Granted Patent B2

US 9,368,098 · App. 14/511,517 · Granted Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

Claims (77)

1. An ultrasonic audio system for canceling a noise sound from a listening environment, comprising:

an audio processing system, comprising:

a communication module configured to receive a noise signal detected by a noise detection module, the noise signal representing the noise sound in a listener environment;

a noise cancelation module configured to invert the received noise signal thereby creating an inverse noise signal representing an inverse of the noise sound;

an equalization module configured to equalize the received noise signal either before or after it is inverted by the noise cancelation module; and

a modulator configured to modulate the equalized and inverse noise signal onto an ultrasonic carrier to generate an ultrasonic signal; and

an ultrasonic emitter coupled to receive the ultrasonic signal and to launch an ultrasonic pressure wave representing the ultrasonic signal into a transmission medium in the listening environment toward an intended listener, wherein upon transmission in the transmission medium, the ultrasonic signal demodulates, thereby producing an inverse of the noise sound in the listening environment.

2. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 1 , wherein the noise detection module comprises a microphone and a transmitter, wherein the microphone is configured to detect a noise sound and convert it to a noise signal representing the noise sound, and the transmitter is configured to transmit the noise signal to the audio processing system.

3. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 1 , wherein the noise cancelation module is further configured to apply a transfer function to the noise signal, wherein the transfer function comprises applying at least one of a time delay and reverb to the noise signal either before or after it is inverted.

4. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 1 , wherein the noise detection module is configured to be positioned proximal to the intended listener.

5. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 1 , wherein the noise detection module is configured to be positioned remote from the intended listener's position.

6. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 1 , wherein the audio processing system further comprises a delay calculation module configured to calculate an amount of time by which to delay the inverse noise signal such that when launched by the emitter, the inverse noise sound produced in the listening environment will reach an intended listener at substantially the same time as the noise sound reaches the intended listener.

7. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 6 , wherein the audio processing system is further configured to delay the inverse noise signal by the calculated delay time.

8. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 6 , wherein the amount of delay is calculated based on a first distance between the noise detection module and the intended listener and a second distance between the intended listener and the ultrasonic emitter.

9. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 8 , further comprising a position determination module configured to determine a position of the intended listener in the listening environment and to use the determined position to determine the first and second distances.

10. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 1 , wherein the audio processing system further comprises a reverberation module configured to apply reverb to the noise signal.

11. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 1 , further comprising an audio processing module having an input to receive an audio content signal representing audio content for playback to the listener.

12. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 11 , further comprising a summing module configured to combine the inverse noise signal with the audio content signal, and wherein the ultrasonic signal comprises the combined inverse noise signal and the audio content signal modulated onto the ultrasonic carrier.

13. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 1 , further comprising the noise detection module, wherein the noise detection module comprises a microphone and a transmitter.

14. A method for canceling a noise sound from a listening environment utilizing ultrasonic, the method, comprising:

an audio processing system receiving a noise signal detected by a noise detection module, the noise signal representing the noise sound in a listening environment;

the audio processing system inverting the received noise signal thereby creating an inverse noise signal representing an inverse of the noise sound; and

the audio processing system modulating the inverse noise signal onto an ultrasonic carrier to generate an ultrasonic signal;

an ultrasonic emitter receiving the ultrasonic signal and launching an ultrasonic pressure wave representing the ultrasonic signal into a transmission medium in the listening environment toward an intended listener, wherein upon transmission in the transmission medium, the ultrasonic signal demodulates, thereby producing an inverse of the noise sound in the listening environment; and

calculating an amount of time by which to delay the inverse noise signal such that when launched by the emitter, the inverse noise sound produced in the listening environment will reach the intended listener at substantially the same time as the noise sound reaches the intended listener, wherein the amount of delay is calculated based on a first distance between the noise detection module and the intended listener and a second distance between the intended listener and the ultrasonic emitter.

15. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising delaying the inverse noise signal by the calculated delay time.

16. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising determining a position of the intended listener in the listening environment and using the determined position to determine the first and second distances.

17. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising receiving an audio content signal representing audio content for playback to the listener.

18. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising combining the inverse noise signal with the audio content signal, and wherein the ultrasonic signal comprises the combined inverse noise signal and the audio content signal modulated onto the ultrasonic carrier.

19. An ultrasonic audio system for canceling a noise sound from a listening environment, comprising a non-transitory storage medium coupled to a processing module and comprising program instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processing module cause the ultrasonic audio system to perform the operations of:

receiving a noise signal detected by a noise detection module, the noise signal representing the noise sound in a listening environment;

the audio processing system inverting the received noise signal thereby creating an inverse noise signal representing an inverse of the noise sound;

modulating the inverse noise signal onto an ultrasonic carrier to generate an ultrasonic signal; and

receiving the ultrasonic signal and launching an ultrasonic pressure wave representing the ultrasonic signal into a transmission medium in the listening environment toward an intended listener, wherein upon transmission in the transmission medium, the ultrasonic signal demodulates, thereby producing an inverse of the noise sound in the listening environment; and

calculating an amount of time by which to delay the inverse noise signal such that when launched by the emitter, the inverse noise sound produced in the listening environment will reach the intended listener at substantially the same time as the noise sound reaches the intended listener, wherein the amount of delay is calculated based on a first distance between the noise detection module and the intended listener and a second distance between the intended listener and the ultrasonic emitter.

20. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise delaying the inverse noise signal by the calculated delay time.

21. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise determining a position of the intended listener in the listening environment and using the determined position to determine the first and second distances.

22. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving an audio content signal representing audio content for playback to the intended listener.

23. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 22 , wherein the operations further comprise combining the inverse noise signal with the audio content signal, and wherein the ultrasonic signal comprises the combined inverse noise signal and the audio content signal modulated onto the ultrasonic carrier.

24. An ultrasonic audio system for canceling a noise sound from a listening environment, comprising:

an audio processing system, comprising:

a communication module configured to receive a noise signal detected by a noise detection module, the noise signal representing the noise sound in a listener environment;

a noise cancelation module configured to invent the received noise signal thereby creating an inverse noise signal representing an inverse of the noise sound;

a reverberation module configured to apply reverb to the received noise signal either before or after it is inverted by the noise cancelation module; and

a modulator configured to modulate the reverbed and inverse noise signal onto an ultrasonic carrier to generate an ultrasonic signal; and

an ultrasonic emitter coupled to receive the ultrasonic signal and to launch an ultrasonic pressure wave representing the ultrasonic signal into a transmission medium in the listening environment toward an intended listener, wherein upon transmission in the transmission medium, the ultrasonic signal demodulates, thereby producing an inverse of the noise sound in the listening environment.

25. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 24 , wherein the noise detection module comprises a microphone and a transmitter, wherein the microphone is configured to detect a noise sound and convert it to a noise signal representing the noise sound, and the transmitter is configured to transmit the noise signal to the audio processing system.

26. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 24 , wherein the noise cancelation module is further configured to apply a transfer function to the noise signal, wherein the transfer function comprises applying at least one of a time delay and equalization to the noise signal either before or after it is inverted.

27. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 24 , wherein the noise detection module is configured to be positioned proximal to the intended listener.

28. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 24 , wherein the noise detection module is configured to be positioned remote from the intended listener's position.

29. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 24 , wherein the audio processing system further comprises a delay calculation module configured to calculate an amount of time by which to delay the inverse noise signal such that when launched by the emitter, the inverse noise sound produced in the listening environment will reach the intended listener at substantially the same time as the noise sound reaches the intended listener.

30. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 29 , wherein the audio processing system is further configured to delay the inverse noise signal by the calculated delay time.

31. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 29 , wherein the amount of delay is calculated based on a first distance between the noise detection module and the intended listener and a second distance between the intended listener and the ultrasonic emitter.

32. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 31 , further comprising a position determination module configured to determine a position of the intended listener in the listening environment and to use the determined position to determine the first and second distances.

33. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 24 , wherein the audio processing system further comprises an equalization module configured to apply an equalization to the noise signal.

34. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 24 , further comprising an audio processing module having an input to receive an audio content signal representing audio content for playback to the listener.

35. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 34 , further comprising a summing module configured to combine the inverse noise signal with the audio content signal, and wherein the ultrasonic signal comprises the combined inverse noise signal and the audio content signal modulated onto the ultrasonic carrier.

36. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 24 , further comprising the noise detection module, wherein the noise detection module comprises a microphone and a transmitter.

37. An ultrasonic audio system for canceling a noise sound from a listening environment, comprising:

an audio processing system, comprising:

a communication module configured to receive a noise signal detected by a noise detection module, the noise signal representing the noise sound in a listener environment;

a noise cancelation module configured to invert the received noise signal thereby creating an inverse noise signal representing an inverse of the noise sound; and

a modulator configured to modulate the inverse noise signal onto an ultrasonic carrier to generate an ultrasonic signal;

an ultrasonic emitter coupled to receive the ultrasonic signal and to launch an ultrasonic pressure wave representing the ultrasonic signal into a transmission medium in the listening environment toward an intended listener, wherein upon transmission in the transmission medium, the ultrasonic signal demodulates, thereby producing an inverse of the noise sound in the listening environment; and

a delay calculation module configured to calculate an amount of time by which to delay the inverse noise signal such that when launched by the emitter, the inverse noise sound produced in the listening environment will reach the intended listener at substantially the same time as the noise sound reaches the intended listener;

wherein the amount of delay is calculated based on a first distance between the noise detection module and the intended listener and a second distance between the intended listener and the ultrasonic emitter.

38. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 37 , wherein the noise detection module comprises a microphone and a transmitter, wherein the microphone is configured to detect a noise sound and convert it to a noise signal representing the noise sound, and the transmitter is configured to transmit the noise signal to the audio processing system.

39. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 37 , wherein the noise cancelation module is further configured to apply a transfer function to the noise signal, wherein the transfer function comprises applying at least one of a time delay, equalization, and reverb to the noise signal either before or after it is inverted.

40. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 37 , wherein the noise detection module is configured to be positioned proximal to the intended listener.

41. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 37 , wherein the noise detection module is configured to be positioned remote from the intended listener's position.

42. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 37 , wherein the audio processing system further comprises and equalization module configured to apply an equalization to the noise signal.

43. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 37 , wherein the audio processing system further comprises a reverberation module configured to apply reverb to the noise signal.

44. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 37 , wherein the audio processing system is further configured to delay the inverse noise signal by the calculated delay time.

45. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 37 , further comprising a position determination module configured to determine a position of the intended listener in the listening environment and to use the determined position to determine the first and second distances.

46. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 37 , further comprising an audio processing module having an input to receive an audio content signal representing audio content for playback to the listener.

47. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 46 , further comprising a summing module configured to combine the inverse noise signal with the audio content signal, and wherein the ultrasonic signal comprises the combined inverse noise signal and the audio content signal modulated onto the ultrasonic carrier.

48. The ultrasonic audio system of claim 37 , further comprising the noise detection module, wherein the noise detection module comprises a microphone and a transmitter.

Assignments (12)