An electronic device may include at least one microphone, a speaker, and a processor operatively connected to the at least one microphone and the speaker, wherein the processor may be configured to configure an operation frequency of the microphone as a first frequency and receive an external audio signal from the outside of the electronic device through the microphone operating in the first frequency, generate a first audio signal using the received external audio signal, acquire noise signal information, based on the first audio signal, output a second audio signal generated based on the noise signal information through the speaker, determine a second frequency, based on the generated second audio signal, and change the operation frequency of the microphone to the second frequency and receive the external audio signal from the outside of the electronic device through the microphone operating at the second frequency.

An ear-and-eye mask (10) is provided comprising a noise-attenuation-and-generation assembly (46) having a digital domain, the noise-attenuation-and-generation assembly comprising, in the digital domain, a noise cancelling-circuit (48) and a noise masking circuit (64), wherein the noise-cancelling circuit (48) receives an input from an audio capture device (56) thereof which communicates with the noise masking circuit (64). An adaptive spectral noise analyser and generator is provided which determines an unwanted remnant signal comprising the leftover unwanted frequency and/or volume after noise cancellation, and wherein the noise attenuation-and-generation assembly (46) then determines and generates a compensation frequency and/or volume for countering this unwanted remnant signal following noise attenuation for output by a speaker (36) through a stem (40) direct to the user's ears.

Noise-canceling audio devices may include a first vibration member, a second vibration member, and a microphone supported by a housing. A feedback, noise-cancelation circuit may be operatively connected to the microphone, the feedback, noise-cancelation circuit configured to generate a first portion of a modified audio signal by combining an audio signal with a noise-canceling signal generated in response to a signal from the microphone to at least partially cancel at least a portion of an audible response of the second vibration member. A feed-forward, noise-cancelation circuit may be operatively connected to the microphone, the feed-forward, noise-cancelation circuit configured to compare the signal from the microphone to a predetermined SPL profile and generate a second portion of the modified audio signal configured to at least partially cancel environmental noise, the feedback, noise cancelation circuit configured to output the modified audio signal only to the first vibration member.

An acoustic customization system to enhance a user's audio environment. One type of enhancement would allow a user to wear headphones and specify what ambient audio and source audio will be transmitted to the headphones. Added enhancements may include the display of an image representing the location of one or more audio sources referenced to a user, an audio source, or other location and/or the ability to select one or more of the sources and to record audio in the direction of the selected source(s). The system may take advantage of an ability to identify the location of an acoustic source or a directionally discriminating acoustic sensor, track an acoustic source, isolate acoustic signals based on location, source and/or nature of the acoustic signal, and identify an acoustic source. In addition, ultrasound may be serve as an acoustic source and communication medium. The audio customization system may be responsive to one or more inputs that enhance aspects of an audio output and one or more inputs that diminish aspects of an audio output. The system may lessen the influence of ambient audio or in some situations enhance ambient audio over source audio. The system may specify aspects of audio to be modified by specification of filtering algorithm, characterization of audio samples, monitored distortion, user selection, location specification or environmental specification.

A personal audio device (e.g., headphones, earphones) can have an earpiece (e.g., an ear cup or earbud) with a removable cushioning member (e.g., headphone cushions or ear tips for earbuds). The cushioning member can include an identification tag that encodes identification data for the cushioning member. When the cushioning member is attached to the earpiece, the identification tag is brought into proximity with a tag sensor in the earpiece and the earpiece can read the identification tag to determine identification data for the cushioning member. The identification data can be used to modify a behavior of the earpiece and/or of a host device communicably coupled to the earpiece.

The technology described in this document can be embodied in a computer-implemented method that includes receiving a portion of a feedback signal of an active noise control (ANC) system, and processing the portion of the feedback signal using an adaptive line enhancer (ALE) filter to detect a tonal signature. The method also includes determining, by one or more processing devices, that the tonal signature represents an unstable condition, and responsive to determining that the tonal signature represents an unstable condition, generating one or more control signals for adjusting one or more parameters of the ANC system, to mitigate the unstable condition.

A method of determining an audio controller for a headphone that is configured to use an acoustic transducer to develop sound that is delivered to an ear of a user and that includes a feedback microphone that is configured to sense sound developed by the acoustic transducer, and a related computer program product and system. A first audio transfer function between the acoustic transducer and the feedback microphone is measured. A second audio transfer function between the acoustic transducer and the feedback microphone with a feedback controller applied is determined. The audio controller is calculated based on both the first audio transfer function and the second audio transfer function.

A processor is configured to perform headphone playback with a playback audio signal. The processor produces a feedback signal from an internal microphone, compresses the feedback signal according to a variable compressor setting, and determines a context of usage of the headphone, as being one of running or jogging, transportation, and critical listening. In response, the processor changes the variable compressor setting and drives the headphone speaker with the compressed feedback signal combined with the playback audio signal. Other aspects are also described and claimed.

An open acoustic device (100) may include a fixing structure (120) configured to fix the acoustic device (100) near an ear of a user without blocking an ear canal of the user; a first microphone array (130) configured to acquire environmental noise (410); a signal processor (140) configured to: determine, based on the environmental noise, a primary route transfer function (420) between the first microphone array (130) and the ear canal of the user; estimate, based on the environmental noise and the primary route transfer function, a noise signal (430) at the ear canal of the user; and generate, based on the noise signal at the ear canal of the user, a noise reduction signal (440); and a speaker (150) configured to output, according to the noise reduction signal, a noise reduction acoustic wave (450), the noise reduction acoustic wave being configured to eliminate the noise signal.

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.