ELECTRONIC DEVICES FOR CONTROLLING NOISE

• US 20130039507A1
• Filed: 08/07/2012
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Park, Hyun Jin, Chan, Kwokleung, Oliveira, Louis Dominic, Momeyer, Brian Lee, Toman, Jeremy Patrick, Nelson, Hui-ya Liao
• Granted Patent: US 9,495,952 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/71.6
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17813 characterised by the analysis of the acoustic paths, e.g. estimating, calibrating or testing of transfer functions or cross-terms
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17817 between the output signals and the error signals, i.e. secondary path
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17821 characterised by the analysis of the input signals only
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17854 the filter being an adaptive filter
• 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 11/17881 the reference signal being an acoustic signal, e.g. recorded with a microphone
• 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 2210/1053 Hi-fi, i.e. anything involving music, radios or loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1081 Earphones, e.g. for telephones, ear protectors or headsets
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/129 Vibration, e.g. instead of, or in addition to, acoustic noise
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3055 Transfer function of the acoustic system
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/321 Physical
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/501 Acceleration, e.g. for accelerometers
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/504 Calibration

Abstract

An electronic device for controlling noise is described. The electronic device includes a force sensor for detecting a force on the electronic device. The electronic device also includes noise control circuitry for generating a noise control signal based on a noise signal and the force. Another electronic device for controlling noise is also described. The electronic device includes a speaker that outputs a runtime ultrasound signal, an error microphone that receives a runtime ultrasound channel signal and noise control circuitry coupled to the speaker and to the error microphone. The noise control circuitry determines at least one calibration parameter and determines a runtime channel response based on the runtime ultrasound channel signal. The noise control circuitry also determines a runtime placement based on the runtime channel response and the at least one calibration parameter and determines at least one runtime active noise control parameter based on the runtime placement.

Claims

1. An electronic device for controlling noise, comprising:

a force sensor for detecting a force on the electronic device; and

noise control circuitry for generating a noise control signal based on a noise signal and the force.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a microphone for capturing the noise signal.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a speaker for outputting the noise control signal.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein generating the noise control signal comprises adapting an adaptive filter based on the force.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein adapting the adaptive filter is based on a correlation between a transfer function and the force.

6. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein adapting the adaptive filter comprises:

determining a first scaling factor and a second scaling factor based on the force;

multiplying a first base transfer function by the first scaling factor to produce a first product;

multiplying a second base transfer function by the second scaling factor to produce a second product; and

multiplying a negative of the first product by a reciprocal of the second product to produce filter coefficients; and

controlling the adaptive filter using the filter coefficients to generate the noise control signal.

7. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein adapting the adaptive filter is performed according to an equation

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the force sensor continually measures the force and provides a force signal based on the force.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein an adaptive filter is continually adapted based on the force signal.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein generating the noise control signal does not involve an iterative convergence process but involves a direct calculation.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device does not use an error microphone signal for generating the noise control signal.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a plurality of force sensors for detecting the force on the electronic device.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the plurality of force sensors are positioned proximate corners of the electronic device.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the plurality of force sensors are positioned proximate a speaker on the electronic device.

15. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the force sensor is positioned behind a speaker on the electronic device.

16. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the force sensor is a gasket-type force sensor.

17. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the force is a force between the electronic device and a user'"'"'s ear or face.

18. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a wireless communication device.

19. A method for controlling noise by an electronic device, comprising:

detecting a force on an electronic device; and

generating a noise control signal based on a noise signal and the force.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising capturing the noise signal.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising outputting the noise control signal.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein generating the noise control signal comprises adapting an adaptive filter based on the force.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein adapting the adaptive filter is based on a correlation between a transfer function and the force.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein adapting the adaptive filter comprises:

determining a first scaling factor and a second scaling factor based on the force;

multiplying a first base transfer function by the first scaling factor to produce a first product;

multiplying a second base transfer function by the second scaling factor to produce a second product; and

multiplying a negative of the first product by a reciprocal of the second product to produce filter coefficients; and

controlling the adaptive filter using the filter coefficients to generate the noise control signal.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein adapting the adaptive filter is performed according to an equation

26. The method of claim 19, wherein a force sensor continually measures the force and provides a force signal based on the force.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein an adaptive filter is continually adapted based on the force signal.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein generating the noise control signal does not involve an iterative convergence process but involves a direct calculation.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein the electronic device does not use an error microphone signal for generating the noise control signal.

30. The method of claim 19, wherein a plurality of force sensors are used for detecting the force on the electronic device.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the plurality of force sensors are positioned proximate corners of the electronic device.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the plurality of force sensors are positioned proximate a speaker on the electronic device.

33. The method of claim 19, wherein a force sensor is positioned behind a speaker on the electronic device for detecting the force.

34. The method of claim 19, wherein a gasket-type force sensor is used for detecting the force.

35. The method of claim 19, wherein the force is a force between the electronic device and a user'"'"'s ear or face.

36. The method of claim 19, wherein the electronic device is a wireless communication device.

37. A computer-program product for controlling noise, comprising a non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium having instructions thereon, the instructions comprising:

code for causing an electronic device to detect a force on the electronic device; and

code for causing the electronic device to generate a noise control signal based on a noise signal and the force.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein generating the noise control signal comprises adapting an adaptive filter based on the force.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein adapting the adaptive filter is based on a correlation between a transfer function and the force.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein an error microphone signal is not used for generating the noise control signal.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the force is a force between the electronic device and a user'"'"'s ear or face.

42. An apparatus for controlling noise, comprising:

means for detecting a force on the apparatus; and

means for generating a noise control signal based on a noise signal and the force.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein generating the noise control signal comprises adapting an adaptive filter based on the force.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein adapting the adaptive filter is based on a correlation between a transfer function and the force.

45. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein an error microphone signal is not used for generating the noise control signal.

46. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the force is a force between the apparatus and a user'"'"'s ear or face.

47. An electronic device for controlling noise, comprising:

a speaker that outputs a runtime ultrasound signal;

an error microphone that receives a runtime ultrasound channel signal; and

noise control circuitry coupled to the speaker and to the error microphone, wherein the noise control circuitry determines at least one calibration parameter, determines at least one runtime channel response parameter based on the runtime ultrasound channel signal, determines a runtime placement based on the at least one runtime channel response parameter and the at least one calibration parameter and determines at least one runtime active noise control parameter based on the runtime placement.

48. The electronic device of claim 47, further comprising a noise microphone that receives a noise signal, and wherein the noise control circuitry generates a noise control signal based on the noise signal and the at least one runtime active noise control parameter.

49. The electronic device of claim 47, wherein determining the at least one calibration parameter comprises:

determining at least one calibration active noise control parameter;

outputting a calibration ultrasound signal;

receiving a calibration ultrasound channel signal; and

determining at least one calibration channel response parameter based on the calibration ultrasound channel signal.

50. The electronic device of claim 47, wherein the at least one calibration parameter comprises at least one of the group consisting of at least one calibration active noise control parameter and at least one calibration channel response parameter.

51. The electronic device of claim 47, wherein determining the runtime placement comprises selecting a calibration placement with at least one calibration channel response parameter that is nearest to the at least one runtime channel response parameter.

52. The electronic device of claim 47, wherein determining at least one runtime active noise control parameter comprises selecting at least one calibration active noise control parameter.

53. The electronic device of claim 47, wherein determining at least one runtime active noise control parameter comprises interpolating calibration active noise control parameters.

54. A method for controlling noise by an electronic device, comprising:

determining at least one calibration parameter;

outputting a runtime ultrasound signal;

receiving a runtime ultrasound channel signal;

determining at least one runtime channel response parameter based on the runtime ultrasound channel signal;

determining a runtime placement based on the at least one runtime channel response parameter and the at least one calibration parameter; and

determining at least one runtime active noise control parameter based on the runtime placement.

55. The method of claim 54, further comprising:

receiving a noise signal; and

generating a noise control signal based on the noise signal and the at least one runtime active noise control parameter.

56. The method of claim 54, wherein determining the at least one calibration parameter comprises:

determining at least one calibration active noise control parameter;

outputting a calibration ultrasound signal;

receiving a calibration ultrasound channel signal; and

determining at least one calibration channel response parameter based on the calibration ultrasound channel signal.

57. The method of claim 54, wherein the at least one calibration parameter comprises at least one of the group consisting of at least one calibration active noise control parameter and at least one calibration channel response parameter.

58. The method of claim 54, wherein determining the runtime placement comprises selecting a calibration placement with at least one calibration channel response parameter that is nearest to the at least one runtime channel response parameter.

59. The method of claim 54, wherein determining at least one runtime active noise control parameter comprises selecting at least one calibration active noise control parameter.

60. The method of claim 54, wherein determining at least one runtime active noise control parameter comprises interpolating calibration active noise control parameters.

61. A computer-program product for controlling noise, comprising a non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium having instructions thereon, the instructions comprising:

code for causing an electronic device to determine at least one calibration parameter;

code for causing the electronic device to output a runtime ultrasound signal;

code for causing the electronic device to receive a runtime ultrasound channel signal;

code for causing the electronic device to determine at least one runtime channel response parameter based on the runtime ultrasound channel signal;

code for causing the electronic device to determine a runtime placement based on the at least one runtime channel response parameter and the at least one calibration parameter; and

code for causing the electronic device to determine at least one runtime active noise control parameter based on the runtime placement.

62. The computer-program product of claim 61, the instructions further comprising:

code for causing the electronic device to receive a noise signal; and

code for causing the electronic device to generate a noise control signal based on the noise signal and the at least one runtime active noise control parameter.

63. The computer-program product of claim 61, wherein the code for causing the electronic device to determine the at least one calibration parameter comprises:

code for causing the electronic device to determine at least one calibration active noise control parameter;

code for causing the electronic device to output a calibration ultrasound signal;

code for causing the electronic device to receive a calibration ultrasound channel signal; and

code for causing the electronic device to determine at least one calibration channel response parameter based on the calibration ultrasound channel signal.

64. An apparatus for controlling noise, comprising:

means for determining at least one calibration parameter;

means for outputting a runtime ultrasound signal;

means for receiving a runtime ultrasound channel signal;

means for determining at least one runtime channel response parameter based on the runtime ultrasound channel signal;

means for determining a runtime placement based on the at least one runtime channel response parameter and the at least one calibration parameter; and

means for determining at least one runtime active noise control parameter based on the runtime placement.

65. The apparatus of claim 64, further comprising:

means for receiving a noise signal; and

means for generating a noise control signal based on the noise signal and the at least one runtime active noise control parameter.

66. The apparatus of claim 64, wherein the means for determining the at least one calibration parameter comprises:

means for determining at least one calibration active noise control parameter;

means for outputting a calibration ultrasound signal;

means for receiving a calibration ultrasound channel signal; and

means for determining at least one calibration channel response parameter based on the calibration ultrasound channel signal.