Active Acoustic Equalization: Performance Bounds for Time-Invariant Systems

Abstract:
In times of rising noise pollution, the demand for active noise control (ANC) in hearable devices continues to increase rapidly. To date, time-invariant feedforward systems constitute a favorable option for their implementation. Recently, active acoustic equalization (AAE) was proposed as a generalization to the feedforward design problem. It facilitates the design of digital filters for various use-cases including ANC- and hear-through-applications. In this contribution, we analyze performance bounds of time-invariant AAE systems and discuss their implications. We build upon techniques which are established in the field of ANC to provide estimates for arbitrary use-cases. The approach facilitates an isolated analysis of individual aspects such as transfer path variance and processing delay.