PROACTIVE SOUND DETECTION WITH NOISE CANCELLATION COMPONENT WITHIN EARPHONE OR HEADSET

The present invention provides a device including a sound detector and a noise cancellation component. In the operations of the device, the sound detector is configured to receive an environment sound obtained from a microphone, and determine if the environment sound has a meaningful signal or not to generate a detection result; and the noise cancellation component is configured to perform a noise cancellation operation based on the detection result to generate an output signal to a speaker.

BACKGROUND

An earphone or a headset generally has a noise-cancellation component to eliminate environment noise so that user can avoid interference when listening to music. However, in the process of eliminating environmental noise, the user may not hear important sounds from the environment. For example, honk of horn, ambulance warning sounds, name of the user or other important sounds may not be filtered out by the noise-cancellation component, causing dangerous or inconvenience to the user.

SUMMARY

It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a device capable of the eliminate the meaningless noise of the environment sound while retaining meaningful signal for the user, to solve the above-mentioned problems.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a device comprising a sound detector and a noise cancellation component is disclosed. In the operations of the device, the sound detector is configured to receive an environment sound obtained from a microphone, and determine if the environment sound has a meaningful signal or not to generate a detection result; and the noise cancellation component is configured to perform a noise cancellation operation based on the detection result to generate an output signal to a speaker.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a signal processing method comprises the steps of: receiving an environment sound obtained from a microphone; determining if the environment sound has a meaningful signal or not to generate a detection result; and performing a noise cancellation operation based on the detection result to generate an output signal to a speaker.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1is a diagram illustrating a device100according to one embodiment of the present invention, wherein the device100may be comprised in an earphone or a headset. As shown inFIG. 1, the device100comprises a microphone102, a sound detector110, a noise cancellation component120and a speaker104.

In the operations of the device100, the microphone102continuously receives the ambient sound (environment sound), and the sound detector110receives the environment sound from the microphone102. The sound detector110detects that if the environment sound has a meaningful signal or not to generate a detection result. In this embodiment, the meaningful signal(s) can be defined and established in a table within the device100, wherein the meaningful signal(s) may comprise warning tones such as honk of horn and ambulance warning sounds, or a specific voice such as a user name. The noise cancellation component120performs a noise cancellation operation based on the detection result to generate an output signal to the speaker104, to make the user only hear the meaningful signal of the environment sound, and the meaningless noise of the environment sound will not be heard by the user.

In addition, when the user uses the device100to listen to music, the noise cancellation component120may also receive the audio signal (i.e. music), and the output signal generated by the noise cancellation component120may also comprise the audio signal, so that the user can hear the music and the meaningful signal simultaneously. In another embodiment, when the detection result indicates that one or more meaningful signals are in the environment sound, the noise cancellation component120may block the audio signal (i.e., the music playback is interrupted), or reduce the strength/volume of the audio signal so that the user can clearly hear the meaningful signal(s).

By using the above signal processing mechanism, because the noise cancellation component120is only configured to eliminate the meaningless noise of the environment sound, the user can clearly hear the meaningful signal(s) even if the environment sound is continuously under the noise cancellation operation. Therefore, by using the device100, the user can avoid possible dangers while listening to the music.

FIG. 2is a diagram illustrating a device200according to one embodiment of the present invention, wherein the device200may be comprised in an earphone or a headset. As shown inFIG. 2, the device200comprises a microphone202, a sound detector210, a noise cancellation component (in this embodiment, the noise cancellation component is an active noise cancellation circuit220) and a speaker204, wherein the sound detector210comprises an amplifier212and an inversion circuit214.

In the operations of the device200, the microphone202continuously receives the ambient sound (environment sound), and the sound detector210receives the environment sound from the microphone202. The sound detector210detects that if the environment sound has a meaningful signal or not, and generates a detection result comprising the meaningful signal, if any, and the anti-noise signal to the active noise cancellation circuit220. In this embodiment, the meaningful signal can be extracted from the environment sound by using any sound recognition technique, and the meaningful signal may be amplified by using the amplifier212; and the meaningless noise (e.g., the part of the environment sound other than the meaningful signal) is processed by the inversion circuit214to generate the anti-noise signal, wherein the anti-noise signal and the meaningless noise may have the similar intensity but opposite phases. In this embodiment, the meaningful signal(s) can be defined and established in a table within the device200, wherein the meaningful signal(s) may comprise warning tones such as honk of horn and ambulance warning sounds, or a specific voice such as a user name. The active noise cancellation circuit220performs a noise cancellation operation based on the detection result to generate an output signal to the speaker204, wherein the output signal may comprise the meaningful signal and the anti-noise signal. Therefore, because the output signal comprises the anti-noise signal whose phase is opposite to the meaningless noise of the environment sound, the user can only hear the meaningful signal of the environment sound, and the meaningless noise of the environment sound will not be heard by the user (because the meaningless noise and the anti-noise signal are cancelled out).

In addition, when the user uses the device200to listen to music, the active noise cancellation circuit220may also receive the audio signal (i.e. music), and the active noise cancellation circuit220may generate the output signal by combining the audio signal, the meaningful signal and the anti-noise signal, so that the user can hear the music and the meaningful signal simultaneously. In another embodiment, when the detection result indicates that one or more meaningful signals are in the environment sound, the active noise cancellation circuit220may block the audio signal (i.e., the music playback is interrupted), or reduce the strength/volume of the audio signal, so that the user can clearly hear the meaningful signal(s).

In the embodiment shown inFIG. 2, the detection result generated by the sound detector comprises the meaningful signal, however, it is not a limitation of the present invention. In another embodiment, the detection result may merely comprise the anti-noise signal, and the user can also hear the meaningful signal of the environment sound coming through a case of the earphone or the headset.

By using the above signal processing mechanism, because the sound detector210generates the anti-noise signal by only using the meaningless signal of the environment sound (i.e. the meaningful signal is not processed by the inversion circuit214), the user can clearly hear the meaningful signal(s) even if the environment sound is continuously under the noise cancellation operation. Therefore, by using the device200, the user can avoid possible dangers while listening to the music.

FIG. 3is a diagram illustrating a device300according to one embodiment of the present invention, wherein the device300may be comprised in an earphone or a headset. As shown inFIG. 3, the device300comprises a microphone302, a sound detector310, a noise cancellation component (in this embodiment, the noise cancellation component is a passive noise cancellation component320such as earmuffs) and a speaker304.

In the operations of the device300, the microphone302continuously receives the ambient sound (environment sound), and the sound detector310receives the environment sound from the microphone302. The sound detector310detects that if the environment sound has a meaningful signal or not, and generates a detection result comprising the meaningful signal, if any, to the passive noise cancellation component320. In this embodiment, the meaningful signal can be extracted from the environment sound by using any sound recognition technique, and the meaningless noise (e.g., the part of the environment sound other than the meaningful signal) is filtered out by the sound detector310(i.e. the detection result does not comprise the meaningless noise). In this embodiment, the meaningful signal(s) can be defined and established in a table within the device300, wherein the meaningful signal(s) may comprise warning tones such as honk of horn and ambulance warning sounds, or a specific voice such as a user name. The passive noise cancellation component320performs a noise cancellation operation based on the detection result to generate an output signal to the speaker304, wherein the output signal comprises the meaningful signal. Therefore, the user can only hear the meaningful signal of the environment sound, and the meaningless noise of the environment sound will not be heard by the user.

In addition, when the user uses the device300to listen to music, the passive noise cancellation component320may also receive the audio signal (i.e. music), and the passive noise cancellation component320may generate the output signal by combining the audio signal and the meaningful signal, so that the user can hear the music and the meaningful signal simultaneously. In another embodiment, when the detection result indicates that one or more meaningful signals are in the environment sound, the passive noise cancellation component320may block the audio signal (i.e., the music playback is interrupted), or reduce the strength/volume of the audio signal, so that the user can clearly hear the meaningful signal(s).

By using the above signal processing mechanism, because the passive noise cancellation component320generates output signal having the meaningful signal without the meaningless noise, the user can clearly hear the meaningful signal(s) even if the environment sound is continuously under the noise cancellation operation. Therefore, by using the device300, the user can avoid possible dangers while listening to the music.

In addition, the above embodiments can also be used in a hearing aid, and the meaningful signal(s) may comprise some specific voices (e.g. human voice), to make the user only hear what they need, without hearing the meaningless noise.

FIG. 4is a flowchart of a signal processing method according to one embodiment of the present invention. Referring to the above embodiment, the flow is described as follows.

Step400: the flow starts.

Step402: receive an environment sound obtained from a microphone.

Step404: determine if the environment sound has a meaningful signal or not to generate a detection result.

Step406: perform a noise cancellation operation based on the detection result to generate an output signal to a speaker, to make a user hear the meaningful signal of the environment sound, but a meaningless signal of the environment sound is not heard by the user.