Patent landscapes › Electronics & gadgets

Is a noise cancelling headphones patented?

Short answer: specific designs of a noise cancelling headphones have been patented many times, but "a noise cancelling headphones" as a general idea is not what is protected. What matters is the exact combination of features in your version.

What our index shows
  • 884 US and WO patent publications since 2000 have a title matching “noise cancelreduc headphoneearphoneheadset” or a close variant (our index of 9.7 million patent families; one publication per family).
  • Among the 328 best keyword matches we examined, 176 were published in 2020 or later, and the earliest was published in 2000.
  • Most frequent assignees in those matches: HARMAN INT IND (19), BOSE CORP (11), HUAWEI TECH CO LTD (10), CIRRUS LOGIC INT SEMICONDUCTOR LTD (7).
  • Most common patent classes (CPC subclasses): G10K (279), H04R (178), G10L (26), A61F (16).

Counts come from keyword matching on titles and abstracts, so they are indicative, not a legal count. Some matches are different products that share a word.

14 real patent publications related to a noise cancelling headphones

  1. Event detections for noise cancelling headphones US-12437743-B2 2025 · HEWLETT PACKARD DEVELOPMENT CO
    In example implementations, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a plurality of microphones to record background sounds, a noise cancellation component to generate an inverted signal to negate the background sounds fro…
    View on Google Patents
  2. Open headphones with active noise cancellation US-12192695-B1 2025 · AMAZON TECH INC
    A wearable audio output device (e.g., headphones) having an open design that allows ambient noise to pass to a listener without physically isolating the listener from a surrounding environment. The device may include an open earcu…
    View on Google Patents
  3. Active noise cancellation integrated circuit for stacking multiple anti-noise signals, associated method, and active noise cancellation headphone using the same US-11721315-B2 2023 · AIROHA TECH CORP
    The present invention relates to an active noise cancellation integrated circuit for stacking multiple anti-noise signals, an associated method, and an active noise cancellation headphone using the same. The method is applicable t…
    View on Google Patents
  4. Pressure adaptive active noise cancelling headphone system and method US-10984776-B2 2021 · BOSE CORP
    Aspects are generally directed to headphone systems that adjust Active Noise Reduction operations based on measurements of environmental conditions. In one example, a headphone system includes an earpiece having an interior volume…
    View on Google Patents
  5. Active noise-cancelling headphones US-11189260-B2 2021 · AUSTRIAN AUDIO GMBH
    Active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones in the form of a part of a headset or as in-ear headphones that reduce acoustic adaptation by providing an electrodynamic speaker in a housing with ventilation openings and an acoustically …
    View on Google Patents
  6. Noise cancellation headphone US-11100912-B2 2021 · AMS INT AG
    A noise cancellation headphone comprises a speaker, a front plate for carrying the speaker, a microphone arranged on or in the front plate, and a front vent opening arranged within the front plate and in close proximity to the mic…
    View on Google Patents
  7. Wind noise mitigation in active noise cancelling headphone system and method US-10582293-B2 2020 · BOSE CORP
    Headphone systems and methods are provided to mitigate the impact of wind on active noise cancellation. At least one headphone system includes an earpiece with a speaker to convert a signal into acoustic energy in an acoustic volu…
    View on Google Patents
  8. Active noise cancellation system for headphone US-10609468-B2 2020 · AVATRONICS SARL
    An active noise cancellation system comprising an active noise cancellation circuit connected to a microphone arranged to sense environmental noise, the active noise cancellation circuit comprising: —an analog-to-digital converter…
    View on Google Patents
  9. Headphones using multiplexed microphone signals to enable active noise cancellation US-9558731-B2 2017 · BLACKBERRY LTD
    Headphones or a headset to enable active noise cancellation or binaural recording. Microphone signals are multiplexed within the headphones/headset and are conveyed to an attached device using a single contact point in the audio p…
    View on Google Patents
  10. Active noise cancelling headphone WO-2016084132-A1 2016 · ONKYO KK
    Provided is an active noise cancelling headphone with which noise can be reduced over a wide frequency range. Ear cups (2A, 2B) are provided with a first microphone (23) and a second microphone (24), thereby making it possible to …
    View on Google Patents
  11. Multi-loudspeaker active noise cancelling headphone providing stereo effct and improved ambient noise reduction US-9516416-B2 2016 · LAB9 INC
    A multi-loudspeaker active noise cancelling headphone that can provide stereo effect and improve the performance of ambient noise reduction employs an active noise reduction circuit to collaborate with a plurality of speakers and …
    View on Google Patents
  12. Noise cancelling headphone US-9117437-B2 2015 · CHIN KAH CHUN
    A noise cancelling headphone is described. The noise cancelling headphone utilizes a low power consuming noise cancellation circuit wherein an audio input signal is directly fed into the headphone without the use of an additional …
    View on Google Patents
  13. Noise Cancelling Headphone US-2014192994-A1 2014 · CHEN ROGER
    A noise cancelling headphone includes a headphone body, a audio player and a central processing unit. The headphone body includes a headband, a first speaker unit and a second speaker unit. The elongated headband is bent and shape…
    View on Google Patents
  14. Headphones with user-selectable filter for active noise cancellation WO-2007011337-A1 2007 · THOMSON LICENSING
    A headphone system has a microphone for receiving noise; a first filter for providing active noise correction of the received noise for the headphone in a first frequency band, a second filter for providing active noise correction…
    View on Google Patents

What this means for your idea

Because patents cover specific combinations of features, the useful question is not “has a noise cancelling headphones been patented?” but “has my combination of features been described before?” Consumer electronics are among the most heavily patented areas; the specific circuit, mounting, or interaction is what distinguishes a design.

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Guides that help with this

First-look landscape. Not exhaustive. Not legal advice. This page lists keyword-matched publications from a limited database; it does not say whether any product is or isn't covered by a patent, whether a patent is still in force, or whether your idea is patentable. Consult a registered patent attorney or agent.