Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide for methods for automatically controlling loudness of an audio signal. Embodiments of the invention also provide for a device for automatically controlling loudness of an audio signal. In particular, the invention relates to controlling loudness of an audio signal to be replayed within a vehicle, such as a car.

Abstract: A multi-channel microphone receiver (MCR) for two or more wireless microphones (M1, . . . , MN) comprises a network interface and at least one mixer (MX) adapted for mixing audio signals (D1, . . . , DN) of the microphones. The mixer may be configured without any reconfiguration of the actual network being required. In addition to the single audio channels, the audio signal mixed according to the configuration may be output via a separate audio output channel (DOMx, AOMx), which may be analog or digital.

Abstract: There is set forth a method and a system for recording and synchronizing audio and video signals. The audio signal and the video signal are stored together with time stamps from a respective associated system clock. The invention relates to an adaptation of the duration of the recorded audio sequence to the duration of an associated video sequence in order to level out differences in synchronization of the two system clocks. Alignment of the two system clocks is also introduced, which is based on a data transfer which has variable waiting times for the access to a transmission channel. This thus permits clock alignment with means as are available for example on a smartphone.

Abstract: When an OFDM radio system which uses a wide frequency band is interfered with by another narrow-band radio system, the interference can frequently be compensated but the transmission quality decreases drastically. Thus, narrow-band interferers in an OFDM radio system are determined according to the invention whereby none of the subscribers of the radio system transmits in a defined time slot or scan slot but all switch at the same time into the receiving mode. If there is interference (P1, P2), it is detected in this time slot. Countermeasures are taken individually in all the mobile devices, in particular the detection of the frequency and strength of the narrowband interference (P1, P2) and the configuration of a flexible notch filter (140) in the time range to the detected frequency and strength. The scanned received signal (RXS) is then filtered in the time range, i.e. before the FFT (120) and the OFDM channel estimation (130) by the correspondingly configured notch filter (140).

Abstract: A method of wireless audio transmission between a wireless transmitter and a wireless receiver in a program making special event PMSE system. An audio signal is transmitted from the at least one wireless transmitter to the wireless receiver by way of a first wireless transmission path. The at least one wireless transmitter is coupled to a smart device by way of a second wireless transmission path in order to exchange parameters and/or data. Exchange of parameters and/or data occurs between the smart device and the wireless receiving unit by way of a network, in particular the Internet.

Abstract: A method and a system with which a primary user, in particular a mobile radio operator, can make a part of the radio spectrum range which is reserved exclusively for the mobile radio operator available in localized and/or time-restricted fashion to a local end user who requested the restricted usage authorization of the radio spectrum range using registered credentials at the mobile radio operator. By way of the credentials the mobile radio operator can allow the local end user limited usage of that radio spectrum range in fee-bearing fashion and can bill same. The local user can then use the assigned frequency band in accordance with his own needs. In particular the user can wirelessly transmit signals in the assigned frequency range between end devices to which no credentials are allocated and in that situation use a transmission protocol which is not defined for the mobile radio network.

Abstract: A microphone array system or microphone array unit for a conference system is provided that includes a front board, side walls and a plurality of microphone capsules arranged in or on the front board mountable on or in a ceiling of a conference room. The microphone array system or unit is adapted for generating a steerable beam within a maximum detection angle range. The microphone array system or microphone array unit includes a processing unit which is configured to receive the output signals of the microphone capsules and to steer the beam based on the received output signal of the microphone array. The processing unit is configured to control the microphone array to limit the detection angle range to exclude at least one predetermined exclusion sector in which a noise source is located.

Abstract: Microphone arrays comprise several microphone capsules, the outputs of which being electronically combined for directional recording of sound. The directional and frequency properties of the microphone array depend on the number and positions of the microphone array. In order to obtain the smallest possible microphone array with only few microphone capsules, which, however, has an essentially uniform directional and frequency dependence over a speech frequency range, is scalable and robust against small incorrect positioning of the capsules, fifteen or twenty-one microphone capsules (K15,11-K15,35, K21,11-K21,37) are arranged on a carrier such that they lie on three similar branches, each with the same number of microphone capsules, which are rotated against each other by 120°. Each of the microphone capsules lies on a corner of a triangle of a grid in a flat isometric coordinate system with three axes rotated by 120° against each other and forming the grid of equilateral triangles.

Abstract: A method and a system with which a primary user, in particular a mobile radio operator, can make a part of the radio spectrum range which is reserved exclusively for the mobile radio operator available in localized and/or time-restricted fashion to a local end user who requested the restricted usage authorization of the radio spectrum range using registered credentials at the mobile radio operator. By way of the credentials the mobile radio operator can allow the local end user limited usage of that radio spectrum range in fee-bearing fashion and can bill same. The local user can then use the assigned frequency band in accordance with his own needs. In particular the user can wirelessly transmit signals in the assigned frequency range between end devices to which no credentials are allocated and in that situation use a transmission protocol which is not defined for the mobile radio network.

Abstract: A microphone array system or microphone array unit for a conference system is provided that includes a front board, side walls and a plurality of microphone capsules arranged in or on the front board mountable on or in a ceiling of a conference room. The microphone array system or unit is adapted for generating a steerable beam within a maximum detection angle range. The microphone array system or microphone array unit includes a processing unit which is configured to receive the output signals of the microphone capsules and to steer the beam based on the received output signal of the microphone array. The processing unit is configured to control the microphone array to limit the detection angle range to exclude at least one predetermined exclusion sector in which a noise source is located.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide for a device and method for processing multi-channel audio signals, the multi-channel audio signals comprising at least a left channel, a right channel, and a center channel. Embodiments of the invention also provide for a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed on a computer cause the computer to perform the method.

Abstract: For certain application cases, such as e.g., in a sports stadium, a microphone array having a particularly high directivity in the vertical direction and a high, yet in wide limits adjustable directivity in horizontal direction is provided. The microphone array has a plurality of microphones whose output signals are combined into at least one common output signal. The microphones are directional microphones with a preferred direction of high sensitivity and arranged substantially in one plane on a circle or segment of a circle, such that each microphone has a different direction of high directivity. For each of the microphones, the preferred direction of high sensitivity is substantially orthogonal to the circle or segment of the circle. A common output signal of the microphone array is obtained by beamforming. The microphone array has an adjustable preferred direction of high sensitivity, wherein the common output signal comprises the sound recorded from this adjustable direction.

Abstract: Protection helmets may include integrated communication systems to allow the wearer to communicate with other persons. In a very loud environment, a reduction of ambient noise may be helpful, for example, for improving wireless communication. An improved protection helmet includes a helmet shell, a chin guard, a first microphone mounted on the inside of the chin guard and facing the mouth of the wearer, a second microphone mounted on the outside, the upper side or the lower side of the chin guard and not facing the mouth of the wearer, an electronic noise reduction unit generating a difference signal between signals of the first and the second microphone, and at least one interface for outputting the difference signal. Ambient noise in the signal of the first microphone can be reduced with the signal of the second microphone.

Abstract: Binaurally reproduced audio signals are often perceived as unnatural. For example, speech intelligibility may be reduced. For improving the spatial reproduction of audio signals, the invention enables binaurally virtualizing a single-channel audio signal only partially by filtering. A degree of binaural virtualization for the audio signal based on one or more processing parameters (PC, PFC, PTC) may be freely chosen. A control allows a smooth transition between a completely binaural virtualization based on HRTF and a non-binaural virtualization corresponding to panning. A first range (B1) starts with a completely binaural virtualization and the HRTFs that are commonly used for this. In this range, the HRTFs are modified by scaling and by approaching them to the gain factors of the panning while decreasing a degree of binaural virtualization. In a subsequent second range (B2) that leads to a completely panning-like virtualization, the resulting phase is reduced, or adjusted to the panning phase of 0°.

Abstract: A conference system is provided that includes a microphone array unit having a plurality of microphone capsules arranged in or on a board mountable on or in a ceiling of a conference room. The microphone array unit has a steerable beam and a maximum detection angle range. The conference system comprises a processing unit which is configured to receive the output signals of the microphone capsules and to steer the beam based on the received output signal of the microphone array unit. The processing unit is configured to control the microphone array to limit the detection angle range to exclude at least one predetermined exclusion sector in which a noise source is located.

Abstract: A microphone array system or microphone array unit for a conference system is provided that includes a front board, side walls and a plurality of microphone capsules arranged in or on the front board mountable on or in a ceiling of a conference room. The microphone array system or unit is adapted for generating a steerable beam within a maximum detection angle range. The microphone array system or microphone array unit includes a processing unit which is configured to receive the output signals of the microphone capsules and to steer the beam based on the received output signal of the microphone array. The processing unit is configured to control the microphone array to limit the detection angle range to exclude at least one predetermined exclusion sector in which a noise source is located.

Abstract: A microphone array device including microphone capsules and at least one processing unit configured to receive output signals of the microphone capsules, dynamically steer an audio beam based on the received output signal of the microphone capsules, and generate and provide an audio output signal based on the received output signal of the microphone capsules. The processing unit is configured to operate in a dynamic beam mode where at least one focused audio beam is formed that points towards a detected audio source and in a default beam mode where a broader audio beam is formed that covers substantially a default detection area. The microphone array may be incorporated into a conference system.

Abstract: In order for a microphone array to capture sound emanating from a moving object whose exact position is unknown at the time of arrival of the sound signal, a method for controlling the microphone array comprises steps of receiving position information that includes a position (pTR) and a velocity of the moving object from a tracking system, receiving a plurality of microphone signals that comprise sound of a sound event emanating from the moving object from a plurality of microphone capsules, calculating a directional characteristic from the plurality of microphone signals, wherein the directional characteristic is based on beamforming according to the position information and wherein an audio output signal is generated that includes the sound from a preferred direction of high sensitivity, and providing the audio output signal at an output.

Abstract: For converting analog audio signals captured by a microphone into digital audio data, the analog audio signals are first amplified in a pre-amplifier and then fed to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). For better utilizing the dynamic range of the ADC, a DC coupled dual amplifier circuit may be used herein that automatically switches between two amplifier branches with different gain factors. To avoid switching noise, both signals must have the same DC component before the analog-to-digital conversion. To achieve this, the amplifier arrangement comprises a first amplifier branch having a higher first gain factor (G1) and providing a first output voltage (VOUT1) and a second amplifier branch having a lower second gain factor (G2) and providing a second output voltage (VOUT2). Both amplifier branches are DC coupled and receive as a common input signal an audio signal with a predetermined DC component (Vk).