Microphone arrays with automatic beam focusing may easily focus on disturbing sound sources. In order to prevent this unwanted behavior, a predefined control sound signal is replayed from a direction of a disturbing sound source. The microphone array detects the predefined control sound signal, determines the direction of replay and in response performs a re-configuration according to the control sound signal. The reconfiguration may comprise eliminating the direction from its scanning range or cancel a previously made elimination of a different direction.

The present invention discloses a fan noise controlling system, comprising: at least one cylinder-shaped limiter, a plurality of error sensors, a noise controlling module, and at least one loudspeaker. According to the particular design of the present invention, the cylinder-shaped limiter is connected to a fan device for confining the transmission path of at least one fan noise signal. On the other hand, the error sensors are disposed in the internal of the cylinder-shaped limiter, and the loudspeaker is disposed at an axis position of the fan device. When this fan controlling system normally works, the noise controlling module is able to generate at least one anti-noise signal according to a plurality of error signals collected by the error sensors at consecutive previous time points, and then the loudspeaker is driven to broadcast the anti-noise signal for carrying out an outstanding efficacy on the cancellation of the fan noise.

A computer device may include one or more electronic components located in a passive cooling zone. A wall divides the passive cooling zone from an active cooling zone and acoustically isolating the active cooling zone from the passive cooling zone. A heat sink attached to at least one of the one or more electronic may extend from the passive cooling zone to the active cooling zone through the wall. At least one noise emitting component may be located in the active zone. A method of controlling noise in the computer device may include determining, by a processor of the computer device located in the passive cooling zone, a noise frequency of a noise emitting component located within an active cooling zone of the computer device. The processor may control a speaker within the active cooling zone to emit anti-noise cancelling the noise frequency.

An apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a plurality of flow guiding structures spatially aligned in a first row, each of the plurality of flow guiding structures comprising a fin-shape to funnel airflow at a trailing edge of each of the plurality of flow guiding structures. The apparatus also includes a plurality of flow separating structures spatially aligned in a second row interleaved between each of the plurality of flow guiding structures, each of the plurality of flow separating structures comprising a fin-shape configured to split airflow received from the plurality of flow guiding structures.

An apparatus includes a computer enclosure with a first fan, a second fan, a fan controller, and an input for receiving a signal from a microphone indicating an amount of noise at a target location. The apparatus further includes a first actuator coupled to the first fan for adjusting an axial position of the first fan, wherein the controller controls the operation of the first actuator to position the first fan to reduce the noise indicated by the signal from the microphone with the first and second fans in operation. The microphone senses sound pressure and the controller automatically adjusts a position of one or more fans using an actuator to change the distance from the fan to the microphone, which may be co-located with a user, to provide destructive interference at the location of the microphone.

A noise source emits an acoustic noise wave with a noise frequency corresponding to an attribute of a control-status signal associated with the noise source. A method to reduce the noise comprises generating, based on the noise frequency corresponding to the attribute, an anti-noise signal having the noise frequency. The method further comprises phase-shifting the anti-noise signal to output a phase-shifted anti-noise signal that can be used to generate a noise-cancelling acoustic wave. The method can include aligning the first anti-noise signal to be in-phase with the acoustic noise wave. An anti-noise apparatus to implement the method includes an anti-noise generator, to generate the anti-noise signal, and a phase shifter to generate and output the phase-shifted anti-noise signal. The anti-noise apparatus can include a phase detector and phase alignment element to align the anti-noise signal to be in-phase with the acoustic noise wave.

A method includes sensing sound pressure at a specified location, and a controller automatically adjusting a position of one or more fans among a plurality of fans to reduce the sound pressure sensed at the specified location. The position of the one or more fans may, for example, be adjusted using an actuator to change the distance from the fan and the specified location, which may be a location of a user. Optionally, the method may further include the controller automatically adjusting a speed of one or more fans among the plurality of fans to reduce the sound pressure sensed at the specified location. The position and speed of one or more fans may be adjusted to provide destructive interference at the specified location.

An electronic device having a soundproof structure is provided. The electronic device includes a housing including an internal space, an inlet and an outlet formed on one side of the housing, a cooling fan disposed in the internal space, and configured to create an air-flow introduced from the inlet which is discharged to the outlet, and a sound absorbing member disposed to surround, at least in part, a peripheral area of the cooling fan in a direction to not obstruct the air-flow.

A method includes sensing sound pressure at a specified location, and a controller automatically adjusting a position of one or more fans among a plurality of fans to reduce the sound pressure sensed at the specified location. The position of the one or more fans may, for example, be adjusted using an actuator to change the distance from the fan and the specified location, which may be a location of a user. Optionally, the method may further include the controller automatically adjusting a speed of one or more fans among the plurality of fans to reduce the sound pressure sensed at the specified location. The position and speed of one or more fans may be adjusted to provide destructive interference at the specified location.

A noise source emits an acoustic noise wave with a noise frequency corresponding to an attribute of a control-status signal associated with the noise source. A method to reduce the noise comprises generating, based on the noise frequency corresponding to the attribute, an anti-noise signal having the noise frequency. The method further comprises phase-shifting the anti-noise signal to output a phase-shifted anti-noise signal that can be used to generate a noise-cancelling acoustic wave. The method can include aligning the first anti-noise signal to be in-phase with the acoustic noise wave. An anti-noise apparatus to implement the method includes an anti-noise generator, to generate the anti-noise signal, and a phase shifter to generate and output the phase-shifted anti-noise signal. The anti-noise apparatus can include a phase detector and phase alignment element to align the anti-noise signal to be in-phase with the acoustic noise wave.