Patents Assigned to Knowles Electronics, LLC
  • Publication number: 20160241951
    Abstract: A surface mount package for a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) microphone die is disclosed. The surface mount package features a substrate with metal pads for surface mounting the package to a device's printed circuit board and for making electrical connections between the microphone package and the device's circuit board. The surface mount microphone package has a cover, and the MEMS microphone die is substrate-mounted and acoustically coupled to an acoustic port provided in the surface mount package. The substrate and the cover are joined together to form the MEMS microphone, and the substrate and cover cooperate to form an acoustic chamber for the substrate-mounted MEMS microphone die.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2016
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Applicant: Knowles Electronics, LLC
    Inventor: Anthony D. Minervini
  • Patent number: 9401158
    Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for microphone signal fusion. An example method commences with receiving a first and second signal representing sounds captured, respectively, by internal and external microphones. The second signal includes at least a voice component. The first signal and the voice component are modified by at least human tissue. The first and second signals are processed to obtain noise estimates. The first signal is aligned with the second signal. The second signal and the aligned first signal are blended based on the noise estimates to generate an enhanced voice signal. The internal microphone is located inside an ear canal and sealed for isolation from acoustic signals outside the ear canal. The external microphone is located outside the ear canal. All of parts of the processing, blending and aligning of the systems and method may be performed on a subband basis in the frequency domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Knowles Electronics, LLC
    Inventors: Kuan-Chieh Yen, Thomas Miller, Mushtaq Syed
  • Patent number: 9402118
    Abstract: An acoustic device includes a substrate, a substrate cover, and a plurality of electrical and acoustic components. The substrate cover is disposed on the substrate and the plurality of electrical and acoustic components are disposed on the substrate and under the substrate cover. The substrate cover is constructed of a base metal and the substrate cover comprises a partially plating. The partial plating is arranged so as to prevent solder creep along a surface of the substrate cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Knowles Electronics, LLC
    Inventors: Tony K. Lim, Kurt B. Friel
  • Patent number: 9399574
    Abstract: A plurality of MEMS transducer packages is manufactured by placement of a plurality of transducers onto a panel of undivided package substrates, attachment of a plurality of individual covers onto a panel and over the transducers, depositing an epoxy into the channels between the covers, and then singulating the panel into individual MEMS transducer packages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Knowles Electronics LLC
    Inventors: Peter V. Loeppert, Denise P. Czech, Lawrence A. Grunert, Kurt B. Friel, Qing Wang
  • Patent number: 9386370
    Abstract: A driver, includes a driver block, a controller block, and a comparison block. The driver block includes an adjustable current source configured to produce a digital output stream. The controller block is coupled to the driver block. The comparison block is coupled to the driver block and the controller block. The comparison block is configured to compare the digital output stream to a reference value at a time delayed with respect to a master clock and based upon the comparison cause the controller block to adjust a strength of the driver block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Knowles Electronics, LLC
    Inventors: John Nielsen, Claus Erdmann Fürst, Aziz Yurttas, Anders Svava Mortensen
  • Patent number: 9378754
    Abstract: A robust noise suppression system may concurrently reduce noise and echo components in an acoustic signal while limiting the level of speech distortion. The system may receive acoustic signals from two or more microphones in a close-talk, hand-held or other configuration. The received acoustic signals are transformed to cochlea domain sub-band signals and echo and noise components may be subtracted from the sub-band signals. Features in the acoustic sub-band signals are identified and used to generate a multiplicative mask. The multiplicative mask is applied to the noise subtracted sub-band signals and the sub-band signals are reconstructed in the time domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Knowles Electronics, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Every, Ludger Solbach
  • Patent number: 9374643
    Abstract: A microphone base includes a plurality of metal layers and a plurality of core layers. Each of the plurality of core layers is disposed between selected ones of the metal layers. A dielectric membrane is disposed between other selected ones of the plurality of metal layers. A port extends through the metal layers and the core layers but not through the dielectric membrane. The dielectric membrane has a compressed portion and an uncompressed portion. The uncompressed portion extends across the port and the compressed portion is in contact with the other selected ones of the metal layers. The compressed portion of the membrane is effective to operate as a passive electronic component and the uncompressed portion is effective to act as a barrier to prevent at least some external debris from traversing through the port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Knowles Electronics, LLC
    Inventors: John B. Szczech, Peter Van Kessel
  • Patent number: 9343455
    Abstract: An electronics chip includes a charge pump and at least one high voltage (HV) electro-static discharge (ESD) module. The charge pump is configured to provide a predetermined voltage across a microphone. The devices described herein are implemented in a standard low voltage CMOS process and has a circuit topology that provides an inherent ESD protection level (when it is powered down), which is higher than the operational (predetermined) DC level. At least one high voltage (HV) electro-static discharge (ESD) module is coupled to the output of the charge pump. The HV ESD module is configured to provide ESD protection for the charge pump and a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) microphone that is coupled to the chip. The at least one HV ESD module includes a plurality of PMOS or NMOS transistors having at least one high voltage NWELL/DNWELL region formed within selected ones of the PMOS or NMOS transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Knowles Electronics, LLC
    Inventors: Svetoslav Radoslavov Gueorguiev, Claus Erdmann Furst, Tore Sejr Joergensen
  • Patent number: 9343056
    Abstract: Wind noise is detected in and removed from an acoustic signal. Features may be extracted from the acoustic signal. The extracted features may be processed to classify the signal as including wind noise or not. The wind noise may be removed before or during processing of the acoustic signal. The wind noise may be suppressed by estimating a wind noise model, deriving a modification, and applying the modification to the acoustic signal. In audio devices with multiple microphones, the channel exhibiting wind noise (i.e., acoustic signal frame associated with the wind noise) may be discarded for the frame in which wind noise is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Knowles Electronics, LLC
    Inventor: Michael M. Goodwin
  • Patent number: 9343073
    Abstract: The present technology provides adaptive noise and echo reduction of an acoustic signal which can overcome or substantially alleviate problems associated with mistaken adaptation of speech and noise models to acoustic echo. The present technology carries out a multi-faceted analysis to identify echo within the near-end acoustic signal to derive an echo model. Echo classification information regarding the derived echo model is then utilized to build near-end speech and noise models. These echo, speech, and noise models are then used to generate one or more signal modifications applied to the acoustic signal to preserve the desired near-end speech signal and reduce the echo and near-end noise signals. By building near-end speech and noise models utilizing echo classification information, the present technology can prevent adaptation of the speech and noise model to the acoustic echo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Knowles Electronics, LLC
    Inventors: Carlo Murgia, Ye Jiang, Michael M. Goodwin, Mark Every
  • Patent number: 9338560
    Abstract: A surface mount package for a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) microphone die is disclosed. The surface mount package features a substrate with metal pads for surface mounting the package to a device's printed circuit board and for making electrical connections between the microphone package and the device's circuit board. The surface mount microphone package has a cover, and the MEMS microphone die is substrate-mounted and acoustically coupled to an acoustic port provided in the surface mount package. The substrate and the cover are joined together to form the MEMS microphone, and the substrate and cover cooperate to form an acoustic chamber for the substrate-mounted MEMS microphone die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Knowles Electronics, LLC
    Inventor: Anthony D. Minervini
  • Patent number: 9307328
    Abstract: A microphone includes an interposer, a lid, and a base. The interposer includes at least one wall portion that forms a cavity. The wall portion includes a first side and a second side that are opposite from each other. The lid is coupled to the first side of the interposer and the base is coupled to the second side of the interposer such that the lid and the base enclose the cavity. A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device is disposed in the cavity. The interposer structurally supports one or both of the lid and the base. The interposer includes a plurality of plated regions that are configured to electrically connect the lid and the base. The plated regions are configured to at least partially be exposed and open to the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Knowles Electronics, LLC
    Inventors: John Szczech, Joshua Watson, Gregory B. Servis
  • Patent number: 9301075
    Abstract: An acoustic apparatus includes a substrate, micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) die, and an integrated circuit. The substrate includes a permanent opening that extends there through. The micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) die is disposed over the permanent opening and the MEMS die includes a pierce-less diaphragm that is moved by sound energy. A first temporary opening extends through the substrate. The integrated circuit is disposed on the substrate and includes a second opening. The first temporary opening and the second opening are generally aligned. A cover that is coupled to the substrate and encloses the MEMS die and the integrated circuit. The cover and the substrate form a back volume, and the diaphragm separates the back volume from a front volume. The first temporary opening is unrestricted at a first point in time to allow gasses present in the back volume to exit through the temporary opening to the exterior and the pierce-less diaphragm prevents the gasses from passing there through.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Knowles Electronics, LLC
    Inventors: Kurt B. Friel, John B. Szczech
  • Patent number: 9237402
    Abstract: The claim invention is directed at a MEMS microphone die fabricated using CMOS-based technologies. In particular, the claims are directed at various aspects of a MEMS microphone die having anisotropic springs, a backplate, a diaphragm, mechanical stops, and a support structure, all of which are fabricated as stacked metallic layers separated by vias using CMOS fabrication technologies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Knowles Electronics LLC
    Inventor: Peter V. Loeppert
  • Patent number: 9156684
    Abstract: Methods for manufacturing multiple top port, surface mount microphones, each containing a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) microphone die, are disclosed. Each surface mount microphone features a substrate with metal pads for surface mounting the package to a device's printed circuit board and for making electrical connections between the microphone package and the device's circuit board. The surface mount microphones are manufactured from a panel of unsingulated substrates, and each MEMS microphone die is substrate-mounted. Individual covers, each with an acoustic port, are joined to the panel of unsingulated substrates. Each individual substrate and cover pair cooperates to form an acoustic chamber for its respective MEMS microphone die, which is acoustically coupled to the acoustic port in the cover. The completed panel is singulated to form individual MEMS microphones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Knowles Electronics, LLC
    Inventor: Anthony D. Minervini
  • Patent number: 9150409
    Abstract: Methods for manufacturing multiple bottom port, surface mount microphones, each containing a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) microphone die, are disclosed. Each surface mount microphone features a substrate with metal pads for surface mounting the package to a device's printed circuit board and for making electrical connections between the microphone package and the device's circuit board. The surface mount microphones are manufactured from a panel of unsingulated substrates, each substrate having an acoustic port, and each MEMS microphone die is substrate-mounted and acoustically coupled to its respective acoustic port. Individual covers are joined to the panel of unsingulated substrates, and each individual substrate and cover pair cooperates to form an acoustic chamber for its respective MEMS microphone die. The completed panel is singulated to form individual MEMS microphones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Knowles Electronics, LLC
    Inventor: Anthony D. Minervini
  • Patent number: 9148731
    Abstract: A top port, surface mount package for a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) microphone die is disclosed. The surface mount package features a substrate with metal pads for surface mounting the package to a device's printed circuit board and for making electrical connections between the microphone package and the device's circuit board. The surface mount microphone package has a cover with an acoustic port, and the MEMS microphone die is substrate-mounted and acoustically coupled to the acoustic port. The substrate and the cover are joined together to form the MEMS microphone, and the substrate and cover cooperate to form an acoustic chamber for the substrate-mounted MEMS microphone die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Knowles Electronics, LLC
    Inventor: Anthony D. Minervini
  • Patent number: 9139422
    Abstract: A bottom port, surface mount package for a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) microphone die is disclosed. The surface mount package features a substrate with metal pads for surface mounting the package to a device's printed circuit board and for making electrical connections between the microphone package and the device's circuit board. The surface mount microphone package has a cover, and the MEMS microphone die is substrate-mounted and acoustically coupled to the acoustic port in the substrate. The substrate and the cover are joined together to form the MEMS microphone, and the substrate and cover cooperate to form an acoustic chamber for the substrate-mounted MEMS microphone die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Knowles Electronics, LLC
    Inventor: Anthony D. Minervini
  • Patent number: 9139421
    Abstract: A top port, surface mount package for a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) microphone die is disclosed. The surface mount package features a substrate with metal pads for surface mounting the package to a device's printed circuit board and for making electrical connections between the microphone package and the device's circuit board. The surface mount microphone package has a cover with an acoustic port, and the MEMS microphone die is substrate-mounted and acoustically coupled to the acoustic port. The substrate and the cover are joined together to form the MEMS microphone, and the substrate and cover cooperate to form an acoustic chamber for the substrate-mounted MEMS microphone die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Knowles Electronics, LLC
    Inventor: Anthony D. Minervini
  • Patent number: 9133020
    Abstract: Methods for manufacturing multiple bottom port, surface mount microphones, each containing a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) microphone die, are disclosed. Each surface mount microphone features a substrate with metal pads for surface mounting the package to a device's printed circuit board and for making electrical connections between the microphone package and the device's printed circuit board. The surface mount microphones are manufactured from a panel of unsingulated substrates, each substrate having an acoustic port, and each MEMS microphone die is substrate-mounted and acoustically coupled to its respective acoustic port. Individual covers are joined to the panel of unsingulated substrates, and each individual substrate and cover pair cooperates to form an acoustic chamber for its respective MEMS microphone die. The completed panel is singulated to form individual MEMS microphones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Knowles Electronics, LLC
    Inventor: Anthony D. Minervini