Sound Pickup Device Binaural Recording via Acoustic Reflection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sound pickup devices in imaging apparatuses, such as video cameras, face challenges in achieving good stereophonic sound pickup due to the close proximity of microphone units, leading to interference from direct and reflected sounds, which affects tone quality.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates first and second microphone holders separated on the left and right sides of the camera casing, with a sound reflecting surface that directs sound waves to the microphone units, preventing interference and enhancing stereophonic sound pickup by positioning the microphone units to mimic a human head configuration, including a flexible porous member to reduce wind noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If two microphone units are placed close to each other in a camera casing, then the device structure is simple and compact, but stereophonic sound pickup performance deteriorates due to lack of spatial separation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from placing microphone units close together in a compact arrangement to positioning them at separated locations on the left and right sides of the camera casing. This spatial separation in the lateral dimension enables the microphones to capture sound with directional differences, achieving stereophonic sound pickup performance while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure.
2Measurement precision
If microphone units are positioned to achieve stereophonic sound pickup, then sound pickup performance improves, but interference from direct and reflected sounds increases affecting tone quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a sound reflecting surface as an intermediary element positioned between the sound source and the microphone units. This sound reflecting surface is configured to reflect sound waves toward the microphone units, thereby controlling the path of sound propagation and reducing direct interference between the microphones while maintaining stereophonic sound pickup performance and improving tone quality.
3Measurement precision
If ear-like projections with deep positioned microphone units are used, then binaural sound pickup performance improves, but the device structure becomes complex with strict configuration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the sound pickup function into separate components: a sound reflecting surface that can be independently configured, and microphone units that can be positioned at specific locations on the left and right sides. This segmentation allows for flexible arrangement of the components to achieve binaural sound pickup performance without requiring the complex integrated structure of ear-like projections, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining performance.
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
This configuration effectively suppresses interference between direct and reflected sounds, enabling high-quality stereophonic sound pickup and binaural recording with improved tone quality and sound image localization during playback.
Implementation Method 1
The surface of the camera casing forms a sound reflecting surface which reflects incoming sound from a sound source
Implementation Method 2
a flexible porous member placed between the sound reflecting surface and each of the first and second microphone holders to prevent wind noise from occurring
Data Source
AI summary
A sound pickup device is designed for an imaging apparatus including an objective lens and a camera casing. The sound pickup device includes first and second microphone holders fixed to the camera casing and each having an inner wall surface neighboring and facing a surface of the camera casing. First and second microphone units are held by the first and second microphone holders, respectively. The first and second microphone holders are located at left and right sides of the camera casing respectively while being separated from each other in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis of the objective lens. The aforesaid surface of the camera casing forms a sound reflecting surface which reflects incoming sound. Each of the first and second microphone units has a sound pickup surface facing the sound reflecting surface to pick up the sound reflected by the sound reflecting surface.