IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,978,429
Granted Patent B2
US 11,978,429 · App. 18/129,249 · Granted May 7, 2024

Active noise cancelling earbud devices

Inventors: Wensen Liu (Irvine, CA); Govind Kannan (Irvine, CA); Jayvon Timmons (Irvine, CA); Trausti Thormundsson (Irvine, CA)
Assignee: Google LLC
G10K11/1785G10H1/0066G10K2210/1053G10K2210/1081G10K2210/505
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,978,429
App. No.
18/129,249
Granted
May 7, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods for audio listening devices, comprise a speaker coupled to a first housing, a sound port having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is coupled to the first housing, and the second end is configured to be inserted in an ear canal of a person such that sound waves emitted from the speaker propagates via a secondary path to the ear canal through the sound port, active noise cancellation (ANC) components configured to generate anti-noise signals through the micro-speakers to cancel external noise, and a first microphone disposed within the sound port at the second end of the sound port such that the first microphone is configured to detect the anti-noise signal that propagates through the sound port via the secondary path and the external noise that propagates via a primary path.

Claims (32)

1. A device comprising:

a speaker coupled to a first housing;

a sound port having a first end and a second end, wherein:

the first end is coupled to the first housing,

the second end is configured to be inserted in an ear canal of a person such that sound waves emitted from the speaker propagate via a secondary path to the ear canal through the sound port, and

the sound port comprises a straight channel;

active noise cancellation (ANC) components configured to generate an anti-noise signal through the speaker to cancel an external noise; and

a tube having a first end disposed at or adjacent to an external end of the sound port; and

a first microphone coupled to the tube and configured to detect the anti-noise signal that propagates through the sound port via the secondary path and the external noise that propagates via a primary path.

2. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first end of the tube is configured to receive sound at the first end.

3. The device as recited in claim 2 , wherein the tube is configured to propagate the received sound to the first microphone.

4. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the tube is disposed at least partially within the sound port.

5. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first microphone is disposed at least partially within the sound port.

6. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first microphone is disposed within the device and is not disposed at least partially within the sound port.

7. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the tube is attached to an ear tip of the device.

8. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the tube extends beyond an ear tip of the device.

9. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a second housing coupled to the first housing, wherein the second housing comprises an acoustic chamber for a micro-speaker back-cavity.

10. The device as recited in claim 9 , wherein the second housing further comprises a second microphone configured to detect the external noise.

11. The device as recited in claim 9 , further comprising a third housing coupled to the second housing, wherein the third housing comprises a second microphone configured to detect the external noise.

12. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the ANC components comprise analog ANC filters.

13. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the ANC components comprise digital ANC filters.

14. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the ANC components comprise feedforward ANC components.

15. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the ANC components comprise feedback ANC components.

16. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the ANC components comprise hybrid ANC components.

17. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the ANC components are further configured to define a virtual error microphone location and generate the anti-noise signal to cancel the external noise at the virtual error microphone location.

18. A method comprising:

coupling a speaker to a first housing;

attaching a sound port to the first housing, the sound port having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is coupled to the first housing, and the second end is configured to be inserted in an ear canal of a person such that sound waves emitted from the speaker propagate via a secondary path to the ear canal through the sound port, and wherein the sound port comprises a straight channel;

generating an anti-noise signal through the speaker to cancel external noise; and

detecting, using an error microphone coupled to a tube having a first end disposed at or adjacent to an external end of the sound port, the anti-noise signal that propagates through the sound port via the secondary path and the external noise that propagates via a primary path.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein the first end of the tube is configured to receive sound at the first end.

20. The method as recited in claim 19 , wherein the tube is configured to propagate the received sound to the error microphone.

Continuity (3)
Continuation 17063656 · Oct 5, 2020
Provisional Application 62911150 · Oct 4, 2019
Related Publication 20230317049A1 · Oct 5, 2023