Portable communication device and a method of processing signals therein

• US 8,218,779 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2009
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Isberg, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Faulk, Devona
• Assistant Examiner(s): MONIKANG, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US12/485,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20100322430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 381/58, 381/71.6, 381/71.11, 381/72, 381/74, 381/317, 381/318
• US Class Current: 381/58
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17817 between the output signals and the error signals, i.e. secondary path
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17854 the filter being an adaptive filter
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17857 Geometric disposition, e.g. placement of microphones
• 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 2210/108 Communication systems, e.g. where useful sound is kept and noise is cancelled
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• 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 2460/01 Hearing devices using active noise cancellation
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/15 Determination of the acoustic seal of ear moulds or ear tips of hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response

Abstract

A portable communication device is disclosed. The portable communication device comprises a speaker adapted to be held to an ear of a user for conveying sound to the user, at least one sensor for sensing sound emanating from said sound conveyed to the user, and a control unit. The control unit is adapted to estimate, based on an electrical input signal supplied to an input port of the speaker and an electrical output signal received from an output port of the at least one sensor, a transfer characteristic from the input port of the speaker to the output port of the sensor. Furthermore, the control unit is adapted to estimate, based on the estimated transfer characteristic, a degree of sound leakage from the user'"'"'s ear. A corresponding method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A portable communication device comprising:

a speaker adapted to be held to an ear of a user for conveying sound to the user;

at least one sensor for sensing sound emanating from said sound conveyed to the user; and

a control unit adapted to;

estimate, based on an electrical input signal supplied to an input port of the speaker and an electrical output signal received from an output port of the at least one sensor, a transfer characteristic from the input port of the speaker to the output port of the sensor;

estimate, based on the estimated transfer characteristic, a frequency at which the transfer characteristic exhibits a resonance peak; and

estimate, based on the estimated frequency, a degree of sound leakage from the user'"'"'s ear.

2. The portable communication device according to claim 1, comprising;

an adjustable filter for generating the electrical input signal to the speaker;

wherein

the control unit is adapted to adjust the adjustable filter based on the estimated degree of sound leakage for compensating a variation in the degree of sound leakage.

3. The portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is placed such that, when the speaker is held to the user'"'"'s ear, the at least one sensor is located for sensing the sound of a cavity of the user'"'"'s ear.

4. The portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is placed such that, when the speaker is held to the user'"'"'s ear, the at least one sensor is located for sensing sound leaking from a cavity of the user'"'"'s ear.

5. The portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is adapted to:

estimate a resonance frequency of the sensed sound based on the estimated frequency; and

estimate said degree of sound leakage based on said resonance frequency of the sensed sound.

6. The portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is adapted to estimate said transfer characteristic in the frequency domain.

7. The portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is adapted to utilize said estimated degree of sound leakage as an input parameter of an active noise cancellation process.

8. The portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is a microphone.

9. A method of processing signals in a portable communication device comprising a speaker adapted to be held to an ear of a user for conveying sound to the user and at least one sensor for sensing sound emanating from said sound conveyed to the user, wherein the method comprises:

estimating, based on an electrical input signal supplied to an input port of the speaker and an electrical output signal received from an output port of the at least one sensor, a transfer characteristic from the input port of the speaker to the output port of the sensor;

estimating, based on the estimated transfer characteristic, a frequency at which the transfer characteristic exhibits a resonance peak; and

estimating, based on the estimated frequency, a degree of sound leakage from the user'"'"'s ear.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the portable communication device comprises an adjustable filter for generating the electrical input signal to the speaker, and the method comprises

adjusting the adjustable filter based on the estimated degree of sound leakage for compensating a variation in the degree of sound leakage.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one sensor is placed such that, when the speaker is held to the user'"'"'s ear, the at least one sensor is located for sensing the sound of a cavity of the user'"'"'s ear.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one sensor is placed such that, when the speaker is held to the user'"'"'s ear, the at least one sensor is located for sensing sound leaking from a cavity of the user'"'"'s ear.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein estimating the degree of sound leakage from the user'"'"'s ear comprises:

estimating a resonance frequency of the sound pressure based on the estimated frequency at which the transfer characteristic exhibits a resonance peak; and

estimating the degree of sound leakage based on said resonance frequency of the sound pressure.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein estimating said transfer characteristic comprises estimating the transfer characteristic in the frequency domain.

15. The method according to claim 9, comprising utilizing said estimated degree of sound leakage as an input parameter of an active noise cancellation process.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one sensor is a microphone.

17. A computer program product comprising computer program code means contained in a non-transitory medium for executing the method according to claim 9 when said computer program code means are run by a programmable hardware unit.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a computer program product comprising computer program code means for executing the method according to claim 9 when said computer program code means are run by a programmable hardware unit.

19. A control unit for a portable communication device configured to perform the method according to claim 9.