Voice Sensing using Multiple Microphones

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016267899-A1
Application number	US-201514657604-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 13, 2015
Priority date	Mar 13, 2015
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A noise cancelling headset includes first and second earpieces, each earpiece including a respective feedback microphone, a respective feed-forward microphone, and a respective output driver. A first feedback filter receives an input from at least the first feedback microphone and produces a first filtered feedback signal. A first feed-forward filter receives an input from at least the first feed-forward microphone and produces a first filtered feed-forward signal. A first summer combines the first filtered feedback signal and the first filtered feed-forward signal and produces a first output signal. An output interface provides the first output signal as an output from the headset.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A noise cancelling headset ( 100 ) comprising:
first and second earpieces ( 102 ), each earpiece comprising a respective feedback microphone ( 104 ), a respective feed-forward microphone ( 110 ), and a respective output driver ( 112 ); a first feedback filter ( 302 ) receiving an input from at least the first feedback microphone and producing a first filtered feedback signal; a first feed-forward filter ( 304 ) receiving an input from at least the first feed-forward microphone and producing a first filtered feed-forward signal; a first summer ( 310 , 320 ) combining the first filtered feedback signal and the first filtered feed-forward signal and producing a first output signal; and an output interface providing the first output signal as an output from the headset.

2 . The headset of claim 1 further comprising a second feedback filter ( 308 ) receiving an input from the second feedback microphone and producing a second filtered feedback signal,
wherein the first summer combines the first filtered feedback signal with the second filtered feedback signal.

3 . The headset of claim 1 further comprising a second feed-forward filter ( 306 ) receiving an input from the second feed-forward microphone and producing a second filtered feed-forward signal,
wherein the first summer combines the first filtered feed-forward signal with the second filtered feed-forward signal.

4 . The headset of claim 1 further comprising a second summer ( 312 ) combining the first and second feedback microphone inputs and providing a summed feedback microphone signal to the first feedback filter ( 316 ).

5 . The headset of claim 1 further comprising a second summer ( 314 ) combining the first and second feed-forward microphone inputs and providing a summed feed-forward microphone signal to the first feed-forward filter ( 318 ).

6 . The headset of claim 1 further comprising:
a second feedback filter ( 308 ) receiving an input from the second feedback microphone and producing a second filtered feedback signal;
a second feed-forward filter ( 306 ) receiving an input from the second feed-forward microphone and producing a second filtered feed-forward signal; and
a second summer ( 322 ) combining the second filtered feedback signal with the second filtered feed-forward signal to produce a second output signal.

7 . The headset of claim 1 wherein:
at least the first earpiece further comprises an additional external microphone ( 324 R, 324 L), and
the first feed-forward filter comprises a feed-forward array processing filter ( 326 R, 326 L) receiving inputs from the first or second feed-forward microphone and the additional external microphone, and producing an array-filtered signal,
wherein the first summer combines the array filtered signal with at least the first feedback filtered signal to produce the output signal.

8 . The headset of claim 1 further comprising:
a joint housing connected to cords leading from the earpieces, the joint housing including an array of microphones ( 330 , 332 ); and
an array processing filter ( 336 ) receiving inputs from the array of microphones and the first and second feed-forward microphones and producing an array-filtered signal;
wherein the first summer ( 326 ) combines the array filtered signal with at least the first feedback filtered signal to produce the output signal.

9 . The headset of claim 1 further comprising
a second summer ( 350 ) combining the first and second feedback microphone inputs and providing a summed feedback microphone signal to a comparator ( 354 );
a third summer ( 352 ) combining the first and second feed-forward microphone inputs and providing a summed feed-forward microphone signal to the comparator;
an output of the comparator controlling operation of the first feedback filter ( 356 ) and the first feed-forward filter ( 358 ) based on a comparison of the summed feedback microphone signal with the summed feed-forward microphone signal.

10 . The headset of claim 9 wherein the output of the comparator deactivates the first feedback filter when the comparison indicates that the summed feedback microphone signals have less signal content than the summed feed-forward microphone signals above 500 Hz.

11 . The headset of claim 9 wherein the output of the comparator deactivates the first feed-forward filter when the comparison indicates that the summed feedback microphone signals have more signal content than the summed feed-forward microphone signals between 150 Hz and 500 Hz.

12 . An in-ear noise cancelling headset comprising:
an earpiece comprising a feedback microphone ( 104 ) and an output driver ( 112 ); a feedback loop receiving a first signal from the feedback microphone and providing an antinoise signal, based on the first signal, to the output driver,
the feedback loop including a feedback compensation filter ( 402 , 404 ) that receives the first signal and produces the antinoise signal,
wherein, at frequencies at which voice sounds produced by the wearer of the headset tend to be amplified within an occluded ear canal, the feedback compensation filter produces antinoise at levels selected to counteract such amplification without otherwise cancelling the voice sounds; and
an output interface providing at least the first signal as a voice communication signal output from the headset.

13 . The headset of claim 12 , further comprising:
a feed-forward microphone ( 110 ) coupled to space outside the earpiece; a feed-forward loop receiving a second signal from the feed-forward microphone and providing a second antinoise signal based on the second signal to the output driver, via a feed-forward compensation filter ( 408 , 410 ); and a voice circuit receiving the first signal and the second signal, applying a filter ( 412 , 414 ) to the second signal, and combining ( 416 ) the filtered second signal with the first signal to generate the voice communication signal.

14 . The headset of claim 12 , further comprising:
a feed-forward microphone ( 110 ) coupled to space outside the earpiece; a voice microphone ( 420 ), separate from the feed-forward microphone, coupled to space outside the earpiece; a feed-forward loop receiving a second signal from the feed-forward microphone and providing a second antinoise signal based on the second signal to the output driver, via a feed-forward compensation filter ( 408 , 410 ); and a voice circuit receiving the first signal and a third signal from the voice microphone, applying a filter ( 422 ) to the third signal, and combining ( 416 ) the filtered third signal with the first signal to generate the voice communication signal.

15 . The headset of claim 12 , further comprising:
a first feed-forward microphone ( 110 ) coupled to space outside the earpiece; a second feed-forward microphone ( 424 ) coupled to space outside the earpiece; a feed-forward loop receiving a sum of a second signal from the first feed-forward microphone and a third signal from the second feed-forward microphone, and providing a second antinoise signal based on the sum to the output driver, via a feed-forward compensation filter ( 408 ); and a voice circuit receiving a difference of the second signal and the third signal, applying a filter ( 428 ) to the difference, and combining ( 416 ) the filtered difference signal with the first signal to generate the voice communication signal.

16 . A method of generating a voice communication signal in an in-ear noise cancelling headset comprising two earpieces, each earpiece comprising a respective feedback mic

Assignees

• Bose Corp

Inventors

• Gauger Jr Daniel M
• Eichfeld Jahn Dmitri
• Isabelle Steven H
• Rule John Allen

Classifications

• H04M1/585

  implemented without inductive element · CPC title

• H04R1/10

  Earpieces; Attachments therefor {; Earphones; Monophonic headphones (H04R1/28 takes precedence; stereophonic headphones H04R5/033)} · CPC title

• H04M1/6058

  involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone · 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

• H04R2201/107

  Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication · CPC title