Patents by Inventor Lie Lu

Lie Lu has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11937064
    Abstract: Example embodiments disclosed herein relate to audio object clustering. A method for metadata-preserved audio object clustering is disclosed. The method comprises classifying an audio object into at least a category based rendering mode information metadata. The method further comprises assigning a predetermined number of clusters to the categories and rendering the audio object based on the rendering mode. Corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Lianwu Chen, Lie Lu, Nicolas R. Tsingos
  • Patent number: 11929091
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of blind detection of binauralized audio. If the input content is detected as binaural, a second binauralization may be avoided. In this manner, the user experience avoids audio artifacts introduced by multiple binauralizations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Chunmao Zhang, Lianwu Chen, Ziyu Yang, Joshua Brandon Lando, David Matthew Fischer, Lie Lu
  • Patent number: 11930347
    Abstract: A method of processing audio content including a plurality of audio elements comprises: clustering the plurality of audio elements into a plurality of clusters of audio elements; and for a cluster among the plurality of clusters: for each audio element in the cluster, determining a measure of energy that the audio element contributes to the cluster; for at least one audio element in the cluster, determining a compensation gain based at least in part on the measures of energy for the audio elements in the cluster; and applying the compensation gain to the at least one audio element in the cluster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Lianwu Chen, Lie Lu
  • Publication number: 20240071411
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining one or more dialog quality metrics of a mixed audio signal comprising a dialog component and a noise component, the method comprising separating an estimated dialog component from the mixed audio signal by means of a dialog separator using a dialog separating model determined by training the dialog separator based on the one or more quality metrics; providing the estimated dialog component from the dialog separator to a quality metrics estimator; and determining the one or more quality metrics by means of the quality metrics estimator based on the mixed signal and the estimated dialog component. Further disclosed is a method for training a dialog separator, a system comprising circuitry configured to perform the method, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2022
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Jundai SUN, Lie LU, Shaofan YANG, Rhonda J. WILSON, Dirk Jeroen BREEBAART
  • Publication number: 20240038258
    Abstract: A method of audio content identification includes using a two-stage classifier. The first stage includes previously-existing classifiers and the second stage includes a new classifier. The outputs of the first and second stages calculated over different time periods are combined to generate a steering signal. The final classification results from a combination of the steering signal and the outputs of the first and second stages. In this manner, a new classifier may be added without disrupting existing classifiers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Guiping Wang, Lie Lu
  • Publication number: 20240039499
    Abstract: Volume leveler controller and controlling method are disclosed. In one embodiment, A volume leveler controller includes an audio content classifier for identifying the content type of an audio signal in real time; and an adjusting unit for adjusting a volume leveler in a continuous manner based on the content type as identified. The adjusting unit may configured to positively correlate the dynamic gain of the volume leveler with informative content types of the audio signal, and negatively correlate the dynamic gain of the volume leveler with interfering content types of the audio signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun WANG, Lie LU, Alan J. SEEFELDT
  • Patent number: 11877140
    Abstract: An audio processing system and method which calculates, based on spatial metadata of the audio object, a panning coefficient for each of the audio objects in relation to each of a plurality of predefined channel coverage zones. Converts the audio signal into submixes in relation to the predefined channel coverage zones based on the calculated panning coefficients and the audio objects. Each of the submixes indicating a sum of components of the plurality of the audio objects in relation to one of the predefined channel coverage zones. Generating a submix gain by applying an audio processing to each of the submix and controls an object gain applied to each of the audio objects. The object gain being as a function of the panning coefficients for each of the audio objects and the submix gains in relation to each of the predefined channel coverage zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alan J. Seefeldt, Lie Lu, Chen Zhang
  • Publication number: 20230401429
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products for audio processing based on convolutional neural network (CNN) are described. A first CNN architecture may comprise a contracting path of a U-net, a multi-scale CNN, and an expansive path of a U-net. The contracting path may comprise a first encoding layer and may be configured to generate an output representation of the contracting path. The multi-scale CNN may be configured to generate, based on the output representation of the contracting path, an intermediate representation. The multi-scale CNN may comprise at least two parallel convolution paths. The expansive path may comprise a first decoding layer and may be configured to generate a final representation based on the intermediate representation generated by the multi-scale CNN.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jundai Sun, Lie Lu, Zhiwei Shuang
  • Publication number: 20230386500
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products for audio processing based on convolutional neural network (CNN) are described. The CNN architecture may comprise a multi-scale input block and a multi-scale nested block. The multi-scale input block may be configured to receive input data and to generate a first downsampled input data set by downsampling the input data. The multi-scale nested block may comprise a first encoding layer configured to generate a first encoded data set by performing a convolution based on the input data. The multi-scale nested block may comprise a second encoding layer configured to generate a second encoded data set by performing a convolution based on the first downsampled input data set. Furthermore, the multi-scale nested block may comprise a first convolutional layer configured to generate a first output data set by upsampling the second encoded data set, concatenating the first encoded data set and the upsampled second encoded data set, and performing a convolution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jundai Sun, Lie Lu, Zhiwei Shuang
  • Publication number: 20230353970
    Abstract: Diffuse or spatially large audio objects may be identified for special processing. A decorrelation process may be performed on audio signals corresponding to the large audio objects to produce decorrelated large audio object audio signals. These decorrelated large audio object audio signals may be associated with object locations, which may be stationary or time-varying locations. For example, the decorrelated large audio object audio signals may be rendered to virtual or actual speaker locations. The output of such a rendering process may be input to a scene simplification process. The decorrelation, associating and/or scene simplification processes may be performed prior to a process of encoding the audio data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicants: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Dirk Jeroen BREEBAART, Lie LU, Nicolas R. TSINGOS, Antonio MATEOS SOLE
  • Patent number: 11736890
    Abstract: Diffuse or spatially large audio objects may be identified for special processing. A decorrelation process may be performed on audio signals corresponding to the large audio objects to produce decorrelated large audio object audio signals. These decorrelated large audio object audio signals may be associated with object locations, which may be stationary or time-varying locations. For example, the decorrelated large audio object audio signals may be rendered to virtual or actual speaker locations. The output of such a rendering process may be input to a scene simplification process. The decorrelation, associating and/or scene simplification processes may be performed prior to a process of encoding the audio data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignees: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Dirk Jeroen Breebaart, Lie Lu, Nicolas R. Tsingos, Antonio Mateos Sole
  • Publication number: 20230245671
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a method comprises: transforming one or more frames of a two-channel time domain audio signal into a time-frequency domain representation including a plurality of time-frequency tiles, wherein the frequency domain of the time-frequency domain representation includes a plurality of frequency bins grouped into subbands. For each time-frequency tile, the method comprises: calculating spatial parameters and a level for the time-frequency tile; modifying the spatial parameters using shift and squeeze parameters; obtaining a softmask value for each frequency bin using the modified spatial parameters, the level and subband information; and applying the softmask values to the time-frequency tile to generate a modified time-frequency tile of an estimated audio source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2021
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Applicants: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Aaron Steven MASTER, Lie LU, Harald MUNDT
  • Patent number: 11711062
    Abstract: Volume leveler controller and controlling method are disclosed. In one embodiment, A volume leveler controller includes an audio content classifier for identifying the content type of an audio signal in real time; and an adjusting unit for adjusting a volume leveler in a continuous manner based on the content type as identified. The adjusting unit may configured to positively correlate the dynamic gain of the volume leveler with informative content types of the audio signal, and negatively correlate the dynamic gain of the volume leveler with interfering content types of the audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Wang, Lie Lu, Alan J. Seefeldt
  • Publication number: 20230232176
    Abstract: A method comprises: obtaining softmask values for frequency bins of time-frequency tiles representing an audio signal; reducing, or expanding and limiting, the softmask values; and applying the reduced, or expanded and limited, softmask values to the frequency bins to create a time-frequency representation of an estimated target source. An alternative method comprises, for each time-frequency tile: obtaining softmask values; applying the softmask values to the frequency bins to create a time-frequency domain representation of an estimated target source; obtaining a panning parameter and a source concentration estimates for the target source; determining, using the panning parameter estimate and the softmask values, a magnitude for the time-frequency representation of the estimated target source; determining, using the panning parameter estimate and the source phase concentration estimate, a phase for the time-frequency representation of the estimated target source; and combining the magnitude and the phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Applicants: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Aaron Steven MASTER, Lie LU, Heiko PURNHAGEN
  • Publication number: 20230215423
    Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and devices for combined audio separation and classification are provided. An estimated separated signal is time gated based on a determination of an audio classifier of, at least in part, the original mix of signals before separation. Combined separation, classification, and time gating of both the estimated signal and a residual signal are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Applicants: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Aaron Steven MASTER, Lie LU, Heidi-Maria LEHTONEN
  • Publication number: 20230105114
    Abstract: An audio processing system and method which calculates, based on spatial metadata of the audio object, a panning coefficient for each of the audio objects in relation to each of a plurality of predefined channel coverage zones. Converts the audio signal into submixes in relation to the predefined channel coverage zones based on the calculated panning coefficients and the audio objects. Each of the submixes indicating a sum of components of the plurality of the audio objects in relation to one of the predefined channel coverage zones. Generating a submix gain by applying an audio processing to each of the submix and controls an object gain applied to each of the audio objects. The object gain being as a function of the panning coefficients for each of the audio objects and the submix gains in relation to each of the predefined channel coverage zones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Alan J. SEEFELDT, Lie LU, Chen ZHANG
  • Publication number: 20220366933
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of blind detection of binauralized audio. If the input content is detected as binaural, a second binauralization may be avoided. In this manner, the user experience avoids audio artifacts introduced by multiple binauralizations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Chunmao ZHANG, Lianwu CHEN, Ziyu YANG, Joshua Brandon LANDO, David Matthew FISCHER, Lie LU
  • Patent number: 11470437
    Abstract: An audio processing system and method which calculates, based on spatial metadata of the audio object, a panning coefficient for each of the audio objects in relation to each of a plurality of predefined channel coverage zones. Converts the audio signal into submixes in relation to the predefined channel coverage zones based on the calculated panning coefficients and the audio objects. Each of the submixes indicating a sum of components of the plurality of the audio objects in relation to one of the predefined channel coverage zones. Generating a submix gain by applying an audio processing to each of the submix and controls an object gain applied to each of the audio objects. The object gain being as a function of the panning coefficients for each of the audio objects and the submix gains in relation to each of the predefined channel coverage zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Alan J. Seefeldt, Lie Lu, Chen Zhang
  • Publication number: 20220272474
    Abstract: Example embodiments disclosed herein relate to audio object clustering. A method for metadata-preserved audio object clustering is disclosed. The method comprises classifying an audio object into at least a category based rendering mode information metadata. The method further comprises assigning a predetermined number of clusters to the categories and rendering the audio object based on the rendering mode. Corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Lianwu CHEN, Lie LU, Nicolas R. TSINGOS
  • Publication number: 20220223144
    Abstract: Described herein is a method for Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) based speech source separation, wherein the method includes the steps of: (a) providing multiple frames of a time-frequency transform of an original noisy speech signal; (b) inputting the time-frequency transform of said multiple frames into an aggregated multi-scale CNN having a plurality of parallel convolution paths; (c) extracting and outputting, by each parallel convolution path, features from the input time-frequency transform of said multiple frames; (d) obtaining an aggregated output of the outputs of the parallel convolution paths; and (e) generating an output mask for extracting speech from the original noisy speech signal based on the aggregated output. Described herein are further an apparatus for CNN based speech source separation as well as a respective computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium with instructions adapted to carry out said method when executed by a device having processing capability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Jundai SUN, Zhiwei SHUANG, Lie LU, Shaofan YANG, Jia DAI