Abstract: According to an embodiment, a method includes amplifying a signal provided by a capacitive signal source to form an amplified signal, detecting a peak voltage of the amplified signal, and adjusting a controllable impedance coupled to an output of the capacitive signal source in response to detecting the peak voltage. The controllable impedance is adjusted to a value inversely proportional to the detected peak voltage.

Abstract: Systems and processes for compensating for changes in a theatre sound system positioned in a theatre are described. A subsequent response of a loudspeaker to a test signal is captured and compared to a previously obtained signature response of the loudspeaker to the test signal. An audio signal can be processed based on the comparison to compensate for changes to loudspeaker performance, or otherwise.

Abstract: An active noise reduction device includes a standard signal generator, adaptive filters, a control sound emitter, and an error signal detector. The standard signal generator generates a standard signal including harmonics of a fundamental frequency correlated with the control target sound. The adaptive filters each generates corresponding one of harmonic components of a control signal based on the standard signal. The adaptive filters each is for corresponding one of the harmonics. The control sound emitter emits a control sound based on the control signal. The error signal detector collects residual noise left over after interference between the control target sound and the control sound, and detects an error signal based on the residual noise. Each of the adaptive filters includes a step size determiner. The step size determiner sets the step size parameter based on a frequency variation in the corresponding one of the harmonic components of the standard signal.

Abstract: A context-aware voice guidance method is provided that interacts with other voice services of a user device. The voice guidance does not provide audible guidance while the user is making a verbal request to any of the voice-activated services. Instead, the voice guidance transcribes its output on the screen while the verbal requests from the user are received. In some embodiments, the voice guidance only provides a short warning sound to get the user's attention while the user is speaking on a phone call or another voice-activated service is providing audible response to the user's inquires. The voice guidance in some embodiments distinguishes between music that can be ducked and spoken words, for example from an audiobook, that the user wants to pause instead of being skipped. The voice guidance ducks music but pauses spoken words of an audio book in order to provide voice guidance to the user.

Abstract: An electronic audio device has a microchip has embedded therein, circuitry for enhancing the sound outputted therefrom and which is associated, such as a radio, television, headphones, earbuds and the like.

Abstract: A system manages temperature and excursion effects on a loudspeaker. Data corresponding to a temperature of the loudspeaker and data corresponding to an excursion (i.e., displacement) of a membrane of the loudspeaker are determined. The dynamic ranges of the temperature and excursion data are compressed, combined, and smoothed. This smoothed data is multiplied with a delayed version of audio data; peak values of the result may be limited. This operation may be performed on multiple frequency bands of audio data. The final output data is combined to form a full-band signal and sent to a loudspeaker.

Abstract: Loudspeaker unit with a membrane (2) and a plurality of drive units (5) driving the membrane (2). Each of the plurality of drive units (5) has n voice coils (3) and at least n+1 magnets (4), n being an integer larger than or equal to 1. The magnets (4) have an axial magnetization and are stacked in axial direction with similar pole parts of adjacent ones of the at least n+1 magnets facing each other. The at least n+1 magnets (4) are separated in the stack over a magnet separation distance (dm), the magnet separation distance (dm) being substantially equal to a width (ws) in the stack direction of the at least n voice coils (3).

Abstract: One embodiment provides a wireless microphone comprising a microphone body a plurality of antennas positioned at different locations of the microphone body. Each of the plurality of antennas is configured to wirelessly transmit data. The wireless microphone further comprises a sensor configured to detect an object within proximity of an antenna of the plurality of antennas that obstructs the antenna, and a controller configured to switch antenna operation of the wireless microphone from the antenna to another antenna of the plurality of antennas in response to the object detected.

Abstract: A voice-activated computing device configured to transmit a pilot tone and then capture or receive a signal, which corresponds to the pilot tone, reflected from within the environment containing the voice-activated computing device. The voice-activated computing device, or some other computing system or device, analyzes the received signal in order to determine analyze one or more characteristics present within the signal, i.e. noise, echo, etc. Based upon the analysis, models for signal processing can be determined, selected and/or altered. Future signals received by the voice-activated computing device can be processed with such models. The analysis can also allow for the models to be dynamically updated and for models to be dynamically created.

Abstract: Various implementations include wearable audio devices and related methods for controlling such devices. In some particular implementations, a computer-implemented method of controlling a wearable audio device configured to provide an audio output includes: receiving data indicating the wearable audio device is proximate a geographic location associated with a localized audio message; providing a prompt to initiate playback of the localized audio message to a user of the wearable audio device; and initiating playback of the localized audio message at the wearable audio device in response to actuation of the prompt by the user.

Abstract: The present invention relates to recipient customization of a bone conducting hearing device. Customization of the bone conducting hearing device may include attaching the bone conducting hearing device to a recipient, establishing communication between the hearing device and an external device, generating at least one control setting with the external device, and storing the at least one control setting in a memory device in the hearing device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for data communication using audio patterns are described. The methods include encoding a message into an audio pattern, mixing the audio pattern with an audio content to obtain a mixed audio content, wherein the audio pattern is inaudible in the mixed audio content, and transmitting the mixed audio content.

Abstract: An acoustic system includes: a first terminal device including a first-terminal sound emitting unit, an earhole sound collecting unit configured to collect earhole echo sound, and a first-terminal control unit configured to perform authentication between the first terminal device and a user based on the echo sound collected by the earhole sound collecting unit; an onboard device including an onboard-device sound emitting unit and an onboard-device control unit configured to perform authentication between the onboard device and the user based on communication with the first terminal device; and a second terminal device includes a second-terminal control unit configured to set a destination of sound data to one of the first terminal device and the onboard device when the onboard-device control unit detects that a predetermined condition including a condition that the user has been authenticated is satisfied.

Abstract: A wearable audio device includes a body configured to be worn on or abutting an outer ear of a user. The body is configured to contact at least one of the outer ear and the portion of the head that abuts the outer ear. The body comprises at least at a first portion proximate the upper region of the outer ear helix and a second portion proximate the otobasion inferius. At least one of the first and second portions of the body are configured to change shape upon application of a predetermined stimulus. An acoustic module is carried by the body and is configured to locate a sound-emitting opening proximate the user's ear when the body is worn on or abutting the ear of the user.

Abstract: A method for processing audio data for output to a transducer may include receiving an audio signal, filtering the audio signal with a fixed filter having fixed filter coefficients to generate a filtered audio signal, and outputting the filtered audio signal to the transducer. The fixed filter coefficients of the fixed filter may be tuned by using a psychoacoustic model of the transducer to determine audibility masking thresholds for a plurality of frequency sub-bands, allocating compensation coefficients to the plurality of frequency sub-bands, and fitting the fixed filter coefficients with the compensation coefficients allocated to the plurality of sub-bands.

Abstract: At least one acoustic parameter of an environment is obtained by emitting a sound signal emitted, receiving a sound signal received, estimating a sampling frequency shift and of a temporal shift between the emission and reception devices on the basis of impulse responses obtained on the basis of portions of the sound signal received and of corresponding portions of the sound signal emitted, obtaining a corrected sound signal received by applying to the sound signal received a sampling frequency shift correction and a temporal shift correction on the basis of the estimating, determining the impulse response of the environment on the basis of portions of the corrected sound signal received and of corresponding portions of the sound signal emitted, and obtaining acoustic parameters of the environment on the basis of the impulse response.

Abstract: A method and device for detecting whether a headset is on ear. A probe signal is generated for acoustic playback from a speaker. A microphone signal from a microphone is received, the microphone signal comprising at least a portion of the probe signal as received at the microphone. The microphone signal is passed to a state estimator, to produce an estimate of at least one parameter of the portion of the probe signal contained in the microphone signal. The estimate of the at least one parameter is processed to determine whether the headset is on ear.

Abstract: An analog/digital audio converting apparatus enables listening to both digital and analog audio signals received from a digital receiving apparatus and analog audio signals input from an external source using the same receiver by providing a formatter capable of converting the analog audio signal into a digital audio signal with the digital broadcasting receiving apparatus.

Abstract: An edge portion of a diaphragm is configured such that multiple recessed ribs formed by recessing of a raised surface are provided in an inclination direction inclined with respect to a radial line passing through a center point and are arranged rotationally symmetrically, and among the recessed ribs and a fixing portion defined on the outermost peripheral side of the diaphragm, defines an outer peripheral edge portion at which no recessed ribs are formed. A voice coil is coupled to a voice coil attachment portion. A lead line is fixed with a first adhesive forming a first adhesive layer along a valley portion defined between a certain recessed rib and an adjacent recessed rib thereof on a back side of the edge portion, and is further fixed with a second adhesive forming a second adhesive layer with the lead line being curved along the outer peripheral edge portion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a first device for reproducing sound, said first device having a housing and including: —at least one loudspeaker element for reproducing sound, —first signal processing means for processing a first input signal, to provide a processed signal for reproduction by said least one loudspeaker element. The first device further includes: —means for, in use, detecting if there is a presence of at least one second device for reproducing sound, and, —said processing means being arranged to process said first input signal based on the result of said detection of presence, so as to provide a processed signal being dependent on said detection of presence to said at least one loudspeaker element. The invention also relates to a system for reproducing sound.