Headphone device

• US 9,536,515 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2012
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Oide, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Ping
• Application Number:
  US13/556,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20130039506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,624 Days
• Field of Search: 381/71.6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 11/17873 using a reference signal without an error signal, e.g. pure feedforward
• 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 2210/1081 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 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

There is provided a headphone device including a first housing and a second housing; a headband connected to the first and second housings; a first headphone unit and a second headphone unit disposed in the first and second housings, respectively; a first microphone and a second microphone arranged in the vicinity of the first and second headphone units; and a signal processing unit disposed in the first housing for processing input audio signals from the outside and microphone signals detected by the first and second microphones, and generating first and second noise-canceled audio signals to be supplied to the first and second headphone units.

Claims

1. A headphone device comprising:

a first housing and a second housing;

a headband connected to the first housing and the second housing;

a first headphone unit and a second headphone unit disposed in the first housing and the second housing, respectively;

a first microphone and a second microphone arranged in the vicinity of the first headphone unit and second headphone unit; and

a signal processing unit disposed in the first housing and configured to;

process input audio signals from the outside and microphone signals detected by the first microphone and the second microphone, and

generate a first noise-canceled audio signal and a second noise-canceled audio signal, according to a filter coefficient selected based on a sound reproduction environment, to be supplied to the first headphone unit and the second headphone unit,

wherein the microphone signals of the second microphone, having high output impedance, disposed in the second housing are supplied to a buffer circuit having low output impedance, and the output signals of the buffer circuit are supplied to the signal processing unit via a first cable arranged in the headband,

wherein the buffer circuit comprises an emitter follower transistor circuit using a transistor, and

wherein the second noise-canceled audio signal is supplied from the signal processing unit to the second headphone unit disposed in the second housing via a second cable arranged in the headband.

2. The headphone device according to claim 1, wherein the first cable is a cable without an external conductor around a conducting wire.

3. The headphone device according to claim 1, wherein the first housing and the second housing are movably connected to the headband.

4. The headphone device according to claim 3, wherein the first housing and the second housing are connected to the headband in a rotatable, bendable, or telescopic manner.

5. The headphone device according to claim 1, wherein the microphone signals of the first microphone are supplied to the buffer circuit, and the output signals of the buffer circuit are supplied to the signal processing unit.

6. The headphone device according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit is configured to convert the input audio signals and the microphone signals detected by the first microphone and the second microphone into digital signals, and generate the first noise-canceled audio signal and the second noise-canceled audio signal by a digital signal processing unit.

7. The headphone device according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit is configured to generate, in a feedforward manner, the first noise-canceled audio signal and the second noise-canceled audio signal based on the microphone signals and noise detected at a point outside the first housing or the second housing.

8. The headphone device according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit is configured to generate, in a feedback manner, the first noise-canceled audio signal and the second noise-canceled audio signal based on the microphone signals and noise detected at a point inside the first housing or the second housing.