Microphone with Adjustable Signal Processing

Abstract

A microphone may comprise a microphone element for detecting sound, and a digital signal processor configured to process a first audio signal that is based on the sound in accordance with a selected one of a plurality of digital signal processing (DSP) modes. Each of the DSP modes may be for processing the first audio signal in a different way. For example, the DSP modes may account for distance of the person speaking (e.g., near versus far) and/or desired tone (e.g., darker, neutral, or bright tone). At least some of the modes may have, for example, an automatic level control setting to provide a more consistent volume as the user changes their distance from the microphone or changes their speaking level, and that may be associated with particular default (and/or adjustable) values of the parameters attack, hold, decay, maximum gain, and/or target gain, each depending upon which DSP is being applied.

1 . A microphone comprising:
 a microphone element configured to detect sound;   a digital signal processor configured to:
 receive a first audio signal, wherein the first audio signal is based on the sound detected by the microphone element; 
 determine, based on a selected digital signal processing mode, of a plurality of digital signal processing modes, a value of a target gain parameter; and 
 adjust the first audio signal based on the value of the target gain parameter; and 
   a connector configured to output, based on an output of the digital signal processor, a digital audio signal.   
     
     
         2 . The microphone of  claim 1 , wherein the connector comprises a universal serial bus (USB) connector. 
     
     
         3 . The microphone of  claim 1 , wherein the microphone comprises one or more processors configured to determine the selected digital signal processing mode based on a control signal received via the connector. 
     
     
         4 . The microphone of  claim 1 , wherein the digital signal processor is configured to:
 determine, based on the selected digital signal processing mode, at least one value of at least one other parameter, wherein the at least one other parameter comprises at least one of an attack parameter, a hold parameter, or a decay parameter; and   adjust the first audio signal based on the at least one value of the at least one other parameter.   
     
     
         5 . The microphone of  claim 1 , wherein the digital signal processor is configured to:
 determine, based on the selected digital signal processing mode, a value of an attack parameter, a value of a hold parameter, and a value of a decay parameter; and   adjust the first audio signal based on the value of the attack parameter, the value of the hold parameter, and the value of the decay parameter.   
     
     
         6 . The microphone of  claim 1 , wherein the digital signal processor is configured to:
 determine, based on the selected digital signal processing mode, a value of a maximum gain parameter; and   adjust the first audio signal based on the value of the maximum gain parameter.   
     
     
         7 . The microphone of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of digital signal processing modes comprises a different combination of a microphone position setting and a tone setting. 
     
     
         8 . The microphone of  claim 1 , wherein the microphone is further configured to receive an analog audio signal from a second microphone external to the microphone, and wherein the first audio signal is further based on the analog audio signal. 
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, configure a microphone to:
 generate a first audio signal based on sound detected by the microphone;   determine, based on a selected digital signal processing mode, of a plurality of digital signal processing modes, a value of a target gain parameter;   adjust the first audio signal based on the value of the target gain parameter; and   send, based on the first audio signal, a digital audio signal.   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, configure the microphone to send the digital audio signal via a universal serial bus (USB) connector. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further configure the microphone to determine the selected digital signal processing mode based on a control signal received from a device external to the microphone. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further configure the microphone to:
 determine, based on the selected digital signal processing mode, at least one value of at least one other parameter, wherein the at least one other parameter comprises at least one of an attack parameter, a hold parameter, or a decay parameter; and   adjust the first audio signal based on the at least one value of the at least one other parameter.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further configure the microphone to:
 determine, based on the selected digital signal processing mode, a value of an attack parameter, a value of a hold parameter, and a value of a decay parameter; and   adjust the first audio signal based on the value of the attack parameter, the value of the hold parameter, and the value of the decay parameter.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further configure the microphone to:
 determine, based on the selected digital signal processing mode, a value of a maximum gain parameter; and   adjust the first audio signal based on the value of the maximum gain parameter.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of digital signal processing modes comprises a different combination of a microphone position setting and a tone setting. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the first audio signal is further based on an analog audio signal received from a second microphone external to the microphone. 
     
     
         17 . A method comprising:
 generating, by a microphone, a first audio signal based on detected sound;   determining, by the microphone, and based on a selected digital signal processing mode, of a plurality of digital signal processing modes, a value of a target gain parameter;   adjusting, by the microphone, the first audio signal based on the value of the target gain parameter; and   sending, by the microphone and based on the first audio signal, a digital audio signal.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the sending the digital audio signal comprises sending the digital audio signal via a universal serial bus (USB) connector. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising determining the selected digital signal processing mode based on a control signal received from a device external to the microphone. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 determining, based on the selected digital signal processing mode, at least one value of at least one other parameter, wherein the at least one other parameter comprises at least one of an attack parameter, a hold parameter, or a decay parameter; and   adjusting the first audio signal based on the at least one value of the at least one other parameter.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 determining, based on the selected digital signal processing mode, a value of an attack parameter, a value of a hold parameter, and a value of a decay parameter; and   adjusting the first audio signal based on the value of the attack parameter, the value of the hold parameter, and the value of the decay parameter.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 determining, based on the selected digital signal processing mode, a value of a maximum gain parameter; and   adjusting the first audio signal based on the value of the maximum gain parameter.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein each of the plurality of digital signal processing modes comprises a different combination of a microphone position setting and a tone setting. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the first audio signal is further based on an analog audio signal received from a second microphone external to the microphone.