Abstract: A method for electrically attenuating a noise in an area for a sound wave to be propagatable in a three dimensional direction by making up a drive signal from the information on the noise and previously given filter coefficients by use of an adaptive digital filter and then generating an additional sound wave in accordance with the drive signal for cancellation of the noise. In the electric noise attenuation method, there are provided in a given region for noise attenuation, first and second error sensor groups for detecting an interference sound wave produced between the noise and additional sound wave, at a sampling time, a filter coefficient is calculated based on the information relating to the first error sensor group, at the next sampling time, another filter coefficient is calculated based on the information relating to the second error sensor group, and these operations are repeatedly executed sequentially for each error sensor to thereby update the filter coefficient of the adaptive digital filter.

Abstract: An electronic noise attenuation system for attenuating a sound wave propagated from a source of noise by generating another sound wave 180.degree. out of phase and having the same sound pressure with the propagated sound wave from electro-mechanic transducer means disposed in a propagation passage of sound waves. In the electronic noise attenuation system, a drive signal for drive the electro-mechanic transducer means is generated in accordance with output signals respectively output from upstream-side and downstream-side mechano-electric transducer means respectively disposed in the propagation passage with the electro-mechanic transducer means therebetween. Namely, the drive signal is created by performing an operation on a difference signal between the output signal of the upstream mechano-electric transducer means and the drive signal according to a given transfer function.

Abstract: An electronic noise attenuation system for attenuation of non-steady noise occurring in a propagation passage such a duct line by conducting adaptive controls by use of a computer system including a digital filter therein. Sensing microphones M.sub.1, M.sub.2 are located in the propagation passage with a cancellation sound source S therebetween at positions where the transfer functions Hr, Ht of a sound wave generated from the cancellation sound source are equivalent to each other. The output signal of the sensing microphone M.sub.1 and the phase-inverted version of the output signal of the sensing microphone M.sub.2 are input via an add circuit to the control part of the system. The system can prevent the occurrence of an acoustic feedback from the cancellation sound source to the sensing microphone M.sub.1 so as to realize a stable and highly accurate noise attenuation.