Systems and methods for locating an error microphone to minimize or reduce obstruction of an acoustic transducer wave path

Abstract

An apparatus may include an acoustic transducer, a housing, a microphone, and an acoustical conduit. The acoustic transducer may include a diaphragm having a front and a back, the diaphragm configured to mechanically vibrate in response to an audio signal, thereby producing sound from the front of the diaphragm. The housing may be configured to mechanically support the acoustic transducer such that the front faces an exterior of the housing and the back faces an interior of the housing. The microphone may be disposed in the interior of the housing and may be configured to sense combined sound produced by the acoustic transducer and ambient sound proximate to the acoustic transducer. The acoustical conduit may be coupled to and extend from the microphone and pass adjacent the acoustic transducer such that the microphone senses sound proximate to the front of the diaphragm.

Description

[0001] Related Application Cross Reference [0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13 / 931,133, filed June 28, 2013, which in turn claims U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 61, filed March 28, 2013 / 806,200 priority, each case is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. technical field [0003] The present invention relates generally to adaptive noise cancellation associated with acoustic transducers, and more particularly to positioning error microphones associated with acoustic transducers to minimize or reduce obstruction of the acoustic transducer's wavepath. Background technique [0004] Wireless phones (such as mobile / cellular phones, cordless phones) and other consumer audio devices (such as MP3 players) are widely used. By using a microphone to measure ambient sound events, and then using signal processing to inject an anti-noise signal into the output of the device to counteract the ambient sound events to...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0005] However, for portable or small audio devices that have speakers or acoustic transducers, such as wireless phones and headsets, positioning the error microphone at the proper location within the device can be challenging

For example, the confined space inherent in such devices can pose challenges in localizing error microphones due to the space constraints of such devices

As another example, space is so limited that attempting to mount an error microphone near or at the exit of the acoustic path of a speaker or acoustic transducer may be difficult and / or may obstruct the wave path of the speaker or acoustic transducer

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