Patents Examined by Paul McCord
  • Patent number: 8606382
    Abstract: A communication system, network, interface, and port architecture are provided for transporting different types of data across a network. The network can be arranged by connecting the ports in a daisy chain fashion to achieve a ring architecture or topology. The network forwards data according to a specific network protocol, and any incoming data that follows that protocol will be sent onto the network. If the incoming data protocol does not match the network protocol, then the incoming data is not sent immediately to the network, but instead is sent to an input pin of a device upon the network specifically designed to receive that incoming data. The network, therefore, has ports that support both compliant and non-compliant incoming data, and the devices that produce such data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Standard Microsystems Corporation
    Inventors: Herbert Hetzel, David J. Knapp
  • Patent number: 8600532
    Abstract: A method of processing a signal is disclosed, which includes receiving a downmix signal, object information and rendering information; and generating downmix processing information using the object information and the rendering information, the object information including modified object level information, wherein the modified object level information is determined using a level of a modified object generated by applying a downmix gain to an object. Accordingly, in an apparatus for processing a signal and method thereof according to the present invention, the signal is decoded using object information including modified object level information. Therefore, since a downmix gain is not transmitted, the present invention is able to reduce a used bit for object information and decode a signal using less information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Hyen-O Oh, Yang Won Jung
  • Patent number: 8600533
    Abstract: A digital signal processing system and method transforms pairs of channels selected from a multichannel signal into the frequency domain. Vector operations are performed upon the frequency-domain data by which signal components unique to one of the input channels are routed to one of the output channels, signal components unique to the other of the input channels are routed to another of the output channels, and signal components common to both channels are routed to a third and optionally to a fourth output channel. The frequency-domain output channels are then transformed back into the time-domain, forming a plurality of time-domain output channels. The vector operations are performed in a manner that preserves the overall information content of the input data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Akita Blue, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory Berchin
  • Patent number: 8588949
    Abstract: A multimedia controller including a processor, the controller configured to: provide a user interface for a player group, wherein the player group includes a plurality of players in a local area network, and wherein each player is configured to playback a multimedia output from a multimedia source; accept an input to facilitate formation of the player group, indicating that at least two of the players in the local area network are to be included in the player group; for each of the plurality of players within the player group, accept an input to adjust a volume associated with the player, that causes the player to adjust its volume; and accept an input to adjust a volume associated with the player group, wherein the input to adjust the volume associated with the group causes the players in the player group to adjust their volumes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Lambourne, Nicholas A. J. Millington
  • Patent number: 8588947
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing an audio signal and method thereof are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Hyen-O Oh, Yang Won Jung
  • Patent number: 8588945
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a reproduction apparatus for reproducing audio data. The apparatus includes: an analysis section configured to start an analysis of characteristics of audio data recorded on a recording medium as audio data having its characteristic unanalyzed yet upon detection of a predetermined state of a light processing load borne by the reproduction apparatus. The apparatus further includes a registration section configured to register audio data having its characteristic already analyzed on a specific play list prescribing an order of reproduction of audio data on the basis of the characteristics of the audio data; and a reproduction section configured to reproduce audio data from the recording medium in accordance with the specific play list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Araki, Susumu Ijichi, Ryo Mukaiyama, Takaomi Kimura
  • Patent number: 8583268
    Abstract: In one aspect, audio streams are added to a mix until the mix is either complete (i.e., all audio streams have been added) or the mix is closed early (i.e., before the mix is complete). In another aspect, audio and video streams are synchronized by playing back the audio stream and then synchronizing display of the video frames to the playback of the audio stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Optical Fusion Inc.
    Inventor: Mukund N. Thapa
  • Patent number: 8565907
    Abstract: An audio mixing device and method are provided. The audio mixing device includes an analog to digital converter (ADC), a converting module, a mixing module, and a down-sample filter. The ADC is adapted to receive an analog signal, and convert the analog signal into a first digital signal. The converting module receives the second digital signal, and adjusts a data rate of the second digital signal according to a data rate of the first digital signal to generate a third digital signal. The mixing module mixes the first digital signal and the third digital signal to output a mixed signal. The down-sample filters down-samples the mixed to output a down-sampled signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventors: Yi-Chang Tu, Ming-Lih Lin
  • Patent number: 8554347
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for remotely monitoring a plurality of amplifiers on a display device. The amplifiers are provided to process audio signals and directly or indirectly connected to a network. In the apparatus, a collecting section collects a group code from each of the amplifiers through the network. The group code is allocated to each amplifier according to a grouping system for grouping the plurality of the amplifiers. A display control section displays a tree diagram of the amplifiers according to the collected group codes on the display device as a graphical representation of the grouping system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Akio Suyama, Takaaki Muto, Naohide Kohyama, Ken Iwayama
  • Patent number: 8554348
    Abstract: A processor implements methods, systems, and computer program products for detecting transients in an audio file. The method includes dividing the audio file into segments. Transients can be detected both in a full band signal of the audio file and one or more band-pass filtered signals of the audio file. A weight value can be assigned to each transient detected in both the full band signal and band-pass filtered signals. Transients that are below a predetermined threshold value can be eliminated. The time position of each remaining transient is determined and displayed in the audio file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Steffen Gehring, Thorsten Adam
  • Patent number: 8548615
    Abstract: An encoder for encoding an audio signal comprising at least two channels, the encoder configured to generate an encoded signal comprising at least a first part, a second part and a third part, wherein the encoder is further configured to: generate the first part of the encoded signal dependent on at least one combination of first and second channels of the at least two channels; generate the second part of the encoded signal dependent on at least one difference between the first and second channels of the at least two channels; and generate the third part of the encoded signal dependent on at least one energy ratio of the first and second channels of the at least two channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventor: Juha Petteri Ojanperä
  • Patent number: 8548616
    Abstract: A digital audio device has a plurality of input ports that are provided with a plurality of digital audio signals. A plurality of extraction parts extract a clock signal from the digital audio signal, when the clock signal is superimposed in the digital audio signal provided to corresponding input ports. A first selection part selects the extracted clock signal as a word clock when the clock signal is extracted by any one of the plurality of the extraction parts. A frequency storage part stores a frequency of the clock signal selected by the first selection part. An internal clock generator outputs a clock signal having a frequency as specified. A second selection part selects the clock signal output from the internal clock generator as a word clock when no clock signal is extracted by the plurality of the extraction parts, the frequency of the clock signal output from the internal clock generator being set to the frequency stored in the frequency storage part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Inventors: Takaaki Makino, Mitsutaka Gotoh, Akio Suyama
  • Patent number: 8543231
    Abstract: A method of processing a signal is disclosed, which includes receiving a downmix signal, object information and rendering information; obtaining downmix gain flag information indicating whether a downmix gain is included in the object information; and generating downmix processing information using the object information and the rendering information based on the downmix gain flag information, wherein the object information includes modified object level information or object level information, wherein the modified object level information is determined using a level of a modified object generated by applying the downmix gain to an object, and wherein the object level information is determined using a level of the object. Accordingly, in an apparatus for processing a signal and method thereof according to the present invention, the signal is decoded using modified object level information based on downmix gain flag information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Hyen-O Oh, Yang Won Jung
  • Patent number: 8527076
    Abstract: Control node includes: current memories provided in corresponding relation to a plurality of equipments to store, for each of the equipments, a first current data set for remote-controlling an operational condition of the equipment and a second current data set for remote-controlling a logical connection between the equipment and another equipment; and library memories provided in corresponding relation to the equipments to store, for each of the equipments, a plurality of first data sets each for remote-controlling the operational condition of the equipment and a plurality of second data sets each for remote-controlling the logical connection between the equipment and another equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Masahiro Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8521316
    Abstract: Sharing of a music experience amongst a group of people each using a personal communication device is described. In some cases, the group can congregate at the same geographic location or at least some of the group can be located at widely dispersed locations and yet still be able to share a music experience. Information can be passed between the personal communication devices using point to point wireless communication, a distributed network of computers such as the Internet, a wireless cellular communication network, and so on. The information can include an indication of a shared music characteristic. The personal communication devices can use the shared music characteristic to identify and start to privately play those music items stored in the personal communication device having a characteristic that matches or most closely matches the shared music characteristic at about the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Sylvain Rene Yves Louboutin
  • Patent number: 8521314
    Abstract: Information useful for modifying the dynamics of an audio signal is derived from one or more devices or processes operating at one or more respective nodes of each of a plurality of hierarchy levels, each hierarchical level having one or more nodes, in which the one or more devices or processes operating at each hierarchical level takes a measure of one or more characteristics of the audio signal such that the one or more devices or processes operating at each successively lower hierarchical level takes a measure of one or more characteristics of progressively smaller subdivisions of the audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Alan Jeffrey Seefeldt, Kenneth James Gundry
  • Patent number: 8509931
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes processing a signal to generate a first sub-set of data, transmitting the first sub-set of data for generation of a reconstructed audio signal, the reconstructed audio signal having a fidelity relative to the signal, processing the signal to generate a second sub-set of data and a third sub-set of data, the second sub-set of data defining a second portion of the signal and comprising data that is different than data of the first sub-set of data, and the third sub-set of data defining a third portion of the signal and comprising data that is different than data of the first and second sub-sets of data, comparing a priority of the second sub-set of data to a priority of the third sub-set of data, and transmitting one of the second sub-set of data and the third sub-set of data over the network for improving the fidelity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew I. Lloyd, Martin Jansche
  • Patent number: 8504184
    Abstract: A combination device (305) according to the present invention includes: a detection unit (501) that detects active coded bitstreams that are effective coded bitstreams from a plurality of coded bitstreams (116) within a predetermined time period; a first combining unit (504) that combines, from a plurality of downmix sub-streams (115) included in the coded bitstreams (116), only downmix sub-streams (115) included in the active coded bitstreams so as to generate a combined downmix sub-stream (121); and a second combining unit (506) that combines, from a plurality of parameter sub-streams (113) included in the coded bitstreams (116), only parameter sub-streams (113) included In the active coded bitstreams so as to generate a combined parameter sub-stream (122).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tomokazu Ishikawa, Takeshi Norimatsu, Huan Zhou, Zhong Hai Shan, Kok Seng Chong
  • Patent number: 8494669
    Abstract: Control node includes: current memories provided in corresponding relation to a plurality of equipments to store, for each of the equipments, a first current data set for remote-controlling an operational condition of the equipment and a second current data set for remote-controlling a logical connection between the equipment and another equipment; and library memories provided in corresponding relation to the equipments to store, for each of the equipments, a plurality of first data sets each for remote-controlling the operational condition of the equipment and a plurality of second data sets each for remote-controlling the logical connection between the equipment and another equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Masahiro Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8483853
    Abstract: In general, techniques of controlling a plurality of multimedia players in groups are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a mechanism is provided to allow a user to group some of the players according to a theme or scene, where each of the players is located in a zone. When the scene is activated, the players in the scene react in a synchronized manner. For example, the players in the scene are all caused to play a multimedia source or music in a playlist, wherein the multimedia source may be located anywhere on a network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert A. Lambourne