HYBRID ADAPTIVE HEADPHONE

• US 20140169579A1
• Filed: 12/18/2012
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Azmi, Yacine
• Granted Patent: US 9,208,769 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/71.6
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/16 Methods or devices for protecting against, or for damping, noise or other acoustic waves in general G10K11/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17821 characterised by the analysis of the input signals only
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17823 Reference signals, e.g. ambient acoustic environment
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17827 Desired external signals, e.g. pass-through audio such as music or speech
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/1783 handling or detecting of non-standard events or conditions, e.g. changing operating modes under specific operating conditions
• 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 11/17881 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 2210/1081 Earphones, e.g. for telephones, ear protectors or headsets
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3026 Feedback
• 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

Abstract

An adaptive noise-cancelling headphone including an earcup housing having a driver for outputting sound to a user positioned therein. The headphone further including an active noise control assembly. The active noise control assembly may include an ambient microphone capable of detecting an ambient noise outside of the housing and an error microphone capable of detecting an earcup noise inside of the housing. Based on the detected noise, active noise cancellation within the headphone is either enabled or disabled. The headphone may further include a passive noise control assembly. The passive noise control assembly may include an acoustic valve associated with an acoustic vent formed within the earcup housing. The acoustic valve is capable of being modified between an open configuration to decrease sound attenuation and a closed configuration to increase sound attenuation in response to the detected ambient noise so as to improve an acoustic performance of the earcup.

Claims

1. An adaptive noise-cancelling headphone comprising:

an earcup housing having a driver positioned therein for outputting sound to a user'"'"'s ear, wherein the driver is positioned between a front portion of the housing dimensioned to encircle the user'"'"'s ear and a back portion of the housing;

an active noise control assembly integrated with the earcup housing, the active noise control assembly having an ambient microphone capable of detecting an ambient noise outside of the housing and an error microphone capable of detecting an earcup noise inside of the housing, and wherein based on the ambient noise and the earcup noise, active noise cancellation within the headphone is either enabled or disabled; and

a passive noise control assembly integrated with the earcup housing, the passive noise control assembly having an acoustic valve associated with an acoustic vent formed within the earcup housing, the acoustic valve capable of being modified between an open configuration to decrease sound attenuation and a closed configuration to increase sound attenuation in response to the detected ambient noise so as to improve an acoustic performance of the earcup.

2. The adaptive headphone of claim 1 wherein the ambient microphone is positioned at the back portion of the housing.

3. The adaptive headphone of claim 1 wherein the error microphone is positioned within the front portion of the housing such that it detects the earcup noise near the user'"'"'s ear.

4. The adaptive headphone of claim 1 further comprising:

a cancelling signal generating unit capable of generating a cancelling signal when active noise cancellation is enabled.

5. The adaptive headphone of claim 1 wherein the acoustic vent is positioned within the back portion of the housing such that when the acoustic valve is in the open position, the earphone housing vents to the outside environment.

7. The adaptive headphone of claim 1 wherein active noise cancellation is enabled when it is determined, based on an ambient noise electrical signal output by the ambient microphone and an earcup noise electrical signal output by the error microphone, that the noise inside the housing is above a predetermined threshold value.

8. The adaptive headphone of claim 1 wherein the acoustic valve is in the closed configuration when the ambient noise is above a predetermined threshold value.

9. The adaptive headphone of claim 1 wherein the acoustic valve is in the open configuration when the ambient noise is below a predetermined threshold value.

10. The adaptive headphone of claim 1 wherein active noise cancellation is disabled when the acoustic valve is in the open configuration.

6. The adaptive headphone of claim wherein the back portion of the housing is divided into a middle chamber surrounding the driver and an outer chamber behind the middle chamber, and wherein the acoustic vent is positioned between the middle chamber and the outer chamber such that when the valve is in the open position, the middle chamber vents to the outer chamber.

11. An adaptive noise-cancelling headphone system comprising:

a headphone having a set of earcups, each of the earcups comprising a driver capable of outputting sound to a user'"'"'s ear, an ambient microphone capable of detecting an ambient noise outside of the earcup and outputting an ambient noise electrical signal and an error microphone capable of detecting an earcup noise within the earcup housing and outputting an earcup noise electrical signal;

a processor configured to;

receive one or more of the ambient noise electrical signal and the earcup noise electrical signal;

compare the ambient noise electrical signal or the earcup noise electrical signal to a predetermined threshold value; and

based on the comparing, operate an active noise control system of the headphone and a passive noise control system of the headphone to improve an acoustic performance of the headphone.

12. The headphone system of claim 11 wherein the active noise control system comprises:

a cancelling signal generating unit configured to generate a cancelling signal capable of cancelling the earcup noise.

13. The headphone system of claim 11 wherein the passive noise control system comprises:

a modifiable acoustic valve associated with a vent formed in the earcup.

14. The headphone system of claim 11 wherein the processor is configured to instruct the passive noise control system to decrease sound attenuation within the earcup when the ambient noise electrical signal is below the predetermined threshold value.

15. The headphone system of claim 11 wherein the processor is configured to instruct the passive noise control system to increase sound attenuation within the earcup when the ambient noise electrical signal is above the predetermined threshold value.

16. The headphone system of claim 11 wherein the processor is configured to instruct the passive noise control system to decrease sound attenuation within the earcup and instructs the active noise control system to turn off when the ambient noise electrical signal is below the predetermined threshold value.

17. The headphone system of claim 11 wherein the processor is coupled to a memory, the memory having store therein operating system instructions to be implemented by the processor, and the processor and the memory are contained within the headphone.

18. A method of adaptively cancelling noise within a headphone comprising:

determining an ambient noise outside of an earcup housing an ambient microphone associated with the earcup housing;

determining an earcup noise inside of the earcup housing an error microphone associated with the earcup housing;

actively controlling the earcup noise using an active noise control assembly when the earcup noise is above a predetermined threshold value; and

passively controlling the earcup noise using a passive noise control assembly within the earcup housing in response to the ambient noise.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein actively controlling the earcup noise comprises instructing the active noise control assembly to generate a noise cancelling signal sufficient to cancel the earcup noise.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein passively controlling the earcup noise comprises instructing the passive noise control assembly to open a valve within the earcup housing to decrease attenuation of the ambient noise when the ambient noise is below a predetermined threshold value.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein passively controlling the earcup noise comprises instructing the passive noise control assembly to close a valve within the earcup housing to increase attenuation of the ambient noise when the ambient noise is above a predetermined threshold value.