Abstract: Active noise reduction (ANR) headphones and associated methods are provided. The ANR headphones may include a memory to store a plurality of profiles each including controller information and acoustic parameters in addition to a profile selection routine executable by a processor of the ANR headphone. The profile selection routine may be configured to identify acoustic characteristics of a subject wearing the ANR headphone, compare the acoustic characteristics of the subject with the acoustic parameters of the plurality of profiles, select a profile from the plurality of profiles based on the comparison between the acoustic characteristics of the subject with the acoustic parameters of the selected profile, and provide the controller information of the selected profile to a noise reduction circuit of the ANR headphone.

Abstract: An earpiece includes a feed-forward microphone coupled to the environment outside the headphones, a feedback microphone coupled to an ear canal of a user when the earpiece is in use, a speaker coupled to the ear canal of the user when the earpiece is in use, a digital signal processor implementing feed-forward and feedback noise compensation filters between the respective microphones and the speaker, and a memory storing an ordered sequence of sets of filters for use by the digital signal processor. Each of the sets of filters includes a feed-forward filter that provides a different frequency-dependent amount of sound pass-through or cancellation, which in combination with residual ambient sound reaching the ear results in a total insertion gain at the ear of a user.

Abstract: A set of headphones have microphones generating left and right feed-forward and feedback signals. A processor filters the feed-forward signals to provide ambient naturalness to the signals and generate binaural ambient signals, filters the feedback signals to generate noise-cancelling signals, and combines the noise-cancelling signals and the binaural ambient signals to generate output signals for an output transducer. A transmitter transmits the binaural ambient signals. Another set of headphones have microphones generating left and right feed-forward and feedback signals and a receiver configured to receive binaural signals.

Abstract: In an active noise reducing headphone, a signal processor applies filters and control gains of both the feed-forward and feedback active noise cancellation signal paths. The signal processor is configured to apply first feed-forward filters to the feed-forward signal path and apply first feedback filters to the feedback signal path during a first operating mode providing effective cancellation of ambient sound, and to apply second feed-forward filters to the feed-forward signal path during a second operating mode providing active hear-through of ambient sounds with ambient naturalness.

Abstract: A media playback device has programmable signal processing capabilities and an input receiving signals representative of ambient noise. The media playback device identifies an output response characteristic and an attenuation characteristic of a set of headphones associated with the media playback device, predicts a property of audio output by the headphones at a user's ear based on the ambient noise input signal, the output response characteristic, and the attenuation characteristic of the headphones, predicts expected residual ambient noise at the user's ear, when wearing the headphones, derived from the ambient noise input signal and the attenuation characteristic, and modifies masking audio signals to be provided to the headphones such that they will mask the expected residual ambient noise at the user's ear.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a first interface for connecting to a personal computer, a second interface for connecting to a communications device, a third interface for connecting to a headset, a fourth interface for connecting to a speaker, and a processor in control of each of the interfaces. The processor is configured to route audio associated with a communications session on one of the personal computer or the communications device to the speaker, and in response to a user putting on the headset, re-route the audio to the headset.

Abstract: A noise cancelling headset includes first and second earpieces, each earpiece including a respective feedback microphone, a respective feed-forward microphone, and a respective output driver. A first feedback filter receives an input from at least the first feedback microphone and produces a first filtered feedback signal. A first feed-forward filter receives an input from at least the first feed-forward microphone and produces a first filtered feed-forward signal. A first summer combines the first filtered feedback signal and the first filtered feed-forward signal and produces a first output signal. An output interface provides the first output signal as an output from the headset.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a first interface for connecting to a personal computer, a second interface for connecting to a communications device, a third interface for connecting to a headset, a fourth interface for connecting to a speaker, and a processor in control of each of the interfaces. The processor is configured to route audio associated with a communications session on one of the personal computer or the communications device to the speaker, and in response to a user putting on the headset, re-route the audio to the headset.

Abstract: In an active noise reducing headphone, a signal processor applies filters and control gains of both the feed-forward and feedback active noise cancellation signal paths. The signal processor is configured to apply first feed-forward filters to the feed-forward signal path and apply first feedback filters to the feedback signal path during a first operating mode providing effective cancellation of ambient sound, and to apply second feed-forward filters to the feed-forward signal path during a second operating mode providing active hear-through of ambient sounds with ambient naturalness.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a first interface for connecting to a personal computer, a second interface for connecting to a communications device, a third interface for connecting to a headset, a fourth interface for connecting to a speaker, and a processor in control of each of the interfaces. The processor is configured to route audio associated with a communications session on one of the personal computer or the communications device to the speaker, and in response to a user putting on the headset, re-route the audio to the headset.

Abstract: A media playback device has programmable signal processing capabilities and an input receiving signals representative of ambient noise. The media playback device identifies an output response characteristic and an attenuation characteristic of a set of headphones associated with the media playback device, predicts a property of audio output by the headphones at a user's ear based on the ambient noise input signal, the output response characteristic, and the attenuation characteristic of the headphones, predicts expected residual ambient noise at the user's ear, when wearing the headphones, derived from the ambient noise input signal and the attenuation characteristic, and modifies masking audio signals to be provided to the headphones such that they will mask the expected residual ambient noise at the user's ear.

Abstract: A media playback device has programmable signal processing capabilities and an input receiving signals representative of ambient noise. The media playback identifies an output response characteristic and an attenuation characteristic of a set of headphones associated with the media playback device, and dynamically modifies audio output signals to be provided to the headphones based on a combination of the output response characteristic, the attenuation characteristic, and the ambient noise input signal.

Abstract: A set of headphones have microphones generating left and right feed-forward and feedback signals. A processor filters the feed-forward signals to provide ambient naturalness to the signals and generate binaural ambient signals, filters the feedback signals to generate noise-cancelling signals, and combines the noise-cancelling signals and the binaural ambient signals to generate output signals for an output transducer. A transmitter transmits the binaural ambient signals. Another set of headphones have microphones generating left and right feed-forward and feedback signals and a receiver configured to receive binaural signals.

Abstract: An active noise reduction (ANR) circuit includes a digital feed-forward ANR pathway coupled to a feed-forward microphone, to detect environmental sounds in an environment external to a casing, and to a first acoustic driver to output sounds within the casing. The digital feed-forward ANR pathway applies a plurality of filters using a first set of coefficients to convert signals from the feed-forward microphone to feed-forward anti-noise sounds to reduce environmental sounds within the casing. In response to a stimulus, the digital feed-forward ANR pathway applies the plurality of filters using a second set of coefficients, which reduce the degree of feed-forward ANR to enable human speech sounds in the environment external to the casing to be conveyed from the feed-forward microphone to the acoustic driver with less reduction than provided by the first plurality of filters.

Abstract: A system for providing binaural telepresence includes two communication devices, and two sets of active noise reducing headphones having an active noise-cancelling mode and an active hear-through mode, coupled to the respective communication devices and configured to provide left and right feed-forward microphone signals to the communication devices. The first communication device is configured to transmit the first left and right feed-forward microphone signals to the second communication device. The second communication device is configured to provide the first left and right feed-forward microphone signals to the second set of headphones.

Abstract: In an active noise reducing headphone, a signal processor is configured to apply first feedback filters to the feedback signal path, causing the feedback signal path to operate at a first gain level, as a function of frequency, during a first operating mode, and apply second feedback filters to the feedback signal path, causing the feedback signal path to operate at a second gain level less than the first gain level at some frequencies during a second operating mode. The first gain level is a level of gain that results in effective cancellation of sounds transmitted through or around the ear cup and through the user's head, and the second level is a level of gain that is matched to the level of sound of a typical wearer's voice transmitted through the wearer's head when wearing the headphone.

Abstract: An in-ear audio device has a casing on which is disposed one or more bags are positioned to be filled with fillable material during a customization process in which a test sound is acoustically output into an ear canal by an acoustic driver of the in-ear audio device while the one or more bags are being filled, and a microphone acoustically coupled to the ear canal is employed to detect sounds within the ear canal that are indicative of the frequency response of the acoustic output of the acoustic driver to determine when the degree of sealing of the ear canal by the one or more bags is sufficient to achieve a desired quality of frequency response.

Abstract: A method for adjusting the performance of an electroacoustic transducer includes receiving, by gain adjustment circuit, a displacement signal corresponding to a relative motion between a magnetic structure of the electroacoustic transducer and a voice coil of the electroacoustic transducer. The method includes detecting, by the gain adjustment circuit, a displacement signal value of the displacement signal as one of meeting or exceeding a displacement signal threshold. The method includes modifying, by the gain adjustment circuit, a loop gain of an active noise reduction loop associated with the electroacoustic transducer when the displacement signal value of the displacement signal one of meets or exceeds the displacement signal threshold.

Abstract: Ambient sound is masked by receiving an audio signal, monitoring an acoustic signal that includes components of both the ambient sound the audio signal, determining a sound level sufficient to at least partially mask the ambient sound, and reproducing the received audio signal to produce an output acoustic signal at the determined sound level.

Abstract: In an active noise reducing headphone, a signal processor applies filters and control gains of both the feed-forward and feedback active noise cancellation signal paths. The signal processor is configured to apply first feed-forward filters to the feed-forward signal path and apply first feedback filters to the feedback signal path during a first operating mode providing effective cancellation of ambient sound, and to apply second feed-forward filters to the feed-forward signal path during a second operating mode providing active hear-through of ambient sounds with ambient naturalness.