IP Library Granted Patent US 10,755,688
Granted Patent B2
US 10,755,688 · App. 16/314,612 · Granted Aug 25, 2020

Microphone unit and noise reduction device using same, and integrated circuit component

Inventor: Yoshiyuki Hayashi (Osaka, JP)
Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
G10K11/178B60R11/02G10K11/1783G10K11/17883H04R1/021H04R3/00H04R19/016B60R11/0217B60R11/0247G01H3/00G10K11/17854H04R19/04H04R2410/05H04R2499/13
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,755,688
App. No.
16/314,612
Granted
Aug 25, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A microphone unit in which a microphone body is built in a housing is provided. The microphone body detects a sound entering the housing via a sound hole of the housing. An optical detector that detects light entering the housing via the sound hole is disposed in the housing. Therefore, a detection can be made that the sound hole is blocked by monitoring a detection level of the optical detector, based on a change in the detection level of the optical detector.

Claims (25)

1. A noise reduction device comprising:

a microphone unit that detects a noise in a noise-reduction target interior;

a controller that generates a control signal based on the noise detected by the microphone unit; and

a speaker that converts the control signal and outputs a control sound that reduces the noise to the noise-reduction target interior,

wherein the microphone unit includes

a housing having a sound hole,

a microphone body that is built in the housing and detects a sound entering the housing via the sound hole,

an optical detector that is built in the housing and detects light entering the housing via the sound hole,

wherein the controller

operates in a normal mode in which the control sound obtained by processing a reference signal for detecting a cause of a reduction target, based on the noise detected by the microphone body is output when a light detection level of the optical detector is higher than or equal to a setting level, and

operates in an interpolation mode in which a reference signal processing state is maintained in the normal mode immediately previous to the interpolation mode for a prescribed period when the light detection level of the optical detector is less than the setting level.

2. The noise reduction device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the noise-reduction target interior is a vehicle interior of a vehicle, and

wherein the controller operates in the normal mode even when the light detection level of the optical detector is less than the setting level in a case where a detection is made that a light of the vehicle is on.

3. The noise reduction device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller operates in the normal mode after sunset even when the light detection level of the optical detector is less than the setting level, based on a sunrise time and a sunset time for each season in an annual calendar.

4. The noise reduction device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the microphone unit is one of a plurality of the microphone units, and the optical detector is one of a plurality of the optical detectors, and

wherein the controller operates in the normal mode when the light detection level of the optical detector in at least one of the plurality of the microphone units is higher than or equal to the setting level, and operates in the interpolation mode when light detection levels of all the plurality of the optical detectors in the plurality of the microphone units are less than the setting level.

5. A noise reduction device comprising:

a microphone unit that detects a noise in a noise-reduction target interior;

a controller that generates a control signal based on the noise detected by the microphone unit; and

a speaker that converts the control signal and outputs a control sound that reduces the noise to the noise-reduction target interior,

wherein the microphone unit includes a housing having a sound hole, a microphone body that is built in the housing and detects a sound entering the housing via the sound hole, and an optical detector that is built in the housing and detects non-visible light entering the housing via the sound hole,

wherein a light source that emits non-visible light detectable by the optical detector is disposed in the noise-reduction target interior, separately from the microphone unit, and

wherein the controller operates in a normal mode in which the control sound obtained by processing a reference signal for detecting a cause of a reduction target based on the noise detected by the microphone body is output when a light detection level of the optical detector is higher than or equal to a setting level, and operates in an interpolation mode in which a reference signal processing state is maintained in the normal mode immediately previous to the interpolation mode for a prescribed period when the light detection level of the optical detector is less than the setting level.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2024
From: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 066703/0139 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 18, 2019
From: HAYASHI, YOSHIYUKI
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 049509/0177 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2016-139850 · Jul 15, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190251945A1 · Aug 15, 2019