Abstract: An audio output device is provided. The audio output device includes a buffering member including a biometric sensor and a first terminal connected to the biometric sensor, a housing including a portion to which the buffering member is mounted, a second terminal disposed in the portion of the housing and electrically connected to the first terminal of the buffering member, and a control circuit positioned inside the housing and operatively connected to the biometric sensor, the first terminal, and the second terminal, wherein the control circuit may be configured to supply power to the biometric sensor through the second terminal if the first terminal and the second terminal are connected, and to receive at least one piece of biometric signal data obtained from the biometric sensor of the buffering member through the second terminal.

Abstract: The following coding scenario is addressed: A number of audio source signals need to be transmitted or stored for the purpose of mixing wave field synthesis, multi-channel surround, or stereo signals after decoding the source signals. The proposed technique offers significant coding gain when jointly coding the source signals, compared to separately coding them, even when no redundancy is present between the source signals. This is possible by considering statistical properties of the source signals, the properties of mixing techniques, and spatial hearing. The sum of the source signals is transmitted plus the statistical properties of the source signals, which mostly determine the perceptually important spatial cues of the final mixed audio channels. Source signals are recovered at the receiver such that their statistical properties approximate the corresponding properties of the original source signals. Subjective evaluations indicate that high audio quality is achieved by the proposed scheme.

Abstract: Small form-factor MEMS devices and methods of using the devices are disclosed. An exemplary MEMS device includes an accelerometer contact microphone. Certain devices described herein comprise nanometer scale sensing gaps in the out-of-plane direction to increase vibration sensitivity in a vacuum casing. Certain devices described herein provide a differential sensing mechanism. The disclosure also describes accelerometer contact microphones having an operational bandwidth ranging from 0 Hz and 10,000 Hz. The vibration acceleration sensitivity of certain devices described herein is better 100 ?g?Hz.

Abstract: Microphone arrays comprise several microphone capsules, the outputs of which being electronically combined for directional recording of sound. The directional and frequency properties of the microphone array depend on the number and positions of the microphone array. In order to obtain the smallest possible microphone array with only few microphone capsules, which, however, has an essentially uniform directional and frequency dependence over a speech frequency range, is scalable and robust against small incorrect positioning of the capsules, fifteen or twenty-one microphone capsules (K15,11-K15,35, K21,11-K21,37) are arranged on a carrier such that they lie on three similar branches, each with the same number of microphone capsules, which are rotated against each other by 120°. Each of the microphone capsules lies on a corner of a triangle of a grid in a flat isometric coordinate system with three axes rotated by 120° against each other and forming the grid of equilateral triangles.

Abstract: A vehicle selects various sound sources and outputs driving sound based on information received from the navigation system. A database stores sound sources classified as first and second emotions. A controller outputs a landmark name based on a route guidance text and outputs a ratio of the first and second emotions corresponding to the landmark name. The controller selects a first sound source from the sound sources classified as the first emotion based on the first emotion ratio, selects a second sound source from the sound sources classified as the second emotion based on the second emotion ratio and determines first and second playback periods based on the ratios of the first and second emotions. The controller outputs a first sound generated based on the first sound source during the first playback period and a second sound generated based on the second sound source during the second playback period.

Abstract: A Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) device includes a substrate, and a first sacrificial layer, a first conductive film, a second sacrificial layer, and a second conductive film successively laminated on the substrate, the second sacrificial layer being provided with a cavity; and further includes an amplitude-limiting layer provided with a first through hole and an isolation layer provided with a second through hole. The amplitude-limiting layer is located between the first conductive film and the first sacrificial layer and the isolation layer is located between the amplitude-limiting layer and the first conductive film, and/or the amplitude-limiting layer is located on the second conductive film and the isolation layer is located between the amplitude-limiting layer and the second conductive film. The amplitude-limiting layer extends to a projection region of an opening of the cavity and is in a suspended state.

Abstract: A sensor device includes a substrate having a front surface and an opposing back surface. The back surface defines an indented region having an indented surface. The substrate defines a bottom port extending between the front surface and the indented surface. The sensor further includes a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) transducer mounted on the front surface of the substrate over the bottom port. The sensor also includes a filtering material disposed on the indented surface and covering the bottom port. The filtering material provides resistance to ingression of solid particles or liquids into the sensor device. The filtering material is configured to provide high acoustic permittivity and have low impact on a signal-to-noise ratio of the sensor device.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a MEMS ASIC. In some examples, the MEMS ASIC can include a MEMS, an analog front end (AFE) amplifier, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), an overload detector, and a high-ohmic (HO) block. The HO block and the MEMS can form a high-pass filter (HPF). The impedance of the HO block can be related to the DC operating level of the AFE amplifier and the cutoff frequency of the HPF. In some examples, an overload event can occur, and the overload detector can be configured to adjust the impedance of the HO block to reduce the settling time of the MEMS ASIC. Methods of using the MEMS ASIC to reduce the settling time of the MEMS ASIC due to an overload event are disclosed herein.

Abstract: Audio systems and methods for obtaining location information are disclosed. A portable, wireless speaker may include a beacon that a user may activate to remotely trigger a request for shot information, which may include location information of the user or speaker. The beacon may be wirelessly coupled to the speaker. Notably, the beacon may comprise an earpiece such as an earbud or pair of earbuds. The speaker may receive location information from a remote device, such as a GPS-enabled mobile phone. The shot information may be converted into an audio format for playback by the speaker. The speaker may pause the playback of the speaker to play out the shot information. The system may also comprise a visual display.

Abstract: Technology described in this document can be embodied in a method that includes receiving a first input signal representing audio captured by a first sensor disposed in a signal path of an active noise reduction (ANR) device, and receiving a second input signal representing audio captured by a second sensor disposed in the signal path of the ANR device. The method also includes processing, by at least one compensator, the first input signal and the second input signal to generate a drive signal for an acoustic transducer of the ANR device. A gain applied to the signal path is at least 3 dB less relative to an ANR signal path having a single sensor.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for emitting a sound from an in-ear speaker worn by a subject includes generating, by an audio source of the in-ear speaker, a source audio signal. One or more speakers of the in-ear speaker may emit a sound based on the audio signal and an audio-transport tube of the in-ear speaker may receive the sound. The one or more speakers may be comprised of a singular speaker or a speaker array coupled to a crossover network. The audio-transport tube has an input end coupled to the one or more speakers to receive the sound. An audio reflector of the in-ear speaker may reflect the sound. The audio reflector is coupled to an output end of the audio-transport tube.

Abstract: An in-the-ear hearing aid device is disclosed. The device at least one electro-acoustic transducer, and at least one sensor or at least one active electronic component. The at least one electro-acoustic transducer comprises a capsule enclosing a transducer sound active part and a transducer air volume. The transducer air volume is air volume which is enclosed by said capsule and which is in fluid-connection with said transducer sound active part. At least a portion of said at least one sensor or of said at least one active electronic component is provided within said transducer air volume.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) diaphragm assembly comprises a first diaphragm and a second diaphragm. A plurality of pillars connects the first and second diaphragms, wherein the plurality of pillars has a higher distribution density at a geometric center of the MEMS diaphragm assembly than at an outer periphery thereof.

Abstract: A vibration transducer for sensing vibrations includes a first flexible triboelectric member, a second flexible triboelectric member, a plurality of attachment points, a first electrode and a second electrode. The first flexible triboelectric member includes a first triboelectric layer and a material being on a first position on a triboelectric series. A conductive layer is deposited on the second side thereof. The second flexible triboelectric member includes a second triboelectric layer and a material being on a second position on the triboelectric series that is different from the first position on the triboelectric series. The second triboelectric member is adjacent to the first flexible triboelectric member. When the first triboelectric member comes into and out of contact with the second triboelectric member as a result of the vibrations, a triboelectric potential difference having a variable intensity corresponding to the vibrations can be sensed between the first and second triboelectric members.

Abstract: Headphone eartips with internal support components and methods for making the same are provided. Different support components may provide specific amounts and types of additional rigidity at specific portions of an exterior surface of an outer eartip body that may be expected to interface with specific portions of an ear canal geometry when an eartip subassembly is positioned within the ear canal, such that the eartip subassembly may conform to the various shapes of the ear canal while maintaining an acoustic seal.

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: Magnetic field cancelling audio systems and associated devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, an audio system with two electromagnetic audio drivers positioned and electrically connected to reduce emitted magnetic fields over a range of predefined frequencies.

Abstract: The technology described in this document can be embodied in a method that includes receiving an input signal captured by one or more sensors associated with an active noise reduction (ANR) headphone, and determining one or more characteristics of a first portion of the input signal. Based on the one or more characteristics of the first portion of the input signal, a gain of a variable gain amplifier (VGA) disposed in an ANR signal flow path can be adjusted, and accordingly, a set of coefficients for a tunable digital filter disposed in the ANR signal flow path can be selected. The method further includes processing a second portion of the input signal in the ANR signal flow path using the adjusted gain and selected set of coefficients to generate a second output signal for the electroacoustic transducer of the ANR headphone.

Abstract: The embodiments of the present application provide an earphone abnormality processing method, an earphone, a system, and a storage medium. In the embodiments of the present application, an abnormal state self-detection function is added to an earphone of an existing dual-microphone, and when the earphone is in a self-detection state, acquiring a sound signal picked up from a specified sound source by a primary microphone and a secondary microphone; and determining the type of abnormal state of the earphone according to a frequency response curve of the sound signal picked up by the primary microphone and the secondary microphone, and further performing abnormality processing on the earphone by using a processing manner adapted to the abnormal state of the earphone, thereby solving the difficulty in the prior art of being unable to process the sound pickup abnormality of an earphone, and improving the usage performance of an earphone and also facilitating the prolonging of the service life of the earphone.

Abstract: An audio output device comprises a loudspeaker and, four stem control inputs substantially even spaced on the upper surface of a housing. The stem control inputs are each divided into four segments, each comprising a touch sensor and an illumination unit. Each stem control input is associated with a different stem in an audio track for playback via the loudspeaker. Touching the segments of each stem control input results in the touch being detected and a touch signal being output by the respective segment. In response to a touch signal, the associated illumination unit is togged on/off and a property of the associated stem is varied during playback by loudspeaker.