Noise canceling headphone and noise canceling earmuff

• US 8,774,421 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2011
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Audio-technica
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Audio-technica
• Inventors: Kimura, Tominori
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhang, Leshui
• Application Number:
  US13/232,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20120063611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 381/23.1, 381/302, 381/309, 381/26, 381/61, 381/314, 381/317, 381/71.1, 381/71.6, 381/71.8, 381/71.11, 381/71.12, 381/71.14, 381/71.13, 381/72, 381/73.1, 381/74, 381/80, 381/81, 381/83, 381/85, 381/86, 381/91, 381/92, 381/93, 381/94.1, 381/94.5, 381/94.6, 381/94.7, 381/94.8, 381/95, 381/96, 381/98, 381/103, 381/101, 381/102, 381/108, 381/119, 381/120, 381/121, 381/122, 381/123, 704/E19.014, 704/E21.002, 37940601-40616, 455/570, 455/569.2, 455/114.2, 455/575.2, 700/94
• US Class Current: 381/74
• 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

Abstract

A noise canceling headphone includes a microphone provided in a headphone housing, collecting external sound, a canceling signal generating circuit generating a canceling signal in response to a signal output from the microphone which cancels external sound passing through the housing without being attenuated by a sound insulating characteristic of the headphone, a compensating signal generating circuit generating a compensating signal that compensates for the external sound attenuated by the sound insulating characteristic of the headphone, an adding circuit that adds a musical signal input from the exterior to the compensating signal, and a speaker unit that outputs an output signal from the adding circuit and the canceling signal.

Claims

1. A noise canceling headphone comprising:

a microphone provided in a headphone housing, the microphone configured for collecting an external sound and outputting a microphone signal, the external sound including a first component passing through the headphone housing without being substantially attenuated by a sound insulating characteristic of the noise canceling headphone and a second component having a substantial amount of attenuation by the sound insulating characteristic of the noise canceling headphone;

a canceling signal generating circuit generating a canceling signal in response to the microphone signal, the canceling signal cancels the first component of the external sound;

a compensating signal generating circuit generating a compensating signal, the compensating signal compensates for the second component of the external sound;

an adding circuit configured for adding a musical signal input to the compensating signal and generating an adding signal; and

a speaker unit outputting the adding signal and the canceling signal,

wherein the compensating signal generating circuit is a filter circuit that generates the compensating signal for compensating the amount of substantial attenuation in a frequency band characteristic corresponding to the second component of the external sound in response to the microphone signal.

2. The noise canceling headphone according to claim 1, wherein the compensating signal generating circuit comprises

a difference operation circuit that outputs a difference between the microphone signal and the canceling signal;

and

a band-pass filter circuit that extracts a signal only in a predetermined band from a signal output from the difference operation circuit.

3. The noise canceling headphone according to claim 2, wherein the band-pass filter circuit extracts the signal only in a voice band.

4. The noise canceling headphone according to claim 1, further comprising:

a switch circuit that switches the compensating signal from the speaker unit.

5. The noise canceling headphone according to claim 4, further comprising:

a level detecting circuit that detects a signal level of the compensating signal, wherein the switch circuit is operated to stop an output of the compensating signal when the signal level of the detected compensating signal is higher than a predetermined signal level.

6. The noise canceling headphone according to claim 4, further comprising:

a band level detecting circuit that detects a signal level of the compensating signal in a predetermined band, wherein

the switch circuit is operated to stop the output of the compensating signal when the signal level of the detected compensating signal in the predetermined band is higher than a predetermined signal level.

7. The noise canceling headphone according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined signal level compared with the compensating signal is automatically varied.

8. The noise canceling headphone according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined signal level compared with the compensating signal is automatically varied.

9. The noise canceling headphone according to claim 5, further comprising an operating section that allows a user to vary the predetermined signal level compared with the compensating signal.

10. The noise canceling headphone according to claim 6, further comprising an operating section that allows a user to vary the predetermined signal level compared with the compensating signal.

11. A noise canceling earmuff comprising:

a microphone provided in a earmuff housing, the microphone configured for collecting an external sound and outputting a microphone signal, the external sound including a first component passing through the earmuff housing without being substantially attenuated by a sound insulating characteristic of the noise canceling earmuff and a second component having a substantial amount of attenuation by the sound insulating characteristic of the noise canceling earmuff;

a canceling signal generating circuit generating a canceling signal in response to the microphone signal, the canceling signal cancels the first component of the external sound;

a compensating signal generating circuit generating a compensating signal, the compensating signal compensates for the second component of the external sound; and

a speaker unit outputting the compensating signal and the canceling signal,

wherein the compensating signal generating circuit is a filter circuit that generates the compensating signal for compensating the amount of substantial attenuation in a frequency band characteristic corresponding to the second component of the external sound in response to the microphone signal.