Apparatus and method of active noise cancellation in a personal listening device

Abstract

A personal listening device (PLD) includes an earphone housing having therein (a) inertial sensor to detect motion of the PLD and to generate motion signals, (b) a pressure sensor to detect compression of portion of the PLD and to generate pressure sensor signals, and (c) a speaker to receive anti-noise signals and desired audio signals from an electronic device, and an active noise control (ANC) system to generate anti-noise signals as being one of first or second anti-noise signals. The ANC system includes a processor, a vibration detector to detect vibration of the PLD based on at least one of the motion signals or the pressure sensor signals, and an ANC anti-noise generator to generate first anti-noise signals when vibrations are not detected by the vibration detector, and to generate second anti-noise signals when vibrations are detected by the vibration detector. The second anti-noise signals are based on detected vibrations. The processor reconfigures the ANC system for the ANC anti-noise generator to generate second anti-noise signals. Other embodiments are also described.

Description

technical field [0001] Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to apparatus and methods for improving ANC in a personal listening device (PLD) by reducing artifacts generated by an active noise control (ANC) system in a noise cancellation control signal when vibrations in the personal listening device are detected . More specifically, one embodiment of the present invention relates to a personal listening device having an active noise control (ANC) system that detects vibrations of the personal listening device and generates an anti-noise signal based on the detected vibrations by reconfiguring the ANC system to reduce artifacts generated by the ANC system. Background technique [0002] Currently, some personal listening devices such as earbuds, earphones, and headphones include Active Noise Control (ANC) (also known as for acoustic noise cancellation) systems. ANC technology cancels external or background sound by generating a control signal that causes the...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0004] However, personal listening devices that perform ANC often have problems performing ANC in a stable manner

For example, when using a personal listening device while walking, running, or on a slightly uneven bus ride, the sound fields captured by the reference and error microphones may differ significantly from the unwanted background noise being removed

Consequently, the adaptive filter converges to the wrong scheme, and generating anti-noise from this incorrect scheme may include audible artifacts that can be significant enough to make the user feel uncomfortable or even nauseous

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