Snoring suppression system

• US 5,444,786 A
• Filed: 02/09/1993
• Issued: 08/22/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SNAP Diagnostics, LLC
• Original Assignee: SNAP Laboratories, LLC
• Inventors: Raviv, Gil
• Primary Examiner(s): Isen, Forester W.
• Application Number:
  US08/015,569
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 381/71, 381/72, 381/94
• US Class Current: 381/71.14
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/56 Devices for preventing snoring by influencing the respiratory system by gas treatment A61M16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17821 characterised by the analysis of the input signals only
• 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 11/17833 by using a self-diagnostic function or a malfunction prevention function, e.g. detecting abnormal output levels
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17837 by retaining part of the ambient acoustic environment, e.g. speech or alarm signals that the user needs to hear
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17854 the filter being an adaptive filter
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17857 Geometric disposition, e.g. placement of microphones
• 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: G10K 2210/10 Applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1081 Earphones, e.g. for telephones, ear protectors or headsets
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3028 Filtering, e.g. Kalman filters or special analogue or digital filters
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3045 Multiple acoustic inputs, single acoustic output
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3216 Cancellation means disposed in the vicinity of the source
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3219 Geometry of the configuration

Abstract

An adaptive snoring signal suppression system globally cancels snoring signals by determining a canceling signal based on a received snoring signal. The system creates a doublet between a plane of a speaker and the source of the snoring signal such that at the plane of the speaker, the canceling signal is 180 degrees out of phase with the snoring signal as measured at the source. The system uses digital signal processing to adaptively estimate a snoring sound canceling signal based on past snoring signals.

Claims

1. A system for globally suppressing snoring signals generated from a snore sound source wherein a snoring sound signal has a phase angle and amplitude associated therewith, the system comprising:

means, proximate the snore sound source, for receiving the snoring sound signal;

sound transducing means proximate the snore sound source for directing a snore cancelling signal toward the snoring sound source to form a doublet between said sound transducing means and the snore sound source; and

means, operatively coupled to said receiving means and to said sound transducing means, for generating said snore cancelling signal based on said received snore signal, such that said snore cancelling signal, as measured at a plane of emission of said sound transducing means, has approximately an 180 degree phase difference from the snoring signal phase angle and a substantially same amplitude as the snoring signal amplitude as measured at the sound source.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising means, operatively coupled to said sound transducing means, for determining a position of said snore sound source when said snore sound source moves.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said determining means includes means for preventing said canceling signal from being output by said transducing means in response to a determined position of said sound source.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said determining means includes:

a position sensor operatively coupled to detect a position of said sound source; and

control means, operatively coupled to said position sensor, for activating or deactivating said transducing means in response to a signal output from said position sensor.

5. The system of claim 1 further including transducer control means, operatively coupled to said sound transducing means and to said receiving means, for preventing said canceling signal from being output by said transducing means when the snoring signal, as received by said receiving means, is not within predetermined signal criteria.

6. The system of claim 1 further including transducer control means, operatively coupled to said transducer means and said generating means, and wherein said generating means includes an adaptive filtering stage that determines whether the adaptive filtering stage is unstable, such that said transducer control means prevents said canceling signal from being output by said transducing means when the adaptive filter is unstable.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said receiving means includes analog to digital conversion means for converting at least a portion of the received snore signal to a digital signal representation;

and

said generating means is comprised of digital signal processing means, adapted to receive said digital signal representation, for determining a plurality of filter coefficients and for modifying said digital signal representation using said coefficients to generate a pre-output canceling signal such that said pre-output canceling signal becomes said canceling signal when output by said transducing means.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said digital signal processing means further includes filter means for splitting said digital signal representation into a plurality of frequency ranges.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for receiving comprises a cordless microphone coupled to a mouthpiece worn by a snoring person.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising another receiving means for receiving a suppressed snore signal where said received suppressed snore signal is input to said cancel signal generating means to effectuate evaluation of the effectiveness of snore signal suppression.

11. The system of claim 2 further comprising means for receiving an output signal from said position determining means and for maintaining a relative position between said transducing means and said snore sound source.

12. A system for globally suppressing snoring signals generated from a snore sound source wherein a snoring sound signal has a phase angle and amplitude associated therewith, the system comprising:

means, proximate the snore sound source, for receiving the snoring sound signal;

sound transducing means proximate the snore sound source for directing a snore cancelling signal toward the snoring sound source to form a doublet between said sound transducing means and the snore sound source;

means, operatively coupled to said receiving means and to said sound transducing means, for generating said snore cancelling signal based on said received snore signal, such that said snore cancelling signal, as measured at a plane of emission of said sound transducing means, has approximately an 180 degree phase difference from the snoring signal phase angle and a substantially same amplitude as the snoring signal amplitude as measured at the snore source;

means, operatively coupled to said sound transducing means, for determining a position of said snore sound source; and

transducer control means, operatively coupled to said sound transducing means and to said receiving means for preventing said cancelling signal from being output by said transducing means when the snoring signal, as received by said receiving means, is not within predetermined signal criteria.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said position determining means includes:

a position sensor operatively coupled to detect a position of said sound source; and

control means, operatively coupled to said position sensor, for activating or deactivating said transducing means in response to a signal output from said position sensor.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said receiving means includes analog to digital conversion means for converting at least a portion of the received snore signal to a digital signal representation;

and

said generating means further comprises digital signal processing means, adapted to receive said digital representation, for determining a plurality of filter coefficients and for modifying said digital signal representation using said coefficients to generate a pre-output canceling signal such that said pre-output cancelling signal becomes said canceling signal when output by said transducing means.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said digital signal processing means further includes filter means for splitting said digital signal representation into a plurality of frequency ranges.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein said sound transducing means is comprised of a plurality of speakers and said system further comprises means for selectively allowing at least one of the plurality of speakers to output said cancel signal in response to an output signal from said position determining means.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein said means for receiving comprises a cordless microphone coupled to a mouthpiece worn by a snoring person.

18. A method for globally suppressing snoring signals generated from a snore sound source wherein a snoring sound signal has a phase angle and amplitude associated therewith, the method comprising:

receiving the snoring sound signal proximate the snore sound source;

directing a snore canceling signal from a sound transducer proximate the snore sound source toward the snoring sound source to form a doublet between said sound transducing means and the snore sound source; and

generating said snore canceling signal based on said received snore signal, such that said snore canceling signal, as measured at a plane of emission of said sound transducing means, has approximately an 180 degree phase difference from the snoring signal phase angle and a substantially same amplitude as the snoring signal amplitude as measured at the snore source.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of:

preventing said canceling signal from being output by said transducing means when the snoring signal, as received by said receiving means, is not within predetermined signal criteria.

20. A method for globally suppressing snoring signals generated from a snore sound source wherein a snoring sound signal has a phase angle and amplitude associated therewith, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the snoring sound signal proximate the snore sound source;

directing a snore canceling signal from a sound transducer proximate the snore sound source toward the snoring sound source to form a doublet between said sound transducing means and the snore sound source;

generating said snore canceling signal based on said received snore signal, such that said snore canceling signal, as measured at a plane of emission of said sound transducing means, has approximately an 180 degree phase difference from the snoring signal phase angle and a substantially same amplitude as the snoring signal amplitude as measured at the snore source;

determining a position of said snore sound source during movement of said snore sound source; and

preventing said canceling signal from being output by said transducing means when the snoring signal, as received by said receiving means, is not within predetermined signal criteria.