IP Library Granted Patent US 12700391
Granted Patent B2
US 12700391 · App. 18/508,417 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Acoustic devices and methods for determining transfer functions thereof

Inventors: Jinbo Zheng (Shenzhen, CN); Chengqian Zhang (Shenzhen, CN); Le Xiao (Shenzhen, CN); Fengyun Liao (Shenzhen, CN); Xin Qi (Shenzhen, CN)
Assignee: SHENZHEN SHOKZ CO., LTD.
G10K11/17817H04R1/1008H04R1/1083H04R2460/01
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12700391
App. No.
18/508,417
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure discloses an acoustic device and a method for determining a transfer function thereof. The acoustic device includes a sound production unit, a first detector, a processor, and a fixing structure. The sound production unit is configured to generate a first sound signal based on a noise reduction control signal. The first detector is configured to obtain a first residual signal including a residual noise signal formed by superposition of an environmental noise and the first sound signal at a location of the first detector. The processor is configured to estimate a second residual signal at a target spatial location that is closer to the ear canal than the first detector, and update the noise reduction control signal based on the second residual signal. The fixing structure is configured to place the acoustic device at a location near a user's ear but not blocking the ear canal.

Claims (57)

1 . An acoustic device, comprising a sound production unit, a first detector, a processor, and a fixing structure, wherein:

the sound production unit is configured to generate a first sound signal according to a noise reduction control signal, wherein the sound production unit is a speaker;

the first detector is configured to obtain a first residual signal, the first residual signal comprising a residual noise signal formed by superimposition of an environmental noise and the first sound signal at a location where the first detector is located, wherein the first detector is a microphone;

the processor is configured to:

obtain a first transfer function between the sound production unit and the first detector, a second transfer function between the sound production unit and a target spatial location, a third transfer function between an environmental noise source and the first detector, and a fourth transfer function between the environmental noise source and the target spatial location:

estimate a second residual signal at the target spatial location based on the first transfer function, the second transfer function, the third transfer function, the fourth transfer function, the first sound signal, and the first residual signal; and

update the noise reduction control signal based on the second residual signal; and

the fixing structure is configured to place the acoustic device at a location near a user's ear but not blocking the user's ear canal, the target spatial location being closer to the user's ear canal than the first detector.

2 . The acoustic device of claim 1 , wherein the obtain a first transfer function between the sound production unit and the first detector, a second transfer function between the sound production unit and a target spatial location, a third transfer function between an environmental noise source and the first detector, and a fourth transfer function between the environmental noise source and the target spatial location includes:

obtaining the first transfer function; and

determining the second transfer function, the third transfer function, and the fourth transfer function based on the first transfer function and mapping relationships between the first transfer function and the second transfer function, the third transfer function, and the fourth transfer function, respectively.

3 . The acoustic device of claim 2 , wherein the mapping relationships between the first transfer function and the second transfer function, the third transfer function, and the fourth transfer function, respectively, are generated based on test data of the acoustic device in different wearing scenarios.

4 . The acoustic device of claim 1 , wherein the obtain a first transfer function between the sound production unit and the first detector, a second transfer function between the sound production unit and a target spatial location, a third transfer function between an environmental noise source and the first detector, and a fourth transfer function between the environmental noise source and the target spatial location includes:

obtaining the first transfer function;

inputting the first transfer function into a trained neural network; and

determining outputs of the trained neural network as the second transfer function, the third transfer function, and the fourth transfer function.

5 . The acoustic device of claim 1 , wherein the obtain the first transfer function includes:

calculating the first transfer function based on the noise reduction control signal and the first residual signal.

6 . The acoustic device of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic device further includes a distance sensor, the distance sensor being configured to detect a distance from the acoustic device to the user's ear; and

the processor is further configured to determine the first transfer function, the second transfer function, the third transfer function, and the fourth transfer function based on the distance.

7 . An acoustic device, comprising a sound production unit, a first detector, a processor, and a fixing structure, wherein:

the sound production unit is configured to generate a first sound signal according to a noise reduction control signal, wherein the sound production unit is a speaker;

the first detector is configured to obtain a first residual signal, the first residual signal comprising a residual noise signal formed by superimposition of an environmental noise and the first sound signal at a location where the first detector is located, wherein the first detector is a microphone;

the processor is configured to:

obtain a first transfer function between the sound production unit and the first detector, a second transfer function between the sound production unit and a target spatial location, and a fifth transfer function reflecting a relationship among an environmental noise source, the first detector, and the target spatial location;

estimate a second residual signal at the target spatial location based on the first transfer function, the second transfer function, the fifth transfer function, the first sound signal, and the first residual signal; and

update the noise reduction control signal based on the second residual signal; and

the fixing structure is configured to place the acoustic device at a location near a user's ear but not blocking the user's ear canal, the target spatial location being closer to the user's ear canal than the first detector.

8 . The acoustic device of claim 7 , wherein:

the first transfer function and the second transfer function have a first mapping relationship; and

the fifth transfer function and the first transfer function have a second mapping relationship.

9 . A method for determining a transfer function of an acoustic device, wherein the acoustic device includes a sound production unit, a first detector, a processor, and a fixing structure, and the fixing structure is configured to place the acoustic device at a location near a tester's ear but not blocking the tester's ear canal, wherein the method comprises:

obtaining, in a scenario in which no environmental noise exists, a first signal generated by the sound production unit based on a noise reduction control signal and a second signal obtained by the first detector, wherein the second signal includes a residual noise signal transmitted by the first signal to the first detector;

determining a first transfer function between the sound production unit and the first detector based on the first signal and the second signal;

obtaining a third signal obtained by a second detector, wherein the second detector is disposed at a target spatial location, the target spatial location is closer to the tester's ear canal than the first detector, and the third signal includes a residual noise signal transmitted by the first signal to the target spatial location;

determining a second transfer function between the sound production unit and the target spatial location based on the first signal and the third signal;

obtaining, in a scenario in which the environmental noise exists and the sound production unit does not generate any signal, a fourth signal obtained by the first detector and a fifth signal obtained by the second detector;

determining a third transfer function between an environmental noise source and the first detector based on the environmental noise and the fourth signal; and

determining a fourth transfer function between the environmental noise source and the target spatial location based on the environmental noise and the fifth signal.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining a plurality of sets of transfer functions for different wearing scenarios or different testers, wherein each set of transfer functions includes a corresponding first transfer function, a corresponding second transfer function, a corresponding third transfer function, and a corresponding fourth transfer function; and

determining, based on the plurality of sets of transfer functions, a relationship among the first transfer function, the second transfer function, the third transfer function, and the fourth transfer function.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining, based on the plurality of sets of transfer functions, a relationship among the first transfer function, the second transfer function, the third transfer function, and the fourth transfer function includes:

training a neural network by using the plurality of sets of transfer functions as training samples; and

determining a trained neural network as the relationship among the first transfer function, the second transfer function, the third transfer function, and the fourth transfer function.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the relationship among the first transfer function, the second transfer function, the third transfer function, and the fourth transfer function includes:

a first mapping relationship between the first transfer function and the second transfer function; and

a second mapping relationship between a ratio of the third transfer function to the fourth transfer function and the first transfer function.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the determining, based on the plurality of sets of transfer functions, a relationship among the first transfer function, the second transfer function, the third transfer function, and the fourth transfer function includes:

obtaining a distance from the acoustic device to the corresponding tester's ear for the different wearing scenarios or different testers; and

determining, based on the distance and the plurality of sets of transfer functions, the relationship among the first transfer function, the second transfer function, the third transfer function, and the fourth transfer function.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein:

the first transfer function is positively correlated with a ratio of the second signal to the first signal;

the second transfer function is positively correlated with a ratio of the third signal to the first signal;

the third transfer function is positively correlated with a ratio of the fourth signal to the environmental noise; and

the fourth transfer function is positively correlated with a ratio of the fifth signal to the environmental noise.

15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the target spatial location is a location where the user's tympanic membrane is located.