Methods and systems for implementing bone conduction-based noise cancellation for air-conducted sound

• US 9,324,313 B1
• Filed: 10/23/2013
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhong, Xuan, Dong, Jianchun
• Primary Examiner(s): Holder, Regina N
• Application Number:
  US14/060,911
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17857 Geometric disposition, e.g. placement of microphones
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17873 using a reference signal without an error signal, e.g. pure feedforward
• 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 11/24 for conducting sound through solid bodies, e.g. wires
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1081 Earphones, e.g. for telephones, ear protectors or headsets
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1291 Anti-Vibration-Control, e.g. reducing vibrations in panels or beams
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3229 Transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/10 Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones H04R1/28 takes precedence; stereophonic headphones H04R5/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/00 Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers piezoelectric or electrostrictive elements in general H10N30/00; details of piezoelectric or electrostrictive motors, generators or positioners H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/01 Hearing devices using active noise cancellation
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers

Abstract

A wearable computing device can receive, via at least one input transducer, a first audio signal associated with ambient sound from an environment of the device. The device can then process the first audio signal so as to determine a second audio signal that is out of phase with the first audio signal and effective to substantially cancel at least a portion of the first audio signal. The device may then generate a noise-cancelling audio signal based on the second audio signal, based on a third audio signal, and based on one or more wearer-specific parameters, where the third audio signal is representative of a sound to be provided by the device. The device may then cause a bone conduction transducer (BCT) to vibrate so as to provide to an ear a noise-cancelling sound effective to substantially cancel at least a portion of the ambient sound.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting, via an output transducer of a wearable computing device, a first pure tone signal to a first ear, wherein the transmitting provides an air-conducted pure tone to the first ear;

transmitting a second pure tone signal to cause vibration of at least one bone conduction transducer (BCT) of the wearable computing device, wherein the vibration provides a first portion of a bone-conducted pure tone to the first ear and a second portion of the bone-conducted pure tone to a second ear;

transmitting, via another output transducer of the wearable computing device, a noise signal to the second ear, wherein the transmitting provides a noise to the second ear and substantially masks sound at the second ear;

based on wearer-specific parameters, receiving an adjustment of the first pure tone signal such that the adjusted first pure tone signal, when transmitted, provides the air-conducted pure tone and substantially masks the bone-conducted pure tone;

determining a transform based at least in part on the adjustment;

receiving, by at least one input transducer of the wearable computing device, a first audio signal associated with ambient sound from an environment of the wearable computing device;

processing the first audio signal so as to determine a second audio signal that is out of phase with the first audio signal and effective to substantially cancel at least a portion of the first audio signal;

multiplying a superposition of the second audio signal and a third audio signal by the transform to generate a noise-cancelling audio signal, wherein the third audio signal is representative of a sound to be provided by the wearable computing device; and

based on the noise-cancelling audio signal, causing a given BCT of the at least one BCT to vibrate so as to provide, to an ear of the first and second ears, a noise-cancelling sound representative of the noise-cancelling audio signal and effective to substantially cancel at least a portion of the ambient sound.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second audio signal includes an anti-phased audio signal that is about 180 degrees out of phase with the first audio signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the given BCT is configured to provide the noise-cancelling sound to a wearer of the wearable computing device via a bone structure of the wearer, wherein the at least one BCT is configured to contact the wearer at one or more locations when in use, and wherein the one or more locations include:

a location proximate to a condyle of the wearer, a location proximate to a mastoid of the wearer, and a location proximate to a temple of the wearer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wearer-specific parameters include wearer-specific mechanical-acoustical parameters based on at least a bone composition of a skull of a wearer of the wearable computing device and a tissue composition of a head of the wearer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one input transducer, a fourth audio signal associated with another ambient sound from the environment of the wearable computing device;

processing the fourth audio signal so as to determine a fifth audio signal that is out of phase with the fourth audio signal and effective to substantially cancel at least a portion of the fourth audio signal;

multiplying a superposition of the fifth audio signal and a sixth audio signal by the transform to generate another noise-cancelling audio signal, wherein the sixth audio signal is representative of another sound to be provided by the wearable computing device; and

based on the other noise-cancelling audio signal, causing another given BCT of the at least one BCT to vibrate so as to provide, to another ear of the first and second ears, another noise-cancelling sound representative of the other noise-cancelling audio signal and effective to substantially cancel at least a portion of the other ambient sound.

6. The method of claim 5,

wherein, based on the transform, the noise-cancelling audio signal is effective to substantially cancel at least a portion of the other noise-cancelling audio signal, and

wherein, based on the transform, the other noise-cancelling audio signal is effective to substantially cancel at least a portion of the noise-cancelling audio signal.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the fifth audio signal includes an anti-phased audio signal that is about 180 degrees out of phase with the fourth audio signal.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the noise signal to the second ear comprises continuously transmitting the noise signal.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjustment comprises one or more of an adjustment of an amplitude of the first pure tone signal and an adjustment of a phase of the first pure tone signal.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, upon execution by a wearable computing device, cause the wearable computing device to perform functions comprising:

transmitting, via an output transducer of the wearable computing device, a first pure tone signal to a first ear, wherein the transmitting provides an air-conducted pure tone to the first ear;

transmitting a second pure tone signal to cause vibration of at least one bone conduction transducer (BCT) of the wearable computing device, wherein the vibration provides a first portion of a bone-conducted pure tone to the first ear and a second portion of the bone-conducted pure tone to a second ear;

transmitting, via another output transducer of the wearable computing device, a noise signal to the second ear, wherein the transmitting provides a noise to the second ear and substantially masks sound at the second ear;

based on wearer-specific parameters, receiving an adjustment of the first pure tone signal such that the adjusted first pure tone signal, when transmitted, provides the air-conducted pure tone and substantially masks the bone-conducted pure tone;

determining a transform based at least in part on the adjustment;

receiving, by at least one input transducer of the wearable computing device, a first audio signal associated with ambient sound from an environment of the wearable computing device;

processing the first audio signal so as to determine a second audio signal that is out of phase with the first audio signal and effective to substantially cancel at least a portion of the first audio signal;

multiplying a superposition of the second audio signal and a third audio signal by the transform to generate a noise-cancelling audio signal, wherein the third audio signal is representative of a sound to be provided by the wearable computing device; and

based on the noise-cancelling audio signal, causing a given BCT of the at least one BCT to vibrate so as to provide, to an ear of the first and second ears, a noise-cancelling sound representative of the noise-cancelling audio signal and effective to substantially cancel at least a portion of the ambient sound.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, the functions further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one input transducer, a fourth audio signal associated with another ambient sound from the environment of the wearable computing device;

processing the fourth audio signal so as to determine a fifth audio signal that is out of phase with the fourth audio signal and effective to substantially cancel at least a portion of the fourth audio signal;

multiplying a superposition of the fifth audio signal and a sixth audio signal by the transform to generate another noise-cancelling audio signal, wherein the sixth audio signal is representative of another sound to be provided by the wearable computing device; and

based on the other noise-cancelling audio signal, causing another given BCT of the at least one BCT to vibrate so as to provide, to another ear of the first and second ears, another noise-cancelling sound representative of the other noise-cancelling audio signal and effective to substantially cancel at least a portion of the other ambient sound.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first ear is located on a first side of a head of a wearer of the wearable computing device, wherein the second ear is located on a second side of the head of the wearer opposite the first side, wherein the at least one BCT includes a first BCT located on the first side and a second BCT located on the second side, wherein the transform is representative of (i) an in-head crosstalk signal path from the second BCT to the first ear, (ii) an in-head crosstalk signal path from the first BCT to the second ear, (iii) a direct signal path from the first BCT to the first ear, and (iv) a direct signal path from the second BCT to the second ear.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the output transducer and the other output transducer include headphones configured to provide sound to a respective outer ear and a respective middle ear of the first and second ears.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the transform includes at least one head-related transfer function (HRTF) based on the wearer-specific parameters.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the adjustment comprises one or more of an adjustment of an amplitude of the first pure tone signal and an adjustment of a phase of the first pure tone signal.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the second audio signal includes an anti-phased audio signal that is about 180 degrees out of phase with the first audio signal, and

wherein the fifth audio signal includes an anti-phased audio signal that is about 180 degrees out of phase with the fourth audio signal.

13. A system, comprising:

a head-mountable device (HMD);

at least one processor coupled to the HMD; and

data storage comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the system to perform functions comprising;

transmitting, via an output transducer of the HMD, a first pure tone signal to a first ear, wherein the transmitting provides an air-conducted pure tone to the first ear;

transmitting a second pure tone signal to cause vibration of at least one bone conduction transducer (BCT) of the HMD, wherein the vibration provides a first portion of a bone-conducted pure tone to the first ear and a second portion of the bone-conducted pure tone to a second ear;

transmitting, via another output transducer of the HMD, a noise signal to the second ear, wherein the transmitting provides a noise to the second ear and substantially masks sound at the second ear;

based on wearer-specific parameters, receiving an adjustment of the first pure tone signal such that the adjusted first pure tone signal, when transmitted, provides the air-conducted pure tone and substantially masks the bone-conducted pure tone;

determining a transform based at least in part on the adjustment;

receiving, by at least one input transducer of the HMD, a first audio signal associated with ambient sound from an environment of the HMD,

processing the first audio signal so as to determine a second audio signal that is out of phase with the first audio signal and effective to substantially cancel at least a portion of the first audio signal,

multiplying a superposition of the second audio signal and a third audio signal by the transform to generate a noise-cancelling audio signal, wherein the third audio signal is representative of a sound to be provided by the HMD; and

based on the noise-cancelling audio signal, causing a given BCT of the at least one BCT to vibrate so as to provide, to an ear of the first and second ears, a noise-cancelling sound representative of the noise-cancelling audio signal and effective to substantially cancel at least a portion of the ambient sound.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein providing to the ear the noise-cancelling sound is further effective to provide, to another ear of the first and second ears, a portion of the noise-cancelling sound, wherein the at least one processor includes a crosstalk cancellation processor configured to generate a crosstalk cancellation signal representative of a crosstalk-cancelling sound to be provided by the at least one BCT, and wherein the crosstalk-cancelling sound is effective to substantially cancel the portion of the noise-cancelling sound.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one input transducer includes one or more microphones coupled to the HMD, and wherein the at least one BCT includes at least one piezoelectric BCT.