Adjusting Noise Reduction in Headphones

• US 20130129106A1
• Filed: 10/26/2012
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Sapiejewski, Roman
• Granted Patent: US 8,675,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/71.6
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/105 Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• 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 2460/15 Determination of the acoustic seal of ear moulds or ear tips of hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/0335 Earpiece support, e.g. headbands or neckrests for monophonic headphones H04R1/105

Abstract

A headset includes first and second earcups each having a front opening adapted to be adjacent to a respective ear of a user and including an electroacoustic transducer, a headband coupled to each of the earcups, and an active noise reduction circuit coupled to the electroacoustic transducers. The headband is configurable between at least two configurations that each press the earcups against the head of the user with different amounts of force. The active noise reduction circuit is configured to determine which of the at least two configurations the headband may be configured in, to provide a different amount of noise reduction when the headband may be configured in each of the different amounts of force, and to automatically transition between the different amounts of noise reduction in response to a change in the configuration of the headband between the at least two configurations.

Claims

1. A headset comprising:

first and second earcups each having a front opening adapted to be adjacent to a respective ear of a user and comprising an electroacoustic transducer;

a headband coupled to each of the earcups; and

an active noise reduction circuit coupled to the electroacoustic transducers;

wherein

the headband is configurable between at least two configurations that each press the earcups against the head of the user with different amounts of force; and

the active noise reduction circuit is configured

to determine which of the at least two configurations the headband is configured in,

to provide a different amount of noise reduction when the headband is configured in each of the different amounts of force, and

to automatically transition between the different amounts of noise reduction in response to a change in the configuration of the headband between the at least two configurations.

2. The headset of claim 1 further comprising a sensor disposed on the headband to detect the headband configuration.

3. The headset of claim 1 further comprising a sensor disposed inside the first earcup to detect the amount of force with which the earcup is pressed against the head of the user.

4. The headset of claim 1 wherein the active noise reduction circuit is configured to determine the headband configuration based on signals received from a microphone.

5. The headset of claim 1 wherein the headband further comprises a user-actuated adjustment control to select between the different amounts of force.

6. The headset of claim 1 wherein the amount of force applied by the headband is controlled electronically.

7. The headset of claim 1 wherein for a first amount of force applied by the headband, the active noise reduction circuit provides no noise reduction.

8. The headset of claim 7 further comprising a power supply and control electronics, wherein

the control electronics are configured to decouple the power supply from the active noise reduction circuit when the headband is applying the first amount of force, and to couple the power supply to the active noise reduction circuitry when the headband is applying a second amount of force.

9. The headset of claim 8 wherein the second amount of force is less than the first amount of force.

10. The headset of claim 8 wherein the control electronics comprise a switch activated by adjustment of the amount of force applied by the headband.

11. The headset of claim 1 wherein the active noise reduction circuit is further configured to apply noise reduction having a different frequency response when the headband is configured in each of the different amounts of force.

12. The headset of claim 11 wherein:

the active noise reduction circuit has at least two modes,

the first mode providing a first amount of noise reduction when the headband is configured to provide a first amount of force, and

the second mode providing a second amount of noise reduction when the headband is configured to provide a second amount of force,

the second amount of noise reduction reducing more total noise than the first amount of noise reduction; and

the second mode reduces low-frequency noise to a greater extent than the first mode, and reduces high-frequency noise to the same extent as the first mode.

13. The headset of claim 1 wherein the active noise reduction circuit is further configured to control the frequency response of the overall noise reduction of the headset such that the overall frequency response is generally independent of the amount of force applied by the headband.

14. The headset of claim 1 wherein the active noise reduction circuit is further configured to control the frequency response of the overall noise reduction of the headset such that the dynamic range of the overall noise reduction of the headset is generally independent of the amount of force applied by the headband.

15. The headset of claim 1 wherein the first and second earcups are each coupled to a respective first and second cushion, the earcups and first and second cushions sized such that the cushions couple the earcups to the head of the user around the user'"'"'s ears.

16. The headset of claim 1 wherein the first and second earcups are each coupled to a respective first and second cushion, the earcups and first and second cushions sized such that the cushions couple the earcups to the pinnas of a user'"'"'s ears.

17. A method of controlling an active noise-reducing headset having at least first and second configurations that each press first and second earcups of the headset against the head of a user with different amounts of force,

the method comprising, in an active noise reduction circuit of the headset:

determining whether the headband is configured in the first or the second configuration,

provide a first or a second amount of noise reduction according to the determination of whether the headband is configured in the first or the second configuration,

detecting a change in the configuration of the headband between the first and second configurations, and

automatically transitioning between the first and second amounts of noise reduction in response to the detected change in the configuration of the headband.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

receiving signals from a microphone, and

determining the headband configuration based on signals received from the microphone.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

applying noise reduction having a different frequency response according to the determination of whether the headband is configured in the first or the second configuration.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

controlling the frequency response of the overall noise reduction of the headset such that the overall frequency response is generally independent of the amount of force applied by the headband.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

controlling the frequency response of the overall noise reduction of the headset such that the dynamic range of the overall noise reduction of the headset is generally independent of the amount of force applied by the headband.