EAR-COUPLING DETECTION AND ADJUSTMENT OF ADAPTIVE RESPONSE IN NOISE-CANCELING IN PERSONAL AUDIO DEVICES
First Claim
1. A personal audio device, comprising:
- a personal audio device housing;
a transducer mounted on the housing for reproducing an audio signal including both source audio for playback to a listener and an anti-noise signal for countering the effects of ambient audio sounds in an acoustic output of the transducer;
a reference microphone mounted on the housing for providing a reference microphone signal indicative of the ambient audio sounds;
an error microphone mounted on the housing in proximity to the transducer for providing an error microphone signal indicative of the acoustic output of the transducer; and
a processing circuit that implements an adaptive filter having a response that shapes the anti-noise signal to reduce the presence of the ambient audio sounds heard by the listener, wherein the processing circuit determines a degree of coupling between the transducer and an ear of the listener and alters the response of the adaptive filter in conformity with the degree of coupling between the transducer and the ear of the listener.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A personal audio device, such as a wireless telephone, includes an adaptive noise canceling (ANC) circuit that adaptively generates an anti-noise signal from a reference microphone signal and injects the anti-noise signal into the speaker or other transducer output to cause cancellation of ambient audio sounds. An error microphone is also provided proximate the speaker to estimate an electro-acoustical path from the noise canceling circuit through the transducer. A processing circuit determines a degree of coupling between the user'"'"'s ear and the transducer and adjusts the adaptive cancellation of the ambient sounds to prevent erroneous and possibly disruptive generation of the anti-noise signal if the degree of coupling lies either below or above a range of normal operating ear contact pressure.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A personal audio device, comprising:
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a personal audio device housing; a transducer mounted on the housing for reproducing an audio signal including both source audio for playback to a listener and an anti-noise signal for countering the effects of ambient audio sounds in an acoustic output of the transducer; a reference microphone mounted on the housing for providing a reference microphone signal indicative of the ambient audio sounds; an error microphone mounted on the housing in proximity to the transducer for providing an error microphone signal indicative of the acoustic output of the transducer; and a processing circuit that implements an adaptive filter having a response that shapes the anti-noise signal to reduce the presence of the ambient audio sounds heard by the listener, wherein the processing circuit determines a degree of coupling between the transducer and an ear of the listener and alters the response of the adaptive filter in conformity with the degree of coupling between the transducer and the ear of the listener. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of canceling ambient audio sounds in the proximity of a transducer of a personal audio device, the method comprising:
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first measuring ambient audio sounds with a reference microphone; second measuring an output of the transducer with an error microphone; adaptively generating an anti-noise signal from a result of the first measuring for countering the effects of ambient audio sounds at an acoustic output of the transducer by adapting a response of an adaptive filter that filters an output of the reference microphone; combining the anti-noise signal with a source audio signal to generate an audio signal provided to the transducer; determining a degree of coupling between the transducer and an ear of the listener; altering the response of the adaptive filter in conformity with the degree of coupling between the transducer and the ear of the listener; combining the anti-noise signal with a source audio signal; and providing a result of the combining to the transducer to generate the acoustic output. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An integrated circuit for implementing at least a portion of a personal audio device, comprising:
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an output for providing a signal to a transducer including both source audio for playback to a listener and an anti-noise signal for countering the effects of ambient audio sounds in an acoustic output of the transducer; a reference microphone input for receiving a reference microphone signal indicative of the ambient audio sounds; an error microphone input for receiving an error microphone signal indicative of the output of the transducer; and a processing circuit that implements an adaptive filter having a response that shapes the anti-noise signal to reduce the presence of the ambient audio sounds heard by the listener, wherein the processing circuit determines a degree of coupling between the transducer and an ear of the listener and alters the response of the adaptive filter in conformity with the degree of coupling between the transducer and the ear of the listener. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification