Patent ID: 6173059
Filing Date: 2001-01-09
Classification: H04R

Abstract:
A microphone system for use in an environment where an acoustic source emits energy from diverse and varying locations within the environment, comprising:at least two directional cardioid microphones held in a fixed arrangement about a center point, the respective response of each of the microphones being directed radially away from the center point, the microphones producing electrical signals in response to acoustic signals,mixing circuitry for combining electrical signals from the microphones to form a set of composite electrical signals, each composite electrical signal corresponding to a predetermined acoustic reception pattern wherein at least some of the predetermined acoustic reception patterns corresponding to the set of composite electrical signals have different spatial shapes and sizes, andcontrol circuitry for analyzing the signal energy value of each composite electrical signal in the set to thereby determine an acoustic reception pattern which best fits the angular orientation and physical pattern of the acoustic source relative to the central point and to select the corresponding composite electrical signal for transmission.