Patents Assigned to Plantronics, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11695900
    Abstract: Scene changes should be done pleasingly and without user input or control. Based on the number of speakers and changes in speakers, either to a different individual or movement by the same speaker, based on the locations of the speakers, and based on the overlap of the current and intended scenes, a decision is made whether to perform a smooth transition or do a cut. It has been determined that the decision on cut versus smooth transition is preferably based on the location of the center of the intended new scene versus the boundaries of the current scene, a cut used if the center is outside the boundaries and a smooth transition if inside. If a smooth transition, an easing function, such as ease in ease out, is performed to change the scene. A preferred value for the smooth transition is to perform the transition over 80 frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Rommel Gabriel Childress, Jr., Alain Elon Nimri, Stephen Paul Schaefer
  • Patent number: 11696065
    Abstract: A speaker system includes a speaker, a processor, and an active noise cancellation (ANC) circuit communicatively coupled with the processor. The ANC is configured to apply ANC on audio signals from outside the speaker system to generate a modified audio signal stream through the speaker. The application of ANC is to include generation of ANC signals to interfere with at least part of the audio signals from outside the speaker system in the modified audio signal stream. The processor is configured to determine of low-frequency energy at the speaker system, the low-frequency energy below a threshold frequency. The ANC circuit is configured to, based on the determination of low-frequency energy at the speaker system, perform a corrective action on application of ANC to the audio signals from outside the speaker system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Mohammed Hasan, Matthew Neves
  • Patent number: 11696038
    Abstract: Color and exposure matching for systems, such as a videoconferencing endpoint, that have overlapping camera fields of view. The geometric relationships between the overlapping cameras are used to determine correction processing. For each camera, histograms are developed for the overlapping cameras. A dynamic threshold is determined for each histogram. Using the dynamic threshold, peak detection is performed on each histogram. Using the geometric relationships, expected histogram relationships are determined. The actual histogram relationships are compared to the expected relationships, with further processing based on the correctness of the comparison. In some of the cases of further processing, peaks of the histograms are compared to find matching and non-matching peaks. Various ratios of pixels in the various peaks are used to determine needed changes to respective cameras.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Plantronics Inc.
    Inventors: James Miles Bousquet, Joseph Daniel Friel, George D. Wilson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11689836
    Abstract: A headset implements an earloop microphone and includes a housing. An earloop of the headset secures the headset to an ear of a user. A first microphone is acoustically coupled to a first opening in the housing. A second microphone is acoustically coupled to a second opening in the housing. A third microphone is acoustically coupled to a third opening in the earloop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jacob T. Meyberg Guzman, John A. Kelley, Nicholas W. Paterson, Iain McNeill
  • Publication number: 20230199988
    Abstract: A universal serial bus (USB) cradle includes a USB connector configured to engage the USB cradle with an external device. The USB further includes a cradle base integrated with the USB connector. The cradle base includes a cavity configured to accept an audio device in a docked configuration, and a magnetic connector configured to hold the audio device in a given position and orientation when the audio device is docked with the USB cradle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2022
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Applicant: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Liying WU
  • Publication number: 20230199385
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus that includes a first port configured to receive an incoming audio signal, a second port, and a controller configured to be coupled to the first port and the second port. The electronic apparatus further includes a switch configured to selectively decouple the controller from the second port when the first port receives the incoming audio signal. Decoupling the controller prevents an electrostatic discharge occurring on the second port from reaching the controller when the controller is receiving the incoming audio signal from the first port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2022
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Applicant: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Liying WU, Zhenhui WANG, Kun MENG
  • Patent number: 11678100
    Abstract: A wireless control pod stores a headset for charging when not in use. When the headset is in signal communication with a smart device, a user can use the wireless control pod to control one or more functions of the smart device. When the headset is docked with a secondary headset, the audio to the speakers of the headset is adjusted for broadcast by the secondary headset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: PLANTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Arun Rajasekaran
  • Patent number: 11677903
    Abstract: A telepresence device comprising: a body; a camera apparatus; a first microphone; a loudspeaker; a transceiver receiving port, the transceiver receiving port operable to connect a detachable transceiver to the body; and a processor coupled to the camera apparatus, the first microphone, the loudspeaker, and the transceiver receiving port, the processor operable to communicate with an electronic communications device, wherein the transceiver receiving port is configured to couple the detachable transceiver to the processor when the detachable transceiver is connected to the body at the transceiver receiving port to enable the telepresence device to wirelessly communicate with a headset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Root, Charles Gregory Rousch, John William Wolber, Nicholas Paterson, Stann Sheperd
  • Patent number: 11676369
    Abstract: A method for determining camera framing in a teleconferencing system comprises a process loop which includes acquiring an audio-visual frame from a captured a video data frame; detecting objects and extracting image features of the objects within the video data frame, ingesting the audio-visual frame into a context-based audio-visual map in an intelligent manner, and selecting targets from within the map for inclusion in an audio-video stream for transmission to a remote endpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Rommel Gabriel Childress, Jr., Alain Elon Nimri, Stephen Paul Schaefer, David Young
  • Publication number: 20230171300
    Abstract: A system for preventing private image data captured at an endpoint from being shared during a videoconference is provided. A user can select three-dimensional regions which will not be seen during a videoconference while areas in front of the designated regions remain viewable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Applicant: PLANTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: KUI ZHANG, VARUN AJAY KULKARNI, RAGHAVENDRA BALAVALIKAR KRISHNAMURTHY, RAJEN BHATT, STEPHEN SCHAEFER
  • Patent number: 11662649
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include an apparatus with a camera. A shutter is positioned horizontally in front of the lens of the camera. The shutter is configured to move in front of a lens of the camera and is further configured to move orthogonally to the horizontal axis so as to at least partially obscure the lens of first camera in a closed shutter position. The apparatus further includes a motor positioned horizontally behind the front of the lens of the camera. The motor is configured to move the shutter orthogonally to the horizontal axis between the closed shutter position and an open shutter position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Tucker, Greg George, Alexander Baker Ekrut
  • Patent number: 11664042
    Abstract: A head-worn audio device is provided with a circuit for voice signal enhancement. The circuit comprises at least a plurality of microphones, arranged at predefined positions, where each microphone provides a microphone signal. The circuit further comprises a directivity pre-processor and a blind source separation processor. The directivity pre-processor is connected with the plurality of microphones to receive the microphone signals and being configured to provide at least a voice signal and a noise signal. Directivity pre-processing increases the mutual independence of the signals provided to the blind source separation processor and thus improves processing by blind source separation. The blind source separation processor receives at least the voice signal and the noise signal, and is configured to conduct blind source separation on at least the voice signal and the noise signal to provide at least an enhanced voice signal with reduced noise components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Shridhar K. Mukund, Pamornpol Jinachitra
  • Patent number: D986204
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Bowman Wang, George Janour
  • Patent number: D986208
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Bowman Wang, George Janour
  • Patent number: D986212
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Bowman Wang, George Janour
  • Patent number: D986216
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: John A. Kelley, Nicholas W. Paterson
  • Patent number: D987593
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Bowman Wang, George Janour
  • Patent number: D989022
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Bowman Wang, George Janour
  • Patent number: D989151
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas W. Paterson, Stann N. Sheperd, Timothy Harrison
  • Patent number: D989732
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Bowman Wang, George Janour