Abstract
Active noise cancellation in wearable audio devices, such as headphones or earbuds, can reduce a user's ability to hear certain environmental sounds. A system is disclosed that can implement context-driven audio awareness. The system may utilize one or more machine learning models to monitor a user's acoustic environment for specific, predefined sounds from a user-customizable list, such as sirens, doorbells, or a baby crying. Upon detection of a designated acoustic event, the system can automatically and temporarily modify the noise cancellation feature, for example, by disabling it or switching to an audio passthrough mode, allowing the external sound to become audible to the user. This method may improve situational awareness and can reduce the need for manual intervention, potentially offering a more seamless listening experience.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Maheshwari, Shailesh; Maheshwari, Vedant; and Maheshwari, Rayansh, "Context-Aware Adjustment of Noise Cancellation for Wearable Audio Devices", Technical Disclosure Commons, (October 27, 2025)
https://www.tdcommons.org/dpubs_series/8796