Noise cancellation earpiece

• US 6,445,799 B1
• Filed: 04/03/1997
• Issued: 09/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ReSound Corp. (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Original Assignee: GN Resound North America (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Inventors: Pluvinage, Vincent, Taenzer, Jon C., Puthuff, Steven H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Isen, Forester W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PENDLETON, BRIAN T
• Application Number:
  US08/832,508
• Time in Patent Office: 1,979 Days
• Field of Search: 381/71.6, 381/71.1, 381/72
• US Class Current: 381/71.6
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17825 Error signals
• 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 11/17853 of the 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 2210/1081 Earphones, e.g. for telephones, ear protectors or headsets
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3026 Feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3217 Collocated sensor and cancelling actuator, e.g. "virtual earth" designs
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/19 Arrangements of transmitters, receivers, or complete sets to prevent eavesdropping, to attenuate local noise or to prevent undesired transmission; Mouthpieces or receivers specially adapted therefor circuit arrangements for preventing eavesdropping H04M1/68; telephone cabinets E04H1/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/43 Signal processing in hearing aids to enhance the speech intelligibility
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/453 electronically

Abstract

A communications earpiece comprises an ear canal tube sized for positioning in an ear canal of a user so that the ear canal is at least partially open for directly receiving ambient sounds. A microphone port in the ear canal tube is located in the ear canal for detecting sounds in the ear canal. A speaker port in the ear canal tube is located in the ear canal in close proximity to the microphone port for broadcasting sound signals into the ear canal. A sound processor amplifies the ambient sounds received by the microphone to produce processed analog signals. The sound processor also comprises noise cancellation means for producing an inverse noise signal of noise detected in the ear canal by the microphone. The inverse noise signal is sent to the speaker port so as to be broadcast into the ear canal thereby substantially canceling the ambient noise in the ear canal.

Claims

1. A communications system with noise cancellation, comprising:

an ear tube section including at least one ear canal tube sized for positioning in an ear canal of a user so that the ear canal is at least partially open for directly receiving ambient sounds;

a microphone port in operative communication with said ear tube section for detecting sound in said ear canal;

a speaker port in operative communication with said ear tube section for broadcasting sound signals into said ear canal, the speaker port being operably connected to a speaker transducer positioned outside the ear canal;

a sound processor for amplifying ambient sounds received by said microphone port to produce processed signals, the sound processor being located outside the ear canal;

noise cancellation means for producing an inverse noise signal of noise detected in said ear canal by said microphone port; and

means for sending said inverse noise signal to said speaker port to broadcast said inverse noise signal into said ear canal and to substantially cancel the ambient noise in the ear canal.

2. A communications system with noise cancellation according to claim 1, further comprising:

connector means for connecting said communications system to external devices wherein processed signals produced by the sound processor are sent to the external devices through said connector and signals from the external devices are sent to the earpiece through the connector so as to be broadcast by the speaker port.

3. A communications system with noise cancellation according to claim 2, wherein said connector is a wired connector.

4. A communications system with noise cancellation according to claim 2, wherein said connector is a wireless connector.

5. A communications system with noise cancellation according to claim 2, further comprising:

means for adaptively combining signals from the external device and said inverse noise signal prior to being sent to said speaker wherein the signals from the external device remain effectively unaltered.

6. A communications system with noise cancellation according to claim 2, wherein a first signal to noise ratio corresponding to said processed analog signals is larger than a second signal to noise ratio corresponding to the original ambient sound.

7. A communications system with noise cancellation according to claim 1, wherein said noise cancellation means further comprises a filter means for filtering signals in different frequency ranges.

8. A communications system with noise cancellation according to claim 7, wherein said filter means is a finite impulse response filter which removes frequencies which would otherwise overdrive the speaker.

9. A communications system with noise cancellation according to claim 7, wherein said filter means is a infinite impulse response filter which removes frequencies which would otherwise overdrive the speaker.

10. A communications system with noise cancellation according to claim 1, wherein said speaker port is in said ear canal.

11. A communications system with noise cancellation according to claim 1, wherein said microphone port is in said ear canal.

12. A communications system according to claim 2, wherein said noise cancellation means is included within said connector means.

13. A communications system according to claim 2, wherein said noise cancellation means is included within said sound processor.

14. A communications system according to claim 1, wherein said ear tube section comprises two tubes, one tube operably connected to said microphone port and another tube operably connected to the speaker port.

15. A communications system according to claim 1, wherein said ear tube section comprises a single tube.

16. A communications system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one ear canal tube is hollow.

17. A communications system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one ear canal tube contains a wire.

18. The communications system of claim 1, wherein said noise cancellation means produces said inverse noise signal within a frequency range of 200-1000 Hz.

19. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the speaker port is sized greater than the ear tube section.

32. A communications system with noise cancellation according to claim 19, wherein said filter means is a infinite impulse response filter which removes frequencies which would otherwise overdrive the speaker transducer.

20. A communications system with noise cancellation, comprising:

a microphone port located in an ear canal for detecting sound in said ear canal;

a speaker port located in said ear canal for broadcasting sound signals into said ear canal, the speaker port being operably connected to a speaker transducer positioned outside the ear canal;

a sound processor for processing ambient sounds received by said micro-phone port to produce processed signals, the sound processor being located outside the ear canal;

noise cancellation means for producing an inverse noise signal of noise detected in said ear canal by said microphone, the noise cancellation means being located outside the ear canal; and

means for sending said inverse noise signal to said speaker port to broadcast said inverse noise signal into said ear canal and to substantially cancel at least a portion of the ambient noise in the ear canal, wherein when the microphone port and speaker port are positioned in said ear of a user, the ear canal is at least partially open for directly receiving ambient sounds and wherein at least one of the ports has a transducer that is located outside the ear canal.

21. A communications system with noise cancellation according to claim 20, further comprising:

connector means for connecting said communications system to external devices wherein processed signals produced by the sound processor are sent to the external devices through said connector and signals from the external devices are sent to the earpiece through the connector so as to be broadcast by the speaker port.

22. A communications system with noise cancellation according to claim 21, wherein said connector is a wired connector.

23. A communications system with noise cancellation according to claim 21, wherein said connector is a wireless connector.

24. A communications system with noise cancellation according to claim 21, further comprising:

means for adaptively combining signals from the external device and said inverse noise signal prior to being sent to said speaker wherein the signals from the external device remain effectively unaltered.

25. A communications system with noise cancellation according to claim 21, wherein a first signal to noise ratio corresponding to said processed analog signals is larger than a second signal to noise ratio corresponding to the original ambient sound.

26. A communications system according to claim 21, wherein said noise cancellation means is included within said connector means.

27. A communications system according to claim 21, wherein said noise cancellation means is included within said sound processor.

28. The communication system of claim 20, wherein said noise cancellation means produces said inverse noise signal within a frequency range of 200-1000 Hz.

29. The communication system of claim 20, wherein the speaker transducer is sized greater than the speaker port and greater than the microphone port.

30. A communications system with noise cancellation according to claim 20, wherein said noise cancellation means further comprises a filter means for filtering signals in different frequency ranges.

31. A communications system with noise cancellation according to claim 30, wherein said filter means is a finite impulse response filter which removes frequencies which would otherwise overdrive the speaker transducer.

33. A communications system according to claim 20, wherein said inverse noise signal is a sound wave produced by a speaker operably connected to the noise canceling means and wherein said means for sending said inverse noise signal to said speaker port comprises a tube.

34. A communications system according to claim 33, wherein said tube is also used to connect the microphone port to a transducer positioned outside the ear canal, the transducer providing an electronic signal to the sound processor.

35. A communications system according to claim 33, wherein an additional tube is used to connect the microphone port to a transducer positioned outside the ear canal, the transducer providing an electric signal to the sound processor.

36. A communications system with noise cancellation, comprising:

a microphone port located in an ear canal for detecting sound in said ear canal;

a speaker port located in said ear canal for broadcasting sound signals into said ear canal;

a behind-the-ear unit, the behind-the-ear unit including a sound processor for processing ambient sounds received by said microphone port to produce processed signals and including a speaker transducer operably connected to the speaker port; and

a noise cancellation means for producing an inverse noise signal of noise detected in said ear canal by said microphone, the noise cancellation means being located outside the ear canal;

wherein the speaker transducer is adapted to broadcast said inverse noise signal into said ear canal to substantially cancel at least a portion of the ambient noise in the ear canal, wherein when the microphone port and speaker port are positioned in said ear of a user, the ear canal is at least partially open for directly receiving ambient sounds.

37. A communications system according to claim 36, wherein said microphone port is a microphone transducer.

38. A communications system according to claim 36, wherein the behind-the-ear unit includes a microphone transducer operably connected to the microphone port.

39. The communication system of claim 36, wherein said noise cancellation means produces said inverse noise signal within a frequency range of 200-1000 Hz.

40. The communication system of claim 36, wherein the speaker transducer is sized greater than the speaker port and greater than the microphone port.

41. A communications system with noise cancellation, comprising:

an ear tube section including at least one ear canal tube sized for positioning in an ear canal of a user so that the ear canal is at least partially open for directly receiving ambient sounds;

a microphone port in operative communication with said ear tube section for detecting sound in said ear canal;

a speaker port in operative communication with said ear tube section for broadcasting sound signals into said ear canal, the speaker port being operably connected to a speaker transducer positioned outside the ear canal;

a sound processor for amplifying ambient sounds received by said microphone port to produce processed signals, the sound processor being located outside the ear canal;

noise cancellation means for producing an inverse noise signal of a portion of the sound detected in said ear canal by said microphone port;

means for sending said inverse noise signal to said speaker port to broadcast said inverse noise signal into said ear canal and to substantially cancel a first portion of the ambient sounds in the ear canal; and

means for sending a second portion of the ambient sounds to an external device.

42. The communications system according to claim 41, wherein said inverse noise signal does not affect said second portion of the ambient sounds.

43. The communications system according to claim 41, configured for bi-directional communication with the external device.

44. The communications system according to claim 43, wherein a signal from the external device is broadcast by the speaker port into the ear canal.