Noise canceling audio in/out device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11974105-B2
Application number	US-202217654346-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2022
Priority date	Aug 12, 2020
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

A noise canceling audio in/out device includes an audible in/out transducer operable to convert an audible noise signal to a noise signal and convert an audio transmit (TX) signal to an audible output signal. A transducer signal of the audible in/out transducer generated by the audio TX signal is affected by the noise signal. The noise canceling audio in/out device further includes a noise canceling circuit operable to convert a digital TX signal to a TX reference signal, compare the transducer signal with the TX reference signal to produce an analog comparison signal, where the analog comparison signal includes a representation of the audio TX signal and the noise signal, and regulate the transducer signal to substantially match the TX reference signal to remove the effect of the noise signal on the transducer signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A noise canceling audio in/out device comprises:
an audible in/out transducer operable to:
convert an audible noise signal to a noise signal; and
convert an audio transmit (TX) signal to an audible output signal, wherein a transducer signal of the audible in/out transducer generated by the audio TX signal is affected by the noise signal; and

a noise canceling circuit operable to:
convert a digital TX signal to a TX reference signal;
compare the transducer signal with the TX reference signal to produce an analog comparison signal, wherein the analog comparison signal includes a representation of the audio TX signal and the noise signal; and
regulate the transducer signal to substantially match the TX reference signal to remove the effect of the noise signal on the transducer signal.

2. The noise canceling audio in/out device of claim 1 , wherein the noise canceling circuit includes:
a level adjust circuit operable to adjust the magnitude of a pre-scaled digital TX signal to produce a digital TX;
a digital to analog converter (DAC) module operable to convert the digital TX signal to the TX reference signal;
an operational amplifier operable to compare the transducer signal of the audible in/out transducer with the TX reference signal to produce the analog comparison signal;
a feedback circuit operable to generate a regulation signal based on the analog comparison signal; and
a controlled source circuit operable to adjust generation of its output based on the regulation signal to keep the inputs of the operational amplifier substantially matching, wherein the output regulates the transducer signal.

3. The noise canceling audio in/out device of claim 2 further comprises:
a processing module operably coupled to the audible in/out transducer and the noise canceling circuit, wherein the processing module is operable to:
receive a digital outbound signal for output to the audible in/out transducer;
format the digital outbound signal to produce a formatted digital TX signal;
pre-scale the formatted digital TX signal to produce the pre-scaled digital TX signal; and
communicate a volume control signal to the level adjust circuit, wherein the level adjust circuit adjusts the magnitude of the pre-scaled digital TX signal based on the volume control signal.

4. The noise canceling audio in/out device of claim 2 , wherein the output of the controlled source circuit includes an adjustment to the audio TX signal, wherein the adjustment substantially cancels the audible noise signal heard by a user of the noise canceling audio in/out device.

5. The noise canceling audio in/out device of claim 1 , wherein the transducer signal is a voltage signal of the audible in/out transducer.

6. The noise canceling audio in/out device of claim 1 , wherein the controlled source circuit is a voltage controlled current source.

7. The noise canceling audio in/out device of claim 1 further comprises:
a right audible in/out transducer operable to:
convert a right audible noise signal to a right noise signal; and
convert a right audio transmit (TX) signal to a right audible output signal, wherein a right transducer signal of the right audible in/out transducer generated by the right audio TX signal is affected by the right noise signal;

a right noise canceling circuit operable to:
convert a right digital TX signal to a right TX reference signal;
compare the right transducer signal with the right TX reference signal to produce a right analog comparison signal, wherein the right analog comparison signal includes a representation of the right audio TX signal and the right noise signal; and
regulate the right transducer signal to substantially match the right TX reference signal to remove the effect of the right noise signal on the right transducer signal;

a left audible in/out transducer operable to:
convert a left audible noise signal to a left noise signal; and
convert a left audio TX signal to a left audible output signal, wherein a left transducer signal of the left audible in/out transducer generated by the left audio TX signal is affected by the left noise signal; and

a left noise canceling circuit operable to:
convert a left digital TX signal to a left TX reference signal;
compare a left transducer signal with the left TX reference signal to produce a left analog comparison signal, wherein the left analog comparison signal includes a representation of the left audio TX signal and the left noise signal; and
regulate the left transducer signal to substantially match the left TX reference signal to remove the effect of the left noise signal on the left transducer signal.

8. The noise canceling audio in/out device of claim 7 , wherein the right audio TX signal and the left audio TX signal include different audio information.

9. The noise canceling audio in/out device of claim 7 , wherein the right audio TX signal and the left audio TX signal include substantially matching audio information.

10. An noise canceling audio in/out device comprises:
an audible in/out transducer operable to:
convert an audible noise signal to a noise signal; and
convert an audio transmit (TX) signal to an audible output signal, wherein a transducer signal of the audible in/out transducer generated by the audio TX signal is affected by the noise signal;

a noise canceling circuit operable to:
convert a digital TX signal to a TX reference signal;
compare a transducer signal of the audible in/out transducer with the TX reference signal to produce an analog comparison signal, wherein the analog comparison signal includes a representation of the audio TX signal and the noise signal; and
regulate the transducer signal to substantially match the TX reference signal to remove the effect of the noise signal on the transducer signal; and

a processing module operably coupled to the audible in/out transducer and the noise canceling circuit, wherein the processing module is operable to:
receive a digital outbound signal for output to the audible in/out transducer;
format the digital outbound signal to produce a formatted digital TX signal; and
pre-scale the formatted digital TX signal to produce a pre-scaled digital TX signal.

11. The noise canceling audio in/out device of claim 10 , wherein the noise canceling circuit includes:
a level adjust circuit operable to adjust the magnitude of a pre-scaled digital TX signal to produce a digital TX;
a digital to analog converter (DAC) module operable to convert the digital TX signal to the TX reference signal;
an operational amplifier operable to compare the transducer signal with the TX reference signal to produce the analog comparison signal;
a feedback circuit operable to generate a regulation signal based on the analog comparison signal; and
a controlled source circuit operable to adjust generation of its output based on the regulation signal to keep the inputs of the operational amplifier substantially matching, wherein the output regulates the transducer signal.

12. The noise canceling audio in/out device of claim 11 , wherein the processing module is operable to communicate a volume control signal to the level adjust circuit, wherein the level adjust circuit adjusts the magnitude of the pre-scaled digital TX signal based on the volume control signal.

13. The noise canceling audio in/out device of claim 11 , wherein the output of the controlled source circuit includes an adjustment to the audio TX signal, wherein the adjustment substantially cancels the audible noise signal heard by a user of the noise canceling audio in/out device.

14. The noise canceling audio in

Assignees

• Sigmasense Llc

Inventors

• Price John Christopher
• Huynh Phuong
• Van Ostrand Daniel Keith
• Gray Patrick Troy

Classifications

• H04R3/04 Primary

  for correcting frequency response · CPC title

• H03M1/001

  Analogue/digital/analogue conversion · CPC title

• H04R1/2803

  for loudspeaker transducers · CPC title

• H04R5/033 Primary

  Headphones for stereophonic communication {(details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10)} · CPC title

• H04R2460/01

  Hearing devices using active noise cancellation · CPC title