Patents Examined by Alexander Krzystan
  • Patent number: 11962993
    Abstract: An apparatus for audio signal processing audio objects within at least one audio scene, the apparatus comprising at least one processor configured to: define for at least one time period at least one contextual grouping comprising at least two of a plurality of audio objects and at least one further audio object of the plurality of audio objects outside of the at least one contextual grouping, the plurality of audio objects within at least one audio scene; and define with respect to the at least one contextual grouping at least one first parameter and/or parameter rule type which is configured to be applied with respect to a common element associated with the at least two of the plurality of audio objects and wherein the at least one first parameter and/or parameter rule type is configured to be applied with respect to individual element associated with the at least one further audio object outside of the at least one contextual grouping, the at least one first parameter and/or parameter rule type being appli
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
    Inventors: Lasse Laaksonen, Mikko Tammi, Miikka Vilermo, Arto Lehtiniemi
  • Patent number: 11962992
    Abstract: According to an example embodiment, a method for processing a multi-channel input audio signal representing a sound field into a multi-channel output audio signal representing said sound field in accordance with a predefined loudspeaker layout is provided, the method comprising the following for at least one frequency band: obtaining spatial audio parameters that are descriptive of spatial characteristics of said sound field; estimating a signal energy of the sound field represented by the multi-channel input audio signal; estimating, based on said signal energy and the obtained spatial audio parameters, respective output signal energies for channels of the multi-channel output audio signal according to said predefined loudspeaker layout; determining a maximum output energy as the largest of the output signal energies across channels of said multi-channel output audio signal; and deriving, on basis of said maximum output energy, a gain value for adjusting sound reproduction gain in at least one of said channe
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
    Inventors: Mikko-Ville Laitinen, Mikko Tammi, Jussi Virolainen, Jorma Mäkinen
  • Patent number: 11944172
    Abstract: An earbud includes a housing that includes a driver assembly positioned within the housing forming a front volume in front of the driver and a back volume behind the driver. An acoustic insert is positioned behind the driver assembly and attached to an interior surface of the housing such that it forms a bass channel that is routed from the back volume to a vent in the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Arun D. Chawan, Kurt Stiehl, Benjamin A. Cousins, Jonathan S. Aase, Yacine Azmi, Paul Choiniere, Scott W. Slabaugh
  • Patent number: 11947865
    Abstract: An example implementation involves a playback device receiving digital data representing audio content, the digital data encoded in a first format. The playback device causes one or more speaker drivers to playback the audio content. The playback device decodes a portion of the received digital data to convert the portion of the received digital data from the first format to a second format and transmits, via a network interface to a computing device of an identification system, the decoded portion of the received digital data. The playback device receives, from via the network interface from the identification system, metadata corresponding to the audio content, and in response, causes a control device to display a graphical representation of the received metadata, wherein causing the control device to display the graphical representation comprises sending, via the network interface to the control device, the received metadata to the control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Clayton, Aurelio Rafael Ramos
  • Patent number: 11947874
    Abstract: A method for performing voice dictation with an earpiece worn by a user includes receiving as input to the earpiece voice sound information from the user at one or more microphones of the earpiece, receiving as input to the earpiece user control information from one or more sensors within the earpiece independent from the one or more microphones of the earpiece, inserting a machine-generated transcription of the voice sound information from the user into a user input area associated with an application executing on a computing device and manipulating the application executing on the computing device based on the user control information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: BRAGI GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Vincent Boesen, Luigi Belverato, Martin Steiner
  • Patent number: 11950080
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device for processing an audio signal, which renders an audio signal. The device for processing an audio signal includes a processor. The processor receives metadata including an audio signal and first element reference distance information and renders a first element signal on the basis of the first element reference distance information, wherein the first element reference distance information indicates the reference distance of an element signal. The audio signal is capable of including a second element signal which may be simultaneously rendered with the first element signal, and the metadata is capable of including second element distance information indicating the distance of the second element signal. The number of bits required for representing the first element reference distance information is smaller than the number of bits required for representing the second element distance information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: GAUDIO LAB, INC.
    Inventors: Hyunjoo Chung, Sangbae Chon
  • Patent number: 11934737
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for applying a volume gain to change the playback volume of a device by calculating a smoothed noise estimate. The smoothed noise estimate may calculated using an exponential smoothing method. The exponential smoothing method may include applying a weight factor to both a background noise estimate and a historical smoothed noise estimate. The weight factor may place more emphasis on either the background noise estimate or the historical smoothed noise estimate depending on the value of the weight factor. The value of the weight factor may change based on the type of environment the device is in, the speed of the background noise transitions, and/or historical data. The calculated smoothed noise estimate may be used to calculate a volume gain. The volume gain may be applied over a period of time such that the playback volume of the device changes smoothly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Jae Lee, Manas Maheshwari
  • Patent number: 11932376
    Abstract: A noise attenuating device for reducing acoustic resonance in a cavity of an aircraft with an opening in a skin of the aircraft defining a first surface area and an opening peripheral edge includes a connection mechanism for securing the noise attenuating device in proximity to the opening in the skin of the aircraft and an exterior surface. The exterior surface defines a second surface area that is less than the first surface area of the opening and a device peripheral edge, which has a first section having an edge profile complimentary to at least a portion of the opening peripheral edge and a second section having an indented edge profile in relation to the first section such that when the noise attenuating device is secured within the opening, at least one gap is formed between the device peripheral edge and the opening peripheral edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: BOMBARDIER INC.
    Inventors: Stephen Colavincenzo, Mark Huising, Stephane Brunet
  • Patent number: 11937075
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating a sound field description using an input signal having a mono-signal or a multi-channel signal comprises: an input signal analyzer for analyzing the input signal to derive direction data and diffuseness data; a low-order components generator for generating a low-order sound field description from the input signal up to a predetermined order and mode; a mid-order components generator for generating a mid-order sound field description above the predetermined order or at the predetermined order and above the predetermined mode and below or at a first truncation order using a synthesis of at least one direct portion and of at least one diffuse portion using the direction data and the diffuseness data; and a high-order components generator for generating a high-order sound field description having a component above the first truncation order using a synthesis of at least one direct portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER ANGEWAND FORSCHUNG E.V
    Inventors: Guillaume Fuchs, Oliver Thiergart, Srikanth Korse, Stefan Döhla, Markus Multrus, Fabian Küch, Alexandre Bouthéon, Andrea Eichenseer, Stefan Bayer
  • Patent number: 11929082
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the field audio coding, an in particular to an audio decoder having at least two decoding modes, and associated decoding methods and decoding software for such audio decoder. In one of the decoding modes, at least one dynamic audio object is mapped to a set of static audio objects, the set of static audio objects corresponding to a predefined speaker configuration. The present disclosure further relates to a corresponding audio encoder, and associated encoding methods and encoding software for such audio encoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Tobias Friedrich, Heiko Purnhagen, Stanislaw Gorlow, Celine Merpillat
  • Patent number: 11929098
    Abstract: An automated artificial intelligence (AI) and template-based audio record mixing system and process are disclosed. The automated AI and template-based audio record mixing system and process use provided templates and AI to mix records. The artist maintains full control of how they want to record sound when utilizing the automated AI and template-based audio record mixing system and process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Inventor: John Edward Gillespie
  • Patent number: 11922958
    Abstract: Various embodiments provide a method and an apparatus for determining a weighting factor during stereo signal encoding. In those embodiments, a parameter value corresponding to the encoding mode of the to-be-encoded signal is determined based on an encoding mode of a to-be-encoded signal in a stereo signal and a correspondence between an encoding mode and a parameter value. Based on the determined parameter value and an energy spectrum of a linear prediction filter corresponding to an original line spectral frequency parameter of the to-be-encoded signal, a weighting factor for calculating a distance between the original line spectral frequency parameter and a target original line spectral frequency parameter is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Eyal Shlomot, Haiting Li, Zexin Liu
  • Patent number: 11922954
    Abstract: An encoder includes a signal detection circuit and a signal encoding circuit. The signal encoding circuit is configured to encode the Nth-frame downmixed signal when the signal detection circuit detects that an Nth-frame downmixed signal includes a speech signal, or when the signal detection circuit detects that the Nth-frame downmixed signal does not include a speech signal, encode the Nth-frame downmixed signal when the signal detection circuit determines that the Nth-frame downmixed signal satisfies a preset audio frame encoding condition, or skip encoding the Nth-frame downmixed signal when the signal detection circuit determines that the Nth-frame downmixed signal does not satisfy a preset audio frame encoding condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Zhe Wang
  • Patent number: 11922093
    Abstract: Provided are a device control method and apparatus. The method is applied to an audio device, and includes: receiving an acoustic signal set, determining a propagation characteristic of an acoustic signal in the acoustic signal set, determining, according to the propagation characteristic, a device parameter associated with audio play quality to be used by the audio device, and controlling the audio device to play audio with the device parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Daolin Zhang
  • Patent number: 11918440
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, for a wearable aural development medical device and system. A medical device is worn by an infant while the infant is in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). In particular, the device protects the child's hearing by active filtering, while, at the same time, provides aural stimulation for development. In some implementations, a remote server system also enables people associated the child, e.g., parents and siblings, to provide recordings, such as recordings of their voices, for playback to the child.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Sonura, LLC
    Inventors: Caroline Magro, Tifara Boyce, Sophie Ishiwari, Gabriela Cano, Gabriella Daltoso
  • Patent number: 11922920
    Abstract: A roof module for a motor vehicle having a roof skin and a roof substructure as well as a means for autonomous driving or semi-autonomous driving of the motor vehicle. The means having at least one sensor module having at least one environmental sensor for detecting a vehicle environment, the sensor module being covered by the roof skin, having a means for generating sound which are covered by the roof skin and means for recording sound which are covered by the roof skin. The environmental sensor and the means for generating sound and the means for recording sound are connected to a controller which is part of the means for autonomous driving or semi-autonomous driving of the motor vehicle. The means for generating sound and the means for recording sound are part of the means for autonomous driving or semi-autonomous driving of the motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: WEBASTO SE
    Inventors: Michael Huelsen, Oliver Heisel
  • Patent number: 11895483
    Abstract: A method of presenting an audio signal to a user of a mixed reality environment is disclosed. According to examples of the method, an audio event associated with the mixed reality environment is detected. The audio event is associated with a first audio signal. A location of the user with respect to the mixed reality environment is determined. An acoustic region associated with the location of the user is identified. A first acoustic parameter associated with the first acoustic region is determined. A transfer function is determined using the first acoustic parameter. The transfer function is applied to the first audio signal to produce a second audio signal, which is then presented to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Lloyd Schmidt, Jehangir Tajik, Jean-Marc Jot
  • Patent number: 11880633
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus is connected to a peripheral apparatus that includes sound inputting means for outputting a sound signal representative of sound of surroundings. The information processing apparatus performs control such that, in a case where sound input is required in processing of an application determined in advance, in a state in which a sound signal accepted from the peripheral apparatus is cut off, the sound signal accepted from the peripheral apparatus is accepted and the sound signal is used only in the processing of the application determined in advance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Toru Ogiso
  • Patent number: 11862181
    Abstract: A method for generation of comfort noise for at least two audio channels. The method comprises determining a spatial coherence between audio signals on the respective audio channels, wherein at least one spatial coherence value per frame and frequency band is determined to form a vector of spatial coherence values. A vector of predicted spatial coherence values is formed by a weighted combination of a first coherence prediction and a second coherence prediction that are combined using a weight factor ?. The method comprises signaling information about the weight factor ? to the receiving node, for enabling the generation of the comfort noise for the at least two audio channels at the receiving node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
    Inventors: Erik Norvell, Fredrik Jansson
  • Patent number: 11856389
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating a sound field description from an input signal having at least two channels has: an input signal analyzer for obtaining direction data and diffuseness data from the input signal; an estimator for estimating a first energy- or amplitude-related measure for an omnidirectional component derived from the input signal and for estimating a second energy- or amplitude-related measure for a directional component derived from the input signal, and a sound component generator for generating sound field components of the sound field, wherein the sound component generator is configured to perform an energy compensation of the directional component using the first energy- or amplitude-related measure, the second energy- or amplitude-related measure, the direction data and the diffuseness data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
    Inventors: Guillaume Fuchs, Oliver Thiergart, Srikanth Korse, Stefan Döhla, Markus Multrus, Fabian Küch, Alexandre Bouthéon, Andrea Eichenseer, Stefan Bayer