ANC Controller Fixed Variable Filter Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing adaptive noise cancellation (ANC) systems face stability challenges due to varying secondary path responses in acoustic environments, particularly in devices like wireless telephones where the position of the device relative to the user's ear affects the acoustic coupling, making it difficult to maintain stable noise cancellation across different configurations.

Innovation Solution

An ANC controller is designed with a combination of a fixed transfer function filter and a variable-response filter, where the fixed filter maintains stability and the variable filter compensates for variations in the secondary path, ensuring the ANC gain is independent of the secondary path's transfer function.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a fixed-response feedback filter is used in ANC systems, then the system complexity is reduced, but the stability deteriorates when the acoustic environment varies

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefilter structure complexityVSAvoidsystem stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The feedback filter is divided into two separate filters: a fixed-response filter and a variable-response filter. The fixed filter handles the basic noise cancellation with predetermined coefficients, while the variable filter dynamically adjusts its response based on changes in the secondary path transfer function. This segmentation allows the system to maintain simplicity while adapting to environmental variations, resolving the contradiction between reduced complexity and maintained stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If an adaptive feedback filter is used to compensate for secondary path variations, then the system stability is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem stabilityVSAvoidfilter structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs a variable-response filter that dynamically adjusts its transfer function based on detected changes in the secondary path. Instead of using a fully adaptive filter that continuously adjusts all parameters, the variable filter selectively adapts only to secondary path variations, maintaining system stability while minimizing complexity. The filter transitions between fixed and adaptive modes as needed, optimizing the balance between stability and complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If the ANC system adapts to all possible acoustic configurations, then the adaptability is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveacoustic configuration adaptabilityVSAvoidsecondary path measurement complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The system monitors changes in the secondary path transfer function parameters and adjusts the variable filter's response accordingly. Instead of measuring and adapting to all possible acoustic configurations in detail, the system detects key parameter changes (such as gain and phase variations) and responds with appropriate filter adjustments. This approach provides sufficient adaptability for practical acoustic environment changes while avoiding the complexity of comprehensive measurement and adaptation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3338279B1Feedback adaptive noise cancellation (ANC) controller and method having a feedback response partially provided by a fixed-response filter
Publication Date: 2024.10.02 CIRRUS LOGIC INT SEMICON LTD
  • EP3338279B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP3338279B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3338279B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

A controller for an adaptive noise canceling (ANC) system simplifies the design of a stable control response by making the ANC gain of the system independent of a secondary path extending from a transducer of the ANC system to a sensor of the ANC system that measures the ambient noise. The controller includes a fixed filter having a predetermined fixed response, and a variable filter coupled together. The variable response filter compensates for variations of a transfer function of a secondary path that includes at least a path from a transducer of the ANC system to a sensor of the ANC system, so that the ANC gain is independent of the variations in the transfer function of the secondary path.