Patents Examined by Kenny Truong
  • Patent number: 10187021
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for DC offset compensation. An amplifier receives an input signal (AIN) and provides an amplified output signal (SOUT) and a feedback path provides DC offset compensation. The feedback path comprises at least one voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) and a counter. The VCO provides, over time, a first VCO output signal based on said amplified output signal and a second VCO output signal based on a reference signal (VREF). The counter generates first pulse counts based upon the first VCO output signal and second pulse counts based upon the second VCO output signal and provides a compensation signal based on a comparison of the first and second pulse counts. One voltage controlled oscillator may sequentially receive a signal based on said amplifier output signal and the reference signal from a multiplexer so as to sequentially produce the first and second VCO output signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventor: John Paul Lesso
  • Patent number: 10165385
    Abstract: A system for generating calibrated multi-channel non-coherent signals. The system comprises a plurality of synthesizers for generating a corresponding plurality of signals, and a plurality of filters for band-pass filtering the plurality of generated signals. Each filter filters the signal generated by one of the plurality of synthesizers, by performing the band-pass filtering in a dedicated frequency band. The system comprises a plurality of loudspeakers for playing the plurality of filtered signals respectively filtered by the plurality of filters. The system comprises a channel configurator for configuring at least one of the filters for performing the band-pass filtering according to a calibrated amplitude spectrum of the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: CAE INC.
    Inventor: Maxime Ayotte
  • Patent number: 10148240
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided in order to coordinate the control of the volume levels of both the playback sound and the ambient sound delivered to a user via headphones. In the context of a method for controlling sound reproduction from an electronic device, a control signal is received in response to user actuation of a single input. The method also receives both playback sound and ambient sound around the electronic device. In response to the control signal, the method controls volume levels of both the playback sound and the ambient sound provided to an output channel configuration of a headphone device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
    Inventors: Miikka Tapani Vilermo, Riitta Vaananen
  • Patent number: 10142749
    Abstract: Among other things, one or more non-transitory machine-readable media storing instructions are described. The stored instructions are executable by one or more processing devices to perform operations comprising analyzing an effect of noise in a spatial unit on sound in the spatial unit, at least part of the sound being produced by audio signals; selecting an adjustment curve among a group of adjustment curves based on one or more characteristics of the noise; and determining an amount of adjustment to be made to the audio signals based on the analyzed effect and the selected adjustment curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Zukui Song, Shiufun Cheung, Michael S. Dublin
  • Patent number: 10136219
    Abstract: A system for selecting a loudspeaker based on its low frequency rendering. The system comprises a plurality of synthesizers for generating a corresponding plurality of signals. The system comprises a plurality of filters for band-pass filtering the plurality of generated signals. Each filter filters the signal generated by one of the plurality of synthesizers. Each filter is configured for performing the band-pass filtering in a dedicated frequency band. The system comprises a plurality of loudspeakers for playing the plurality of filtered signals. Each loudspeaker plays the signal filtered by one of the plurality of filters. The system comprises a channel configurator for selecting one among the plurality of loudspeakers based on a reference amplitude spectrum of a model signal and a low frequency response of each one of the plurality of loudspeakers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: CAE INC.
    Inventors: Maxime Ayotte, Marc-Andre Giguere
  • Patent number: 10136236
    Abstract: A three-dimensional (3D) audio reproducing method and apparatus is provided. The 3D audio reproducing method may include receiving a multichannel signal comprising a plurality of input channels; and performing downmixing according to a frequency range of the multichannel signal in order to format-convert the plurality of input channels into a plurality of output channels having elevation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sang-bae Chon, Sun-min Kim
  • Patent number: 10102719
    Abstract: A mobile terminal and a control method thereof are disclosed. A mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a sound output unit which outputs a sound corresponding to reproduction of a content; a setting unit which includes a plurality of noise blocking levels and sets at least one noise blocking level on the basis of a user input; and a control unit which, when the content is reproduced, blocks surrounding noise according to the set noise blocking level and, when a specific event is detected, adjusts the already set noise blocking level such that the degree of surrounding noise blocking is changed according to the detected specific event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Wonseok Joung, Seyoung Lee, Jihyun Kim, Younggyoo Cho, Dami Choe
  • Patent number: 10103702
    Abstract: A volume controller may maintain a volume mapping including a plurality of zones of volume level, each zone defined according to a range of included volume levels and specifying a volume ramp up control rate and a volume ramp down control rate for adjustment of volume levels within the range, determine, according to the volume mapping based on a current volume level and a direction of a requested volume change, a step value for adjusting the current volume level, and adjust the current volume level according to the step value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventors: Satish K. Putta, Shaomin Sharon Peng
  • Patent number: 10091601
    Abstract: Multi-channel audio content is mixed for a particular loudspeaker setup. However, a consumer's audio setup is very likely to use a different placement of speakers. The present invention provides a method of rendering multi-channel audio that assures replay of the spatial signal components with equal loudness of the signal. A method for obtaining an energy preserving mixing matrix (G) for mixing L1 input audio channels to L2 output channels comprises steps of obtaining a first mixing matrix ?, performing a singular value decomposition on the first mixing matrix ? to obtain a singularity matrix S, processing the singularity matrix S to obtain a processed singularity matrix ?, determining a scaling factor a, and calculating an improved mixing matrix G according to G=aU?VT. The perceived sound, loudness, timbre and spatial impression of multi-channel audio replayed on an arbitrary loudspeaker setup practically equals that of the original speaker setup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventor: Johannes Boehm
  • Patent number: 10091600
    Abstract: A three-dimensional sound reproducing method includes: acquiring a multichannel audio signal; rendering signals to a channel to be reproduced according to channel information and a frequency of the multichannel audio signal; and mixing the rendered signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sang-bae Chon, Sun-min Kim, Hyun Jo
  • Patent number: 10085108
    Abstract: A method for visualizing a directional sound activity of a multichannel audio signal, wherein the multichannel audio signal comprises time-dependent input audio signals, comprising determining a directional sound activity vector from virtual sound sources determined from an active directional vector and a reactive directional vector determined from time-frequency representations of different input audio signals for each one of a plurality of time-frequency tiles; determining a contribution of each one of said directional sound activity vectors within sub-divisions of space on the basis of directivity information related to each sub-divisions of space and directional sound activity level within said sub-division of space by summing said contributions; displaying a visualization of the directional sound activity of the multichannel audio signal by a graphical representation of directional sound activity level within said sub-division of space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: A-VOLUTE
    Inventors: Raphael Nicolas Greff, Hong Cong Tuyen Pham
  • Patent number: 10073671
    Abstract: In one aspect, when it is detected that a viewer of an audio video program is interrupted by something, the program may be increased in volume, paused, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Russell Speight VanBlon, Rod David Waltermann, John Carl Mese, Arnold S. Weksler, Nathan J. Peterson
  • Patent number: 10068564
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an auditory information security system and, more specifically, to an auditory information security system for preventing illegal leakage of auditory information by transmitting security signals, which are unspecified noise signals within a preset frequency band among frequency bands that the human ear cannot hear, and then, preventing the auditory information, including voices and sounds occurring in a specific area where wiretapping or recording is expected, from being collected by a wiretap or recorder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: SHIELDK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sang-Hwan Kim
  • Patent number: 10057689
    Abstract: The present invention provides a silicon speaker comprising an MEMS acoustoelectric chip and a PCB substrate, wherein the MEMS acoustoelectric chip comprises a corrugated diaphragm on a silicon substrate; and one side surface of the MEMS acoustoelectric chip is metalized, and the metalized side surface of the MEMS acoustoelectric chip is connected with the PCB substrate. The corrugated diaphragm is electrically conductive and interconnected with metal paths on MEMS acoustoelectric chip, which is led out to a first PCB metal path as one electrode. A second PCB metal path below the MEMS chip forms another electrode of the electrostatic actuator. The silicon speaker provided by the present invention lowers manufacturing costs of the speaker, and allows the diaphragm to generate high and repeatable/reliable sound pressure upon large displacements so as to improve the sounding effects of the speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: GOERTEK INC.
    Inventor: Quanbo Zou
  • Patent number: 10045129
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, an apparatus for sensing vibrations produced by a bone conduction hearing aid is disclosed. The apparatus includes a proximal end, a distal end and a side surface. The proximal end comprising a proximal periphery comprising a material adapted to, during a measurement, contact a skin of a user of the bone conduction device and to enclose a skin area within the proximal periphery. The distal end comprising a measurement microphone adapted to, during the measurement, receive an acoustic signal in dependence of vibrations produced at the skin area, the vibrations being representative of skull vibrations produced within the user by the bone conduction hearing aid in response to a sound signal. The side surface, in combination with the proximal periphery and the distal end, adapted to define an acoustic signal transmission cavity that allows transmission of the acoustic signal from the skin area to the measurement microphone during the measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: OTICON MEDICAL A/S
    Inventors: Patrick Maas, Dylan Kyle Scott
  • Patent number: 10017236
    Abstract: An outboard motor cowling speaker assembly having an outboard motor having at least one speaker assembly with a speaker. The at least one speaker assembly has a cover that covers and protects the speaker. The at least one speaker assembly mounts upon a speaker mount that has a leading edge and a lateral surface extending from the leading edge. The lateral surface extends from the leading edge and terminates at a trailing edge. The cover is fixed onto the trailing edge. The outboard motor has a cowling top face, first and second cowling lateral faces, a cowling front face, and a cowling rear face. The leading edge is closer to the cowling front face than the trailing edge. The at least one speaker assembly protrudes aerodynamically from the first and second cowling lateral faces. The outboard motor is mounted onto a sea vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Inventors: Miguel Angel Navarte, III, Miguel Angel Navarte, Jr., Christopher Navarte
  • Patent number: 10015600
    Abstract: A multi-MEMS module is specified which can be produced expediently and enables a smaller design. The module comprises a housing having an interior and a first and a second opening, a first MEMS chip and a second MEMS chip. The first MEMS chip is acoustically coupled to the first opening. The second MEMS chip is acoustically coupled to the second opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Wolfgang Pahl, Gregor Feiertag
  • Patent number: 9998845
    Abstract: The present technology relates to an information processing device and method for allowing a sound image to be localized with higher precision, and a program. When a target sound image is outside a mesh, the target sound image is moved in a vertical direction while a position in a horizontal direction of the target sound image remains fixed, so that the target sound image is present on a boundary of the mesh. Specifically, a mesh detection unit detects a mesh including a position in the horizontal direction of the target sound image. A candidate position calculation unit calculates a position that is a movement target of the target sound image, based on loudspeaker positions that are at opposite ends of an arc of the detected mesh that is a destination, and the position in the horizontal direction of the target sound image. As a result, the target sound image can be moved onto a boundary of the mesh. The present technology is applicable to a sound processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Runyu Shi, Toru Chinen, Yuki Yamamoto, Mitsuyuki Hatanaka
  • Patent number: 9999149
    Abstract: An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a housing including a first surface facing in a first direction, a second surface facing in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a side surface surrounding at least a part of a space between the first surface and the second surface, an opening formed on at least one of the first surface, the second surface, or the side surface, a first channel extended from the opening, a second channel connected to at least a part of the first channel and extended to an inner space of the housing, an audio mounted inside the housing and connected to the opening through the first channel, a first member inserted into the first channel, and a second member inserted into the second channel, for allowing and restricting introduction and discharge of air into and from the inner space of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung-Soo Jun, Sung-Eun Park, Chang-Ok Lim, Min-Woo Yoo
  • Patent number: 9986352
    Abstract: An acoustic processing device comprises: a resonant band detecting means that detects a resonant band of sound output from a speaker based on a measurement result of a predetermined measurement signal reproduced through the speaker; an analyzing means that analyzes the measurement result of the predetermined measurement signal; a control parameter generating means that generates a control parameter for controlling the resonant band detected by the resonant band detecting means based on an analysis result by the analyzing means; and an audio signal controlling means that controls an audio signal input from a predetermined audio signal reproducing device based on the control parameter generated by the control parameter generating means such that a resonant band component of reproduced sound of the audio signal is suppressed to be short on a time axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: CLARION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Fujita, Takeshi Hashimoto, Tetsuo Watanabe, Kazutomo Fukue