An audio conference system has a plurality of specially designed microphone housings into each of which a directional microphone is positioned. Each microphone housing is positioned entirely within the body of the audio conferencing system, the microphone housings are strategically positioned at each one of four corners of the audio conference system body in order to provide maximum exposure of a microphone to its operating environment, and the interior structure of the microphone housing is designing to reflect unwanted energy harmlessly away from the microphone. Each directional microphone is positioned in the microphone housing such that the most sensitive node in its polar response pattern is oriented normal (at right angles) to a line radiating outward from the center of the system.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An audio conference system, comprising: one or more microphone housings positioned around a circumference of the audio conference system, each microphone housing has an acoustic port and an acoustic reflective surface; and a directional microphone in each of the one or more microphone housings is oriented such that a ray passing through a zero degree point in a polar response pattern of each of the directional microphones is oriented in a horizontal plane and normal to a horizontal axis that extends from the directional microphone, through a central point of the audio conference system to a point located on the opposite side of the audio conference system housing circumference.
2. The audio conference system of claim 1 , further comprising the microphone housing acoustic port geometry and acoustic reflective surface geometry is configured to permit a substantially unobstructed exposure to an acoustic environment with respect to the polar response pattern of both sides of a transducer comprising the directional microphone.
3. The audio conference system of claim 2 , further comprising the acoustic reflective surface geometry reflecting acoustic energy entering the microphone housing away from the directional microphone.
4. The audio conference system of claim 1 , where the polar response pattern of the directional microphone is a cardioid response pattern.
5. The microphone housing of claim 1 , further comprising the directional microphone being retained in the microphone housing by a member that subtends from the acoustic reflective surface.
6. The microphone housing of claim 5 , wherein the directional microphone retaining member displays a minimal profile to acoustic energy entering the microphone housing.
7. The microphone housing of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic port is substantially open to the surface upon which the audio conference system rests.
8. The microphone housing of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic reflective surface is substantially arcuate shaped when viewed in a vertical cross section that is normal to an axis intersecting the center of and normal to the directional microphone.
9. A method for detecting acoustic energy, comprising: positioning a directional microphone in a microphone housing located on a circumference of an audio conference system such that a ray passing through a zero degree point in a polar response pattern of the directional microphone is oriented in a horizontal plane and normal to a horizontal axis that extends from the directional microphone, through a central point of the audio conference system to a point located on the opposite side of the audio conference system housing circumference.
10. The method for detecting acoustic energy of claim 9 , further comprising the microphone housing acoustic port geometry and acoustic reflective surface geometry is configured to permit a substantially unobstructed exposure to an acoustic environment with respect to the polar response pattern of both sides of a transducer comprising the directional microphone.
11. The method for detecting acoustic energy of claim 10 , further comprising the geometry of the acoustic reflective surface reflects acoustic energy entering the housing away from the directional microphone.
12. The method for detecting acoustic energy of claim 9 , where the polar response pattern of the directional microphone is a cardioid response pattern.
13. The method for detecting acoustic energy of claim 9 , further comprising the directional microphone being retained in the microphone housing by a member that subtends from the acoustic reflective surface.
14. The method for detecting acoustic energy of claim 13 , wherein the directional microphone retaining member displays a minimal profile to acoustic energy entering the microphone housing.
15. The method for detecting acoustic energy of claim 9 , wherein the acoustic port is substantially open to the surface upon which the audio conference system rests.
16. The method for detecting acoustic energy of claim 9 , wherein the acoustic reflective surface is substantially arcuate shaped when viewed in a vertical cross section that is normal to an axis intersecting the center of and normal to the directional microphone.
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July 7, 2014
February 23, 2016
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