Patents Assigned to QNX Software Systems Limited
  • Patent number: 8284947
    Abstract: A signal processing system detects reverberation. The system may suppress the reverberation and improve signal quality. The system analyzes frequency bands of an input signal to determine whether reverberation characteristics are present. When reverberation is detected, the system may attenuate the reverberant frequency band to reduce or eliminate the reverberation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Limited
    Inventors: David Giesbrecht, Phillip Hetherington
  • Patent number: 8279344
    Abstract: A system synchronizes a video presentation to a master time reference (e.g., a corresponding audio presentation) by modifying a video cadence. The system detects when a displayed video leads or lags a master time reference by a programmable level or more. The system minimizes the synchronization error by inserting or removing source video frames to or from a frame cadence pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Limited
    Inventor: Adrian Boak
  • Patent number: 8271279
    Abstract: A speech enhancement system improves the perceptual quality of a processed voice signal. The system improves the perceptual quality of a voice signal by removing unwanted noise components from a voice signal. The system removes undesirable signals that may result in the loss of information. The system receives and analyzes signals to determine whether an undesired random or persistent signal corresponds to one or more modeled noises. When one or more noise components are detected, the noise components are substantially removed or dampened from the signal to provide a less noisy voice signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Limited
    Inventors: Phillip A. Hetherington, Shreyas A. Paranjpe
  • Patent number: 8260612
    Abstract: An enhancement system improves the estimate of noise from a received signal. The system includes a spectrum monitor that divides a portion of the signal at more than one frequency resolution. Adaptation logic derives a noise adaptation factor of the received signal. A plurality of devices tracks the characteristics of an estimated noise in the received signal and modifies multiple noise adaptation rates. Weighting logic applies the modified noise adaptation rates derived from the signal divided at a first frequency resolution to the signal divided at a second frequency resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Limited
    Inventor: Phillip A. Hetherington
  • Publication number: 20120221414
    Abstract: A system allocates channel bandwidth based on the data received from a plurality of remote sources. A de-multiplexer/priority circuit separates two or more different data streams into their components parts. A stream modification driver modifies one or more characteristics of the data received from the de-multiplexer/priority circuit based on a priority assigned to the data by the de-multiplexer/priority circuit. The de-multiplexer/priority circuit determines the data transfer rates for each of the different data streams based on the assigned priority.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: QNX Software Systems Limited
    Inventors: Phillip A. Hetherington, Mario Vaira, Alex Escott
  • Publication number: 20120218375
    Abstract: A system allocates channel bandwidth based on the data received from a plurality of remote sources. A de-multiplexer/priority circuit separates two or more different data streams into their components parts. A stream modification driver modifies one or more characteristics of the data received from the de-multiplexer/priority circuit based on a priority assigned to the data by the de-multiplexer/priority circuit. The de-multiplexer/priority circuit determines the data transfer rates for each of the different data streams based on the assigned priority.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: QNX Software Systems Limited
    Inventors: Phillip A. Hetherington, Mario Vaira, Alex Escott
  • Patent number: 8249861
    Abstract: A speech enhancement system that improves the intelligibility and the perceived quality of processed speech includes a frequency transformer and a spectral compressor. The frequency transformer converts speech signals from the time domain to the frequency domain. The spectral compressor compresses a pre-selected portion of the high frequency band and maps the compressed high frequency band to a lower band limited frequency range. The speech enhancement system may be built into, may be a unitary part of, or may be configured to interface other systems that process audio or high frequency signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Limited
    Inventors: Xueman Li, Phillip Hetherington, Alex Escott
  • Patent number: 8244538
    Abstract: A system evaluates a hands free communication system. The system automatically selects a consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC), vowel-consonant-vowel (VCV), or other combination of sounds from an intelligent database. The selection is transmitted with another communication stream that temporally overlaps the selection. The quality of the communication system is evaluated through an automatic speech recognition engine. The evaluation occurs at a location remote from the transmitted selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Limited
    Inventors: Shreyas Paranjpe, Mark Fallat
  • Patent number: 8245230
    Abstract: A symmetric multiprocessing system includes multiple processing units and corresponding instances of an adaptive partition processing scheduler. Each instance of the adaptive partition processing scheduler selectively allocates the respective processing unit to run process threads of one or more adaptive partitions based on a comparison between merit function values of the one or more adaptive partitions. The merit function for a particular partition of the one or more adaptive partitions may be based on whether the adaptive partition has available budget on the respective central processing unit. The merit function for a particular partition associated with an instance of the adaptive partition scheduler also, or in the alternative, may be based on whether the adaptive partition has available global budget on the symmetric multiprocessing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Limited
    Inventor: Attilla Danko
  • Patent number: 8219389
    Abstract: A speech enhancement system that improves the intelligibility and the perceived quality of processed speech includes a frequency transformer and a spectral compressor. The frequency transformer converts speech signals from the time domain to the frequency domain. The spectral compressor compresses a pre-selected portion of the high frequency band and maps the compressed high frequency band to a lower band limited frequency range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Limited
    Inventors: Phillip A. Hetherington, Xueman Li
  • Patent number: 8209514
    Abstract: A system comprises memory, process code, and resource partitioning code, where the code is executable by a processor. The process code may spawn multiple processes that request for access to the memory. The resource partitioning code generates resource partition objects and assigns processes to the resource partition objects. The processes may generate media store objects for storage in the memory. The media store objects may correspond to media storage devices and/or the media files accessed by the media storage devices. Access to the memory for storage of the media store objects of a process is based on parametric rules of the corresponding resource partition object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Limited
    Inventors: Michael Kisel, Tim Jenkins, Dan Cardamore, Giles Roy, Peter van der Veen
  • Patent number: 8200499
    Abstract: A system extends the high-frequency spectrum of a narrowband audio signal in the time domain. The system extends the harmonics of vowels by introducing a non linearity in a narrow band signal. Extended consonants are generated by a random-noise generator. The system differentiates the vowels from the consonants by exploiting predetermined features of a speech signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Limited
    Inventors: Rajeev Nongpiur, Phillip A. Hetherington
  • Patent number: 8194117
    Abstract: A system allocates channel bandwidth based on the data received from a plurality of remote sources. A de-multiplexer/priority circuit separates two or more different data streams into their components parts. A stream modification driver modifies one or more characteristics of the data received from the de-multiplexer/priority circuit based on a priority assigned to the data by the de-multiplexer/priority circuit. The de-multiplexer/priority circuit determines the data transfer rates for each of the different data streams based on the assigned priority.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Limited
    Inventors: Phillip A. Hetherington, Mario Vaira, Alex Escott
  • Patent number: 8195453
    Abstract: A distributed intelligibility testing system provides standardized audio tests to a plurality of remotely located client systems. The testing system includes a test manager that records a plurality of audio test words based on established intelligibility standards and generates a test protocol corresponding to the audio test words. A database receives and stores the audio test words and the test protocol. The audio test words are stored as a plurality of audio test files. Respective client systems in communication with the database receive and play the audio test files in accordance with the test protocol. The client systems record test responses when the audio test files are played. The test responses are stored in a database, and then evaluated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Limited
    Inventors: John Cornell, Shelia McFarland
  • Publication number: 20120131501
    Abstract: An electronic device is provided including a display, a processor and a memory. The processor is coupled to the display and the memory to carry out a method of facilitating user interface navigation in the electronic device. In a first view shown on the display, a first application interface provides a visual representation of a first application. In response to receiving a navigational command to access a second application visually represented by a second application interface, a transitional view is displayed including a transition between the first application interface and the second application interface. The displayed transition can be dependent on a property of the received navigational command. The first and second application interfaces can be displayed to appear in a non-overlapping arrangement on a planar surface, and can have sheet-like properties or behaviors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicants: QNX SOFTWARE SYSTEMS LIMITED, RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Mihal LAZARIDIS, Danny Thomas DODGE
  • Publication number: 20120127098
    Abstract: A method includes displaying information associated with a first application on a touch-sensitive display, detecting a touch on a touch-sensitive display and determining touch attributes, determining when the touch is a first gesture type based on the touch attributes, and when the touch is determined to be the first gesture type, forwarding information related to the touch to a second application, otherwise forwarding the information related to the touch to the first application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicants: QNX SOFTWARE SYSTEMS LIMITED, RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Mihal Lazaridis, Daniel Thomas Dodge, Donald James Lindsay
  • Patent number: 8180634
    Abstract: A system improves speech detection or processing by identifying registration signals. The system encodes a limited frequency band by varying the amplitude of a pulse width modulated signal between predefined values. The signal is separated into frequency bins that identify amplitude and phase. The registration signal is measured by comparing a difference in average acoustic power in a plurality of adjacent bins over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems, Limited
    Inventors: Mark Fallat, Derek Sahota
  • Publication number: 20120105345
    Abstract: A method is provided for an electronic device with a processor and a touch-sensitive display, the touch-sensitive display including a display area and a non-display area. The method includes providing a boundary based on the display area and the non-display area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicants: QNX SOFTWARE SYSTEMS LIMITED, RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Mihal Lazaridis, Danny Thomas Dodge, Donald James Lindsay
  • Patent number: 8170879
    Abstract: A signal enhancement system improves the understandability of speech or other audio signals. The system reinforces selected parts of the signal, may attenuate selected parts of the signal, and may increase SNR. The system includes delay logic, a partitioned adaptive filter, and signal reinforcement logic. The partitioned adaptive filter may track and enhance the fundamental frequency and harmonics in the input signal. The partitioned filter output signals may approximately reproduce the input signal, delayed by an integer multiple of the period of the fundamental frequency of the input signal. The reinforcement logic combines the input signal and the filtered signals to produce an enhanced output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Limited
    Inventors: Rajeev Nongpiur, David Giesbrecht, Phillip Hetherington
  • Patent number: 8169449
    Abstract: A system for compositing images using a multilayer graphics controller includes first and second applications. The first application defines masked display regions to a layer of the multilayer graphics controller using masking criterion. The second application provides an image to a further layer of the multilayer graphics controller for display in the masked region. The image may be a still image, streaming video, Internet image, or any other image type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Limited
    Inventors: Garry Turcotte, David Donohoe, Brian Edmond