Abstract: New and improved electroacoustic devices each including at least one transducer assembly having one or more microphones typically mounted on a baffle plate and disposed in substantially the same acoustic plane as a speaker or speakers. In the various embodiments, at least one microphone and at least one speaker face the same or opposite directions. Each microphone may be parallel to or oriented at an angle with respect to the speaker. In other embodiments, the speaker includes a central opening or cavity in which a microphone having one of various orientations is provided. The orientations of the microphone or microphones with respect to the speaker or speakers minimize adverse noise reduction effects associated with the differences in sensitivities, frequency responses and phase responses and acoustic time delays between the microphones and the speaker or speakers, as well as minimize sound reflections that are picked up by the microphone or microphones.

Abstract: A noise cancellation module is combined with a telephone handset or article of headwear to cancel a selected frequency or range of frequencies so as to enable a user to better use the handset and function with the headwear in place.

Abstract: A device for performing electroacoustic functions including noise cancellation, communication interface, and headphone functions. The device includes a composite transducer which is connected to a control unit. The composite transducer, which is adapted for use with the human ear, includes: at least one input transducer for converting acoustic waves into electrical signals, and an output transducer facing the ear for converting electrical signals into acoustic waves. The transducers are oriented to be substantially coplanar to each other. The control unit includes circuitry for driving the output transducer based on electrical signals from the input transducer(s) with an amplitude and phase to perform the noise cancellation, sound filtering, communication interface, and headphone functions. The composite transducer includes a multiple baffle acoustic diffuser which performs frequency filtering, allows sound origin selection, and lengthens the paths of selected sounds entering the composite transducer.

Abstract: A device for performing electroacoustic functions including noise cancellation, communication interface, and headphone functions. The device includes a composite transducer which is connected to a control unit. The composite transducer, which is adapted for use with the human ear, includes at least three transducers, oriented to be substantially coplanar to each other: two oppositely oriented input transducers for converting acoustic waves into electrical signals, and at least one output transducer oriented facing the ear for converting electrical signals into acoustic waves. The control unit includes circuitry for driving the output transducer based on electrical signals from the input transducers with an amplitude and phase to perform the noise cancellation, sound filtering, communication interface, and headphone functions.

Abstract: A device for performing electroacoustic functions including noise cancellation, hearing aid, communication interface, headset, feed for recording device, and headphone functions. The device includes composite transducers connected to a control unit. The composite transducers can be mounted on a headband and are configured to include input transducers for converting acoustic waves into electrical signals for processing by a control unit, and output transducers for converting the processed electrical signals to processed sound waves. The control unit includes an inverter/amplifier and a mixer/output amplifier for inverting the electrical input and controlling the gain for either adjusting the gain to maximize a noise cancellation function or increasing the gain beyond the minimum level heard by the ear to a desired level for a hearing aid function.

Abstract: A device for performing electroacoustic functions including noise cancellation, hearing aid, communication interface, headset, feed for recording device, and headphone functions. The device includes composite transducers connected to a control unit. The composite transducers can be mounted on a headband and are configured to include input transducers for converting acoustic waves into electrical signals for processing by a control unit, and output transducers for converting the processed electrical signals to processed sound waves. The control unit includes an inverter/amplifier and a mixer/output amplifier for inverting the electrical input and controlling the gain for either adjusting the gain to maximize a noise cancellation function or increasing the gain beyond the minimum level heard by the ear to a desired level for a hearing aid function.