Car Speakerphone Microphone Directivity Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing car speakerphones attached to sun visors require manual adjustment of directional microphones, which is difficult during driving and can result in a worse signal-to-noise ratio when the sun visor is adjusted for sunlight, especially when the microphone is positioned between the sun visor and windscreen.

Innovation Solution

A car speakerphone with an automatically adjustable directional microphone device using a gravity sensor and electromotor to align the microphone with the driver's mouth based on the sun visor's position, or a microphone array with multiple microphones and a controller to optimize signal reception across various sun visor adjustments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a unidirectional microphone is used to improve signal-to-noise ratio, then noise rejection is improved, but the microphone requires careful manual orientation which is difficult during driving

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenoise rejectionVSAvoidmicrophone orientation

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The microphone system automatically adjusts its directivity pattern and orientation based on detected speech signals and sun visor position, eliminating the need for manual orientation by the driver. The system self-regulates to maintain optimal noise rejection while capturing speech.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The microphone system dynamically adapts its directional characteristics by changing the electronic weighting and combining of signals from multiple microphone elements based on real-time conditions, allowing the noise rejection pattern to move and adjust automatically.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Illumination intensity

If the sun visor is adjusted to block sunlight, then driver visibility is improved, but the microphone is positioned out of sight and cannot be manually adjusted to point at the driver's mouth

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesunlight blockingVSAvoidmicrophone adjustment accessibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The mechanical adjustment of microphone orientation is replaced with an electronic system that uses multiple microphone elements and signal processing to achieve directional sensitivity. The system electronically steers the microphone's effective direction without requiring physical movement or manual adjustment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The microphone system serves multiple functions: it maintains noise rejection, captures speech, and automatically adapts to different sun visor positions without requiring driver intervention, making the system universally effective across all visor adjustment scenarios.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If a directional microphone is used to improve signal-to-noise ratio, then noise rejection is improved, but the system complexity increases with multiple microphone elements and signal processing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenoise rejectionVSAvoidmicrophone system structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The microphone system is divided into multiple independent microphone elements that can be individually processed and combined. This segmentation allows the system to create directional patterns through electronic signal combining while keeping each individual microphone element simple and manageable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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 solution ensures a consistent and improved signal-to-noise ratio by automatically adjusting the microphone's directivity in response to sun visor positions, maintaining effective voice pickup and reducing noise interference across different sun visor adjustments.

Implementation Method 1

The adjustment means are adapted to automatically adjust the directivity of the microphone device as a function of the adjustment position of the sun visor

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravity sensing: Gravitation

Implementation Method 2

The electromotor adjusts the rotational angle between the microphone device and the speakerphone housing

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic conversion: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentEP2822292B1A car speakerphone with automatic adjustment of microphone directivity

Publication Date: 2016.05.25 GN NETCOM AS

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Figure 3a~3f

AI summary

A car speakerphone (10; 32; 47; 48; 49) to be attached to a sun visor (4) in the cabin of a car (5), which sun visor (4) is of the type, that can be rotated about a first axis (38) into different adjustment positions (P). The speakerphone (10; 32; 47; 48; 49) comprises a speaker housing (11), at least a first microphone device (2, 9, 45, 53, 55) with a directivity (41) and including at least a first microphone (2, 14-21). The speakerphone comprises adjustment means (22, 23, 24, 25; 27; 31) for adjusting the directivity (41) of said microphone device (2, 9, 45, 53, 55) in relation to the sun visor (4). The adjustment means (22, 23, 24, 25; 27; 31) are adapted to automatically adjust the directivity (41) of the microphone device (2, 9, 45, 53, 55) as a function of the adjustment position (P) of the sun visor (4).