Beamforming microphone system
View Patent ↗A system and method for generating a beamforming signal is disclosed. A beam forming signal is generated by disposing a first microphone and a second microphone in horizontal coplanar alignment. The first and second microphones are used to detect a known signal to generate a first response and a second response. The first response is processed along a first signal path communicatively linked to the first microphone, and the second response is processed along a second signal path communicatively linked to the second microphone. The first and second responses are matched, and the matched responses are combined to generate the beamforming signal on a combined signal path.
1. A method of generating a beamforming signal, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of microphones, including at least a first microphone and a second microphone, in horizontal coplanar alignment;
detecting a known signal through the first and second microphones to generate a first response and a second response;
processing the first response along a first signal path communicatively linked to the first microphone and the second response along a second signal path communicatively linked to the second microphone;
matching the first response with the second response; and
combining the matched first and second responses to generate a beamforming signal on a combined signal path.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein matching the first and second responses comprises:
sampling the first response and the second response at one or more locations along the first and second signal paths;
determining a first spectrum of the sampled first response, a second spectrum of the sampled second response, and a third spectrum of the known signal;
comparing the first and second spectrums against the third spectrum; and
disposing a first filter on the first signal path and a second filter on the second signal path, the first and second filters generated based on the comparisons.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a third filter disposed on the combined signal path, the third filter configured to eliminate an undesired spectral transformation of the beamforming signal.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the plurality of microphones including the first and second microphones comprises
disposing a behind-the-ear microphone and an in-the-ear microphone in horizontal coplanar alignment, wherein the in-the-ear microphone is disposed in a concha of a cochlear implant user in horizontal coplanar alignment with the user's pinnae to optimize directivity at a higher frequency band.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the plurality of microphones including the first and second microphones comprises
disposing two in-the-ear microphones in horizontal coplanar alignment, wherein the two in-the-ear microphones are disposed in a concha of a cochlear implant user in horizontal coplanar alignment with the user's pinnae to optimize directivity at a high frequency band.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the plurality of microphones including the first and second microphones comprises
disposing an in-the-ear microphone and a sound port communicatively linked to a behind-the-ear microphone in horizontal coplanar alignment, wherein the sound port is disposed in horizontal coplanar alignment with the in-the-ear microphone, and wherein the in-the-ear microphone is disposed in a concha of a cochlear implant user in horizontal coplanar alignment with the user's pinnae to optimize directivity at a high frequency band.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the first and second microphones further comprises modulating a spacing between the first microphone and the second microphone to optimize directivity at a low frequency band.
8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising disposing a second sound port communicatively linked to the behind-the-ear microphone, the second sound port configured to eliminate a resonance generated by the first sound port.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein disposing the first and second sound ports further comprises disposing a first sound port and a second sound port having equal length and diameter.
10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising providing a resonance filter configured to eliminate a resonance generated by the first sound port.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein providing the resonance filter comprises providing a filter that generates a filter response having valleys at frequencies corresponding to locations of peaks of the resonance.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing at least one additional microphone disposed in horizontal coplanar alignment with the first and second microphones.
13. A system for generating a beamforming signal, the system comprising:
a plurality of microphones, including at least a first microphone and a second microphone disposed in horizontal coplanar alignment, the first and second microphones configured to detect a known signal and generate a first response and a second response;
a processing system communicatively linked to the first and second microphones, the processing system configured to process the first response along a first signal path communicatively linked to the first microphone and the second response along a second signal path communicatively linked to the second microphone;
a first filter and a second filter disposed on the first and second signal paths, the first and second filters configured to match the first response with the second response; and
a beamforming unit operative to combine the matched first and second responses to generate a beamforming signal on a combined signal path.
14. The system of claim 13 , further comprising a fitting system communicatively linked to the first and second signal paths, the fitting system configured to:
sample the first response and the second response at one or more locations along the first and second signal paths;
determine a first spectrum of the sampled first response, a second spectrum of the sampled second response, and a third spectrum of the known signal;
compare the first and second spectrums against the third spectrum; and
dispose a first filter on the first signal path and a second filter on the second signal path, the first and second filters generated based on the comparisons to match the first and second responses.
15. The system of claim 13 , further comprising a third filter disposed on the combined signal path, the third filter configured to eliminate an undesired spectral transformation of the beamforming signal.
16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first and second microphones disposed in horizontal coplanar alignment comprises:
a behind-the-ear microphone; and
an in-the-ear microphone, wherein the in-the-ear microphone is disposed in a concha of a cochlear implant user in horizontal coplanar alignment with the user's pinnae to optimize directivity at a high frequency band.
17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first and second microphones disposed in horizontal coplanar alignment comprises two in-the-ear microphones, wherein the two in-the-ear microphones are disposed in a concha of a cochlear implant user in horizontal coplanar alignment with the user's pinnae to optimize directivity at a high frequency band.
18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first and second microphones disposed in horizontal coplanar alignment comprises an in-the-ear microphone and a sound port communicatively linked to a behind-the-ear microphone, wherein the sound port is disposed in horizontal coplanar alignment with the in-the-ear microphone, and wherein the in-the-ear microphone is disposed in a concha of a cochlear implant user in horizontal coplanar alignment with the user's pinnae to optimize directivity at a high frequency band.
19. The system of claim 13 , wherein disposing the first and second microphones further comprises modulating a spacing between the first microphone and the second microphone to optimize directivity at a low frequency band.
20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the behind-the-ear microphone comprises a second sound port configured to eliminate a resonance generated by the first sound port.
21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the first sound port and the second sound port have equal length and diameter.
22. The system of claim 18 , further comprising a resonance filter configured to eliminate a resonance generated by the first sound port.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the resonance filter comprises a filter that generates a response having valleys at frequencies corresponding to locations of peaks of the resonance.
24. The method of claim 13 , further comprising at least one additional microphone disposed in horizontal coplanar alignment with the first and second microphones.