Patent ID: 8848936

Claim:
A personal audio device, comprising: a personal audio device housing; a transducer mounted on the housing for reproducing an audio signal including both source audio for playback to a listener and an anti-noise signal for countering the effects of ambient audio sounds in an acoustic output of the transducer; a reference microphone mounted on the housing for providing a reference microphone signal indicative of the ambient audio sounds; an error microphone mounted on the housing that provides an error microphone signal indicative of the acoustic output of the transducer; and a processing circuit within the housing for adaptively generating the anti-noise signal from the reference microphone signal such that the anti-noise signal causes substantial cancellation of the ambient audio sounds, and wherein the processing circuit further monitors a level of the anti-noise signal, determines that the anti-noise signal may cause damage to the transducer and adjusts the generation of the anti-noise signal such that damage to the transducer is prevented, and wherein the processing circuit implements an adaptive filter having a response that shapes the anti-noise signal to reduce the presence of the ambient audio sounds in the error microphone signal, and wherein the processing circuit, in response to determining that the anti-noise signal may cause damage to the transducer, freezes adaptation of the adaptive filter.