# US 12,217,734 B2 · Acoustic devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,217,734 B2 - Document ID: US12217734B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/332,746 - Filed: 2023-06-11 - Published: 2023-10-05 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2021-04-30 - Assignees: Shenzhen Shokz Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Shenzhen Shokz Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Le Xiao; Jinbo Zheng; Chengqian Zhang; Fengyun Liao; Xin Qi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12217734B2 ## CPC - G10K 11/17823: {Reference signals, e.g. ambient acoustic environment} - G10K 11/17857: {Geometric disposition, e.g. placement of microphones} - G10K 11/17873: {using a reference signal without an error signal, e.g. pure feedforward} - H04R 1/1008: {Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type} - H04R 1/105: {Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks (for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335)} - H04R 1/1066: {Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support (earpiece support for monophonic headphones H04R1/105; earpiece support for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335)} - H04R 1/1083: {Reduction of ambient noise (active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06)} - H04R 1/406: {microphones} - H04R 3/005: {for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} - G10K 2210/1081: Earphones, e.g. for telephones, ear protectors or headsets - G10K 2210/3023: Estimation of noise, e.g. on error signals - G10K 2210/30231: Sources, e.g. identifying noisy processes or components - G10K 2210/3025: Determination of spectrum characteristics, e.g. FFT - G10K 2210/30351: Identification of the environment for applying appropriate model characteristics - G10K 2210/3038: Neural networks - G10K 2210/3047: Prediction, e.g. of future values of noise - G10K 2210/3056: Variable gain - H04R 1/1041: {Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H)} - H04R 1/1075: {Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones} - H04R 2420/07: Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones - H04R 2460/01: Hearing devices using active noise cancellation - H04R 2460/09: Non-occlusive ear tips, i.e. leaving the ear canal open, for both custom and non-custom tips (H04R2460/11 takes precedence) - H04R 2460/11: Aspects relating to vents, e.g. shape, orientation, acoustic properties in ear tips of hearing devices to prevent occlusion - H04R 2460/13: Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers - G10K: SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING, NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) ## Abstract The present disclosure provides an acoustic device including a microphone array, a processor, and at least one speaker. The microphone array may be configured to acquire an environmental noise. The processor may be configured to estimate a sound field at a target spatial position using the microphone array. The target spatial position may be closer to an ear canal of a user than each microphone in the microphone array. The processor may be configured to generate a noise reduction signal based on the environmental noise and the sound field estimation of the target spatial position. The at least one speaker may be configured to output a target signal based on the noise reduction signal. The target signal may be used to reduce the environmental noise. The microphone array may be arranged in a target area to minimize an interference signal from the at least one speaker to the microphone array. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An acoustic device, comprising: a microphone array configured to acquire an environmental noise; a processor configured to: obtain a sound field estimation by estimating a sound field at a target spatial position using the microphone array, wherein the target spatial position is closer to an ear canal of a user than each microphone in the microphone array, and generate a noise reduction signal based on the environmental noise and the sound field estimation of the target spatial position; and at least one speaker configured to output a target signal based on the noise reduction signal, the target signal being used to reduce the environmental noise. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The acoustic device of claim 1, wherein to generate the noise reduction signal based on the environmental noise and the sound field estimation of the target spatial position, the processor is further configured to: estimate a noise at the target spatial position based on the environmental noise; and generate the noise reduction signal based on the noise at the target spatial position and the sound field estimation of the target spatial position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The acoustic device of claim 2, wherein the acoustic device further comprises one or more sensors configured to acquire motion information of the acoustic device, and the processor is further configured to: update the noise at the target spatial position and the sound field estimation of the target spatial position based on the motion information; and generate the noise reduction signal based on the updated noise at the target spatial position and the updated sound field estimation of the target spatial position. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The acoustic device of claim 2, wherein to estimate the noise at the target spatial position based on the environmental noise, the processor is further configured to: determine one or more spatial noise sources related to the environmental noise; and estimate the noise at the target spatial position based on the spatial noise sources. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The acoustic device of claim 2, wherein to estimate the sound field at the target spatial position using the microphone array, the processor is further configured to: construct a virtual microphone based on the microphone array, the virtual microphone including a mathematical model or a machine learning model that indicates audio data collected by a microphone if the target spatial position includes a microphone; and estimate the sound field at the target spatial position based on the virtual microphone. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The acoustic device of claim 5, wherein to generate the noise reduction signal based on the environmental noise and the sound field estimation of the target spatial position, the processor is further configured to: estimate a noise at the target spatial position based on the virtual microphone; and generate the noise reduction signal based on the noise at the target spatial position and the sound field estimation of the target spatial position. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The acoustic device of claim 5, wherein the microphone array is arranged in a target area to minimize an interference signal from the at least one speaker to the microphone array. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The acoustic device of claim 7, wherein the at least one speaker is a bone conduction speaker, the interference signal includes a leakage signal and a vibration signal of the bone conduction speaker, and a total energy of the leakage signal and the vibration signal transmitted from the target area to the bone conduction speaker of the microphone array is minimal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The acoustic device of claim 8, wherein: a position of the target area is related to a facing direction of a diaphragm of at least one microphone in the microphone array, the facing direction of the diaphragm of the at least one microphone reduces a magnitude of the vibration signal of the bone conduction speaker received by the at least one microphone, the facing direction of the diaphragm of the at least one microphone makes the vibration signal of the bone conduction speaker received by the at least one microphone and the leakage signal of the bone conduction speaker received by the at least one microphone at least partially offset each other, and the vibration signal of the bone conduction speaker received by the at least one microphone reduces the leakage signal of the bone conduction speaker received by the at least one microphone by 5-6 dB. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The acoustic device of claim 7, wherein the at least one speaker is an air conduction speaker, and a sound pressure level of a radiated sound field of the air conduction speaker at the target area is minimal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The acoustic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to process the noise reduction signal based on a transfer function, the transfer function including a first transfer function and a second transfer function, the first transfer function indicating a change in a parameter of the target signal from the at least one speaker to a position where the target signal and the environmental noise offset, the second transfer function indicating a change in a parameter of the environmental noise from the target spatial position to the position where the target signal and the environmental noise offset; and the at least one speaker is further configured to output the target signal based on the processed noise reduction signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The acoustic device of claim 1, wherein to generate the noise reduction signal based on the environmental noise and the sound field estimation of the target spatial position, the processor is further configured to: divide the environmental noise into a plurality of frequency bands, the plurality of frequency bands corresponding to different frequency ranges; and for at least one of the plurality of frequency bands, generate the noise reduction signal corresponding to each of the at least one frequency band. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The acoustic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the noise reduction signal by performing amplitude and phase adjustments on the noise at the target spatial position based on the sound field estimation of the target spatial position. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The acoustic device of claim 1, wherein the acoustic device further comprises a fixing structure configured to fix the acoustic device to a position near an ear of the user without blocking the ear canal of the user. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The acoustic device of claim 1, wherein the acoustic device further comprises a housing structure configured to carry or accommodate the microphone array, the processor, and the at least one speaker. ### Claim 16 A method, comprising: acquiring an environmental noise using a microphone array; obtaining a sound field estimation by estimating a sound field at a target spatial position using the microphone array using a processor, wherein the target spatial position is closer to an ear canal of a user than each microphone in the microphone array; generating a noise reduction signal based on the environmental noise and the sound field estimation of the target spatial position using the processor; and outputting a target signal based on the noise reduction signal using at least one speaker, the target signal being used to reduce the environmental noise. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the generating a noise reduction signal based on the environmental noise and the sound field estimation of the target spatial position comprises: estimating a noise at the target spatial position based on the environmental noise; and generating the noise reduction signal based on the noise at the target spatial position and the sound field estimation of the target spatial position. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: acquiring motion information of the acoustic device; updating the noise at the target spatial position and the sound field estimation of the target spatial position based on the motion information; and generating the noise reduction signal based on the updated noise at the target spatial position and the updated sound field estimation of the target spatial position. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the estimating a sound field at a target spatial position using the microphone array comprises: constructing a virtual microphone based on the microphone array, the virtual microphone including a mathematical model or a machine learning model that indicates audio data collected by a microphone if the target spatial position includes a microphone; and estimating the sound field at the target spatial position based on the virtual microphone. ### Claim 20 A system, comprising: at least one storage device including a set of instructions; and at least one processor in communication with the at least one storage device, wherein when executing the set of instructions, the at least one processor causes the system to perform operations including: acquiring an environmental noise using a microphone array; obtain a sound field estimation by estimating a sound field at a target spatial position using the microphone array, wherein the target spatial position is closer to an ear canal of a user than each microphone in the microphone array; generating a noise reduction signal based on the environmental noise and the sound field estimation of the target spatial position; and outputting a target signal based on the noise reduction signal using at least one speaker, the target signal being used to reduce the environmental noise.