IP Library Granted Patent US 11,758,319
Granted Patent B2
US 11,758,319 · App. 17/665,375 · Granted Sep 12, 2023

Microphone port architecture for mitigating wind noise

Inventors: Limin Zhou (Redmond, WA); Gongqiang Yu (Redmond, WA); Alan Ng (Seattle, WA)
Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC
H04R1/342H04R1/1091H04R2410/07
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,758,319
App. No.
17/665,375
Granted
Sep 12, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

An acoustic sensor includes port architecture designed to mitigate wind noise. The acoustic sensor includes a primary waveguide having two ports open to a local area surrounding the acoustic sensor. One opening of a secondary waveguide is coupled to portion of the primary waveguide, with another opening of the secondary waveguide coupled to a microphone. The secondary waveguide has a smaller cross-section than the primary waveguide. Hence, airflow is directed from a port of the primary waveguide to the other port of the primary waveguide and back into the local area, bypassing the microphone.

Claims (36)

1. An acoustic sensor comprising:

a primary waveguide having a port opened to a local area surrounding the acoustic sensor and an additional port opened to the local area surrounding the acoustic sensor, the primary waveguide configured to direct airflow from the port to the additional port; and

a secondary waveguide having a smaller cross-section than the primary waveguide and having a first opening coupled to an internal opening of the primary waveguide and a second opening coupled to a microphone configured to capture audio from the local area, the secondary waveguide configured to direct audio from the local area to the microphone.

2. The acoustic sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first opening of the secondary waveguide is coupled to the internal opening of the primary waveguide so the secondary waveguide is perpendicular to the primary waveguide.

3. The acoustic sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first opening of the secondary waveguide is coupled to the internal opening of the primary waveguide so an angle between the secondary waveguide and a surface of the primary waveguide is less than ninety degrees.

4. The acoustic sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first opening of the secondary waveguide is coupled to the internal opening of the primary waveguide so an angle between the secondary waveguide and a surface of the primary waveguide is greater than ninety degrees.

5. The acoustic sensor of claim 1 , wherein the primary waveguide has a bend between the port and the additional port.

6. The acoustic sensor of claim 5 , wherein the bend has a ninety degree angle.

7. The acoustic sensor of claim 5 , wherein the bend has an oblique angle.

8. The acoustic sensor of claim 5 , wherein the bend has an acute angle.

9. A headset comprising:

a frame;

one or more display elements each coupled to the frame, each display element configured to display content; and

an acoustic sensor coupled to the frame, the acoustic sensor comprising:

a primary waveguide having a port opened to a local area surrounding the acoustic sensor and an additional port opened to the local area surrounding the acoustic sensor, the primary waveguide configured to direct airflow from the port to the additional port; and

a secondary waveguide having a smaller cross-section than the primary waveguide and having a first opening coupled to an internal opening of the primary waveguide and a second opening coupled to a microphone configured to capture audio from the local area, the secondary waveguide configured to direct audio from the local area to the microphone.

10. The headset of claim 9 , wherein the first opening of the secondary waveguide is coupled to the internal opening of the primary waveguide so the secondary waveguide is perpendicular to the primary waveguide.

11. The headset of claim 9 , wherein the first opening of the secondary waveguide is coupled to the internal opening of the primary waveguide so an angle between the secondary waveguide and a surface of the primary waveguide is less than ninety degrees.

12. The headset of claim 9 , wherein the first opening of the secondary waveguide is coupled to the internal opening of the primary waveguide so an angle between the secondary waveguide and a surface of the primary waveguide is greater than ninety degrees.

13. The headset of claim 9 , wherein the primary waveguide has a bend between the port and the additional port.

14. The headset of claim 13 , wherein the bend has a ninety degree angle.

15. The headset of claim 13 , wherein the bend has an oblique angle.

16. The headset of claim 13 , wherein the bend has an acute angle.

17. An audio system comprising:

a sensor array including one or more acoustic sensors, an acoustic sensor comprising:

a primary waveguide having a port opened to a local area surrounding the acoustic sensor and an additional port opened to the local area surrounding the acoustic sensor, the primary waveguide configured to direct airflow from the port to the additional port; and

a secondary waveguide having a smaller cross-section than the primary waveguide and having a first opening coupled to an internal opening of the primary waveguide and a second opening coupled to a microphone configured to capture audio from the local area, the secondary waveguide configured to direct audio from the local area to the microphone; and

an audio controller coupled to the sensor array, the audio controller configured to localize one or more sound sources in the local area based on audio captured by the one or more acoustic sensors of the sensor array.

18. The audio system of claim 17 , wherein the first opening of the secondary waveguide is coupled to the internal opening of the primary waveguide so the secondary waveguide is perpendicular to the primary waveguide.

19. The audio system of claim 17 , wherein the primary waveguide has a bend between the port and the additional port.

20. The audio system of claim 19 , wherein the bend has a ninety degree angle.

21. A wearable device comprising:

an output device configured to display output to a user; and

an acoustic sensor comprising:

a primary waveguide having a port opened to a local area surrounding the acoustic sensor and an additional port opened to the local area surrounding the acoustic sensor, the primary waveguide configured to direct airflow from the port to the additional port; and

a secondary waveguide having a smaller cross-section than the primary waveguide and having a first opening coupled to an internal opening of the primary waveguide and a second opening coupled to a microphone configured to capture audio from the local area, the secondary waveguide configured to direct audio from the local area to the microphone.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 8, 2022
From: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 060314/0965 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2022
From: ZHOU, LIMIN; YU, GONGQIANG; NG, ALAN
To: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 059123/0681 →
Continuity (1)
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