Arraying speakers for a uniform driver field

• US 10,199,030 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2017
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Torres, Wade P., Easterbrook, David, Bender, Paul T., Warkentin, David J., Isabelle, Steven H., Struzik, Ryan C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Teshale, Akelaw
• Application Number:
  US15/465,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20170193977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 381 714, 381 716, 381 713, 381 7111, 381 711, 381 718, 381 92, 381107, 381114, 381 17, 381 2, 381300, 381309, 381375, 381386, 381 56, 381 57, 381 58, 381 715, 381 717, 381 941, 381 942, 381 943, 381317, 381 7112, 381 72, 381 731, 381104, 381106, 381312, 381318, 381 947
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17817 between the output signals and the error signals, i.e. secondary path
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17835 using detection of abnormal input signals
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17857 Geometric disposition, e.g. placement of microphones
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17875 using an error signal without a reference signal, e.g. pure feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/102 Two dimensional
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/128 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1282 Automobiles
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3215 Arrays, e.g. for beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/403 loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/405 Non-uniform arrays of transducers or a plurality of uniform arrays with different transducer spacing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/302 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and system for a noise cancellation comprises an amplifier in communication with the three or more speakers disposed in an area. A system controller produces a driver signal for each of the speakers in response to a signal from at least one microphone detecting sound in the area and communicates the driver signals to the amplifier. The amplifier drives each speaker with the driver signal produced for that speaker. In response to the driver signals, the speakers emit sound that combined produces a substantially uniform sound pressure field for a particular zone within the area. The substantially uniform sound pressure field produced by the speakers has a magnitude and phase adapted to attenuate a noise field in the area corresponding to the sound detected by the at least one microphone.

Claims

1. A method of attenuating noise comprising:

producing a driver signal for each of three or more speakers disposed in an area in response to a signal produced in response to sound detected within the area by at least one microphone; and

generating within a particular zone in the area, by combined sound emitted by the three or more speakers in response to the driver signals, a substantially uniform sound pressure field that closely matches a substantially uniform noise field corresponding to the sound detected by the at least one microphone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the substantially uniform sound pressure field has a magnitude and phase that is adapted to attenuate the substantially uniform noise field corresponding to the sound detected by the at least one microphone.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising arranging the three or more speakers along a common plane.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the three or more speakers include a left speaker, a center speaker, and a right speaker, the particular zone surrounds an expected location of a head of an occupant of the area, the left and right speakers are disposed an equal distance from the expected location of the head of the occupant, and the center speaker is closer to the expected location of the head of the occupant than the left and right speakers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein producing a driver signal for each of three or more speakers in response to the signal from the at least one microphone comprises:

producing a command signal configured to attenuate noise in the particular zone in the area in response to the signal from the at least one microphone; and

applying signal transformations, based on predetermined parameter values, to the command signal to produce the driver signals used to drive the three or more speakers in such manner that the combined sound emitted by the three or more speakers produce the substantially uniform sound pressure field for the particular zone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each driver signal is generated by applying a gain to the command signal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a sum of the gains for the set of driver signals is approximately equal to one.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the driver signals includes a delay.