A sensor includes a membrane electrode, a counter-electrode, and at least one spring. The sensor can include a structure; a membrane electrode, which is deformable as a consequence of pressure and which is in contact with the structure; a counter-electrode mechanically connected to the structure and separated from the membrane electrode by a gap; and at least one spring mechanically connected to the membrane electrode and the counter-electrode, so as to exert an elastic force between the membrane electrode and the counter-electrode.

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a first housing structure including a first microphone, a second housing structure including a second microphone and foldably coupled to the first housing structure, a sensor module disposed in the first housing structure or the second housing structure, and a processor in the first housing structure or the second housing structure, operationally connected with the first microphone, the second microphone, and the sensor module, the processor configured to receive a folding event related to the first housing structure and the second housing structure through the sensor module while a specific voice recording mode is performed, identify folding state information in response to receiving the folding event, identify a recording function configuration related to the first microphone and the second microphone, based on the folding state information and the specific voice recording mode, and perform recording by applying the recording function configuration.

An accident detector includes a processor, one or more sensors operatively coupled to the processor where the one or more sensors acquire at the ear, on the ear or within an ear canal, one or more of acceleration, blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure or heart-rate, and the one or more sensors configured to monitor a biological state or a physical motion or both for an event. The accident detection can be a detection of a discrepancy when compared with a set of reference data by the one or more sensors.

A microphone device, an interface circuit and method are provided for managing a potential difference in sensitivity to a detected environmental stimulus associated with a sensor arrangement, where multiple electrical signals forming a differential signal can be produced, and the multiple electrical signals can be better balanced. Such an interface circuit, which can be used within a microphone device includes a bias voltage generator having one or more bias output voltage terminals, where a respective one of one or more DC bias voltages is produced at each of the bias output voltage terminals, for being coupled to a pair of transduction elements of a sensor. The interface circuit further includes an amplifier circuit having a first input terminal coupled to a first one of the pair of output terminals of the sensor and having a second input terminal coupled to a second one of the pair of output terminals of the sensor, the amplifier circuit producing a differential output signal. The interface circuit still further includes a compensation circuit coupled to the amplifier circuit for producing a balance signal based on an output signal being produced by the amplifier circuit, wherein the balance signal compensates for any difference in amplitude in the first and second electrical signals that are received by the amplifier circuit from the sensor.

A test device for testing a microphone has at least one test loudspeaker for generating at least one test tone into at least one test cavity. The test device has a compartment for accommodating the microphone to be tested in acoustic communication with the test cavity. The test device has at least one reference microphone for ascertaining a reference signal of the test tone emitted from the test loudspeaker. The test device has a reference cavity separated from the test cavity and acoustically coupled with the reference microphone and the test cavity. The test loudspeaker is arranged between the reference microphone and the test loudspeaker.

A system for detecting parasitic oscillation in a wearable audio device that includes an electro-acoustic transducer that is configured to develop sound for a user, a housing that holds the transducer, at least one of a feedforward microphone that is configured to detect sound outside of the housing and output a feedforward microphone signal and a feedback microphone that is configured to detect sound inside of the housing and output a feedback microphone signal, and an opening in the housing that emits sound pressure from the transducer. The system includes a parasitic oscillation detector that is configured to determine a fundamental frequency of at least one of the feedforward and feedback microphone signals and compare an amplitude of the determined fundamental frequency to a threshold level, to determine parasitic oscillation.

Devices that record data from a space, such as audio or video devices having microphones and/or cameras, may have a privacy mode which allows a user to temporarily prevent the device from recoding audio or video of the space. The privacy mode may be a privacy cover, button, airgap, or other mechanism to obfuscate the acoustic or video signal, or to remove power and/or communication from the camera, microphone, control circuit, or to the entire device itself. Additionally, the privacy mode may be remotely enabled for multiple devices in a space.

Electronic conferences can often be the source of frustration and wasted resources as participants may be forced to contend with extraneous sounds, such as conversations not intended for the conference, provided by an endpoint that should be muted. Similarly, participants may speak with the intention of providing their speech to the conference but speak while their associated endpoint is muted. As a result, the conference may be awkward and lack a productive flow while erroneously muted or non-muted endpoints are addressed. By detecting erroneous audio settings, endpoints can be prompted or automatically corrected to have the appropriate audio state.

Augmented reality visual display of microphone pick-up patterns are disclosed. An example method includes capturing, via a camera of a computing device, an image of a microphone, and displaying the image on a display of the computing device. The method also includes determining, by the computing device, a location and orientation of the microphone relative to the camera, determining one or more parameters of a pick-up pattern of the microphone, determining a visual representation of the pick-up pattern based on the one or more parameters, and displaying the visual representation of the pick-up pattern overlaid on the image of the microphone.

A method and apparatus for objectively assessing acoustical performance of an in-ear device having a passageway extending there through use a dual microphone probe that removably engages the passageway. The acoustical performance of the in-ear device is performed with the in-ear device inserted into the ear canal of the user and a reference sound source. A clip holding the probe in an acoustic near field of the sound source permits real time calibration thereof. The method and apparatus allow on-site and in-situ measurement of a predicted personal attenuation rating of the device, a subject-fit re-insertion test, an acoustic seal test, a rating test, a stability and reliability test, as well as a protection test of the device with an assessment of a filtered predicted exposure level at the ear for a specific noise exposure level. The apparatus may be simply housed along with the sound source for in-field evaluation tests.