Patents by Inventor Peter McCutcheon

Peter McCutcheon has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240388858
    Abstract: Page 9 A coupler for an acoustic device includes a main opening for inserting the acoustic device or an adapter for the acoustic device. The coupler also includes a main channel connected at one end to the main opening. The coupler further includes one or more leakage paths for allowing sound to escape the main channel when in use. The coupler additionally includes one or more acoustic resonators connected to the main channel. The one or more acoustic resonators includes a first acoustic resonator configured to have a fundamental resonance frequency in the range of 500 Hz to 1 kHz and a second acoustic resonator configured to have a fundamental resonance frequency in the range of 3.85 kHz to 5 kHz.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2022
    Publication date: November 21, 2024
    Inventors: Dylan MORGAN, Peter MCCUTCHEON, Martin SCHOERKMAIER
  • Patent number: 12033609
    Abstract: An audio system for an ear mountable playback device comprises a speaker and an error microphone that is configured to sense sound being output from the speaker and ambient sound. The audio system further comprises a detection engine that is configured to determine a driver response between the speaker and the error microphone, and to estimate a leakage condition from the determined driver response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: AMS AG
    Inventor: Peter McCutcheon
  • Patent number: 12002447
    Abstract: A noise cancellation system for an ear-mountable playback device having a speaker, a feedforward microphone and an error microphone comprises a filter chain for coupling the feedforward microphone to the speaker, the filter chain comprising a series connection or parallel connection of a coarse filter and a fine filter, and a noise control processor. The fine filter is formed of a set of sub-filters having a predefined frequency range, wherein the predefined frequency range of each of the sub-filters together forms an effective overall frequency range of the fine filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: AMS AG
    Inventor: Peter McCutcheon
  • Patent number: 11922917
    Abstract: An audio system for an ear mountable playback device comprises a compensation filter configured to generate a third compensation signal by applying filter operations to an audio signal, and an error compensation unit configured to generate a compensated error signal on the basis of the third compensation signal and a disturbed audio signal from an error microphone. The audio system further comprises a first noise filter configured to be adapted based on the compensated error signal, and a detection unit configured to estimate the acoustic leakage condition on the basis of the first noise filter or of the disturbed audio signal and an audio output signal. The compensation filter is configured to be adapted based on the acoustic leakage condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: AMS AG
    Inventors: Peter McCutcheon, Dylan Morgan
  • Publication number: 20240031729
    Abstract: A noise cancellation enabled headphone to be worn on or over an ear of a user includes a speaker, a feed-forward microphone predominantly sensing ambient sound, an error microphone being arranged in front of the speaker in a primary direction of sound emission of the speaker and adapted to sensing sound being output from the speaker and ambient sound. A baffle is arranged between the speaker and the error microphone in the primary direction of sound emission such that the sound being output from the speaker is delayed by the baffle at a location of the error microphone. An adaptive noise cancellation controller is configured to perform feed-forward noise cancellation based on a feed-forward signal recorded with the feed-forward microphone and filtered with feed-forward filter parameters, and to adjust the feed-forward filter parameters based on an error signal recorded with the error microphone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Applicant: ams International AG
    Inventor: Peter MCCUTCHEON
  • Patent number: 11875771
    Abstract: An audio system for an ear mountable playback device comprises a speaker, an error microphone configured to predominantly sense sound being output from the speaker and a further microphone configured to predominantly sense ambient sound. The system further comprises a first noise filter coupling the further microphone to the speaker, a second noise filter coupling the error microphone to the speaker and an adaptation engine. The adaptation engine is configured to adapt a response of the first noise filter depending on error signals from at least the error microphone, estimate a leakage condition from the response of the first noise filter, and adapt a response of the second noise filter depending on the estimated leakage condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: AMS AG
    Inventor: Peter McCutcheon
  • Patent number: 11862140
    Abstract: An audio system for an ear mountable playback device includes a speaker, an error microphone, which senses sound being output from the speaker, and a sound control processor. The processor is configured for controlling and/or monitoring a playback of a detection signal or a filtered version of the detection signal via the speaker, recording an error signal from the error microphone, and determining whether the playback device is in a first state, where the playback device is worn by a user, or in a second state, where the playback device is not worn by a user, based on processing of the error signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: AMS AG
    Inventors: Peter McCutcheon, Horst Gether
  • Patent number: 11705103
    Abstract: An audio system for an ear mountable playback device comprises a speaker, an error microphone predominantly sensing sound being output from the speaker and a feed-forward microphone predominantly sensing ambient sound. The audio system further comprises a voice activity detector which is configured to record a feed-forward signal from the feed-forward microphone. Furthermore, an error signal is recorded from the error microphone. A detection parameter is determined as a function of the feed-forward signal and the error signal. The detection parameter is monitored and a voice activity state is set depending on the detection parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: AMS AG
    Inventors: Peter McCutcheon, Dylan Morgan
  • Patent number: 11595764
    Abstract: A method for tuning filter parameters of a noise cancellation enabled audio system with an ear-mountable playback device comprising a speaker and a feedback noise microphone located in proximity to the speaker comprises provision of acoustic transfer functions between the speaker and the feedback noise microphone, between the speaker and an eardrum, between an ambient sound source and the eardrum and between the ambient sound source and the feedback noise microphone. The parameters of a feedback filter function, which is designed to process a feedback noise signal, are tuned. A noise cancellation performance of the audio system at the eardrum is determined based on each of the acoustic transfer functions and on the feedback filter function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: AMS SENSORS UK LIMITED
    Inventor: Peter McCutcheon
  • Publication number: 20220415300
    Abstract: A noise cancellation system for an ear-mountable playback device having a speaker, a feedforward microphone and an error microphone comprises a filter chain for coupling the feedforward microphone to the speaker, the filter chain comprising a series connection or parallel connection of a coarse filter and a fine filter, and a noise control processor. The fine filter is formed of a set of sub-filters having a predefined frequency range, wherein the predefined frequency range of each of the sub-filters together forms an effective overall frequency range of the fine filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2020
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventor: Peter McCutcheon
  • Publication number: 20220392427
    Abstract: An audio system for an ear mountable playback device comprises a compensation filter configured to generate a third compensation signal by applying filter operations to an audio signal, and an error compensation unit configured to generate a compensated error signal on the basis of the third compensation signal and a disturbed audio signal from an error microphone. The audio system further comprises a first noise filter configured to be adapted based on the compensated error signal, and a detection unit configured to estimate the acoustic leakage condition on the basis of the first noise filter or of the disturbed audio signal and an audio output signal. The compensation filter is configured to be adapted based on the acoustic leakage condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Inventors: Peter McCutcheon, Dylan Morgan
  • Publication number: 20220343886
    Abstract: An audio system for an ear mountable playback device comprises a speaker and an error microphone that is configured to sense sound being output from the speaker and ambient sound. The audio system further comprises a detection engine that is configured to determine a driver response between the speaker and the error microphone, and to estimate a leakage condition from the determined driver response.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Inventor: Peter McCutcheon
  • Publication number: 20220223133
    Abstract: An audio system for an ear mountable playback device includes a speaker, an error microphone, which senses sound being output from the speaker, and a sound control processor. The processor is configured for controlling and/or monitoring a playback of a detection signal or a filtered version of the detection signal via the speaker, recording an error signal from the error microphone, and determining whether the playback device is in a first state, where the playback device is worn by a user, or in a second state, where the playback device is not worn by a user, based on processing of the error signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Inventors: Peter MCCUTCHEON, Horst GETHER
  • Publication number: 20220165245
    Abstract: An audio system for an ear mountable playback device comprises a speaker, an error microphone predominantly sensing sound being output from the speaker and a feed-forward microphone predominantly sensing ambient sound. The audio system further comprises a voice activity detector which is configured to record a feed-forward signal from the feed-forward microphone. Furthermore, an error signal is recorded from the error microphone. A detection parameter is determined as a function of the feed-forward signal and the error signal. The detection parameter is monitored and a voice activity state is set depending on the detection parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Inventors: Peter MCCUTCHEON, Dylan MORGAN
  • Publication number: 20220157291
    Abstract: An audio system for an ear mountable playback device comprises a speaker, an error microphone configured to predominantly sense sound being output from the speaker and a further microphone configured to predominantly sense ambient sound. The system further comprises a first noise filter coupling the further microphone to the speaker, a second noise filter coupling the error microphone to the speaker and an adaptation engine. The adaptation engine is configured to adapt a response of the first noise filter depending on error signals from at least the error microphone, estimate a leakage condition from the response of the first noise filter, and adapt a response of the second noise filter depending on the estimated leakage condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Inventor: Peter McCutcheon
  • Patent number: 11308933
    Abstract: A noise cancellation enabled audio device, in particular a headphone, comprises a speaker which is arranged within the audio device and which has a preferential side for sound emission. The audio device further comprises a first cavity enclosing a first volume of air, where the first cavity is arranged at the preferential side for sound emission of the speaker, and an error microphone which is arranged within a second cavity within the audio device. The first cavity comprises a first opening to the outside of the audio device and the second cavity comprises a second opening to the outside of the audio device. The first and the second opening are both arranged on a side of the audio device which is arranged to face an ear canal of a user. Furthermore, a noise cancellation system is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: AMS AG
    Inventor: Peter McCutcheon
  • Patent number: 11264004
    Abstract: A noise cancellation filter structure for a noise cancellation enabled audio device, in particular headphone, comprises a noise input for receiving a noise signal and a filter output for providing a filter output signal. A first noise filter produces a first filter signal by filtering the noise signal and a second noise filter produces a second filter signal by filtering the noise signal. The second noise filter has a frequency response with a non-minimum-phase, in particular maximum-phase. A combiner is configured to provide the filter output signal based on a linear combination of the first filter signal and the second filter signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: AMS AG
    Inventors: Peter McCutcheon, Robert Alcock
  • Publication number: 20210400398
    Abstract: A method for tuning filter parameters of a noise cancellation enabled audio system with an ear-mountable playback device comprising a speaker and a feedback noise microphone located in proximity to the speaker comprises provision of acoustic transfer functions between the speaker and the feedback noise microphone, between the speaker and an eardrum, between an ambient sound source and the eardrum and between the ambient sound source and the feedback noise microphone. The parameters of a feedback filter function, which is designed to process a feedback noise signal, are tuned. A noise cancellation performance of the audio system at the eardrum is determined based on each of the acoustic transfer functions and on the feedback filter function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventor: Peter McCutcheon
  • Patent number: 11100912
    Abstract: A noise cancellation headphone comprises a speaker, a front plate for carrying the speaker, a microphone arranged on or in the front plate, and a front vent opening arranged within the front plate and in close proximity to the microphone. The microphone is usable as a feedback microphone for active noise cancellation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: AMS INTERNATIONAL AG
    Inventor: Peter McCutcheon
  • Publication number: 20210166674
    Abstract: A noise cancellation enabled audio device (20), in particular a headphone, comprises a speaker (21) which is arranged within the audio device (20) and which has a preferential side (36) for sound emission. The audio device (20) further comprises a first cavity (22) enclosing a first volume of air, where the first cavity (22) is arranged at the preferential side (36) for sound emission of the speaker (21), and an error microphone (23) which is arranged within a second cavity (24) within the audio device (20). The first cavity (22) comprises a first opening (25) to the outside of the audio device (20) and the second cavity (24) comprises a second opening (26) to the outside of the audio device (20). The first and the second opening (25, 26) are both arranged on a side of the audio device (20) which is arranged to face an ear canal (27) of a user. Furthermore, a noise cancellation system (30) is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventor: Peter McCutcheon