A speaker system uses destructive wave interference to generate “dead spots” with respect to an audio presentation. The signal for the dead spot generating device can be an inverted signal generated using the audio signal. In one embodiment, the inverted signal is generated using the audio signal, an indication of loudness at one or more active speakers, and a determination of the characteristics of the sound path from the one or more active speakers (including delay and attenuation).

A sound control device controls an interior sound in a vehicle based on a slope of a road on which the vehicle travels. The sound control device includes: a sound canceling circuit for generating a first correcting sound for lowering a level of an interior sound measured in the vehicle; a sound boosting circuit for generating a second correcting sound for increasing the level of the interior sound; and a controller for setting a level of a second target sound to be less than a level of a first target sound. In particular, the second target corresponds to a ramp in which an absolute value of the slope is greater than a reference value and the first target sound corresponds to a flatland in which the absolute value of the slope is equal to or less than the reference value.

Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose an earphone including a fixing structure, a first microphone array, a processor, and a speaker. The fixing structure is configured to fix the earphone near a user's ear without blocking the user's ear canal and including a hook-shaped component and a body part. The first microphone array is located in the body part and is configured to pick up environmental noise. The processor is located in the hook-shaped component or the body part and is configured to estimate a sound field at a target spatial position using the first microphone array and generate a noise reduction signal based on the estimated sound field. The target spatial position is closer to the user's ear canal than any microphone in the first microphone array. The speaker is located in the body part and is configured to output a target signal according to the noise reduction signal.

One example method includes performing sound quality operations. Microphone arrays are used to cancel background noise and to enhance speech. With arrays at each environment of each user participating in a call, a first microphone array can cancel or suppress background noise and a second array can generate enhanced speech for transmission to other users. Thus, for user, the audio signal output by the user's device includes an anti-noise signal to cancel background noise present in the user's environment and enhanced speech from other users.

A sound output device according to an embodiment includes: an acoustic path (70) and a microphone (100b). The acoustic path connects a first space (54b) formed on a front surface of a driver unit (106) and the outside of a housing (50b) including the driver unit separately from a second space (55b) formed on a back surface of the driver unit. The microphone is disposed in the vicinity of an opening where the acoustic path is connected to the outside of the housing.

Aspects of the present disclosure provide methods, apparatuses, and systems for closed-loop sleep protection and/or sleep regulation. According to an aspect, a biosignal parameter and ambient noise are measured. The biosignal parameter is used to determine sleep condition of a subject. The sleep condition is determined based on one or more of personalized sleep data or historical sleep data collected using a subset of society. Based on the sleep condition, an arousal threshold is determined. Based on the ambient noise and the determined sleep condition, one or more actions are taken to regulate sleep and avoid sleep disruption.

A sound control device controls an interior sound in a vehicle based on a slope of a road on which the vehicle travels. The sound control device includes: a sound canceling circuit for generating a first correcting sound for lowering a level of an interior sound measured in the vehicle; a sound boosting circuit for generating a second correcting sound for increasing the level of the interior sound; and a controller for setting a level of a second target sound to be less than a level of a first target sound. In particular, the second target corresponds to a ramp in which an absolute value of the slope is greater than a reference value and the first target sound corresponds to a flatland in which the absolute value of the slope is equal to or less than the reference value.

Systems and methods for communicating information related to a wearable device are disclosed. Exemplary information includes audio information.

A user content audio signal is converted into sound that is delivered into an ear canal of a wearer of an in-ear speaker, while the in-ear speaker is sealing off the ear canal against ambient sound leakage. An acoustic or venting valve in the in-ear speaker is automatically signaled to open, so that sound inside the ear canal is allowed to travel out into an ambient environment through the valve, while activating conversion of an ambient content audio signal into sound for delivery into the ear canal. Both user content and ambient content are heard by the wearer. The ambient content audio signal is digitally processed so that certain frequency components have been gain adjusted, based on an equalization profile, so as to compensate for some of the insertion loss that is due to the in-ear speaker blocking the ear canal. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

A method, a system and a program product for evaluating an intestinal function using bowel sounds are disclosed. The method comprises the following steps: A. continuously monitoring an abdominal cavity of an examinee within a specific time by using an audio collection apparatus, collecting a bowel sound signal of an intestinal tract inside the abdominal cavity, and converting the bowel sound signal into a digital signal; B. using higher-order statistics (HOS), by a processing unit, to remove noise from the digital signal; C. using a fractal dimension algorithm, by the processing unit, to capture a high-complexity feature from the digital signal, and defining the high-complexity feature as an intestinal motility signal, and D. evaluating the intestinal function of the examinee, by the processing unit, according to the intestinal motility signal.