SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR NOISE CANCELING IN A MOBILE PHONE HEADSET ACCESSORY

• US 20080025523A1
• Filed: 07/28/2006
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Miller, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US11/460,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20080025523A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/71.6
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17855 for improving speed or power requirements
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17857 Geometric disposition, e.g. placement of microphones
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17873 using a reference signal without an error signal, e.g. pure feedforward
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17885 additionally using a desired external signal, e.g. pass-through audio such as music or speech
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/108 Communication systems, e.g. where useful sound is kept and noise is cancelled
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1081 Earphones, e.g. for telephones, ear protectors or headsets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6008 in the transmitter circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit

Abstract

Disclosed is a system, method, and computer program product for canceling ambient noise in a portable mobile communications device that is coupled with a standard non-noise canceling headset assembly. The portable mobile communications device receives detected ambient noise from the headset assembly microphone and creates a noise canceling ambient noise sound wave that is 180° out of phase with the ambient noise sound wave. The noise canceling ambient noise sound wave is then combined with an intended sound wave such as music or speech. The combined noise canceling ambient noise sound wave and intended sound wave are then forwarded to the headset assembly such that the noise canceling ambient noise sound wave negates the ambient noise present at the headset assembly during playback of the intended sound wave. Noise canceling can be achieved using hardware filters or via a noise canceling software application within the portable mobile communications device.

Claims

1. A method of canceling ambient noise in a portable mobile communications device that is coupled with a standard non-noise canceling headset assembly, the method comprising:

receiving detected ambient noise from the headset assembly microphone;

creating a noise canceling ambient noise sound wave that is 180°

out of phase with the ambient noise sound wave;

combining the noise canceling ambient noise sound wave with an intended sound wave; and

forwarding the combined noise canceling ambient noise sound wave and intended sound wave to the headset assembly such that the noise canceling ambient noise sound wave negates the ambient noise present at the headset assembly during playback of the intended sound wave.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of creating a noise canceling ambient noise sound wave that is 180°

out of phase with the ambient noise sound wave is achieved using a hardware noise canceling filter.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of creating a noise canceling ambient noise sound wave that is 180°

out of phase with the ambient noise sound wave is achieved using a noise canceling software application that digitizes the ambient noise sound wave and constructs a corresponding noise canceling ambient noise sound wave that is 180°

out of phase with the digitized ambient noise sound wave.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising identifying a frequency band to be excluded from the corresponding noise canceling ambient noise sound wave that is 180°

out of phase with the digitized ambient noise sound wave such that ambient noise within the identified frequency band is not subject to noise canceling.

5. A system for canceling ambient noise in a portable mobile communications device that is coupled with a standard non-noise canceling headset assembly, the method comprising:

means for receiving detected ambient noise from the headset assembly microphone;

means for creating a noise canceling ambient noise sound wave that is 180°

out of phase with the ambient noise sound wave;

means for combining the noise canceling ambient noise sound wave with an intended sound wave; and

means for forwarding the combined noise canceling ambient noise sound wave and intended sound wave to the headset assembly such that the noise canceling ambient noise sound wave negates the ambient noise present at the headset assembly during playback of the intended sound wave.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the means for creating a noise canceling ambient noise sound wave that is 180°

out of phase with the ambient noise sound wave includes a hardware noise canceling filter.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the means for creating a noise canceling ambient noise sound wave that is 180°

out of phase with the ambient noise sound wave includes a noise canceling software application that digitizes the ambient noise sound wave and constructs a corresponding noise canceling ambient noise sound wave that is 180°

out of phase with the digitized ambient noise sound wave.

8. The system of claim 7 further comprising means for identifying a frequency band to be excluded from the corresponding noise canceling ambient noise sound wave that is 180°

out of phase with the digitized ambient noise sound wave such that ambient noise within the identified frequency band is not subject to noise canceling.

9. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable storage medium for canceling ambient noise in a portable mobile communications device that is coupled with a standard non-noise canceling headset assembly, the computer program product comprising:

computer program code for receiving detected ambient noise from the headset assembly microphone;

computer program code for creating a noise canceling ambient noise sound wave that is 180°

out of phase with the ambient noise sound wave;

computer program code for combining the noise canceling ambient noise sound wave with an intended sound wave; and

computer program code for forwarding the combined noise canceling ambient noise sound wave and intended sound wave to the headset assembly such that the noise canceling ambient noise sound wave negates the ambient noise present at the headset assembly during playback of the intended sound wave.

10. The computer program product embodied on a computer readable storage medium of claim 9 wherein the computer program code for creating a noise canceling ambient noise sound wave that is 180°

out of phase with the ambient noise sound wave is achieved using computer program code for directing the ambient noise sound wave to a hardware noise canceling filter.

11. The computer program product embodied on a computer readable storage medium of claim 9 wherein the computer program code for creating a noise canceling ambient noise sound wave that is 180°

out of phase with the ambient noise sound wave is achieved using computer program code that digitizes the ambient noise sound wave and constructs a corresponding noise canceling ambient noise sound wave that is 180°

out of phase with the digitized ambient noise sound wave.

12. The computer program product embodied on a computer readable storage medium of claim 11 further comprising computer program code for identifying a frequency band to be excluded from the corresponding noise canceling ambient noise sound wave that is 180°

out of phase with the digitized ambient noise sound wave such that ambient noise within the identified frequency band is not subject to noise canceling.