There is provided a method of operating a device to generate a target sound that is audible to a user of the device, the method comprising measuring background noise in an environment in which the device is located; using a perceptual loudness model to predict an audibility of the target sound to the user of the device based on the measured background noise; using the output of the perceptual loudness model to determine a gain value that is to be applied to a source signal used to generate the target sound in order to provide at least a desired level of audibility of the target sound to the user; applying the determined gain value to the source signal to produce a modified source signal; and generating the target sound using the modified source signal.

Active noise cancellation may be provided by a variety of systems, methods and techniques. General aspects, for example, include an active noise cancellation system, a controller for an active noise cancellation system, and/or a method of generating an anti-noise signal. In one example aspect, an active noise cancellation system for an aircraft In-flight entertainment system may include at least one input device, a processing means, and an output. The input device may be associated with a seat on the aircraft and adapted to receive an input representative of an ambient noise in the vicinity of the seat. The processing means may be adapted to process the input to produce an output signal adapted to reduce the ambient noise in volume associated with the seat. The output may be adapted to transmit an output signal to at least one driver, which is adapted to transmit the output signal to a user.

Arrangements described herein relate to receiving, in real time, utterances spoken or sung by a first person when the utterances are spoken or sung and comparing, in real time, the detected utterances spoken or sung by the first person to at least a stored sample of utterances spoken or sung by the first person. Based, at least in part, on the comparing the detected utterances spoken or sung by the first person to at least the stored sample of utterances spoken or sung by the first person, a key indicator that indicates at least one characteristic of the detected utterances spoken or sung by the first person can be generated. Feedback indicating the at least one characteristic of the detected utterances spoken or sung by the first person can be communicated to the first person or a second person.

A noise-suppression device includes an input buffer, a spatial filter, a delay buffer, and a controller. The input buffer stores sound data. The spatial filter generates processed data by using an internal adaptive control according to a control signal. The delay buffer stores the processed data. The controller operates in either one of a training stage, a flushing stage, or a normal stage and generates the control signal. When the controller operates in the training stage, the spatial filter receives the sound data from the input buffer to generate the processed data which is continuously processed by the spatial filter and then stored in the delay buffer over and over again until the internal adaptive control is converged.

An example computing system may be configured to receive an indication that a user device has been detected in a commercial environment and to determine a first set of musical preferences associated with the commercial environment. The example computing system may also be configured to determine a user profile associated with the user device and to determine a second set of musical preferences associated with the user profile. The example computing system may also be configured to, based on at least (i) the first set of musical preferences associated with the commercial environment, and (ii) the second set of musical preferences associated with the user profile, determine one or more media items for playback and then cause one or more playback devices in the commercial environment to play back the one or more media items.

Described herein is an audio device with a microphone which may adapt the audio output volume of a speaker by either increasing or decreasing output volume based on an audio input volume from a user and a distance from the user to the audio device. The audio device may also adapt its output volume to lower the audio output based on detecting one or more interruptions including occupancy and acoustic sounds.

A more clear-cut separation of a first audio signal within a first region of a sonication area of a plurality of loudspeakers is achieved in that a calculator calculates that version of the audio signals which results from the spatially selective reproduction of the audio signals at this first region, in that a masking threshold is calculated as a function of the version of that audio signal which is to be separated from the one or more other audio signals at this region, and in that the emission of the audio signals for spatially selective reproduction to the outputs of the plurality of loudspeakers is influenced as a function of a comparison of the masking threshold with the version of the one or more other, i.e. spurious, audio signals.

An acoustic capture device includes an acoustic transducer, an acoustic detector, an analog-to-digital converter, and a processing element. The acoustic transducer captures an acoustic wave to generate an analog signal. The acoustic detector detects, according to the analog signal, a specific event to generate a trigger signal. The analog-to-digital converter converts the analog signal to generate a digital signal. The processing element receives the trigger signal to execute a control process. The control process includes: analyzing the digital signal to determine ambient information; determining a first set of parameters of the acoustic detector according to the ambient information; performing a control information protocol to adjust the acoustic detector according to the first set of parameters; and performing, according to the ambient information, an enhancement processing on the digital signal to generate an enhanced digital signal.

An example method of operation may include applying a set of initial power and gain parameters for a speaker, playing a stimulus signal via the speaker, determining a sound level at a microphone location and a sound level at a predefined distance from the speakers, determining a gain at the microphone location based on a difference of the sound level at the microphone location and the sound level at the predefined distance from the speaker, and applying the gain to the speaker output.

An IP speaker system is disclosed that includes an IP speaker connected to one or more external analog speakers. The IP speaker comprises a CPU that provides an audio data stream for transmission to a first amplifier and a second amplifier. The first amplifier outputs a first analog audio signal at a first power level for driving an internal driver of the IP speaker, and the second amplifier outputs a second analog audio signal at a second power level for driving one or more external drivers of the one or more external analog speakers. The CPU supervises the one or more external analog speakers so as to detect any speaker failure, disconnection, short or other change in operational status. The IP speaker also comprises a power circuit that receives electrical power transmitted over a network cable as its input power and provides output power available for consumption by the IP speaker and the one or more external analog speakers. The power circuit measures the input power and decreases the output power if the measured input power exceeds a predetermined power level.