Apparatus and method for improving the perceived quality of sound reproduction by combining active noise cancellation and a perceptual noise compensation

US9706296B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. · DE

Inventors

• Christian Uhle · Nuremberg, DE
• Juergen Herre · Erlangen, DE
• Andreas Walther · Könnern, DE
• Felix FLEISCHMANN · Stein, DE
• Patrick Gampp · Erlangen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 17, 2014
• Grant date: Jul 11, 2017
• Expiry date: Jan 8, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04R2460/01
• WIPO field: Other consumer goods
• WIPO sector: Other fields

Abstract

An apparatus for improving a perceived quality of sound reproduction of an audio output signal is provided. The apparatus has an active noise cancellation unit for generating a noise cancellation signal based on an environmental audio signal, wherein the environmental audio signal has noise signal portions, the noise signal portions resulting from recording environmental noise. Moreover, the apparatus has a residual noise characteristics estimator for determining a residual noise characteristic depending on the environmental noise and the noise cancellation signal. Furthermore, the apparatus has a perceptual noise compensation unit for generating a noise-compensated signal based on an audio target signal and based on the residual noise characteristic. Moreover, the apparatus has a combiner for combining the noise cancellation signal and the noise-compensated signal to obtain the audio output signal.