Method and apparatus for intelligent acoustic signal processing in accordance wtih a user preference

• US 20060088176A1
• Filed: 10/20/2005
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alan J. Werner Jr
• Original Assignee: Alan J. Werner Jr
• Inventors: Werner, Alan J. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US11/254,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20060088176A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/113
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/401 2D or 3D arrays of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/405 by combining a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/407 Circuits for combining signals of a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a “smart earplug” capable of selectively adjusting the output of an array of acoustic wave generation elements or speakers within a user'"'"'s ear canal in response to input signals, wherein at least one of the input signals has been at least partially attenuated.

Claims

1. An acoustic control apparatus, comprising:

an input sensor for receiving an input acoustic signal to be processed, said input sensor including a microphone array, said microphone array manifesting vibration in response to interaction with the input acoustic signal to generate a plurality of input signals, each representing an acoustic input from one of a plurality of directions relative to said input sensor;

a signal processing device for producing, in response to the input signals, at least one output signal, said signal processing device characterized by a uniform frequency response such that the output acoustic signal spectrum level is generally reflective of an input acoustic signal spectrum level; and

an acoustic output port for generating the output acoustic signal produced by said acoustic signal processing device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said signal processing device processes the input signals in a manner so that the output acoustic signal includes an attenuated signal from at least one of the plurality of directions.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said signal processing devices produces a plurality of output signals and where said output port include an array of miniature speakers, each of which receives and is responsive to one of the plurality of output signals.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said signal processing device operates to attenuate at least one output signal in response to a signal from an adjustable control.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said input sensor includes a micro-electromechanical microphone.

6. An acoustic signal processing system for processing acoustic signals in accordance with a user preference, comprising:

at least one microphone array, said microphone array generating a plurality of input signals in response to acoustic vibrations, each input signal representing an acoustic input from one of a plurality of directions relative to said microphone array;

a signal processing device for producing, in response to the plurality of input signals, at least one output signal, said signal processing device characterized by a uniform frequency response such that an output acoustic signal spectrum level is generally reflective of an input acoustic signal spectrum level; and

at least one speaker for generating the output acoustic signal in response to the output signal from said signal processing device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said signal processing device operates to generate the output acoustic signal that includes at least a partially attenuated signal from at least one of the plurality of directions.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said signal processing device operates to attenuate the signal in response to a user adjustable control.

9. The system of claim 6, including a plurality of speakers wherein said signal processing device produces a plurality of output signals and where each of said speakers receive and are responsive to one of the plurality of output signals.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein said microphone array and said speaker are co-located in an ear bud suitable for placement in proximity to a user'"'"'s ear.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the ear bud includes a baffle extending therefrom, wherein the baffle separates a first microphone from a second microphone of the microphone array.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one surface of the baffle is parabolic in shape to focus the acoustic energy from at least one direction on the microphone.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the microphone is a micro-electromechanical system.

14. A method for controlling the sound perceived by a user, comprising:

receiving, using a micro-electronic microphone array, an input acoustic signal and generating a plurality of input signals representing the acoustic input from each of a plurality of directions relative to the array;

processing the input signals to produce at least one output signal such that the output signal spectrum level is generally reflective of an input acoustic signal spectrum level; and

generating, by an output speaker responsive to the at least one output signal an acoustic signal directly in the canal of a user'"'"'s ear.

15. The method of claim 14, further including occluding the canal of the user'"'"'s ear to substantially prevent the perception of the ambient sound except that which is provided by the output speaker.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the output signal is adjustable to include a partially attenuated input from at least one of the plurality of directions.