IP Library Granted Patent US 10,607,591
Granted Patent B1
US 10,607,591 · App. 16/705,332 · Granted Mar 31, 2020

Sound playback device and method for masking interference sound through noise masking signal thereof

Inventors: Kuo-Wei Kao (Taipei, TW); Cheng-Te Wang (Taipei, TW); Yu-Chieh Huang (Taipei, TW); Wei-Lin Chang (Taipei, TW); I-Ting Lee (Taipei, TW); Kuo-Ping Yang (Taipei, TW)
Assignee: UNLIMITER MFA CO., LTD.
G10K11/175G10L25/51
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,607,591
App. No.
16/705,332
Granted
Mar 31, 2020
Kind
B1
Abstract

A sound playback device and a method for masking interference sound through a noise masking signal thereof are disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: playing an audio signal as a noise masking signal; receiving an ambient sound; analyzing whether the ambient sound has an interference sound in N different frequency bands; if so, finding at least one interference sound frequency band and a time period, and the interference sound conforms to the condition that an instant sound entropy value is greater than a dynamic sound average entropy value, wherein the instant sound entropy value is the calculated sound entropy value in a current sampling time; the dynamic sound average entropy value is an average entropy value of the sum of the previous instant sound entropy values; and increasing an energy of the noise masking signal in the interference sound frequency band and the time period.

Claims (26)

1. A method for masking an interference sound through a noise masking signal for using with a sound playback device so that a user can use the sound playback device in an environment, the method comprising the following steps of:

playing an audio signal as the noise masking signal;

receiving an ambient sound of the environment;

analyzing whether the ambient sound has an interference sound in N different frequency bands;

if so, finding at least one interference sound frequency band and a time period, wherein 5≤N≤1000, and the interference sound conforms to:

an instant sound entropy value of the ambient sound in the interference sound frequency band is greater than a dynamic sound average entropy value, wherein:

the instant sound entropy value is the calculated sound entropy value in a current sampling time, wherein the sampling time is between 0.1 seconds and 2 seconds; and

the dynamic sound average entropy value is an average entropy value of the sum of the previous instant sound entropy values; and

increasing an energy of the noise masking signal in the interference sound frequency band and the time period.

2. The method for masking the interference sound through a noise masking signal as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the following steps of:

increasing the energy of the noise masking signal by a gain of M times in the interference sound frequency band and the time period, wherein M≥(the instant sound entropy value divided by the dynamic sound average entropy value).

3. The method for masking the interference sound through a noise masking signal as claimed in claim 2 , wherein M≤30.

4. The method for masking the interference sound through a noise masking signal as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the following steps of:

during the time period of the interference sound, increasing an energy of a sub-noise masking signal on both side bands of the interference sound frequency band, wherein the energy of the sub-noise masking signal is less than the energy of the noise masking signal increased in the interference sound frequency band.

5. A sound playback device for a user to use the sound playback device in an environment, the sound playback device comprising:

a speaker module for playing an audio signal as a noise masking signal;

a sound receiving module for receiving an ambient sound of the environment;

a computing module electrically connected to the sound receiving module and provided for analyzing whether the ambient sound has an interference sound in N different frequency bands; if so, finding at least one interference sound frequency band and a time period, wherein 5≤N≤1000, and the interference sound conforms to:

an instant sound entropy value of the ambient sound in the interference sound frequency band is greater than a dynamic sound average entropy value,

wherein:

the instant sound entropy value is the calculated sound entropy value in a current sampling time, wherein the sampling time is between 0.1 seconds and 2 seconds; and

the dynamic sound average entropy value is an average entropy value of the sum of the previous instant sound entropy values; and

a sound processing module electrically connected to the computing module and the speaker module for increasing an energy of the noise masking signal in the interference sound frequency band and the time period, causing the speaker module to amplify the energy of the noise masking signal in the interference sound frequency band and the time period.

6. The sound playback device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the sound processing module increases the energy of the noise masking signal by a gain of M times in the interference sound frequency band and the time period, wherein M≥(the instant sound entropy value divided by the dynamic sound average entropy value).

7. The sound playback device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein M≤30.

8. The sound playback device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the sound processing module increases an energy of a sub-noise masking signal in both side bands of the interference sound frequency band during the time period of the interference sound, wherein the energy of the sub-noise masking signal is less than the energy of the noise masking signal increased in the interference sound frequency band.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 6, 2022
From: PIXART IMAGING INC.
To: AIROHA TECHNOLOGY CORP.
Reel/Frame 060591/0264 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 6, 2020
From: UNLIMITER MFA CO., LTD.
To: PIXART IMAGING INC.
Reel/Frame 053985/0983 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 6, 2019
From: KAO, KUO-WEI; WANG, CHENG-TE; HUANG, YU-CHIEH; CHANG, WEI-LIN; LEE, I-TING; YANG, KUO-PING
To: UNLIMITER MFA CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 051198/0485 →
Priority Claims (1)
TW 108127949 A · Aug 6, 2019 · national