Environmental noise reduction and cancellation for a communication device including for a wireless and cellular telephone

• US 7,742,790 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2007
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Noise Free Wireless Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Alon Konchitsky
• Inventors: Konchitsky, Alon, Ribble, William Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-See
• Application Number:
  US11/749,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20070274552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 381/122, 381/338, 381/337, 381 2- 4, 381/71.1, 381/71.6, 381/91, 381/92, 381/110, 381 941- 943, 381 55- 57, 381/94.7, 381/94.8, 381/123, 381/94.5, 381/104, 381/107, 704/225, 704/200, 37940601-40606, 379/387.01, 379/392.01, 379/395, 455/73, 455/570, 455/569.1, 455/550.1
• US Class Current: 455/570
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/007 Protection circuits for transducers

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention enable a system and method for reducing or entirely canceling background or environmental noise from a voice transmission from a communications device. A communications device, such as a mobile telephone, is configured with an environmental noise compensation, correction, or counterbalanced (correction) signal generator that is connected between at least one microphone and a continuous time quadrant multiplication. Optional discrete time or digital signal processing may be applied. The original output of the at least one microphone and a compensation, correction, or counterbalanced or counter-balancing signal generated by the environmental noise compensation, correction, or counterbalanced signal generator are mixed or otherwise combined together after being received by the antenna to the receiver.

Claims

1. A communications device, comprising:

a speaker containing an input of both voice and environmental noise;

a first transmit microphone having a first microphone output providing a first signal containing substantially only environmental noise;

an environmental noise counterbalanced (correction) signal generator having (i) an environmental noise counterbalanced (correction) signal generator input connected to both the speaker input and the second microphone output and (ii) an environmental noise counterbalanced (correction) signal generator output;

a continuous time quadrant multiplier or a discrete time processor having (i) a first continuous time quadrant multiplication input in communication with the first input signal to the speaker and (ii) a second continuous time quadrant multiplication input connected to the environmental noise counterbalanced (correction) signal generator output and (iii) a multiplication output;

a dynamic gain circuit for providing a dynamic gain signal to the continuous time quadrant multiplication;

a receiver having a received input connected to the multiplication output after receiving from the antenna;

a discrete time unit or processing block with or without signal processing interposed between the first microphone and the continuous time quadrant multiplication;

wherein environmental noise picked up by the recipient and by the second microphone is processed by the environmental noise counterbalanced (correction) signal generator and wherein the environmental noise is attenuated at the speaker recipient unit after being passed through the receiver.

2. The communications device of claim 1, wherein the second microphone is spatially distant from the communications device.

3. The communications device of claim 1, further comprising a second microphone, different from the first transmit microphone, having a second microphone output providing a second signal containing substantially only environmental noise.

4. A noise compensation device for a communications apparatus, comprising:

a receive input port for receiving a remote user'"'"'s spoken voice electrical signal and optionally a component of environmental noise signal from the speakers location;

a microphone for receiving an acoustic air pressure input signal at a location including at least a component of local environmental noise at the speaker'"'"'s location and for converting the acoustic air pressure input signal into a time varying electrical signal representing the acoustic air pressure input signal at the location;

a speaker transducer for converting an electrical signal representing a time sequence of sounds into a time varying acoustical signal within a human hearing audio frequency range;

a first microphone transducer for converting an audio frequency range signal existing in a local environment of the communications apparatus into an electrical signal representing the local audio frequency range signal from the local environment;

an environmental noise correction or compensation signal generator having;

(i) an environmental noise correction or compensation signal generator input port for receiving at least a signal derived from the first microphone output, and (ii) an environmental noise correction or compensation signal output port for communicating an environmental noise correction or compensation output signal;

a continuous time quadrant multiplier or a discrete time processor having;

(i) a first multiplier input in communication with the first input signal to the speaker, and (ii) a second multiplier input connected to the environmental noise counterbalanced (correction) signal generator output and (iii) a multiplication output; and

a receiver having a received input connected to the multiplication output after receiving from the antenna,

wherein environmental noise picked up by the recipient and by the second microphone is processed by the environmental noise counterbalanced (correction) signal generator and wherein the environmental noise is attenuated at the speaker recipient unit after being passed through the receiver.

5. A noise compensation device as in claim 4, further comprising:

a second microphone, different from the transmit microphone, having a microphone output providing a second signal containing substantially only environmental noise.

6. A noise compensation device, comprising:

a first microphone generating a noise signal output;

an environmental and ambient noise correction circuit having a first input for receiving the noise signal from the first microphone and a second input for a voice signal from a receiver and generating a correction signal from the first and second inputs;

a continuous time quadrant multiplier or a discrete time processor having a first input for receiving the correction signal output by the environmental noise correction circuit and a second input for receiving the voice signal from the receiver and generating an output signal that is a noise reduced version of the voice signal;

a dynamic gain circuit for modifying a gain of a component of the continuous time quadrant multiplier;

a switch for switching the first microphone between a voice sensing mode during a period of speech and a noise sensing mode during periods of listening;

the receiver generating the voice signal; and

a discrete time processor receiving the voice signal from the receiver and performing a discrete time processing operation on the voice signal before providing it to the continuous time quadrant multiplier.

7. A noise compensation device as in claim 6, further comprising a second microphone exclusively for generating a noise signal during periods of non-speech.