KR20150072094A - Microphone device - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a microphone device. The microphone device of the present invention comprises: a transducer receiving an audio signal; a digital converter to convert a signal received from the transducer into a digital signal; and an initiation determination unit to receive the digital signal from the digital converter and determine whether the received digital signal is a predefined initiation signal. The initiation determination unit generates a turn-on signal when the received digital signal is determined to be the predefined initiation signal. An objective of the present invention is to provide the microphone device capable of minimizing power consumption required for implementing an audio signal-based initiation function. Another objective of the present invention is to provide the microphone device which converts a sampling frequency of the digital converter in implementing the audio signal-based initiation function to maintain the quality of the audio signal-based initiation function, and at the same time, allow the digital converter to consume less power.

Description

[0001] Microphone device [0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a microphone device, and more particularly, to a microphone device in which a voice start function is implemented.

Recent electronic devices such as smart phones and tablet computers provide various voice recognition functions. A voice triggering function has been used to improve the accuracy and convenience of the speech recognition function. The voice initiation function is that the electronic device is in a sleep (sleep) mode and then recognizes the user's predetermined start voice and is converted into a turn-on mode. The voice initiation function is disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2013-0105219 (Feb.

In order to use the voice initiation function, the electronic device must always maintain the state of receiving and processing the external voice signal in the standby state. To do this, the processor of the electronic device must be kept operating at all times. The operation of these processors is inevitably accompanied by a lot of power consumption.

[0004] Recent electronic devices are gradually performing a complex function, but their sizes are becoming smaller and thinner and there is a limitation in having sufficient power storage space for performing a complex function. Therefore, much power consumption of the voice initiation function has become a serious problem in the power management of electronic devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a microphone device capable of minimizing power consumption in implementing a voice initiation function.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a microphone device capable of reducing the power consumption of the digital conversion unit while maintaining the quality of the voice initiation function by changing the sampling frequency of the digital conversion unit in implementing the voice initiation function.

Another object to be solved by the present invention is to implement a voice initiation function in a microphone device to provide it as one package.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a microphone device including a transducer for receiving a voice signal, a digital converter for converting a signal received from the transducer into a digital signal, And a start determiner for determining whether the digital signal is a predetermined start signal and generating a turn-on signal if the start signal is the start signal.

On one side, the start determination unit may be in an active state before the turn-on signal is generated, and may be in an inactive state after the turn-on signal is generated.

On the one hand, the digital signal may be transmitted to the start determination unit before the turn-on signal is generated, and after the turn-on signal is generated, it may be transmitted to the external processor for processing.

On one side, the turn-on signal may be a command signal that activates an external processor to receive and process the digital signal.

On one side, when the activation of the external processor is terminated, the start determination section can be turned on.

On one side, the external processor may be a main processor that controls an electronic device on which the microphone device is mounted.

And may further include an internal clock generator on one side.

On one side, the internal clock generator may be controlled to be in the same active or inactive state as the initiation determiner.

The digital converter may receive the clock signal from the internal clock generator before the turn-on signal is generated, and may receive the clock signal from the external clock generator after the turn-on signal is generated have.

The signal selector may further include a signal selector for selecting a clock signal supplied to the digital converter from the clock signal of the internal clock generator and the clock signal of the external clock generator.

On one side, the signal selector may control the selection of the signal by the start determination section.

The apparatus may further include a clock frequency adjusting unit for changing the frequency of the clock signal of the internal clock generating unit and setting the clock signal received by the digital converting unit differently from the clock signal received by the start determining unit.

On one side, before the turn-on signal is generated, the frequency of the clock signal received by the digital conversion unit may be smaller than the clock signal received by the start determination unit.

On one side, the digital converter may receive a clock signal having a higher frequency after the turn-on signal is generated before the turn-on signal is generated.

On one side, the digital converter may convert the signal to a larger sampling frequency after the turn-on signal occurs before the turn-on signal occurs.

On one side, the digital converter may consume a larger amount of power after the turn-on signal is generated before the turn-on signal is generated.

The digital conversion unit and the start determination unit may further include a housing formed of one ASIC and having an acoustic hole through which the voice signal is passed and accommodating the transducer and the ASIC therein have.

The microphone device according to an embodiment of the present invention has an effect of minimizing power consumption in implementing a voice initiation function.

In addition, the microphone device according to an embodiment of the present invention has an effect of reducing the power consumption of the digital conversion unit while maintaining the quality of the voice initiation function by changing the sampling frequency of the digital conversion unit in implementing the voice initiation function.

In addition, the microphone device according to one embodiment of the present invention has an effect of providing a voice start function and providing it as one package.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a microphone device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a microphone device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a block diagram illustrating an operation of a microphone device in a sleep mode state according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a block diagram illustrating an operation of the microphone device in the turn-on mode state according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a cross-sectional view of a microphone device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In describing the present invention, if it is judged that it is possible to make the gist of the present invention obscure by adding a detailed description of a technique or configuration already known in the field, it is omitted from the detailed description. In addition, terms used in the present specification are terms used to appropriately express the embodiments of the present invention, which may vary depending on the person or custom in the relevant field. Therefore, the definitions of these terms should be based on the contents throughout this specification. Like reference numerals in the drawings denote like elements.

Hereinafter, a microphone device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 attached hereto.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a microphone device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a microphone device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an operation of a microphone device in a sleep mode state according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an operation of the microphone device in the turn-on mode state according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a microphone device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a microphone device 800 includes a transducer 100, a digital converter 200, a start determiner 300, an internal clock generator 400, a signal selector 500, (600). The transducer 100 receives the voice signal and converts it into an electrical signal. Digital converter 200 converts an electric signal received from the transducer 100 into a digital signal DS. The start determination unit 300 determines whether the digital signal DS is a predetermined start sound and generates a turn-on signal if the digital signal DS is a start sound. The internal clock generating unit 400 supplies a clock signal to the digital converting unit 200 and the start determining unit 300. The signal selector 500 selects a clock signal supplied to the digital converter 200. The clock frequency adjuster 600 changes the frequency of the clock signal of the internal clock generator 400.

The microphone device 800 may be mounted on an electronic device. The electronic device can be, but is not limited to, a smart phone, a tablet computer, or a multimedia player, for example. The electronic device includes a microphone device 800 and has a main processor capable of controlling other configurations than the microphone. The main processor corresponds to the external processor 1000 in the microphone device 800.

Specifically, the transducer 100 receives a voice signal and converts the voice signal into an electric signal. The converted electrical signal has an analog form. The electrical signal converted by the transducer (100) is transmitted to the digital converter (200).

The signal received by the transducer 100 includes not only a voice having a specific meaning but also a sound having no specific meaning to the voice signal. That is, the voice signal corresponds to a comprehensive acoustic signal.

The transducer 100 may be, but not limited to, a MEMS (MEMS) device, a membrane device, or an ECM (Electret Condenser / Capacitor Microphone) device.

Digital converter 200 receives an electrical signal from the transducer 100 and converts the electrical signal into a digital signal DS. The converted digital signal DS is transmitted to the start determination unit 300 or the external processor 1000. More specifically, in the sleep mode before the turn-on signal TS is generated, the digital signal DS is transmitted to the start determination unit 300 and processed. After the turn-on signal TS is generated In the turn-on mode, the digital signal DS is transmitted to the external processor 1000. More details will be described below with reference to FIG. 2 to FIG.

The digital converter 200 converts an analog signal into a digital signal DS according to a predetermined sampling frequency. When the signal is converted by a high sampling frequency, the quality of the converted digital signal DS can be improved. However, more power is consumed when the signal is converted by a high sampling frequency. The sampling frequency of the digital conversion unit 200 may be determined by a clock signal received by the digital conversion unit 200.

The start determination unit 300 receives the digital signal DS from the digital conversion unit 200 in the sleep mode. The start determination unit 300 is a digital signal (DS) processing unit that determines whether the received digital signal DS is a predetermined start speech signal. The start determination unit 300 compares the digital signal DS with the start speech signal to determine whether the two signals are substantially the same speech.

The start speech signal is stored in the memory 310. The memory 310 in which the start voice signal is stored may be included in the start determination unit 300. The memory 310 in the start determination unit 300 is limited in only the purpose of storing only the start voice signal and therefore can have a much smaller capacity than the main memory mounted in the electronic device. However, the memory in which the start speech signal is stored exists outside, and the start determination unit 300 may access the memory to read information. However, if the start determination unit 300 includes a memory, the total power consumption can be reduced.

The start speech signal may be a predetermined specific speech. The start voice signal may be a signal that changes the electronic device in the sleep mode to the turn-on mode so that it is ready to receive another command. For example, the start speech signal may change the state of the electronic device such that the electronic device is in a turn-on mode in which speech recognition is enabled. For example, if the electronic device is a smartphone that performs an operation to call a telephone number of a caller by the command "Call a caller ", and the start voice signal is" The phone does not perform any action when the user inputs a voice called "telephone call". However, if the start voice signal of "Hello, my phone!" Is inputted, the smartphone is changed from the sleep mode to the turn-on mode. In this case, if the voice " Is performed.

The start speech signal can prevent the malfunction of the speech recognition control. There may be a plurality of voice commands configured to perform a particular operation. In addition, the voice command has a specific meaning for the convenience of use, and is often set in a frequently used language. Thus, there may be a malfunction if the electronic device recognizes and operates a voice command without a start voice signal. For example, if the user says, " Yesterday, I called Joe, Joe's mother received it, "the electronic device would recognize the call to Joe from the user & . Since malfunctions different from the intention of the user may occur as described above, malfunction of the speech recognition control can be prevented by setting the start speech signal.

The operation of the microphone device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4. FIG.

The microphone device and the electronic device are initially in the sleep mode. The sleep mode state means before the start determination unit 300 generates the turn-on signal TS. After the turn-on signal TS has been generated, it is switched to the turn-on mode.

Referring to FIG. 3 together with FIG. 2, in the sleep mode, the start determination unit 300 is in the active state and the external processor 1000 is in the inactive state. The digital signal DS converted by the digital conversion unit 200 is transmitted to the start determination unit 300 and processed. The start determination unit 300 determines whether the received digital signal DS is a predetermined start speech.

In the sleep mode, the external processor 1000 does not receive and process the digital signal DS. The external processor 1000 is the main processor of the electronic device. Therefore, the external processor 1000 receives and processes the digital signal DS from the digital conversion unit 200 consumes more power than the signal received and processed by the start determination unit 300. The power consumed in the reception and processing of the signal varies depending on the characteristics and performance of the electronic device and the start determination unit 300, but typically shows a power consumption difference of two times or more. Accordingly, in the sleep mode, the external processor 1000 maintains the inactive state for receiving and processing the signal from the digital conversion unit 200, and the start determination unit 300 receives the signal from the digital conversion unit 200 Maintaining an active state for processing can reduce power consumption.

In the sleep mode, the start determination unit 300 receives the clock signal IC from the internal clock generation unit 400. [ The clock signal IC of the internal clock generator 400 has a lower frequency than the clock signal OC of the electronic device. Therefore, in the start determination unit 300, the power consumption may be small by receiving and operating the internal clock signal IC rather than receiving and operating the clock signal OC of the electronic device outside the microphone device 800 .

In the sleep mode, the digital converter 200 also receives the clock signal IC of the internal clock generator 400. As described above, since the frequency of the clock signal IC of the internal clock generator 400 is lower than the clock signal (OC) frequency of the electronic device, the power consumption can be reduced.

Furthermore, the digital converter 200 can receive a clock signal having a frequency lower than that of the start determiner 300. The clock frequency adjusting unit 600 converts the frequency of the clock signal of the internal clock generating unit 400. The clock frequency adjuster 600 can receive a clock signal having a frequency lower than that of the start determiner 300. [ In this case, the power consumption can be further reduced.

The clock frequency adjuster 600 may reduce the frequency of the clock signal IC of the internal clock generator 400 to generate a clock signal to be supplied to the digital converter 200. Conversely, the frequency of the clock signal IC of the internal clock generator 400 may be increased to generate the clock signal to be supplied to the start determiner 300.

The sampling frequency may be lowered when a low frequency clock signal is supplied to the digital conversion unit 200. [ If the sampling frequency is low, the quality of the converted digital signal DS may deteriorate. However, determining that the digital signal DS is the start voice in the start determination unit 300 does not require a high-quality digital signal DS. Therefore, the digital converter 200 maintains the frequency of the clock signal that can maintain only the minimum quality required by the start determiner 300 in the sleep mode, and receives the clock signal of the relatively high frequency in the turn-on mode The quality of the digital signal DS to be converted can be maintained at a predetermined level or higher. In this manner, the power consumed by changing the sampling frequency of the digital converter 200 can be minimized.

Referring to FIG. 4 together with FIG. 2, when the start determination unit 300 determines that the digital signal DS is a start speech, it generates a turn-on signal TS. The generated turn-on signal TS may be transmitted to the external processor 1000. The turn-on signal TS changes the microphone device 800 and the electronic device from the sleep mode to the turn-on mode as described above.

In the turn-on mode, the external processor 1000 is activated to receive and process the digital signal DS. In this case, the digital signal DS is no longer sent to the start determination unit 300 and is not processed.

Also, in the turn-on mode, the start determining unit 300 and the internal clock generating unit 400 are in an inactive state. An inactive state is to reduce power consumption or maintain a completely off state. The start determining unit 300 and the internal clock generating unit 400 may be switched to the inactive state by controlling the external processor 1000. When the start determination unit 300 generates a turn on signal TS, the start determination unit 300 and the internal clock generation unit 400 are turned into an inactive state regardless of the control of the external processor 1000 .

Also, in the turn-on mode, the digital converter 200 transmits the converted digital signal DS to the external processor 1000. [ Also, the digital converter 200 receives the clock signal OS from the external clock generator 1100. The external clock generator 1100 refers to a clock generator required for driving an electronic device on which the microphone device 800 is mounted. The external clock generating unit 1100 is distinguished from the internal clock generating unit 400 included in the microphone device 800.

The clock signal OS of the external clock generator 1100 is higher in frequency than the clock signal IS of the internal clock generator 400. [ In the case of the internal clock generator 400, only the clock signal limited to the start determination unit 300 and the digital converter 200 is generated. The external clock generator 1100 generates a clock signal So that the clock frequency can be high. As the frequency of the received clock signal increases, the sampling frequency can be increased, and consequently the quality of the converted digital signal DS can be increased.

The digital converter 200 may consume more power in the turn-on mode than in the sleep mode. However, in the turn-on mode, the digital signal DS converted by the digital converter 200 in the sleep mode may be used for various purposes, unlike in the case where the digital signal DS is used only for the start determination. Therefore, high-quality signals may be required in some cases, so even if more power is consumed, it is necessary to maintain a high sampling frequency.

As described above, the digital converter 200 receives the clock signal from the internal clock generator 400 or the external clock generator 1100 according to whether the state is the sleep mode or the turn-on mode. The microphone device 800 may further include a signal selector 500 for selecting a clock signal to be supplied to the digital converter 200. The signal selector 500 can select whether the clock signal IC of the internal clock generator 400 is supplied to the digital converter 200 or the clock signal OC of the external clock generator 1100 is supplied to the digital converter 200. The signal selector 500 can control the selection of the signal by the start determination unit 300. [ For example, when the start determination unit 300 generates a turn-on signal TS, the signal selector 500 changes the supply unit of the clock signal from the internal clock generator 400 to the external clock generator 1100 . In addition, the clock signal supply unit can be controlled to change according to the active / inactive state of the start determination unit 300. That is, when the start determination unit 300 is in the active state, the signal selector 500 can control the clock signal IC of the internal clock generator 400 to be supplied to the digital converter 200. The signal selector 500 may control the digital converter 200 to supply the clock signal OC of the external clock generator 1100 when the start determiner 300 is in an inactive state. However, the start determination unit 300 controls the signal selector 500 is not limited to the above-described method.

In the turn-on mode, the external processor 1000 receives and processes the digital signal DS. In this process, the external processor 1000 performs a predetermined operation according to a command of the user. When a predetermined operation is completed in the external processor 1000 or when the user instructs the sleep mode of the electronic device, the electronic device is again switched to the sleep mode. In the sleep mode, the start determiner 300 and the internal clock generator 400 are turned into the active state again. The digital converter 200 receives and operates the clock signal IC of the internal clock generator 400, and the sampling frequency can be lowered. Further, the converted digital signal DS is transmitted to the start determination unit 300 and processed. The external processor 1000 is switched to the inactive state in which it does not perform the operation of receiving and processing the digital signal DS.

As described above, in the sleep mode, the external processor 1000 is in an inactive state. When the start determination unit 300 and the digital conversion unit 200 are operated by the clock signal IC of the internal clock generation unit 400, In the turn-on mode, the start determiner 300 and the internal clock generator 400 are inactive, and the external processor 1000 is activated. In this way, activation / deactivation of each part can be controlled to minimize power consumption. The start determination unit 300 and the internal clock generation unit 400 do not exist separately so that all the digital signals DS are transmitted to the external processor 1000 while being maintained in the turn- However, there is a problem that power consumption is very high. Using the microphone device 800 of the present invention, the power consumption can be reduced to less than half that of the external processor 1000 performing its function alone.

Hereinafter, a structure of a microphone device 800 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The transducer 100 may be formed of one element that is mounted on the substrate 710. The transducer 100 may include an electrode pad for inputting and outputting a signal and may be connected to the substrate 710.

The digital converter 200, the start determiner 300, the internal clock generator 400, and the signal selector 500 may be implemented as one ASIC 190. The ASIC 190 may also include an amplifier capable of amplifying the signal. The ASIC 190 may also be formed in the form of a chip mounted on the substrate 710.

It goes without saying that the digital conversion unit 200 may be implemented as one chip and the start determination unit 300 may be implemented by one chip as the case may be. In this case, it is preferable that the internal clock generator 400 and the signal selector 500 are implemented as one chip together with the start determiner 300.

The microphone device 800 includes a housing 700 that houses the transducer 100 and the ASIC 190. The housing 700 includes a cover portion 720 that provides a receiving space between the lower surface 710 and the lower surface 710. The bottom surface 710 may be formed of a substrate 710 on which the transducer 100 and the ASIC 190 are mounted.

The housing 700 is provided with an acoustic hole 730 through which a voice signal is transmitted. The acoustic holes 730 may be formed in the cover portion 720 or may be formed in the substrate 710. The transducer 100 can be mounted around the acoustic hole 730 to smoothly receive the voice signal.

The microphone device 800 has an electrode pad mounted on the electronic device and capable of inputting and outputting a signal and a power source. The electrode pad is electrically connected to the electronic device, and can receive power or the like, and can transmit a turn-on signal (TS) or the like.

The embodiments of the microphone device of the present invention have been described above. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be determined by the equivalents of the claims and the claims.

100: transducer 200: digital conversion unit
300: start determination unit 400: internal clock generation unit
500: Signal selector 600: Clock frequency adjuster
700: housing 800: microphone device
1000: external processor 1100: external clock generator
DS: digital signal TS: turn-on signal
IC: Internal clock signal OC: External clock signal

Claims (17)

A transducer for receiving a voice signal;
A digital converter for converting a signal received from the transducer into a digital signal; And
A start determining unit that receives the digital signal from the digital converting unit, determines whether the digital signal is a predetermined start (start) sound, and generates a turn-on signal if the digital signal is the start voice, ;
≪ / RTI >
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the start determining unit is in an active state before the turn-on signal is generated and in an inactive state after the turn-on signal is generated.
The method according to claim 1,
The digital signal is transmitted to the start determination unit before the turn-on signal is generated, and is processed and transmitted to an external processor after the turn-on signal is generated.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the turn-on signal is a command signal that activates an external processor to receive and process the digital signal.
5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein when the activation of the external processor is terminated, the start determination unit is turned on.
The method according to claim 3 or 4,
Wherein the external processor is a main processor for controlling an electronic device on which the microphone device is mounted.
The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising an internal clock generator.
8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the internal clock generating unit is controlled to be in the same active or inactive state as the start determining unit.
8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the digital converter receives the clock signal from the internal clock generator before the turn-on signal is generated, and receives the clock signal from the external clock generator after the turn-on signal is generated.
10. The method of claim 9,
Further comprising a signal selector for selecting a clock signal to be supplied to the digital converter from the clock signal of the internal clock generator and the clock signal of the external clock generator.
11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the signal selector controls the selection of the signal by the start determination unit.
8. The method of claim 7,
Further comprising a clock frequency adjuster for changing a frequency of a clock signal of the internal clock generator and setting the clock signal received by the digital converter to a different value.
13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the frequency of the clock signal received by the digital conversion unit is smaller than the clock signal received by the start determination unit before the turn-on signal is generated.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the digital converter is a clock signal having a higher frequency than a clock signal received after the turn-on signal is generated before the turn-on signal is generated.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the digital converter converts the signal to a larger sampling frequency after the turn-on signal occurs before the turn-on signal occurs.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the digital converter consumes a larger amount of power after the turn-on signal is generated before the turn-on signal is generated.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the digital conversion unit and the start determination unit are formed of one ASIC,
Further comprising: a housing having an acoustic hole through which the voice signal passes, the housing housing the transducer and the ASIC therein.

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