The processing power of modern PCs and notebooks allow them to play sounds well; however, they do a poor job of capturing sound. With broadband connections being so prevalent, combined with the speech-recognition engines available today, a better sound capture technology can allow these computing devices to deliver more value to users. This includes powering VoIP applications that provide better live communication than phones and increased voice recognition rates.

As discussed in the SAM Benefits section, array microphones do a better job of identifying the sound source and suppressing ambient noise compared to a single microphone. However, due to its drawbacks in back-leakage and limitations in performing only horizontal noise suppression, noise such as typing on the keyboard and the CPU fan can create an unpleasant experience for the user.

With SAM (small array microphone), a cone shaped beam is formed (see fig. 1). With no back leakage and an effective 3-D cone-shaped beam, SAM can cancel out all ambient noise, accurately identifying the sound source and clearly delivering that signal to the computer. IM users (ex: Yahoo Messenger with Voice, Skype, MSN) can enjoy clear conversations, while others can use speech-recognition software to intelligibly “talk” to the computer.

Figure 1. SAM Beam-forming in a Notebook

Related pages:

1. SAM Benefits
2. SAM vs. Broadside Array Microphone
3. SAM in Automotive Hands-free Applications
4. SAM in Handheld Applications