Patents Examined by Mark Fischer
-
Patent number: 10834506Abstract: There is provided is a stereo headphone provided with a pair of earphones having a cartilage conduction unit, a sheath unit connected to the cartilage conduction unit, and a piezoelectric bimorph of a vibration source connected to the cartilage conduction unit covered by the sheath unit without making contact with the inner wall thereof. The cartilage conduction unit is an elastic body. The cartilage conduction unit is in contact with the entrance to the external auditory meatus and has a passage hole in communication with the external auditory meatus. The vibration source is supported by a thick portion on the tragus side at the periphery of the passage hole. In accordance with a more specific feature, the thick portion is provided. The outer shape of the sheath has a thickness in the direction of the earhole that is less than the thickness in the direction orthogonal thereto. A guide part for directing the sheath to the intertragic notch is provided.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2019Date of Patent: November 10, 2020Assignee: Finewell Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroshi Hosoi, Yoji Hosoi, Masashi Morimoto, Masahide Tanaka
-
Patent number: 10826441Abstract: Example embodiments provide a process that includes one or more of receiving an audio signal at a feedback compressor circuit, determining how much to attenuate the audio signal when a power level of the audio signal exceeds a threshold power level, combining the audio signal with an auxiliary attenuation signal from an auxiliary attenuation source and a compressed attenuation signal from the feedback compressor circuit to create a combination signal, and generating an audio output signal of the feedback compressor circuit based on the combination signal.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2019Date of Patent: November 3, 2020Assignee: Biamp Systems, LLCInventor: Aaron Faulstich
-
Patent number: 10827273Abstract: Electronics devices according to embodiments of the present technology may include a first loudspeaker and a second loudspeaker disposed in a housing. The housing may define a first internal volume between a first end of the housing and a backside of the first loudspeaker. The housing may define a second internal volume between a second end of the housing and a backside of the second loudspeaker. The first loudspeaker and the second loudspeaker may be positioned within the housing so a front side of the first loudspeaker faces a front side of the second loudspeaker. A duct may be defined by the housing, which may access the first internal volume at a first end and may access the second internal volume at a second end. The electronic device may also include a processor configured to deliver signals to the first loudspeaker and the second loudspeaker.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2019Date of Patent: November 3, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Michael B. Nussbaum, Jason C. Della Rosa, Glenn K. Trainer
-
Patent number: 10827294Abstract: Systems and method are disclosed for facilitating efficient calibration of filters for correcting room and/or speaker-based distortion and/or binaural imbalances in audio reproduction, and/or for producing three-dimensional sound in stereo system environments. According to some embodiments, using a portable device such as a smartphone or tablet, a user can calibrate speakers by initiating playback of a test signal, detecting playback of the test signal with the portable device's microphone, and repeating this process for a number of speakers and/or device positions (e.g., next to each of the user's ears). A comparison can be made between the test signal and the detected signal, and this can be used to more precisely calibrate rendering of future signals by the speakers.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2019Date of Patent: November 3, 2020Assignee: Intertrust Technologies CorporationInventors: David P. Maher, Gilles Boccon-Gibod, Steve Mitchell
-
Patent number: 10816634Abstract: A method and system for locating a sound source are provide. The method may include detecting a sound signal of a sound by each of two audio sensors. The method may also include converting the sound signals detected by the two audio sensors from a time domain to a frequency domain. The method may further include determining a high frequency ratio of each of the sound signals in the frequency domain. The method may further include determining a direction of the sound source based on the high frequency ratios.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2019Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: ZHEJIANG DAHUA TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.Inventors: Gang Qiao, Ya Gao
-
Patent number: 10820135Abstract: A system for and a method of generating an audio image for use in rendering audio. The method comprises accessing an audio stream; accessing positional information, the positional information comprising a first position, a second position and a third position; and generating an audio image. In some embodiments, generating the audio image comprises generating, based on the audio stream, a first virtual wave front to be perceived by a listener as emanating from the first position; generating, based on the audio stream, a second virtual wave front to be perceived by the listener as emanating from the second position; and generating, based on the audio stream, a third virtual wave front to be perceived by the listener as emanating from the third position.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2019Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: AUDIBLE REALITY INC.Inventors: Matthew Boerum, Bryan Martin
-
Patent number: 10817253Abstract: An embodiment of an audio controller device includes technology to control an output of a first audio signal from an audio output device in a human interface frequency range, where the human interface frequency range includes frequencies audible to humans, and control an output of a second audio signal from the audio output device in a device interface frequency range independent from the output of the first audio signal, where the device interface frequency range includes frequencies above an upper limit of the human interface frequency range. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2019Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Xintian Lin, Matias Almada
-
Patent number: 10812924Abstract: A control apparatus for controlling a sound output apparatus is provided. The control apparatus includes a specifying unit configured to specify an aspect of sound that is being generated in a space, and a control unit configured to control the sound output apparatus so as to output sound information in an aspect that is different from the specified aspect while sound is being generated in the space.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2019Date of Patent: October 20, 2020Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventor: Naoki Shibata
-
Patent number: 10791410Abstract: A method comprising: causing analysis of a portion of a visual scene; causing modification of a first sound object to modify a spatial extent of the first sound object in dependence upon the analysis of the portion of the visual scene corresponding to the first sound object; and causing rendering of the visual scene and the corresponding sound scene including of the modified first sound object with modified spatial extent.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2017Date of Patent: September 29, 2020Assignee: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OYInventors: Antti Eronen, Jussi Leppänen, Francesco Cricri, Arto Lehtiniemi
-
Patent number: 10785573Abstract: A speaker device for a vehicle having a structure in which a seating direction and a magnetic path forming direction of a magnet coincide with each other, may include a frame, a magnet mounted in the frame to generate a magnetic flux, a yoke having a magnetic gap to form a magnetic path generated by the magnet, a voice coil mounted in the magnetic gap to move when a current is applied, a diaphragm engaged to the voice coil and configured to vibrate according to movement of the voice coil and generate a negative pressure, and a plate configured to support the magnet, wherein the magnet is accommodated in a horizontal direction such a seating direction and a magnetic path forming direction of the magnet coincide with each other.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2019Date of Patent: September 22, 2020Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors CorporationInventor: Youngbeom Kim
-
Patent number: 10785589Abstract: Apparatus comprising one or more processors configured to: receive at least two microphone audio signals (101) for audio signal processing wherein the audio signal processing comprises at least a spatial audio signal processing (303) and beamforming processing (305); determine spatial information (304) based on the audio signal processing associated with the at least two microphone audio signals; determine focus information (308) for the beamforming processing associated with the at least two microphone audio signals; and apply a spatial filter (307) in order to synthesize at least one spatially processed audio signal (312) based on the at least one beamformed audio signal from the at least two microphone audio signals (101), the spatial information (304) and the focus information (308) in such a way that the spatial filter (307), the at least one beamformed audio signal (306), the spatial information (304) and the focus information (308) are configured to be used to spatially synthesize (307) the at least onType: GrantFiled: January 24, 2018Date of Patent: September 22, 2020Assignee: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OYInventors: Mikko Tammi, Toni Mäkinen, Jussi Virolainen, Mikko Heikkinen
-
Patent number: 10779107Abstract: An out-of-head localization device according to this embodiment includes an adder that calculates a common-mode signal of stereo reproduced signals, a ratio setting unit that sets a subtraction ratio for subtracting the common-mode signal, a subtraction unit that subtracts the common-mode signal from the stereo reproduced signals at the subtraction ratio and thereby generates corrected signals, a convolution calculation unit that performs convolution on the corrected signals by using spatial acoustic transfer characteristics and thereby generates a convolution calculation signal, a filter unit that performs filtering on the convolution calculation signal by using a filter and thereby generates an output signal, and headphones that output the output signal to a user.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2019Date of Patent: September 15, 2020Assignee: JVCKENWOOD CORPORATIONInventors: Yumi Fujii, Hisako Murata, Takahiro Gejo
-
Patent number: 10779086Abstract: An audio processor for a multi voice coil acoustic transducer is described. The audio processor may receive or generate an audio signal. The audio signal may have one or more phase shifts applied. The audio signal may be used to drive a first coil of a dual voice coil acoustic transducer. The phase-shifted audio signals may drive the other coils of a multi voice-coil acoustic transducer. The phase shift is selected so that the phase difference between the audio signal driving each voice coil may result in destructive interference in the multi voice-coil loudspeaker resulting in reduced or no acoustic output due to the audio signal.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2019Date of Patent: September 15, 2020Assignee: Goodix Technology (HK) Company LimitedInventor: Bram Hedebouw
-
Patent number: 10771888Abstract: An ear-plug assembly presents audio content to an ear canal of a user. The audio content may be based in part on sound in a local area surrounding the user. The ear-plug assembly detects, via one or more acoustic sensors, sound in the area around the user. The sound waves travel through an aperture in a body of the ear-plug assembly and are propagated to a waveguide to the one or more acoustic sensors. The ear-plug assembly processes the detected sound data in a controller, which instructs a speaker assembly to present audio content based in part on the detected sound data. The detected sounds may be amplified, attenuated, filtered, and/or augmented when presented by the speaker assembly.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2019Date of Patent: September 8, 2020Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLCInventors: Tetsuro Oishi, Morteza Khaleghimeybodi, Pablo Francisco Faundez Hoffman, Alan Ng, Antonio John Miller, Gongqiang Yu, Chuming Zhao
-
Patent number: 10764701Abstract: A method of presenting a soundscape in an environment space using a plurality of controllable speakers arranged the space is provided. A spatial audio engine may access a spatial audio file defining a digital representation of the soundscape, including (a) a plurality of sound elements to be output in the space over time, (b) sound playback location information defining location(s) for each sound element to be output, and (c) timing information defining time(s) for each sound element to be output. The spatial audio engine may also access speaker location information for each speaker in the space. For each sound element to be played in the space over time, the spatial audio engine may correlate the sound playback location information with the speaker location information to identify one or more of the speakers to be controlled to output audio signals associated with the respective sound element.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2019Date of Patent: September 1, 2020Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.Inventors: Chase Emerson Cummings, Collin Robert Brown
-
Patent number: 10751025Abstract: An enhanced stethoscope device and method for operating the enhanced stethoscope are provided. The enhanced stethoscope device generally operates by providing stethoscope sensors, ultrasonic sensors, and other sensors to obtain a series of measurements about a subject. The series of measurements may be correlated, such as by machine learning, to extract clinically relevant information. Also described are systems and methods for ultrasonic beamsteering by interference of an audio signal with an ultrasonic signal.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2019Date of Patent: August 25, 2020Assignee: California Institute of TechnologyInventors: Aditya Rajagopal, Alaina Ann Brinley Rajagopal
-
Patent number: 10750303Abstract: Example techniques may involve performing aspects of a spatial calibration. An example implementation may include detecting a trigger condition that initiates calibration of a media playback system including multiple audio drivers that form multiple sound axes, each sound axis corresponding to a respective channel of multi-channel audio content The implementation may also include causing the multiple audio drivers to emit calibration audio that is divided into constituent frames, the multiple sound axes emitting calibration audio during respective slots of each constituent frame. The implementation may further include recording the emitted calibration audio. The implementation may include causing delays for each sound axis of the multiple sound axes to be determined, the determined delay for each sound axis based on the slots of recorded calibration audio corresponding to the sound axes and causing the multiple sound axes to be calibrated.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2018Date of Patent: August 18, 2020Assignee: Sonos, Inc.Inventor: Timothy Sheen
-
Patent number: 10750307Abstract: Described herein is a technology related to a mobile device with a pair of stereo speakers. The mobile device has an orientation detection system that detects the orientation of the mobile device and a crosstalk cancellation system that performs crosstalk cancellation with complementary cardioid beams in response to the detected orientation of the mobile device. The mobile device also has an audio system that emits complementary cardioid sound beams from the speakers.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2017Date of Patent: August 18, 2020Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Wensen Liu, Sunil Bharitkar
-
Patent number: 10741193Abstract: An example method of operation may include designating sub-regions which collectively provide a defined reception space, receiving audio signals at a controller from the microphone arrays in the defined reception space, configuring the controller with known locations of each of the microphone arrays, assigning each of the sub-regions to at least one of the microphone arrays based on the known locations, and creating beamform tracking configurations for each of the microphone arrays based on their assigned sub-regions.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2019Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: Biamp Systems, LLCInventors: Iain Alexander McCowan, Stefano Davolio, Richard S. Juszkiewicz, Nicholas William Metzar, Matthew V. Kotvis, Jeffrey William Sondermeyer, Jason Damori
-
Patent number: 10743107Abstract: A computer implemented method includes receiving audio signals representative of speech via multiple audio channels transmitted from corresponding multiple distributed devices, designating one of the audio channels as a reference channel, and for each of the remaining audio channels, determine a difference in time from the reference channel, and correcting each remaining audio channel by compensating for the corresponding difference in time from the reference channel.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2019Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Takuya Yoshioka, Andreas Stolcke, Zhuo Chen, Dimitrios Basile Dimitriadis, Nanshan Zeng, Lijuan Qin, William Isaac Hinthorn, Xuedong Huang