Various implementations include a method for implementing a computational architecture for a personal active noise reduction (ANR) device. A method includes receiving a source audio stream with a first DSP and performing ANR on the source audio stream utilizing operational parameters stored in the first DSP; outputting a processed audio stream from the first DSP; generating state data with a second DSP in response to an analysis of at least one of the source audio stream, microphone inputs and the processed audio stream, and communicating signals to the first DSP over a common bus coupled to the first and second DSPs to alter the operational parameters in the first DSP; and utilizing a general purpose processor coupled to both the first DSP and the second DSP to communicate control signals with a communication interface, process state data from the second DSP, and alter the operational parameters in the first DSP.

The technology described in this document can be embodied in a method that includes receiving an input signal representing audio captured by a microphone of an active noise reduction (ANR) headphone, processing, by one or more processing devices, a portion of the input signal to determine a noise level in the input signal, and determining that the noise level satisfies a threshold condition. The method also includes, in response to determining that the noise level satisfies the threshold condition, generating an output signal in which ANR processing on the input signal is controlled in accordance with a target loudness level of the output signal, and driving an acoustic transducer of the ANR headphone using the output signal.

A method for noise cancellation includes monitoring a system for a current operating point, monitoring the system for a predetermined disturbance, and in response to the predetermined disturbance, determining the disturbance to be in one of a transient or steady state response period. A set of data is selected corresponding to the current operating point of the system, the disturbance, and the response period from a database containing predetermined noise cancellation waveform data. A noise cancelling waveform is output to audio transducers based upon the selected set of data.

A method for audio signal processing of microphone signals of a headphone. An audio signal from a first microphone of a headphone is filtered by an ANC system to produce a first filtered signal. Dynamic range control is performed upon the first filtered signal to produce a first dynamic range adjusted signal that drives a speaker of the headphone. Other aspects are also described and claimed.

Methods and systems are provided for automatic noise control. Automatic noise control includes controlling a shadow noise control transfer function based on a shadow error signal and a filtered or unfiltered reference signal, generating the shadow error signal based on a filtered or unfiltered shadow anti-noise signal and an error signal, and substituting the noise control transfer function by the shadow noise control transfer function if the shadow error signal is smaller than the error signal.

An active noise reduction device includes a first adaptive filter, a first filter coefficient updater, and a controller that determines, based on a first parameter of the first adaptive filter, whether first noise control based on a first cancelling sound is in a stable state or an unstable state. The controller transitions the first filter coefficient updater to a restriction state in which an effect of reducing first noise is smaller than in a normal state when it is determined that the first noise control is in the unstable state while the first filter coefficient updater is updating a coefficient of the first adaptive filter in the normal state, and transitions the first filter coefficient updater back to the normal state when it is determined that the first noise control is in the stable state while the first filter coefficient updater is in the restriction state.

In one aspect a method that includes receiving an input signal captured by one or more first sensors associated with an active noise reduction (ANR) device, and processing the input signal using a first filter disposed in an ANR signal path to generate a first signal for an acoustic transducer of the ANR device. The input signal is processed in a pass-through signal path disposed in parallel with the ANR signal path to generate a second signal for the acoustic transducer, wherein the pass-through signal path allows a portion of the input signal to pass through to the acoustic transducer in accordance with a variable gain. One or more second sensors detect an existence of a condition likely to cause instability in the pass-through signal path, and in response, the variable gain is adjusted. A driver signal for the acoustic transducer is generated using an output based on the adjusted gain.

An active noise reduction device includes: a reference signal inputter; an adaptive filter; a μ adjuster that calculates a step size parameter by multiplying a reference value for the step size parameter by a correction coefficient that is proportional to a reciprocal of a first representative input value that indicates a signal level of the reference signal in a first predetermined period; a filter coefficient updater that updates adaptive filter coefficient W by using the step size parameter calculated; and a determiner. When it is determined that a second representative input value is greater than a threshold value, at least one of the adaptive filter or the filter coefficient updater is transitioned from a normal state to a restriction state in which an effect of reducing noise is smaller than in the normal state.

An acoustic processing apparatus includes a sensor that detects deformation of an attachment unit attached to an ear portion of a user, and a control unit that switches a mode for noise cancelling in accordance with a detection result of deformation of the attachment unit.

Various implementations include a method for implementing a computational architecture for a personal active noise reduction (ANR) device. A method includes receiving a source audio stream with a first DSP and performing ANR on the source audio stream utilizing operational parameters stored in the first DSP; outputting a processed audio stream from the first DSP; generating state data with a second DSP in response to an analysis of at least one of the source audio stream, microphone inputs and the processed audio stream, and communicating signals to the first DSP over a common bus coupled to the first and second DSPs to alter the operational parameters in the first DSP; and utilizing a general purpose processor coupled to both the first DSP and the second DSP to communicate control signals with a communication interface, process state data from the second DSP, and alter the operational parameters in the first DSP.