DEVICE FOR AND A METHOD OF PROCESSING AUDIO DATA

• US 20100166206A1
• Filed: 12/24/2009
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: MACOURS, Christophe Marc
• Application Number:
  US12/647,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20100166206A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/71.600
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17823 Reference signals, e.g. ambient acoustic environment
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17857 Geometric disposition, e.g. placement of microphones
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17861 using additional means for damping sound, e.g. using sound absorbing panels
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17873 using a reference signal without an error signal, e.g. pure feedforward
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17875 using an error signal without a reference signal, e.g. pure feedback
• 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: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/01 Hearing devices using active noise cancellation
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 1/005 For headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/13 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in stereophonic sound systems

Abstract

A device (100) for processing audio data, wherein the device (100) comprises an audio transducer (102, 104) adapted for being operable as a loudspeaker or as a microphone, wherein the audio transducer (102, 104) is adapted for detecting audio data indicative of body noise of a user (106) when being operated as a microphone, and a processing unit (108) adapted for processing the audio data indicative of the body noise of the user (106) for at least partially compensating a wear asymmetry of the audio transducer (102, 104) worn by the user (106) when operating the audio transducer (102, 104) as a loudspeaker for reproducing audio content.

Claims

1. A device for processing audio data, comprising:

an audio transducer operable as at least one of a loudspeaker and a microphone, wherein the audio transducer is adapted for detecting audio data indicative of body noise of a user when being operated as a microphone; and

a processing unit adapted for processing the audio data indicative of the body noise of the user for at least partially compensating for a wear asymmetry of the audio transducer worn by the user when operating the audio transducer as a loudspeaker for reproducing audio content.

2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a headset, the headset having a first earpiece and a second earpiece, the first earpiece being positionable on or in a first ear of the user and the second earpiece being positionable on or in a second ear of the user.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the audio transducer comprises a first audio transducer section arranged at the first earpiece and a second audio transducer section arranged at the second earpiece, each of the first audio transducer section and the second audio transducer section being operable as a loudspeaker or as a microphone.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the processing unit is adapted for processing the audio data indicative of body noise of the user by determining a difference between the audio data detected by the first audio transducer section and the audio data detected by the second audio transducer section.

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein the processing unit is adapted for processing the audio data indicative of body noise of the user by determining a difference in energy levels between the audio data detected by the first audio transducer section and the audio data detected by the second audio transducer section in a predefined frequency band.

6. The device according to claim 4, wherein the processing unit is adapted for processing the audio data to at least partially compensate the determined difference.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is adapted for feeding back at least one filter gain value as the processed audio data to the audio transducer for reproducing audio content in accordance with the at least one filter gain value to thereby suppress audible left-right differences regarding the reproduction of audio content resulting from the wear asymmetry of the audio transducer worn by the user.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the processing unit is adapted for feeding back at least one frequency-dependent gain value as the processed audio data to the audio transducer.

9. The device according to claim 4, wherein the processing unit is adapted for feeding back separate filter gain values to the first audio transducer section and to the second audio transducer section for operation as loudspeakers.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the audio transducer is operable simultaneously as a loudspeaker and as a microphone.

11. The device according to claim 10, further comprising an acoustic echo canceller adapted for removing the reproduced audio content from an audio signal determined by the audio transducer to derive a pure audio data indicative of body noise of the user.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein either:

a same physical structure constituting the audio transducer provides both the loudspeaker and the microphone function; and

the audio transducer comprises a first physical structure adapted for providing the loudspeaker function and a second physical structure adapted for providing the microphone function.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is included in at least one of the group consisting of a mobile phone, a headset, a headphone playback apparatus, a hearing aid, a television device, a video recorder, a monitor, a gaming device, a laptop computer, an audio player, a DVD player, a CD player, a harddisk-based media player, a radio device, an internet radio device, a public entertainment device, an MP3 player, a car entertainment device, a medical communication system, a medical device, a body-worn device, a speech communication device, a home cinema system, a home theatre system, a flat panel television apparatus, an ambiance creation device, a studio recording system, and a music hall system.

17. The device according to claim 4, wherein the audio data detected by the first audio transducer section and the audio data detected by the second transducer section are in an audible frequency band, more particularly in a predefined portion of an audible frequency band.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein the audio data detected by the first audio transducer section and the audio data detected by the second transducer section are in a predefined portion of the audible frequency band.

14. A method of processing audio data, comprising:

operating an audio transducer, adapted for being operable as at least one of a loudspeaker and a microphone, as a microphone;

detecting audio data indicative of body noise of a user when operating the audio transducer as the microphone; and

processing the audio data indicative of the body noise of the user for at least partially compensating a wear asymmetry of the audio transducer worn by the user when operating the audio transducer as a loudspeaker for reproducing audio content.

15. A computer-readable medium, in which a computer program of processing audio data is stored, which computer program, when being executed by a processor, is implements a method according to claim 14.

16. A program element of processing audio data, which program element, when being executed by a processor, implements a method according to claim 14.