Audio signal processor

1. An audio signal processor for generating an analog audio signal with directional characteristic from at least two pulse-density-modulated 1-bit audio signals of digital microphones, the audio signal processor comprising:

a first shift register of length n, n>0, being adapted to bit-clocked put through of a first pulse-density-modulated 1-bit audio signal of a first digital microphone to produce a first shift register output signal with single bit clock frequency; and

a combiner being adapted to combine the shift register output signal and a second pulse-density-modulated 1-bit audio signal of a second digital microphone to generate an interlaced 1-bit audio output signal with double bit clock frequency,

wherein the interlaced 1-bit audio output signal forms the analog audio signal.

2. The audio signal processor of claim 1 , further comprising an output filter being adapted to filter the analog audio signal to generate a filtered analog audio signal.

3. The audio signal processor of claim 1 , wherein the length n of the first shift register is defined such that it is adapted to determine the directional characteristic of the analog audio signal.

4. The audio signal processor of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:

a clock multiplier being adapted to double the single bit clock frequency to produce the double bit clock frequency; or

an inverter being adapted to invert the second pulse-density-modulated 1-bit audio signal and wherein the combiner receives the inverted second pulse-density-modulated 1-bit audio signal.

5. The audio signal processor of claim 1 , wherein the output filter is adapted to alter said interlaced 1-bit audio output signal into a bandwidth-limited analog audio signal.

6. The audio signal processor of claim 5 , wherein the output filter comprises a second shift register and a third shift register both with length m, whereas said second shift register is adapted to throughput said interlaced 1-bit audio output signal, and said third shift register comprises a static bit pattern being a 1-bit representation of an impulse response function of a desired filter, whereas any two bits of same positions p, p=1 . . . m, in said second and third shift registers are combined by m logical exclusive-or XOR gates, and the outputs of the m XOR gates are connected to an averaging unit providing said analog audio signal.

7. The audio signal processor of claim 6 , further comprising a configuration interface comprising a configuration clock and at least one configuration data line, wherein said static bit pattern is loadable into said third shift register over the configuration data lines at the configuration clock.

8. The audio signal processor of claim 6 , where the outputs of the m XOR gates are connected through resistors, and said resistors are connected forming said averaging unit providing said analog audio signal.

9. The audio signal processor of claim 1 , comprising a clock selector being adapted to select one of at least two input clock signals for clocking the audio signal processor and the first and second digital microphones.

10. The audio signal processor of claim 9 , where said clock selector is adapted to select a first input clock signal if said first clock signal is a valid clock signal, and select a second clock signal otherwise.

11. The audio signal processor of claim 10 , wherein the analog audio signal is delivered to an analog audio system, wherein said pulse-density-modulated 1-bit signals of said digital microphones are shared with a digital audio system that provides said first clock signal and supply voltage to the audio signal processor, wherein both alternative supply voltage and said second clock signal are provided by said analog audio system supplying the audio signal processor in case the digital audio system breaks down.

12. An audio system comprising:

a first digital microphone;

a second digital microphone;

an audio signal processor comprising:

a first shift register of length n, n>0, being adapted to bit-clocked put through of a first pulse-density-modulated 1-bit audio signal of the first digital microphone to produce a first shift register output signal with single bit clock frequency; and

a combiner being adapted to combine the shift register output signal and a second pulse-density-modulated 1-bit audio signal of the second digital microphone to generate an interlaced 1-bit audio output signal with double bit clock frequency,

wherein the interlaced 1-bit audio output signal forms an analog audio signal;

a digital audio system receiving the first and second pulse-density-modulated 1-bit audio signals of the first and second digital microphones; and

an analog audio system receiving the analog output signal from the audio signal processor.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising:

a clock selector providing a clock signal to the audio signal processor with the single bit clock frequency, wherein the clock signal is received from the digital audio system or from the analog audio system, wherein said digital audio system is adapted to provide a supply voltage to the audio signal processor, and wherein said analog audio system is adapted to provide the supply voltage to the audio signal processor in case the digital audio system is not operating.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the length n of the first shift register of the audio signal processor is defined such that it is adapted to determine the directional characteristic of the analog audio signal.

15. A method for generating an analog audio signal with directional characteristic from at least two pulse-density-modulated 1-bit audio signals of digital microphones, comprising:

at an audio signal processor, bit-clocked putting through of a first pulse-density-modulated 1-bit audio signals of a first digital microphone in a shift register of length n, n>0, and producing a shift register output signal with single bit frequency;

combining the shift register output signal and a second pulse-density-modulated 1-bit audio signal of a second digital microphone and generating an interlaced 1-bit audio output signal with doubled bit frequency;

filtering the interlaced 1-bit audio output signal; and

generating the analog audio signal.

16. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising:

providing, by a clock selector, a clock signal to the audio signal processor with the single bit clock frequency, wherein the clock signal is received from a digital audio system or from an analog audio system, wherein said digital audio system is adapted to provide a supply voltage to the audio signal processor, and wherein said analog audio system is adapted to provide the supply voltage to the audio signal processor in case the digital audio system is not operating.

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the length n of the first shift register of the audio signal processor is defined such that it is adapted to determine the directional characteristic of the analog audio signal.

18. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which when executed by a data processing device perform:

at an audio signal processor, bit-clocked putting through of a first pulse-density-modulated 1-bit audio signals of a first digital microphone in a shift register of length n, n>0, and producing a shift register output signal with single bit frequency;

combining the shift register output signal and a second pulse-density-modulated 1-bit audio signal of a second digital microphone and generating an interlaced 1-bit audio output signal with doubled bit frequency;

filtering the interlaced 1-bit audio output signal; and

generating the analog audio signal.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the instructions when executed by a data processing device further perform:

providing a clock signal to the audio signal processor with the single bit clock frequency, wherein the clock signal is received from a digital audio system or from an analog audio system, wherein said digital audio system is adapted to provide a supply voltage to the audio signal processor, and wherein said analog audio system is adapted to provide the supply voltage to the audio signal processor in case the digital audio system is not operating.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the length n of the first shift register of the audio signal processor is defined such that it is adapted to determine the directional characteristic of the analog audio signal.