The BU8332KV-M clarifies the specific direction of sound through beamforming technology using two omnidirectional microphones. While the technology for beamforming with two microphones already exists, until now it had been necessary to increase the distance between the microphones to improve directivity, making the technology unsuitable for use in compact, portable devices. There were also other issues, such as delays due to digital signal processing and drops in sound quality.
In recent years, advances in voice recognition technology have led to increased adoption of voice input systems in portable applications, such as navigation devices and smartphones, and are expected to lead the expansion into the home appliance sector. Furthermore, video calls and teleconferences are on the rise due to the globalization of business, resulting in greater demand for better sound capture technology. However, in these cases, improved sound clarity is essential. Conventional microphones provide directivity based on their physical (cylindrical) structure, but this can be problematic since the microphone size must be increased to sharpen the directivity, and, moreover, directivity cannot be controlled without physical modifications.
In response, ROHM has significantly reduced ambient noise by adopting DiMAGIC Corporation's directivity control technology. Unwanted sounds are eliminated by establishing directivity through beamforming technology and positioning the directional axis toward the target sound. A noise suppression function is included to reduce residual stationary noise along the directional axis for greater clarity.
The result is significantly improved attenuation, 30 dB or more, compared to conventional microphones. Furthermore, two omnidirectional microphones can be mounted 10 mm apart, enabling support for compact handheld devices, and optimized processing reduces latency to less than 10 ms during beamforming, minimizing the impact on other applications. In addition, the beamforming shape, directivity, and sharpness can all be adjusted to suit virtually any need.
