Patents Assigned to QNX Software Systems Co.
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Publication number: 20120240125Abstract: A system and method of managing resources of an electronic device are described. A solver of the electronic device may receive one or more resource requirements from one or more resource requesters executing on the electronic device. The solver determines a values for resource characteristic based on the received resource requirements and dependency information defining hierarchical dependency between resource characteristic values associated with resources of the electronic device. The determined values of the resource characteristics are then provided to the associated resources of the electronic device.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2011Publication date: September 20, 2012Applicant: QNX SOFTWARE SYSTEMS COInventors: Attilla Danko, Brian John Stecher
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Publication number: 20120219146Abstract: An acoustic echo cancellation system buffers remote side signals to one or more storage areas. A delay controller filters and delays the remote side signals to correlate the remote side signals to local side signals. An acoustic echo cancellation core pulls the remote side signals from the buffer through a delay controller. A delay estimator generates an estimate of a delay between the buffered remote side signals and the local side signals. The delay estimator renders a confidence level that indicates a degree of likelihood for each potential match between delayed remote side signals and the local side signals. The acoustic echo cancellation core substantially cancels a portion of the echo or reverberation within the local side signals based on the estimate of the delay and the confidence level.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2011Publication date: August 30, 2012Applicant: QNX Software Systems Co.Inventor: Steven G. Mason
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Publication number: 20120078620Abstract: An enhancement system improves the estimate of noise from a received signal. The system includes a spectrum monitor that divides a portion of the signal at more than one frequency resolution. Adaptation logic derives a noise adaptation factor of the received signal. A plurality of devices tracks the characteristics of an estimated noise in the received signal and modifies multiple noise adaptation rates. Weighting logic applies the modified noise adaptation rates derived from the signal divided at a first frequency resolution to the signal divided at a second frequency resolution.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2011Publication date: March 29, 2012Applicant: QNX Software Systems Co.Inventor: Phillip A. Hetherington
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Patent number: 8139777Abstract: A noise injection system adds comfort noise to an audio signal. The system includes a background noise estimator that determines a spectral content of a background noise associated with the audio signal. A comfort noise generator generates a comfort noise signal having a random phase. A gain circuit adjusts the comfort noise signal based on the spectral content of the background noise. A combining circuit combines a gain-adjusted comfort noise signal and the audio signal to generate an output signal.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2007Date of Patent: March 20, 2012Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.Inventors: Xueman Li, Frank Linseisen, Kyle MacDonald
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Patent number: 8121311Abstract: A noise reduction system includes multiple transducers that generate time domain signals. A transforming device transforms the time domain signals into frequency domain signals. A signal mixing device mixes the frequency domain signals according to a mixing ratio. Frequency domain signals are rotated in phase to generate phase rotated signals. A post-processing device attenuates portions of the output based on coherence levels of the signals.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2008Date of Patent: February 21, 2012Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.Inventor: Phillip A. Hetherington
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Patent number: 8116485Abstract: An automatic gain control system maintains desired signal content level, such as voice, in an output signal. The system includes automatic gain control over an input signal, and compensates the output signal based on input signal content. When the input signal level exceeds an upper or lower processing threshold level, or is distorted (e.g., clipped), the system applies a gain to the input signal level. The system may compensate for the gain in the output signal when the input signal includes desired signal content.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2005Date of Patent: February 14, 2012Assignee: QNX Software Systems CoInventors: Alex Escott, Phillip A. Hetherington
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Publication number: 20120035921Abstract: A speech enhancement system improves the speech quality and intelligibility of a speech signal. The system includes a time-to-frequency converter that converts segments of a speech signal into frequency bands. A signal detector measures the signal power of the frequency bands of each speech segment. A background noise estimator measures a background noise detected in the speech signal. A dynamic noise reduction controller dynamically models the background noise in the speech signal. The speech enhancement renders a speech signal perceptually pleasing to a listener by dynamically attenuating a portion of the noise that occurs in a portion of the spectrum of the speech signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2011Publication date: February 9, 2012Applicant: QNX Software Systems Co.Inventors: Xueman Li, Rajeev Nongpiur, Phillip A. Hetherington
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Patent number: 8086451Abstract: A speech enhancement system that improves the intelligibility and the perceived quality of processed speech includes a frequency transformer and a spectral compressor. The frequency transformer converts speech signals from the time domain to the frequency domain. The spectral compressor compresses a pre-selected portion of the high frequency band and maps the compressed high frequency band to a lower band limited frequency range.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2005Date of Patent: December 27, 2011Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.Inventors: Phillip A. Hetherington, Xueman Li
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Patent number: 8078461Abstract: An enhancement system improves the estimate of noise from a received signal. The system includes a spectrum monitor that divides a portion of the signal at more than one frequency resolution. Adaptation logic derives a noise adaptation factor of the received signal. A plurality of devices tracks the characteristics of an estimated noise in the received signal and modifies multiple noise adaptation rates. Weighting logic applies the modified noise adaptation rates derived from the signal divided at a first frequency resolution to the signal divided at a second frequency resolution.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2010Date of Patent: December 13, 2011Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.Inventor: Phillip A. Hetherington
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Patent number: 8073689Abstract: A system improves the perceptual quality of a speech signal by dampening undesired repetitive transient noises. The system includes a repetitive transient noise detector adapted to detect repetitive transient noise in a received signal. The received signal may include a harmonic and a noise spectrum. The system further includes a repetitive transient noise attenuator that substantially removes or dampens repetitive transient noises from the received signal. The method of dampening the repetitive transient noises includes modeling characteristics of repetitive transient noises; detecting characteristics in the received signal that correspond to the modeled characteristics of the repetitive transient noises; and substantially removing components of the repetitive transient noises from the received signal that correspond to some or all of the modeled characteristics of the repetitive transient noises.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2006Date of Patent: December 6, 2011Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.Inventors: Phillip A. Hetherington, Shreyas A. Paranjpe
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Patent number: 8036879Abstract: A speech enhancement system improves the perceptual quality of an aural signal. A receiver detects and receives an unvoiced signal, a fully voiced signal, or a mixed voice remote signal. A coherence processor identifies the similarities or differences between a local signal and the remote signal. A cancellation processor or controller dampens reflected signals that may be part of the local signal.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2007Date of Patent: October 11, 2011Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.Inventors: Phillip A. Hetherington, Shreyas A. Paranjpe
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Patent number: 8027833Abstract: A voice enhancement logic improves the perceptual quality of a processed voice. The voice enhancement system includes a passing tire hiss noise detector and a passing tire hiss noise attenuator. The passing tire hiss noise detector detects a passing tire hiss noise by modeling the passing tire hiss. The passing tire hiss noise attenuator dampens the passing tire hiss noise to improve the intelligibility of a speech signal.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2005Date of Patent: September 27, 2011Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.Inventors: Phillip A. Hetherington, Shreyas A. Paranjpe
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Patent number: 8015002Abstract: A speech enhancement system improves the speech quality and intelligibility of a speech signal. The system includes a time-to-frequency converter that converts segments of a speech signal into frequency bands. A signal detector measures the signal power of the frequency bands of each speech segment. A background noise estimator measures a background noise detected in the speech signal. A dynamic noise reduction controller dynamically models the background noise in the speech signal. The speech enhancement renders a speech signal perceptually pleasing to a listener by dynamically attenuating a portion of the noise that occurs in a portion of the spectrum of the speech signal.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2007Date of Patent: September 6, 2011Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.Inventors: Xueman Li, Rajeev Nongpiur, Phillip A. Hetherington
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Patent number: 7957967Abstract: A system classifies the source of an input signal. The system determines whether a sound source belongs to classes that may include human speech, musical instruments, machine noise, or other classes of sound sources. The system is robust, performing classification despite variation in sound level and noise masking. Additionally, the system consumes relatively few computational resources and adapts over time to provide consistently accurate classification.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2006Date of Patent: June 7, 2011Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.Inventor: Pierre Zakarauskas
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Patent number: 7949522Abstract: A voice enhancement logic improves the perceptual quality of a processed signal. The voice enhancement system includes a noise detector and a noise attenuator. The noise detector detects and models the noise associated with rain. The noise attenuator dampens or reduces the rain noise from a signal to improve the intelligibility of an unvoiced, a fully voiced, or a mixed voice segment.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2004Date of Patent: May 24, 2011Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.Inventors: Phillip A. Hetherington, Adrian R. Groves
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Patent number: 7945063Abstract: A microphone shield system captures sound in adverse conditions. The system includes a microphone positioned within a membrane. The membrane is inflated around the microphone to form an enclosure. The inflated membrane passes signals within a selected frequency range. The membrane may block or attenuate signals above and/or below the frequency range to pass a desired sound with little surrounding interference.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2008Date of Patent: May 17, 2011Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.Inventors: Ian Soutar, Dennis Watkins, William Copeland
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Patent number: 7928307Abstract: The system describes a karaoke system that enhances the experience of singing along with music, but without the need to display the lyrics. The system includes a combination of a vocal track reducer and an echo canceller, decision logic for determining when a person is talking or singing (double-talk detector) and a method for “ducking” (i.e., attenuating) the vocal track when the singing is detected. No special CD or DVD with lyric tracks is required, making the system capable of working with CD, mp3, AM, FM, HD radio, satellite radio signals, or any other suitable content source. The result is that any content source may potentially be used as a karaoke soundtrack without any pre-modification.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2008Date of Patent: April 19, 2011Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.Inventors: Phil A. Hetherington, Shree Paranjpe
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Patent number: 7912729Abstract: A system extends the high-frequency spectrum of a narrow band audio signal in the time domain. The system extends the harmonics of vowels by introducing a non linearity in a narrow band signal. Extended consonants are generated by a random-noise generator. The system differentiates the vowels from the consonants by exploiting predetermined features of a speech signal.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2007Date of Patent: March 22, 2011Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.Inventors: Rajeev Nongpiur, Phillip A. Hetherington
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Patent number: 7895036Abstract: A voice enhancement logic improves the perceptual quality of a processed voice. The voice enhancement system includes a noise detector and a noise attenuator. The noise detector detects a wind buffet and a continuous noise by modeling the wind buffet. The noise attenuator dampens the wind buffet to improve the intelligibility of an unvoiced, a fully voiced, or a mixed voice segment.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2003Date of Patent: February 22, 2011Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.Inventors: Phillip A. Hetherington, Xueman Li, Pierre Zakarauskas
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Patent number: 7885420Abstract: The invention includes a method, apparatus, and computer program to selectively suppress wind noise while preserving narrow-band signals in acoustic data. Sound from one or several microphones is digitized into binary data. A time-frequency transform is applied to the data to produce a series of spectra. The spectra are analyzed to detect the presence of wind noise and narrow band signals. Wind noise is selectively suppressed while preserving the narrow band signals. The narrow band signal is interpolated through the times and frequencies when it is masked by the wind noise. A time series is then synthesized from the signal spectral estimate that can be listened to. This invention overcomes prior art limitations that require more than one microphone and an independent measurement of wind speed. Its application results in good-quality speech from data severely degraded by wind noise.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2003Date of Patent: February 8, 2011Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.Inventors: Phil Hetherington, Xueman Li, Pierre Zakarauskas