Enabling smart speakers to hear better in noise

The US Patent and Trademark Office has informed Wave that it is issuing two patents for its novel, mechanical approach to helping smart speakers hear better in noisy conditions. The invention drew inspiration from the acoustic mirrors carved into England's White Cliffs of Dover during the early days of World War II. Microphones were placed on a shelf below the acoustic mirrors, which were half-parabolas, to hear approaching German bombers from across the English Channel and sound the alarm. Warping the half-parabola shape of the Cliffs into a ring and then engineering the curvature and other dimensions appropriately to focus sound on a ring-shaped array of microphones led to a structure that helps popular smart speakers (you know the ones) work better in noise and from further away. And they also help the speakers sound better too!

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