Active noise reduction earbud

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12262168-B2
Application number	US-202318386125-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2023
Priority date	Jun 29, 2021
Publication date	Mar 25, 2025
Grant date	Mar 25, 2025

Abstract

An active noise reduction earbud includes a housing and a first feedforward microphone disposed in the housing. A first sound inlet opening extends through the housing and is configured to conduct external sound to the first feedforward microphone. The first sound inlet opening is configured to sit within a concha cavum of a user's ear and faces toward an auricle of the user's ear when the earbud is worn.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving a first input signal developed by a first feedforward microphone associated with an active noise reduction (ANR) earbud with a housing, wherein the first feedforward microphone is configured to sense external sound that is conducted through a first sound inlet opening in the housing, and wherein the first sound inlet opening is configured to sit within a concha cavum of a user's ear and faces toward an auricle of the user's ear when the earbud is worn; and
processing the first input signal using a first filter, to generate a first output signal for an acoustic transducer of the ANR earbud,
wherein the ANR earbud further comprises a second feedforward microphone configured to develop a second input signal, and a second sound inlet opening in the housing and configured to conduct external sound to be sensed by the second feedforward microphone.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises an outlet portion that defines a sound outlet, wherein the outlet portion is configured to be located in or proximate the external auditory meatus of a user's ear.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the outlet portion comprises a compliant ear tip that defines the sound outlet.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ANR earbud further comprises a first acoustic port in the housing that is in fluid communication with the external auditory meatus, wherein at least one of the first sound inlet opening and the second sound inlet opening is proximate the first acoustic port.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the ANR earbud further comprises a second acoustic port in the housing that is in fluid communication with the external auditory meatus, wherein the first sound inlet opening is proximate the first acoustic port and the second sound inlet opening is proximate the second acoustic port.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ANR earbud further comprises:
a third feedforward microphone disposed in the housing; and
a third sound inlet opening extending through the housing and configured to conduct external sound to the third feedforward microphone,
wherein the third sound inlet opening is configured to sit outside of the concha cavum of the user's ear and face away from the auricle of the user's ear when the earbud is worn.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein one or both of the second and third feedforward microphones is arrayed with the first microphone for voice pickup.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a coherence of the ANR earbud in a frequency range, and determined from only the first input signal, is greater than the coherence in the frequency range determined from only the second input signal.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the frequency range is above 3 kHz.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first sound inlet opening is adjacent to the ear tip.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein when the ear tip is located in or proximate the external auditory meatus of the user's ear the first sound inlet opening is in the concha of the user's ear.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ANR earbud further comprises:
an audio driver disposed within the housing; and
a first port,
wherein a first side of the audio driver directs acoustic radiation into a front acoustic cavity within the housing,
wherein a second side of the audio driver directs acoustic radiation into a rear acoustic cavity within the housing, and
wherein the first port is configured to allow sound to exit the rear acoustic cavity into an external environment.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first port is configured to sit within the concha cavum of the user's ear and face toward the auricle of the user's ear when the earbud is worn.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first sound inlet opening is proximate the first port such that the first feedforward microphone is able to sense sound exiting the rear acoustic cavity through the first port.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first port comprises a resistive port comprises an acoustic mesh over a shallow opening.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first port comprises a mass port comprising a long tube that is open to the external environment.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the ANR earbud further comprises a second port that allows sound to exit the rear acoustic cavity into the external environment.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first port is one of a resistive port or a mass port, and the second port is the other of the resistive port or the mass port.

Assignees

• Bose Corp

Inventors

• Munro Andrew Donald
• Cheng Lei
• Nielsen Ole
• Ku Emery
• Bacon Cedrik

Classifications

• G10K2210/1081

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

• G10K11/17857

  Geometric disposition, e.g. placement of microphones · CPC title

• H04R1/1016 Primary

  Earpieces of the intra-aural type · CPC title

• G10K11/17881

  the reference signal being an acoustic signal, e.g. recorded with a microphone · CPC title

• G10K11/17873

  using a reference signal without an error signal, e.g. pure feedforward · CPC title