Abstract: Apparatus cools electronic circuitry. An enclosure surrounds the circuitry. Air intake holes are only in a portion of a first panel that faces a first direction. Air exhaust holes are only in a portion of a second panel that faces a second direction opposite the first. Air plenum piece is disposed within the enclosure, and a substantially planar portion extends from a first panel inner wall and ends a distance from a second panel inner wall. At least one tab extends from the substantially planar portion to an upper panel inner wall. The air plenum piece divides an enclosure interior into a first volume, enclosed by the first panel inner wall, substantially planar portion, at least one tab, and upper panel inner wall, into which the air intake holes open and a second volume into which the air exhaust holes open. The second volume is a remaining interior volume.

Abstract: According to a first aspect of the embodiments, a microphone mixer is provided comprising: an input adapted to receive differential microphone (mic) output signals; a gain-trim circuit adapted to receive the differential mic output signals, and which includes a substantially fully differential amplifier adapted to amplify the received differential mic output signals through use of a gain-trim output adjustment device that provides a variable gain amount ranging from a first gain-trim gain value to a second gain-trim gain value, to produce differential gain-trim circuit output signals; a fader circuit adapted to receive the differential gain-trim circuit output signals, and which includes a differential amplifier adapted to attenuate the received differential gain-trim circuit output signals through use of a fader output adjustment device that provides a variable gain amount ranging from a first fader gain value to a second fader value; and a common adjustment apparatus that mechanically ties the gain-trim out

Abstract: A cable retractor includes a housing. A spool is disposed within the housing and is mechanically coupled to the housing and rotatable about an axis. A spring mechanism is operatively attached to the spool and is configured to urge the spool to rotate in a first rotational direction about the axis. An electricity operated rotation regulator is operatively attached to the spool and is configured to, when activated, prevent the spool from rotating in the first rotational direction.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for delaying audio from a received signal prior to processing in an acoustic echo cancellation device, comprising: receiving an audio signal at an audio extraction and delay device; determining a first amount of delay to apply to the received audio signal such that acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) processing can occur; applying the first amount of delay to the received audio signal; transmitting the un-delayed audio signal to an AEC circuit; and transmitting the delayed audio signal to one or more speakers.

Abstract: An apparatus cools electronic circuitry. An enclosure surrounds the electronic circuitry and has plural surfaces. Air intake holes are disposed in at least one surface and face at least one first direction. Air exhaust holes are disposed in at least another surface and face at least one second direction different than the first direction. A heat sink is in thermal contact with the circuitry and conducts heat generated by the circuitry. When a fan operates, air is drawn from an exterior of the enclosure through the air intake holes, absorbs heat from the heat sink, and then is directed through the air exhaust holes into the exterior of the enclosure. The heat sink is further in thermal contact with the enclosure so that when the fan does not operate, heat is drawn from the circuitry to the enclosure via the heat sink and is dissipated from the exterior.

Abstract: An integrated latching mechanism includes a slider button extending along a first direction, curved elastic arms that extend from the slider button in a second direction and then curve back in an direction opposite thereto, a locking part contiguous with the slider button and extending away from the slider button and the elastic arms in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction. In response to ends of the elastic arms being held at fixed positions and an external force urging the slider button in a direction opposite to the third direction, the locking part moves in the same direction, and the urging of the slider button distorts the elastic arms such that upon removal of the external force, the elastic arms move the slider button and the locking part in the third direction. The elastic arms, slider button, and locking part form a single piece of elastic material.

Abstract: Described herein is a speakerphone system (system) comprising: at least one loudspeaker, the loudspeaker adapted to generate mechanical vibrations on an enclosure of the system; at least one microphone (mic) adapted to convert an input sound acoustic signal into an input sound electrical signal and adapted to convert the mechanical vibrations into a mechanical vibrations electrical signal, and to output both of the input sound electrical signal and the mechanical vibrations electrical signal as a mic output signal; at least one mechanical vibration sensor (MVS) adapted to convert the mechanical vibrations to a mechanical vibration error signal to output the mechanical vibration error signal as an MVS output signal; and circuitry adapted to subtract the MVS output signal from the mic output signal and output the resultant signal as a speakerphone output signal.

Abstract: Disclosed is a microphone system, comprising: one or more microphones each of which is adapted to receive acoustic audio signals and convert the same from acoustical energy signals into electrical audio signals and output the same as microphone output audio signals; and an acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) device adapted to receive the microphone output audio signals, and wherein the AEC device also receives as a second input a reference audio signal from a network, and wherein the AEC device is further adapted to cancel substantially all of the reference audio signal from the microphone output audio signals and output the same as a corrected audio signal, and wherein the reference audio signal comprises an audio signal generated by an external audio system.

Abstract: An innovative system for transmitting encrypted 1-bit audio over an Ethernet network comprises using an omni-directional micro-electrical-mechanical system acoustic sensor element (11) to provide an analog input signal (33) to a sigma-delta modulator (12) which then creates a pulse density modulated 1-bit data stream (32), at an audio oversampling rate, to a first input of a first exclusive-or (XOR) logic gate (58). The second input of the XOR logic gate is simultaneously presented with a first pseudo-random 1-bit data stream (78), at the same audio oversampling rate, thereby resulting in an encrypted pulse density modulated (PDM) 1-bit data stream (73) at the output of the XOR logic gate. The encrypted PDM 1-bit data stream is clocked into a first-in first-out (FIFO) memory at the audio oversampling rate and is clocked out of the first FIFO memory as Ethernet PDM frame data packages (74) at a predetermined Ethernet PHY transfer rate.

Abstract: Described herein are systems, modes, and methods for an electronics enclosure cooling apparatus comprising a plurality of air intake holes located on at least one surface of the enclosure, a plurality of air exhaust holes located on at least one surface of the enclosure different from that of the surface wherein the air intake holes are located, an air plenum piece that comprises a substantially planar portion and a hole located on the substantially planar portion, the air plenum piece of such dimension and placement within the enclosure such that a first volume of the interior is created and a second volume of the interior is created, and wherein the air plenum piece is further adapted to create an air channel that substantially separates the first volume of the interior of the enclosure from the second volume of the interior, and wherein the first volume is in fluid engagement with the plurality of air intake holes, and further wherein the second volume is in fluid engagement with the plurality of air exhau

Abstract: A roller shade comprising a motor pretensioned counterbalancing spring that lowers the torque load on the motor of the roller shade throughout the rolling up or rolling down cycles. The roller shade comprises a motor drive unit including a motor adapted to drive a drive wheel through a clutch. The motor drive unit further comprises a first spring carrier adapted to be stationary during operation of the motor and a second spring carrier adapted to rotate during operation of the motor. The motor drive unit further comprises a counterbalancing spring connected at its first end to the first spring carrier and at its second end to the second spring carrier. The counterbalancing spring is pretensioned using the motor prior to inserting the motor drive unit into the roller tube by driving the drive wheel and thereby rotating the second end of the counterbalancing spring with respect to the first end of the counterbalancing spring.

Abstract: An apparatus cools electronic circuitry. An enclosure surrounds the electronic circuitry and has plural surfaces. Air intake holes are disposed in at least one surface and face at least one first direction. Air exhaust holes are disposed in at least another surface and face at least one second direction different than the first direction. A heat sink is in thermal contact with the circuitry and conducts heat generated by the circuitry. When a fan operates, air is drawn from an exterior of the enclosure through the air intake holes, absorbs heat from the heat sink, and then is directed through the air exhaust holes into the exterior of the enclosure. The heat sink is further in thermal contact with the enclosure so that when the fan does not operate, heat is drawn from the circuitry to the enclosure via the heat sink and is dissipated from the exterior.

Abstract: Battery operated shade comprising a shade material operably connected at its top end to a motor drive unit that raises and lowers the shade material between an upper limit and a lower limit to adjustably cover a structural opening. The shade comprises a housing that at least partially conceals the motor drive unit. The shade further comprises a battery compartment for providing power to the motor drive unit and a pair of swing arms each pivotally connected at their proximal end to the shade housing and at their distal end to the battery compartment. The pair of swing arm are adapted to pivot with respect to the shade housing to swivel the battery compartment from a first position, where the battery compartment is at least partially concealed by the shade housing and the pair of swing arms are retained by a pair of retaining clips, to a second position where the battery compartment extends out of the shade housing.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining one or more spoken words, comprising: receiving acoustic audio signals at one or more microphones within a microphone system, and converting the same from acoustical energy signals into electrical audio signals and outputting them as microphone output audio signals; receiving the microphone output audio signals from the microphone device at a first input of an acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) device, and receiving a reference input signal at a second input of the AEC device; cancelling substantially all of the reference audio signal from the microphone output audio signal; and outputting the same as a corrected audio signal, and wherein the reference audio signal comprises an audio signal generated by an external audio system.

Abstract: A beamforming microphone array is described herein, comprising: a plurality of microphones each of which is adapted to receive an acoustic audio signal and convert the same to a microphone (mic) audio signal; a wave sensor system adapted to determine locations of one or more people within a predetermined area about the beamforming microphone array and output the same as user location data signal; and an adaptive beamforming circuit adapted to receive the user location data signal and plurality of mic audio signals and perform adaptive beamforming on the plurality of mic audio signals that takes into account the received user location data signal to adapt a plurality of beam signals, one for each of the microphones, to acquire sound from one or more specific locations in the predetermined area; and a plurality of acoustic echo cancellation devices, one for each of the beam signal outputs from the adaptive beamforming circuit, wherein each of the plurality of acoustic echo cancellation devices is adapted to rec

Abstract: A gear includes a circular base having a front surface that includes an inner region and an outer region that surrounds the inner region. The circular base is rotatable about a central axis. Plural gear teeth are arranged in a same row and extend outward from the outer region of the front surface and are evenly spaced from each other along plural locations on the outer region. Each gear tooth has a cross-sectional width that decreases with decreasing distance from the central axis, and has an outer shape configured to permit any one of the gear teeth in the row to contact and directly mesh with any gear tooth in a corresponding row of gear teeth of a substantially identical gear for any gear angle within a predefined range of gear angles between the central axis of the gear and the central axis of the substantially identical gear.

Abstract: A roller shade adapted to adjustably cover a structural opening comprising a pair of longitudinal side panel assemblies each comprising a tensioning assembly and adapted to be attached at opposite sides of the structural opening and a roller tube assembly adapted to be attached to and between the pair of longitudinal side panel assemblies. The roller tube assembly comprises a roller tube comprising at least one channel and a shade material attached to the roller tube and adapted to unroll from the roller tube from an opened position to a closed position. The roller tube assembly further comprises at least one cable cone secured to an end of the roller tube and comprising a lateral wall comprising a plurality of index slots disposed at radial intervals along the lateral wall. The roller shade also comprises at least one cable adapted to be wound about the cable cone, be tensioned by the tensioning assembly, and be attached to a free end of the shade material.