Wearable active noise reduction (ANR) device having low frequency feedback loop modulation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12300209-B2
Application number	US-202318527736-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2023
Priority date	Mar 6, 2020
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

Various aspects include a wearable audio device having active noise reduction (ANR). In some cases, a method for processing audio signals includes receiving a noise reduction signal configured to modify an audio signal and generate a noise reduced audio signal, the noise reduction signal having a nominal loop gain; and generating an adjusted noise reduction signal in response to a detected adverse low frequency event, the adjusted noise reduction signal having a modulated loop gain configured to reduce artifacts in the noise reduced audio signal.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for processing audio signals, comprising:
receiving a noise reduction signal configured to modify an audio signal and generate a noise reduced audio signal, the noise reduction signal having a nominal loop gain; and
generating an adjusted noise reduction signal in response to a detected adverse low frequency event, the adjusted noise reduction signal having a modulated loop gain configured to reduce artifacts in the noise reduced audio signal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjusted noise reduction signal is generated using a tunable filter that modulates the nominal loop gain based on an analysis of the detected low frequency event.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the tunable filter comprises a set of filter coefficients selected from a look-up table.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the tunable filter comprises a set of selectable filters.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the tunable filter dynamically calculates a set of filter coefficients.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the analysis of the detected low frequency event comprises comparing an output of the tunable filter to a threshold.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein an amount of modulation to the nominal loop gain is based on a difference between the output of the tunable filter and the threshold.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjusted noise reduction signal has an increased low frequency cross-over relative to a low frequency cross-over of the noise reduction signal.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the noise reduction signal and adjusted noise reduction signal, respectively, have substantially a similar loop gain shape near the low frequency cross-over.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the noise reduction signal is obtained from a fixed filter that receives input from a feedback microphone in an active noise reduction (ANR) device.

11. A system, comprising:
an electroacoustic transducer; and
a tunable filter that processes an audio signal according to a method that comprises:
receiving a noise reduction signal configured to modify the audio signal and generate a noise reduced audio signal at the electroacoustic transducer, the noise reduction signal having a nominal loop gain; and
generating an adjusted noise reduction signal in response to a detected adverse low frequency event, the adjusted noise reduction signal having a modulated loop gain configured to reduce artifacts in the noise reduced audio signal.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the tunable filter generates the adjusted noise reduction signal by modulating the nominal loop gain based on an analysis of the detected low frequency event.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the analysis of the detected low frequency event comprises comparing an output of the tunable filter to a threshold, wherein an amount of modulation to the nominal loop gain is based on a difference between the output of the tunable filter and the threshold.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the tunable filter comprises: i) a set of filter coefficients selected from a look-up table, or ii) a set of selectable filters.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the tunable filter dynamically calculates a set of filter coefficients.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the adjusted noise reduction signal has an increased low frequency cross-over relative to a low frequency cross-over of the noise reduction signal.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the noise reduction signal and adjusted noise reduction signal, respectively, have substantially a similar loop gain shape near the low frequency cross-over.

18. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a feedback compensator including the tunable filter and a fixed filter, and
a feedback microphone coupled with the feedback compensator,
wherein the noise reduction signal is obtained from the fixed filter, the fixed filter receiving input from the feedback microphone.

19. An active noise reduction (ANR) system for a wearable device, the system comprising:
a fixed filter that receives a signal from a feedback microphone and outputs a noise reduction signal, wherein the fixed filter is configured to provide ANR with a nominal loop gain; and
a tunable filter that outputs an adjusted noise reduction signal by modulating the nominal loop gain in response to low frequency noise being detected in the noise reduction signal.

20. The ANR system of claim 19 , wherein modulating the nominal loop gain includes reducing low frequency ANR performance, wherein reducing low frequency ANR performance includes modulating frequencies signals below approximately 100 Hz.

Assignees

• Bose Corp

Inventors

• Nielsen Ole Mattis
• Warkentin David J
• Cheng Lei
• Olmos Brandon Lee
• O'Connell Michael P

Classifications

• H04R2460/01

  Hearing devices using active noise cancellation · CPC title

• H04R3/002

  Damping circuit arrangements for transducers, e.g. motional feedback circuits · CPC title

• H04R1/1083

  Reduction of ambient noise (active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06) · CPC title

• G10K2210/3056

  Variable gain · CPC title

• G10K2210/3026

  Feedback · CPC title