Patents Assigned to Plantronics, Inc.
  • Patent number: 10924598
    Abstract: A stand includes a neck, a base coupled to a first end of the neck, and a receiving interface located at a second end of the neck. The receiving interface is configured to receive a short stand of a desktop phone device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Hector Rodriguez, Anthony Martin Duys, Nathan Yang, Gabriela Vargas
  • Patent number: 10923096
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for addressing open space noise are disclosed. In one example, a method for masking open space noise includes optimizing a recorded naturally occurring sound signal. The method also includes outputting the optimized recorded naturally occurring sound signal from a plurality of speakers distributed in the open space. Further, the method includes displaying a natural system complementing the optimized recorded naturally occurring sound signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Evan Harris Benway, Kwangsee Allen Woo, Dolores Frances Nelson, Ken Kannappan
  • Patent number: 10924155
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for carrier selection are described. In one example, a method of carrier selection for a frequency-hopping wireless communication device includes using a fixed set of available carriers to hop over during communications. The method includes allocating a subset of the available carriers to a long-range carrier class. In one example, the subset of available carriers consists of at least two carrier clusters spaced widely in the frequency spectrum. The method further includes monitoring a transmit power level in the wireless communication device. The method further includes using the long-range carrier class to hop over during communications if the wireless communication device transmit power is greater than a predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Jacobus Cornelis Haartsen
  • Publication number: 20210044889
    Abstract: A communication headset includes a neckband with a horseshoe-shaped footprint and two microphone tips disposed at two ends of the neckband, the two ends establishing an aperture of the horseshoe-shaped footprint. Each of the two microphone tips includes a slanted base. The communication headset further includes a microphone array including two sets of microphones in a spatial configuration in which the two sets of microphones are disposed on the slanted bases of the two microphone tips.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Applicant: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Cheng Liu, John A Kelley, Wen Song, John S. Graham
  • Patent number: 10917799
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for managing user density in wireless communications are described. In one example, a method includes receiving at a central controller device a plurality of link data associated with a plurality of wireless links between a plurality of first communication devices and a plurality of second communication devices. The method includes identifying a global system performance from the plurality of link data utilizing a link quality parameter. The method further includes, responsive to the global system performance, generating one or more modified link settings for a first wireless link between a first communication device and a second communication device. The method further includes transmitting from the central controller device to the first communication device or the second communication device the one or more modified link settings for the first wireless link for implementation at the first communication device and/or the second communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jacobus Cornelis Haartsen, Catelyn Gifford Orsini
  • Publication number: 20210034892
    Abstract: A videoconferencing device at an endpoint determines whether a person is a real person standing in front of a display device or if the person is instead an image rendered by a display device. In the first instance the real person will be included in a video feed for transmission to a remote endpoint. In the second instance, images of the display device on which the person is rendered will not be included in the video feed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Applicant: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Hailin Song, Hai Xu, Xi Lu, Fangpo Xu
  • Patent number: 10904485
    Abstract: A method for determining camera framing in a teleconferencing system comprises a process loop which includes acquiring an audio-visual frame from a captured a video data frame; detecting objects and extracting image features of the objects within the video data frame, ingesting the audio-visual frame into a context-based audio-visual map in an intelligent manner, and selecting targets from within the map for inclusion in an audio-video stream for transmission to a remote endpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Rommel Gabriel Childress, Jr., Alain Elon Nimri, Stephen Paul Schaefer, David Young
  • Patent number: 10904668
    Abstract: A method for interrupt based pairing for wireless audio devices includes determining a colocation of a wireless audio device with a subsequent wireless audio device with one or more sensors. An interrupt is generated in response to determining the colocation. A pairing mode of the wireless audio device is enabled in response to the interrupt. The wireless audio device is paired with the subsequent wireless audio device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Victoria Pires, Hua Zhao, Yu Zhang
  • Patent number: 10904657
    Abstract: An audio device including a housing having a side facing outwardly of the housing, the housing further having a first mounting position disposed on the side. The side has a first portion and a second portion, the first portion opposite the second portion relative to the first mounting position. The audio device also includes a first omnidirectional microphone disposed on the first portion. The audio device also includes a second microphone disposed on the first mounting position. The second microphone may be a second-order microphone. The second-order microphone has a first-order microphone disposed within a first platform mounted a distance from the first mounting position. The audio device also includes a first speaker disposed on the second portion. The first speaker is further disposed such that an audio output of the first speaker falls within a null of the second microphone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter L. Chu
  • Publication number: 20210006890
    Abstract: An earpiece including an earbud. The earbud includes a stem having a proximal end and a distal end, a speaker disposed inside the stem at the distal end, and a sleeve disposed inside the stem. The earpiece also includes a housing connected to the proximal end of the stem. The housing contains firmware configured to communicate electronically with the speaker and to communicate wirelessly with an external device. The housing also contains curved partial sleeves. Each of the curved partial sleeves is adjacent an inner surface of a wall of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Publication date: January 7, 2021
    Applicant: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Yu Zhang, Liying Wu
  • Patent number: 10880935
    Abstract: A method for secure call endpoint pairing is disclosed. The method includes starting, at a call endpoint, a pairing procedure with a wireless headset. Also, the method includes receiving a headset identifier from the wireless headset. Further, the method includes sending the headset identifier in a request to a headset registry server, and receiving, from the headset registry server, a response to the request. Additionally, the method includes terminating the pairing procedure based on the response from the headset registry server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Shantanu Sarkar
  • Publication number: 20200397307
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for heart rate detection are described. In one example, a headphones apparatus and method includes emitting a first light in a first light direction directed at a left ear location from a left ear light emitter, and detecting a detected first light at a left ear light detector following interaction of the first light with a left ear tissue. The method includes emitting a second light in a second light direction directed at a right ear location from a right ear light emitter, the right ear location different from the left ear location. The method further includes detecting a detected second light at a right ear light detector following interaction of the second light with a right ear tissue, and estimating a heart rate from the detected first light and the detected second light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Applicant: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Jacobus Cornelis Haartsen
  • Patent number: 10863112
    Abstract: A method may include receiving a source video frame captured using a wide angle lens, deriving a characteristic of a target video frame from the source video frame, generating a transitional video frame using the source video frame and the target video frame, and transmitting the transitional video frame to an endpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Wenxue He, Hai Xu, Lidan Qin, Yongkang Fan
  • Publication number: 20200374614
    Abstract: Headphones include an earbud, including a knob-shaped body, an earbud tip extending from the knob-shaped body and configured to enter an ear canal of a listener, a harness strap interface disposed on the knob-shaped body and configured to removably accommodate a detachable harness strap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Applicant: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventor: David Kim
  • Publication number: 20200360208
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for performing extension mobility via a headset connection. The method includes receiving a headset identifier from a headset. Also, the method includes, in response to receiving the headset identifier, sending the headset identifier to a device management server. Further, the method includes receiving a call control user identifier from the device management server, and sending, to a call control server, the call control user identifier. Still yet, the method includes receiving, from the call control server, a configuration profile associated with the call control user identifier. One or more settings of a desk phone are configured using the configuration profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Joe Burton, Cary Bran, Shantanu Sarkar, Philip Sherburne
  • Publication number: 20200367300
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for multiple radio frequency band operation are described. In one example, a first device is operated in a first radio frequency band. A connection request is received at the first device from a second device utilizing the first radio frequency band. The connection request is processed to designate whether the connection request is a priority services request type or a non-priority services request type. Responsive to designating the connection request as the non-priority services request type, a non-priority services communications channel is established utilizing a second radio frequency band. Responsive to designating the connection request as a priority services request type, it is determined whether a priority services channel is available or not available in the first radio frequency band.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Jacobus Cornelis Haartsen
  • Patent number: D900051
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph W Yang
  • Patent number: D906282
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: John A. Kelley, Chase Patrick Bailey
  • Patent number: RE48402
    Abstract: A method is provided for encoding multiple microphone signals into a composite source-separable audio (SSA) signal, conducive for transmission over a voice network. The embodiments enable the processing of source separation of the target voice signal from its ambient sound to be performed at any point in the voice communication network, including the internet cloud. A multiplicity of processing is possible over the SSA signal, based on the intended voice application. The level of processing is adapted with the availability of the processing power at the chosen processing node in the network in one embodiment. An apparatus for separating out the target source voice from its ambient sound is also provided. The apparatus includes a directed source separation (DSS) unit, which processes the two virtual microphone signals in the SSA representation, to generate a new SSA signal including the enhanced target voice and the enhanced ambient noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Shridhar K Mukund
  • Patent number: D910599
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Terry M Carr