Patents Examined by Mark Fischer
  • Patent number: 11343633
    Abstract: A wearable spatial audio device is provided. The wearable spatial audio device includes one or more audio speakers, one or more processors, and a storage machine holding instructions executable by the one or more processors. Map data is obtained for a real-world environment that includes one or more dynamic audio objects. A device-specific subset of audio tracks is obtained, and a device-specific spatialized audio mix of the device-specific subset of audio tracks that is based on the map data is obtained. An indication of a change in an environmental condition relative to one or more of the dynamic audio objects is received. The device-specific spatialized audio mix is adjusted based on the change in the environmental condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Arthur Charles Tomlin, Kendall Clark York, Jeffrey Sipko, Adolfo Hernandez Santisteban, Aaron Daniel Krauss, Andrew Frederick Muehlhausen
  • Patent number: 11343609
    Abstract: Techniques described herein generally relate to generating an audio signal with a speaker. In some examples, a speaker device is described that includes a membrane and a shutter. The membrane can be configured to oscillate along a first directional path and at least one frequency effective to generate an ultrasonic acoustic signal. The shutter is positioned along the propagation of ultrasonic acoustic signal and configured to modulate the ultrasonic acoustic signal such that an audio signal is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: SONICEDGE LTD.
    Inventor: Mordehai Margalit
  • Patent number: 11343618
    Abstract: A hearing device with online (real-time) intelligent performance management. The online management component of the hearing device learns a hearing device user's preferences for operation of the hearing device while the user is using the hearing device in every-day life. The online management component learns the user's preferences from the user's perception of the hearing device output in different listening environments and/or during different activities. The users perception include positive/satisfactory responses of the user to the output from the hearing device. The online management component builds up an individualized model for the user based upon the users perceptions whilst encountering different listening environments and/or engaging in different activities. The individualized model is used to control the hearing device to produce an acoustic output for the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventor: Elmar Fichtl
  • Patent number: 11337011
    Abstract: Presented herein are techniques for generating a hierarchical classification of a set of sound signals received at hearing prosthesis. The hierarchical classification includes a plurality of nested classifications of a sound environment associated with the set of sound signals received at hearing prosthesis, including a primary classification and one or more secondary classifications that each represent different characteristics of the sound environment. The primary classification represents a basic categorization of the sound environment, while the secondary classifications define sub-categories/refinements of the associated primary classification and/or other secondary classifications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Michael Goorevich, Obaid ur Rehman Qazi, Carl Puchner
  • Patent number: 11337017
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy Sheen
  • Patent number: 11326935
    Abstract: A method and a system for vision-based defect detection are proposed. The method includes the following steps. A test audio signal is outputted to a device-under-test (DUT), and a response signal of the DUT with respect to the test audio signal is received to generate a received audio signal. Signal processing is performed on the received audio signal to generate a spectrogram, and whether the DUT has an unacceptable defect with respect to the predefined auditory standard is determined through computer vision according to the spectrogram.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: WISTRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jie-Ci Yang, Meng-Chao Kao, Wen-Kuong Liu
  • Patent number: 11323806
    Abstract: Apparatus configured to predict a diaphragm deflection signal, block-by-block, in overlapping time blocks based on the loudspeaker signal to obtain one diaphragm deflection signal block per time block. The apparatus is configured to determine a temporal position of a maximum deflection of a current diaphragm deflection signal block of a current time block within an overlap area with a subsequent time block and to calculate a level up to which the current diaphragm deflection signal block can be controlled without diaphragm over-deflection for the current time block by considering a comparison of the current diaphragm deflection signal block with a subsequent diaphragm deflection signal block or an estimation of the subsequent diaphragm deflection signal block from the current diaphragm deflection signal block at the temporal position. The apparatus is configured to attenuate the current diaphragm deflection signal block and to synthesize a modified loudspeaker signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Robin Ritter, Andreas Maennchen
  • Patent number: 11323816
    Abstract: Techniques described herein generally relate to generating an audio signal with a speaker. In some examples, a speaker device is described that includes a membrane, an acoustic cavity and an acoustic channel. The membrane can be configured to oscillate along a first directional path and to generate an acoustic signal. The acoustic signal traverses the acoustic channel and generates an audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Sonicedge Ltd.
    Inventor: Mordehai Margalit
  • Patent number: 11317229
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a loudspeaker includes arranging, weaving, impregnating, drying, forming, cutting and assembling steps. In the arranging step, warp yarns and wires are arranged at intervals, and the wires are grouped as a wire group. In the weaving step, weft yarns are arranged at intervals and interwoven with the warp yarns and the wires to form a base material by weaving, and an area where the weft yarns are interwoven with the wires is defined as a wire disposing area. In the forming step, a wire damper is formed on the base material by thermoforming; two elastic adjustment areas are formed at the weft yarns between both sides of the wire group and the warp yarns closest to both sides of the wire group; and widths of the elastic adjustment areas are equal to each other and larger than distances between the remaining warp yarns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Inventor: Vincent Chen
  • Patent number: 11317197
    Abstract: A compact directional acoustic sensor having an improved signal-to-noise ratio is disclosed. The disclosed directional acoustic sensor includes a first sensing device configured to generate different output gains based on different input directions of external energy, and configured to generate at least one first output signal having a first polarity based on external energy received from an input direction; a second sensing device configured to generate different output gains based on different input directions of external energy, and configured to generate at least one second output signal having a second polarity, that is different than the first polarity, based on the external energy received from the input direction; and at least one signal processor configured to generate at least one final output signal based on the at least one first output signal and the at least one second output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Cheheung Kim, Sungchan Kang, Hyeokki Hong, Hyunwook Kang, Yongseop Yoon, Choongho Rhee
  • Patent number: 11297416
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to microphones and electronic devices having the same. A microphone may include a housing for receiving vibration signals; a converting component inside the housing for converting the vibration signals into electrical signals, and a processing circuit for processing the electrical signals. The converting component may include a transducer and at least one damping film attached to the transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: SHENZHEN SHOKZ CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wenbing Zhou, Xin Qi, Fengyun Liao, Yongshuai Yuan
  • Patent number: 11290802
    Abstract: Techniques for detecting a voice command from a user of a hearable device. The hearable device may include an in-ear facing microphone to capture sound emitted from an ear of the user, and an exterior facing microphone to capture sound emitted from an exterior environment of the user. The in-ear microphone may generate an in-ear audio signal representing the sound emitted from the ear, and the exterior microphone may generate an exterior audio signal representing sound from the exterior environment. The hearable device may include components to determine correlations or similarities between the in-ear audio signal and exterior audio signal, which indicate that the audio signals represent sound emitted from the user. Further, the components may perform voice activity detection to determine that the sound emitted from the user is a voice command, and proceed to perform further voice-processing techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Dibyendu Nandy, Milos Jorgovanovic, Carlo Murgia
  • Patent number: 11290808
    Abstract: A horn mounting structure, includes: a shell, a sound hole is formed at a side surface of the shell; a mounting groove formed inside the shell, and the sound hole is communicated with the mounting groove; a holder, the holder is bonded in the mounting groove through a sealant, and a front sound chamber is formed at one side of the holder facing to the sound hole, and a horn, and the horn is bonded to one side of the holder facing away from the shell through the sealant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Inventors: Baolin Wang, Jianguo Li
  • Patent number: 11284197
    Abstract: A vibration component includes a dome, a diaphragm, and a voice coil. The dome includes a porous heat dissipation layer, the diaphragm partially covers a portion of a surface of the dome, and the voice coil is connected with a side of the dome facing away from the diaphragm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Lianwen Shan, Jishuang Ma, Yu Zhang
  • Patent number: 11256354
    Abstract: A sensor device is provided including sensing section including driving electrodes extending in first direction; driving section configured to apply driving voltage to driving electrodes; sensing lines extending in second direction crossing first direction such that sensing lines intersect driving electrodes; and sensing section configured to detect occurrence of electric change from voltage change in at least one of the sensing lines to identify position of occurrence, wherein driving electrodes include a first drive electrode and a second drive electrode, first voltage is applied to at least one first drive electrode, second voltage is applied to at least one second drive electrode, and sensing section identifies position in which object to be detected is in contact or in proximity on a basis of pattern of voltage change of sensing lines, occurring according to difference in manner of intersecting between sensing lines and driving electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Koji Noguchi, Takeya Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 11245992
    Abstract: A method (500) of testing microphone performance of a hearing aid system, based on a determined correspondence between a hearing aid microphone signal and a test signal provided by the hearing aid system, as well as a hearing aid system adapted to carry out such a method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Widex A/S
    Inventors: Thilo Volker Thiede, Peter Magnus Noergaard
  • Patent number: 11240600
    Abstract: A sensor signal processing circuit including a delta-sigma analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a control circuit is disclosed. The circuit is configured to adaptively activate one or more segments of current elements for sequential sampling periods based on a digital signal input to a DAC, wherein less than N current elements are allocated to each segment, each current element in an active segment is enabled and either contributes to a feedback signal of the DAC or does not contribute to the feedback signal, and current elements not in an active segment are disabled. The circuit can be integrated with an acoustic or other sensor as part of a sensor assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: KNOWLES ELECTRONICS, LLC
    Inventors: Mohammad Sadegh Mohammadi, Mohammad Shajaan, Claus Erdmann Furst, Jens Tingleff, Henrik Thomsen, Kristian Hansen
  • Patent number: 11240607
    Abstract: An optical microphone assembly comprises a rigid substrate; an interferometric arrangement, a light source, at least one photo detector and an enclosure. The interferometric arrangement comprises a membrane and at least one optical element spaced from the membrane, wherein the at least one optical element comprises a surface of the substrate and/or is disposed on a surface of the substrate. The light source is arranged to provide light to the interferometric arrangement such that a first portion of the light propagates along a first optical path via the interferometric arrangement and a second portion of the light propagates along a second different optical path via the interferometric arrangement, thereby giving rise to an optical path difference between the first and second optical paths which depends on a distance between the membrane and the optical element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: SINTEF TTO AS
    Inventors: Hallvard Angelskår, Thor Bakke, Ib-Rune Johansen, Matthieu Lacolle, Jakob Vennerød, Andreas Vogl, Dag Wang
  • Patent number: 11234083
    Abstract: The invention relates to a flexible adaptive hearing aid characterized by comprising: a part made of rigid material (1) which will contain the electronic circuit of the hearing aid, and a part made of flexible adaptive material (2) which will have at least one annular flange (3) which will improve the fit between the assembly and the internal auditory canal of the user. The part made of flexible material will cover at least a portion (4) of the surface of the part of rigid material. It will additionally have a cover to assure assembly tightness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Inventor: Jose Collado Bonet
  • Patent number: 11234085
    Abstract: An earpiece includes an acoustic mass element, and an acoustic resistance element that is arranged acoustically in parallel with the acoustic mass element. The acoustic mass element and the acoustic resistance element are arranged to couple a user's ear canal to an external environment when worn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew D Dominijanni, Lei Cheng