US 12,041,415 B2
Apparatus for sound detection, sound localization and beam forming and method of producing such apparatus
Goran Stojanovic, Rapperswill (CH); Jens Hofrichter, Horgen (CH); and Thomas Stockmeier, Premstätten (AT)
Assigned to AMS INTERNATIONAL AG, Jona (CH)
Appl. No. 17/907,325
Filed by ams International AG, Jona (CH)
PCT Filed Mar. 19, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/057134
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 26, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/191086, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 30, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 20166393 (EP), filed on Mar. 27, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0113962 A1, Apr. 13, 2023
Int. Cl. H04R 1/40 (2006.01); H04R 3/00 (2006.01)
CPC H04R 1/406 (2013.01) [H04R 3/005 (2013.01); H04R 2201/003 (2013.01); H04R 2430/23 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for sound detection, sound localization and beam forming, the apparatus comprising:
a display having a main plane of extension,
a plurality of microphone stacks, wherein the display surrounds each microphone stack in lateral directions, that extend parallel to the main plane of extension of the display, and
a plurality of elastic connectors, wherein each elastic connector surrounds one respective microphone stack in lateral directions and mechanically connects the respective microphone stack with the display,
wherein each microphone stack comprises
a microelectromechanical transducer array, the transducer array comprising a plurality of membranes and corresponding integrated back-volumes, the back-volumes being arranged under the membranes in a transversal direction, that extends perpendicular to the main plane of extension of the display, wherein the transducer array further comprises a substrate, a thin-film on a main surface of the substrate, and trenches formed from a rear surface of the substrate towards the thin-film, wherein the membranes are formed by respective parts of the exposed thin-film and the back-volumes are formed by the trenches, and
an optical reading device configured to separately detect the displacement of each membrane.