Array microphone system and method of assembling the same

Abstract

Embodiments include a microphone assembly comprising an array microphone and a housing configured to support the array microphone and sized and shaped to be mountable in a drop ceiling in place of at least one of a plurality of ceiling tiles included in the drop ceiling. A front face of the housing includes a sound-permeable screen having a size and shape that is substantially similar to the at least one of the plurality of ceiling tiles. Embodiments also include an array microphone system comprising a plurality of microphones arranged, on a substrate, in a number of concentric, nested rings of varying sizes around a central point of the substrate. Each ring comprises a subset of the plurality of microphones positioned at predetermined intervals along a circumference of the ring.

1 - 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . An array microphone system comprising:
 a plurality of microphones arranged in a number of concentric, nested configurations, each configuration comprising a subset of the plurality of microphones positioned at predetermined intervals from each other to form the configuration, wherein the configurations are rotationally offset from each other relative to a central axis of the array microphone system.   
     
     
         42 . The array microphone system of  claim 41 , wherein each configuration is rotationally offset from the central axis by a different number of degrees. 
     
     
         43 . The array microphone system of  claim 41 , wherein each configuration is positioned at a different radial distance from the central axis to form the nested arrangement. 
     
     
         44 . The array microphone system of  claim 41 , further comprising at least one microphone arranged at a central point of the concentric, nested configurations. 
     
     
         45 . The array microphone system of  claim 41 , wherein each configuration forms a circular shape with a diameter that is selected based on a lowest operating frequency assigned to the subset of microphones included in that configuration. 
     
     
         46 . The array microphone system of  claim 41 , wherein each configuration comprises a predetermined number of microphones, the predetermined number being selected from a group consisting of numbers that are multiples of an integer greater than one. 
     
     
         47 . The array microphone system of  claim 46 , wherein the predetermined number is an odd number. 
     
     
         48 . The array microphone system of  claim 41 , further comprising a substrate, the plurality of microphones being arranged on said substrate. 
     
     
         49 . The array microphone system of  claim 48 , wherein the substrate includes at least one printed circuit board (PCB), and the plurality of microphones are micro-electrical mechanical system (MEMS) microphones coupled to the PCB. 
     
     
         50 . The array microphone system of  claim 48 , wherein the substrate comprises a central printed circuit board (PCB) and a plurality of peripheral printed circuit boards (PCBs) radially positioned around, and electrically connected to, the central PCB, at least one of the concentric, nested configurations being positioned on the plurality of peripheral PCBs. 
     
     
         51 . A method of assembling an array microphone, comprising:
 arranging a first plurality of microphones to form a first configuration;   arranging a second plurality of microphones to form a second configuration, the second configuration concentrically surrounding the first configuration;   rotating at least one of the first and second configurations relative to a central axis of the array microphone, and   electrically coupling each of the first and second pluralities of microphones to an audio processor for processing audio signals captured by the microphones.   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein rotating at least one of the first and second configurations includes rotating each configuration by a different number of degrees relative to the central axis. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein:
 arranging the first plurality of microphones includes: positioning the first configuration at a first radial distance from the central axis; and   arranging the second plurality of microphones includes: positioning the second configuration at a second radial distance from the central axis,   the second radial distance being greater than the first radial distance to form a concentric, nested arrangement.   
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 51 , further comprising: arranging at least one microphone at a central point of the first configuration. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein arranging the first plurality of microphones includes: arranging the first plurality of microphones at predetermined intervals from each other to form the first configuration. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein:
 arranging the first plurality of microphones to form the first configuration includes: arranging the first plurality of microphones in a circular shape with a first diameter to form the first configuration; and   arranging the second plurality of microphones to form the second configuration includes: arranging the second plurality of microphones in a circular shape with a second diameter to form the second configuration,   the first and second diameters being defined by a lowest operating frequency assigned to the microphones forming the corresponding configuration.   
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 51 , further comprising:
 selecting a predetermined number of microphones for each of the first and second configurations from a group consisting of numbers that are multiples of an integer greater than one.   
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein the predetermined number is an odd number. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the first and second pluralities of microphones are arranged on a substrate, and electrically coupling each of the microphones to the audio processor includes: electrically connecting each of the microphones to the substrate, and electrically connecting the substrate to the audio processor. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein the substrate includes at least one printed circuit board (PCB), and the plurality of microphones are micro-electrical mechanical system (MEMS) microphones coupled to the PCB.