NOISE CANCELLATION FOR PHONE CONVERSATION

• US 20100226491A1
• Filed: 03/09/2009
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Wolfe, Andrew, Conte, Thomas Martin
• Granted Patent: US 8,824,666 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/406.10
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17823 Reference signals, e.g. ambient acoustic environment
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17837 by retaining part of the ambient acoustic environment, e.g. speech or alarm signals that the user needs to hear
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17873 using a reference signal without an error signal, e.g. pure feedforward
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02165 Two microphones, one receiving mainly the noise signal and the other one mainly the speech signal
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/02 Speech enhancement, e.g. noise reduction or echo cancellation reducing echo effects in line transmission systems H04B3/20; echo suppression in hands-free telephones H04M9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/123 using adaptive balancing or compensation means adaptive filter circuits and algorithms H03H
• 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 9/082 using echo cancellers echo cancellers per se H04B3/23

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for noise cancellation of phone conversation. Some of the systems can include a phone having a microphone and a noise cancellation device. In some examples, the noise cancellation device has a microphone for receiving an input sound wave and positioned proximate the phone microphone, a processor for generating a noise cancellation sound wave based on the input sound wave, and a speaker for outputting the noise cancellation sound wave. The phone microphone and the noise cancellation device microphone can be shared or different microphones, and can also be microphone is integral to the phone. The shared or separate microphones can be part of a phone headset.

Claims

1. A system for phone noise attenuation comprising:

a phone configured to receive an input sound wave; and

a noise cancellation device comprising;

a noise cancellation microphone configured to receive the input sound wave,

a processor configured to generate a noise cancellation sound wave based on the input sound wave wherein the noise cancellation sound wave is shaped for attenuating the input sound wave, and

a speaker configured to output the noise cancellation sound wave;

wherein the noise cancellation device is operatively associated with the phone such that the input sound wave input to the phone is attenuated by the noise cancellation device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the phone includes a phone microphone.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the phone microphone and the noise cancellation device microphone are a shared microphone.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the shared microphone is integral to the phone.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the shared microphone is part of a phone headset.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the noise cancellation device processor is shared with the phone for operating the phone.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the phone and the noise cancellation device are substantially integral.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the noise cancellation device is configured to be retrofit to the phone.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the noise cancellation device further comprises an echo cancellation element configured to minimize reception by the microphone of the noise cancellation sound wave.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the noise cancellation device is configured for receiving information relating to environmental characteristics and using the information in generating the noise cancellation sound wave.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a voice training device wherein the voice training device is configured to develop an audio footprint of a phone user and wherein the audio footprint is used by the noise cancellation device processor for generating the noise cancellation sound wave.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the voice training device is configured to operate an enrollment stage during which the user of the mobile phone is prompted to say specific words having a range of sounds.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the phone is a mobile phone.

14. A noise cancellation system for use with a phone, the noise cancellation system comprising:

a noise cancellation device configured for coupling with the phone and comprising;

a microphone configured to receive an input sound wave,

a processor for generating a noise cancellation sound wave based on the input sound wave wherein the noise cancellation sound wave is shaped for attenuating the input sound wave,

a speaker configured to output the noise cancellation sound wave.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the noise cancellation device is coupled to the phone.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the noise cancellation device further comprises an echo cancellation element configured to minimize reception by the microphone of the noise cancellation sound wave.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising a voice training device configured to develop an audio footprint of a phone user wherein the audio footprint is used by the noise cancellation device processor for generating a noise cancellation sound wave.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the phone is a mobile phone, and the voice training device is configured to operate an enrollment stage during which a user of the phone is prompted to say specific words having a range of sounds.

19. A method for attenuating noise associated with a phone conversation of a mobile phone user, comprising:

receiving an input sound wave associated with the mobile phone user;

generating a noise cancellation sound wave based on the input sound wave wherein the noise cancellation sound wave is shaped for attenuating the input sound wave; and

outputting the noise cancellation sound wave to attenuate the input sound wave.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising developing an audio footprint of a mobile phone user.