Patent ID: 9357296
Filing Date: 2016-05-31
CPC Classification: H04R

Claim Text:
1. A microphone system comprising: a movable structure movable in response to an acoustic signal establishing a variable MEMS capacitance with respect to an electrode, the movable structure and the electrode forming a MEMS microphone, the movement of the movable structure causing a signal to be generated, the signal being carried on a conductive line; a circuit configured to process the signal; a capacitor coupling the conductive line to ground upon detection of the processed signal exceeding a criterion by the circuit; and a switch selectively operable to connect to the conductive line so as to attenuate the signal before the signal is processed by the circuit, wherein the capacitor has associated therewith a capacitance that in combination with the variable MEMS capacitance serves as a signal divider causing the signal on the conductive line to be attenuated.