Directional noise cancelling headset with multiple feedforward microphones

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10755690-B2
Application number	US-201816004881-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2018
Priority date	Jun 11, 2018
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

A headphone device includes a speaker housing, a first feedforward microphone, and a second feedforward microphone. The first feedforward microphone is coupled to the speaker housing at a first location, and the second feedforward microphone is coupled to the speaker housing at a second location. The headphone device also includes an active noise cancelling (ANC) circuit configured to generate an anti-noise signal based on at least one of a first signal from the first feedforward microphone and a second signal from the second feedforward microphone. The headphone device also includes a speaker configured to generate an audio output at least partially based on the anti-noise signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A headphone device comprising:
a speaker housing;
a first feedforward microphone coupled to the speaker housing at a first location;
a second feedforward microphone coupled to the speaker housing at a second location;
an active noise cancelling (ANC) circuit configured to generate an anti-noise signal based on at least one of a first signal from the first feedforward microphone and a second signal from the second feedforward microphone;
an input device coupled to the speaker housing, wherein a value of a selection signal is determined based on input from the input device, the selection signal indicating whether noise cancellation operations associated with the anti-noise signal are based on the first signal, the second signal, or both; and
a speaker configured to generate an audio output based in part on the anti-noise signal.

2. The headphone device of claim 1 , further comprising a control circuit that is configured to provide the selection signal to the ANC circuit.

3. The headphone device of claim 1 , wherein the selection signal is a user selected selection signal received via the input device.

4. The headphone device of claim 2 , wherein the input device comprises a wireless receiver, and wherein the control circuit is configured to receive an indication of a value of the selection signal from the wireless receiver.

5. The headphone device of claim 2 , wherein the ANC circuit is responsive to a first value of the selection signal to apply a noise cancellation operation to the first signal and to apply a pass-through operation to the second signal, and wherein the ANC circuit is responsive to a second value of the selection signal to apply the noise cancellation operation to the second signal and to apply the pass-through operation to the first signal.

6. The headphone device of claim 5 , wherein the pass-through operation includes amplifying an audio signal that originates from a non-selected direction for noise cancellation.

7. The headphone device of claim 2 , wherein the control circuit is configured to generate the selection signal further based on a phase difference between capture of an audio signal at the first feedforward microphone and capture of the audio signal at the second feedforward microphone.

8. The headphone device of claim 1 , further comprising a feedback microphone configured to provide a feedback signal to the ANC circuit.

9. A method comprising:
generating, at an active noise cancelling (ANC) circuit of a headphone device, an anti-noise signal based on at least one of a first signal from a first feedforward microphone and a second signal from a second feedforward microphone, the first feedforward microphone coupled to a first location of a speaker housing of the headphone device, and the second feedforward microphone coupled to a second location of the speaker housing;
receiving an indication of a value of a selection signal based on user selected input from an input device, the selection signal indicating whether noise cancellation operations associated with the anti-noise signal are based on the first signal, the second signal, or both; and
generating an audio output based in part on the anti-noise signal.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the indication is received from a wireless receiver.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, in response to receiving a first value of the selection signal:
applying a noise cancellation operation to the first signal; and
applying a pass-through operation to the second signal.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, in response to receiving a second value of the selection signal:
applying the noise cancellation operation to the second signal; and
applying the pass-through operation to the first signal.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the pass-through operation includes amplifying an audio signal that originates from a non-selected direction for noise cancellation.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the selection signal is further based on a phase difference between capture of an audio signal at the first feedforward microphone and capture of the audio signal at the second feedforward microphone.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor within an active noise cancelling (ANC) circuit of a headphone device, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
generating an anti-noise signal based on at least one of a first signal from a first feedforward microphone and a second signal from a second feedforward microphone, the first feedforward microphone coupled to a first location of a speaker housing of the headphone device, and the second feedforward microphone coupled to a second location of the speaker housing;
receiving an indication of a value of a selection signal based on user selected input from an input device, the selection signal indicating whether noise cancellation operations associated with the anti-noise signal are based on the first signal, the second signal, or both; and
generating an audio output based in part on the anti-noise signal.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the indication is received from a wireless receiver.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein, in response to the selection signal having a first value, the operations further comprise:
applying a noise cancellation operation to the first signal; and
applying a pass-through operation to the second signal.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein, in response to the selection signal having a second value, the operations further comprise:
applying the noise cancellation operation to the second signal; and
applying the pass-through operation to the first signal.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the pass-through operation includes amplifying an audio signal that originates from a non-selected direction for noise cancellation.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the selection signal is further based on a phase difference between capture of an audio signal at the first feedforward microphone and capture of the audio signal at the second feedforward microphone.

21. A headphone device comprising:
means for capturing first noise from a first direction;
means for capturing second noise from a second direction;
means for generating an anti-noise signal based on at least one of a first signal from the means for capturing the first noise and a second signal from the means for capturing the second noise;
means for receiving an input, wherein a value of a selection signal is determined based on input, the selection signal indicating whether noise cancellation operations associated with the anti-noise signal are based on the first signal, the second signal, or both; and
means for generating an audio output at least partially based on the anti-noise signal.

22. The headphone device of claim 21 , further comprising means for generating a feedback signal based on the audio output.

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Mohammad Asif
• Lacatus Catalin
• Challa Deepak Kumar
• Oliveira Louis Dominic

Classifications

• G10K2210/1081

  Earphones, e.g. for telephones, ear protectors or headsets · CPC title

• G10K2210/3046

  Multiple acoustic inputs, multiple acoustic outputs · CPC title

• G10K11/17823 Primary

  Reference signals, e.g. ambient acoustic environment · CPC title

• G10K11/17827 Primary

  Desired external signals, e.g. pass-through audio such as music or speech · CPC title

• H04R1/1008

  Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type · CPC title