Battery-less, noise-cancellation headset

• US 10,531,179 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2018
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Gurunathan, Meenakshisundaram
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Norman
• Application Number:
  US16/109,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20190124435A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• Field of Search: 381 716, 381 945, 381384, 381123, 381369, 381 58
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• 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 2430/03 Synergistic effects of band splitting and sub-band processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/01 Hearing devices using active noise cancellation
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for a battery-less, noise-cancellation headset compatible with 4-pin audio jack are generally described herein. An example device to support a noise cancellation function may include an audio socket including a microphone contact, and an ambient noise detection module to receive an ambient noise data signal from a headset via the microphone contact, and detect an impedance at the microphone contact. The ambient noise detection module further to provide a first noise cancellation signal responsive to the impedance having a first value and to provide a second noise cancellation signal responsive to the impedance having a second value.

Claims

1. A headset device to support a noise cancellation function, the headset device comprising:

a first microphone associated with a first speaker;

a second microphone associated with a second speaker;

an audio plug having a single microphone contact; and

a controller circuit to oscillate back and forth between coupling the first microphone and the second microphone to the single microphone contact at a predetermined frequency;

wherein the controller circuit includes a switching circuit to alternatively couple one of the first microphone or the second microphone to the microphone contact.

2. The headset device of claim 1, wherein the switching circuit includes a single pole, double throw switch.

3. The headset device of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit further includes an oscillator circuit to control the switching circuit at the predetermined frequency.

4. The headset device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined frequency is based on an audible frequency range of the human ear.

5. The headset device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined frequency is further based on a frequency range of ambient noise.

6. The headset device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined frequency is 40,000 Hz or less.

7. The headset device of claim 1, further comprising the first speaker and the second speaker.

8. The headset device of claim 1, wherein the audio plug further includes a first speaker contact coupled to the first speaker and a second speaker contact coupled to the second speaker.

9. The headset device of claim 1, wherein the audio plug is a 4-pin audio plug.

10. The headset device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first resistor coupled between a ground node and a node between the controller circuit and the first microphone.

11. A method to provide ambient noise data from a headset, the method comprising:

at a predetermined frequency, oscillating between;

providing a first ambient noise data signal to a microphone contact of an audio plug of the headset; and

providing a second ambient noise data signal to the microphone contact of an audio plug of the headset;

alternatively coupling one of the first microphone or the second microphone to the microphone contact using a switching circuit.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the predetermined frequency is based on an audible frequency range of the human ear and based on a frequency range of ambient noise.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a first audio signal at a first speaker, wherein the first audio data includes a first audio data signal and a first noise cancellation signal, wherein the first noise cancellation signal is provided based on the first ambient noise data signal; and

receiving a second audio signal at a first speaker of the headset, wherein the second audio data includes a second audio data signal and a second noise cancellation signal, wherein the second noise cancellation signal is provided based on the second ambient noise data signal.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the oscillating comprises:

in an alternating fashion;

adjusting a switching circuit to a first configuration to couple the microphone contact to a first microphone to provide the first ambient noise data signal; and

adjusting the switching circuit to a second configuration to couple the microphone contact to a second microphone to provide the second ambient noise data signal.