IP Library Granted Patent US 9,779,718
Granted Patent B2
US 9,779,718 · App. 15/129,818 · Granted Oct 3, 2017

Control circuit for active noise control and method for active noise control

Inventors: Horst Gether (Bad Gleichenberg, AT); Martin Schoerkmaier (Graz, AT)
Assignee: ams AG
G10K11/1782G10K2210/3016G10K2210/3028G10K2210/30232
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,779,718
App. No.
15/129,818
Granted
Oct 3, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

We disclose a control circuit for active noise control, ANC, coupled to a speaker generating a speaker signal based on an amplified audio signal and to an ANC microphone generating a disturbed audio signal based on ambient noise and the speaker signal. The control circuit has a first mixer generating an intermediate audio signal by superposing an audio signal and a first compensation signal, a first amplifier generating the amplified audio signal based on the intermediate audio signal and a compensation unit generating a second compensation signal based on the audio signal. A tuning unit generates a compensated audio signal based on the disturbed audio signal and the second compensation signal. An ANC filter coupled to the tuning unit generates the first compensation signal by applying filter operations to the compensated audio signal.

Claims (34)

1. A control circuit for active noise control, ANC, to be coupled to a speaker generating a speaker signal on the basis of an amplified audio signal and to an ANC microphone generating a disturbed audio signal on the basis of ambient noise and the speaker signal, the control circuit comprising

a first mixer configured to generate an intermediate audio signal by superposing an audio signal and a first compensation signal;

a first amplifier configured to generate the amplified audio signal based on the intermediate audio signal;

a compensation unit configured to generate a second compensation signal by applying filter operations to the audio signal;

a tuning unit configured to generate a compensated audio signal on the basis of the disturbed audio signal and the second compensation signal;

an ANC filter configured to generate the first compensation signal by applying filter operations to the compensated audio signal.

2. The control circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the filter operations applied to the audio signal by the compensation unit implement a transfer function characterizing effects on a signal due to at least one of the following: the first amplifier, the speaker, the ANC microphone and a sound transmission from the speaker to the ANC microphone.

3. The control circuit according to claim 1 , wherein

the tuning unit comprises a second mixer configured to generate an intermediate noise signal by subtracting the second compensation signal from a signal based on the disturbed audio signal; and

the tuning unit is configured to generate the compensated audio signal on the basis of the intermediate noise signal.

4. The control circuit according to claim 3 , wherein

the tuning unit further comprises a second amplifier configured to generate an adjusted disturbed audio signal on the basis of the disturbed audio signal; and

the second mixer generates the intermediate noise signal by subtracting the second compensation signal from the adjusted disturbed audio signal.

5. The control circuit according to claim 3 , wherein the tuning unit further comprises a third amplifier configured to generate the compensated audio signal by amplification or attenuation of the intermediate noise signal.

6. The control circuit according to claim 5 , wherein an extent of the amplification or attenuation of the intermediate noise signal can be changed by a user during operation.

7. The control circuit according to claim 3 , wherein the tuning unit comprises a test terminal to provide the intermediate noise signal to an external readout device.

8. The control circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the compensation unit generates the second compensation signal utilizing a delay element.

9. The control circuit according to claim 8 , wherein the delay element comprises an all-pass filter.

10. A method for active noise control, ANC, for a sound reproduction device with a speaker generating a speaker signal based on an amplified audio signal and with an ANC microphone generating a disturbed audio signal based on the speaker signal and ambient noise, wherein the method comprises

generating an intermediate audio signal by superposing an audio signal and a first compensation signal;

generating the amplified audio signal by amplifying the intermediate audio signal;

generating a second compensation signal by applying filter operations to the audio signal;

generating a compensated audio signal on the basis of the second compensation signal and the disturbed audio signal;

generating the first compensation signal by applying filter operations to the compensated audio signal.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the filter operations applied to the audio signal implement a transfer function characterizing effects on a signal due to at least one of the following: the amplification of the intermediate audio signal, the speaker, the ANC microphone and a sound transmission from the speaker to the ANC microphone.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the generation of the compensated audio signal comprises

generating an adjusted disturbed audio signal by amplification or attenuation of the disturbed audio signal;

generating an intermediate noise signal by subtracting the second compensation signal from the adjusted disturbed audio signal; and

generating the second compensation signal on the basis of the intermediate noise signal.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the generation of the compensated audio signal further comprises an amplification or attenuation of the intermediate noise signal.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the amplification or attenuation of the intermediate noise signal can be performed at least partly by a user during operation.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises providing the intermediate noise signal to an external readout device.

16. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the second compensation signal is generated utilizing a delay.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the delay is implemented with an all-pass filter.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 27, 2025
From: AMS-OSRAM AG
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 070349/0963 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 4, 2024
From: AMS AG
To: AMS-OSRAM AG
Reel/Frame 068836/0189 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 22, 2017
From: GETHER, HORST; SCHOERKMAIER, MARTIN
To: AMS AG
Reel/Frame 042961/0575 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 14162336 · Mar 28, 2014 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170140746A1 · May 18, 2017