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RESEARCH PAPER / 2026-04-25

Predictive Directional Selective Fixed-Filter Active Noise Control for Moving Sources via a Convolutional Recurrent Neural Network

Boxiang Wang, Zhengding Luo, Dongyuan Shi ...Full author list in the original paper.

Nanyang Technological University +1 · arXiv

Affiliations: Nanyang Technological University, Northwestern Polytechnical University

Abstract

Directional Selective Fixed-Filter Active Noise Control (D-SFANC) can effectively attenuate noise from different directions by selecting the suitable pre-trained control filter based on the Direction-of-Arrival (DoA) of the current noise. However, this method is weak at tracking the direction variations of non-stationary noise, such as that from a moving source. Therefore, this work proposes a Predictive Directional SFANC (PD-SFANC) method that uses a Convolutional Recurrent Neural Network (CRNN) to capture the hidden temporal dynamics of the moving noise and predict the control filter to cancel future noise. Accordingly, the proposed method can significantly improve its noise-tracking ability and dynamic noise-reduction performance. Furthermore, numerical simulations confirm the superiority of the proposed method for handling moving sources across various movement scenarios, compared to several representative ANC baselines.

The following analysis is generated by AI and may contain errors. It is separate from the authors’ abstract and is not peer review.

Research summary

The main contribution of this paper is the introduction of a novel PD-SFANC method that leverages CRNNs for proactive noise control in dynamic environments. This work significantly advances the field of active noise control by addressing the challenges of tracking moving noise sources, offering a promising solution that could enhance the performance of ANC systems in real-world applications.

Methodology

The proposed Predictive Directional SFANC (PD-SFANC) method effectively integrates a Convolutional Recurrent Neural Network (CRNN) for predicting the Direction-of-Arrival (DoA) of moving noise sources. The methodology is well-structured, utilizing a pre-trained control filter library and a dual-module architecture that separates the predictive and real-time noise control processes. This design addresses the limitations of existing methods, particularly the lag in filter adaptation for moving sources, showcasing a significant advancement in active noise control systems.

Results & evaluation

The experiments are comprehensive, utilizing numerical simulations to evaluate the performance of PD-SFANC against established baseline methods. The authors provide detailed descriptions of the simulation setup, including the dataset construction and the noise scenarios tested. The results demonstrate that PD-SFANC outperforms traditional methods in various movement scenarios, with robust noise reduction performance and accurate DoA predictions, reinforcing the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Reproducibility

The paper mentions that the code will be available on GitHub, which is a positive aspect for reproducibility. However, specific implementation details, such as hyperparameters and training settings, could be more explicitly stated to facilitate easier replication of the results by other researchers.

Limitations

One limitation is that the proposed method is designed for single-source scenarios, which may restrict its applicability in environments with multiple overlapping noise sources. Additionally, while the CRNN shows strong performance, its reliance on a pre-trained filter library may limit adaptability to entirely new noise types not represented in the training data.

Broader impact

The implications of this research extend to various fields where noise control is critical, such as automotive, aviation, and consumer electronics. The ability to effectively manage noise from moving sources can enhance user experience in products like headphones, smart devices, and automotive noise cancellation systems, potentially leading to broader adoption of advanced ANC technologies. The main contribution of this paper is the introduction of a novel PD-SFANC method that leverages CRNNs for proactive noise control in dynamic environments. This work significantly advances the field of active noise control by addressing the challenges of tracking moving noise sources, offering a promising solution that could enhance the performance of ANC systems in real-world applications.

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