Soundchip Sa

Dsp Group Limited

Paul Darlington

Mark Donaldson

Ben Skelton

An active noise cancelling system () comprising: an earphone (') comprising: an electro-acoustic driver (); and at least one sensing microphone (); tunable active noise cancelling circuitry () operative to receive a signal from the at least one sensing microphone (), the tunable active noise cancelling circuitry () being pre-configured in a standard tuning for a reference ear and comprising at least one noise-control filter (); and a tuning module () operative to configure the earphone (′) for an individual wearer by: comparing acoustic coupling of the earphone (′) to the individual wearer's ear with acoustic coupling to the reference ear to determine a deviation in acoustic coupling; and using the determined deviation in acoustic coupling to modify the tunable active noise cancelling circuitry () by a predetermined degree based on the determined deviation in acoustic coupling.

Active noise cancelling system

Apparatus for testing earphone apparatus () during manufacture includes a head simulator () including an ear simulator () defining a passageway () leading to an external opening (), a and an eardrum microphone () mounted in the passageway () of the ear simulator (). The apparatus () includes one or more of: an ear plate () for simulating an outer ear, the ear plate () forming part of the ear simulator () and defining a substantially planar earphone engagement surface () substantially encircling the external opening (); a mounting guide system for assisting correct placement of earphone apparatus on the head simulator () relative to the ear simulator (); and a test module () for performing rapid automated testing of earphone apparatus mounted on the head simulator ().

Method and apparatus for testing earphone apparatus

An earphone device/test station pairing () includes an earphone device () including: at least one electroacoustic driver (); a digital module () including a processor module; and a digital interface configured to connect the earphone device () to a media/communications device having a digital output; a test station () including at least one transducer (), the test station () being operative to communicate with the earphone device () via the digital interface to allow data transmission between the earphone device () and the test station () during a test/configuration procedure; and a test module () for performing automated testing of the earphone device () when mounted on/connected to the test station ().

Earphone test system

An active Noise Reduction (ANR) device includes a plurality of inputs, a plurality of signal processing resources, an output for driving an earphone driver, a programmable switch arrangement capable of assigning any of the plurality of inputs to any of the plurality of signal processing resources, and a controller for programming the programmable switch arrangement in order to assign each of at least a subset of the plurality of inputs to a different one of the signal processing resources. The ANR device is dynamically configurable to vary which of the signal processing resources are selected to contribute to the output.

Active noise reduction device

An earphone test system () includes a plurality of test stations () each operative to perform a function during testing of an earphone device () coupled thereto. During testing of earphone devices () coupled to the plurality of test stations () the earphone test system () is operative to expose each of the plurality of test stations () to a noise field generated by a common noise field source ().

Earphone testing

A method of manufacturing an Active Noise Reduction (ANR) device includes providing at a stage during manufacture a pre-completion ANR device in a non-final configuration, the pre-completion ANR device including a plurality of inputs, a plurality of signal processing resources, an output for driving an earphone driver, and a programmable switch arrangement capable of assigning any of the plurality of inputs to any of the plurality of signal processing resources, selecting from the plurality of signal processing resources a subset of signal processing resources to contribute to the output, whereby the remaining signal processing resources of the plurality do not contribute to the output in any mode of operation of the ANR device, and in a configuration step during manufacture, programming the programmable switch arrangement to assign each of at least a subset of the plurality of inputs to a different one of the selected subset of signal processing resources.

Earphone apparatus () comprising: a substantially planar substrate () defining at least one electrical connection path (); an electro-acoustic driver () and sensing microphone () each mounted on the substrate () and connected to the at least one electrical connection path (); wherein the substrate () at least in part defines an acoustic waveguide () having a part extending through the substrate () for conveying sound from outside of the earphone apparatus () to the sensing microphone (); and the part of the acoustic waveguide () extends through the substrate () substantially normal to the thickness of the substrate ().

Earphone apparatus

Earphone apparatus () comprising: a body () configured to be inserted at least in part into an auditory canal of a user's ear, the body () housing a driver () and defining a passageway () connecting the driver () to an opening () in the body () for allowing sound generated by the driver () to pass into the auditory canal of the user's ear; and a sensing microphone () coupled to the body () for providing a feedback signal to a signal processor, the sensing microphone () comprising a sensing element ()(')(&#x2033;) positioned to sense sound present in the auditory canal of the user's ear; wherein the sensing element () (&#x2032;)(&#x2033;) is spaced from the driver ().

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Aran-Villette, Switzerland

Paul Darlington