and airflow from interfering with microphone input.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the internal housing into distinct functional zones: a cooling system area for the fan and heating element, and a separate microphone input area. This segmentation allows independent optimization of cooling performance and noise reduction.
Data Source
AI summary
In a video teleconference device, a microphone and a speaker are arranged in a housing in such a manner that a voice input direction of the microphone and a voice output direction of the speaker are roughly orthogonal to each other. With that, the sound coming out of the speaker is not easily received as input by the microphone. Thus, with such a simple configuration, it becomes possible to effectively curb the echo effect and the howling effect.