Patents Examined by Assad Mohammed
  • Patent number: 11289112
    Abstract: Provided is a sound source tracking apparatuses including a vibration unit including vibrators configured to vibrate in response to an ambient sound, the ambient sound including individual sounds, and a processor configured to separate the ambient sound into individual sounds, to determine a target individual sound having a target tone color among the individual sounds, and to obtain a relative location of a target sound source that generates the target individual sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Boreum Jeong, Wontaek Seo, Youngtek Oh, Yunju Yu, Moonil Jung
  • Patent number: 11290831
    Abstract: Apparatuses, methods and computer programs are described comprising: providing an incoming call indication in response to an incoming call, the incoming call indication including an initial ambient audio signal comprising a combination of first ambient audio and second ambient audio; receiving an ambient audio control command; and adjusting the initial ambient audio signal to generate an adjusted ambient audio signal depending on the ambient audio control command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventors: Jussi Leppänen, Miikka Vilermo, Arto Lehtiniemi, Sujeet Shyamsundar Mate
  • Patent number: 11272299
    Abstract: An external headpiece of an implantable hearing aid system, including an RF coil, a sound processing apparatus, a battery, and a magnet configured to support the headpiece against skin of the recipient via a transcutaneous magnetic coupling with an implanted magnet implanted in a recipient, wherein a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical battery extends through the magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventor: Werner Meskens
  • Patent number: 11271528
    Abstract: Noise caused by switching is reduced using a simple configuration in a circuit amplifying a pulse signal using a switching amplifier. A control data output section outputs control data that instructs that a pulse width of each of a pair of pulse signals be modulated. A data replacement section replaces the control data with data for replacement different from the control data in the case where the control data is output that instructs that the modulation leading to approximately a same pulse width for the pair of pulse signals be performed. A pulse width modulation circuit performs the modulation on each of the pair of pulse signals in accordance with the data for replacement. A pair of switching amplifiers amplify the pair of pulse signals that have been subjected to the modulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Daisuke Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 11269587
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing method as well as a program that make it possible to control, by a partition provided on a boundary between two spaces, a visual shielding property and an auditory shielding property of a first space to a person in a second space in an interlocking relationship with each other in response to a distance between the person in the second space and the partition. A distance between the partition, which partitions the first space and the second space, and a person in the second space is measured, and transmittance of the partition and magnitude of output of audio in the first space to the second space are controlled in response to the measured distance. The present disclosure can be applied to a control apparatus for a partition section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihito Ohki, Miho Yamada, Hirotaka Tako, Masao Kondo, Yusuke Tsujita, Yohei Nakajima, Daisuke Shiono, Masanori Matsushima, Hiroshi Nakayama, Seiji Suzuki, Yoshiyasu Kubota, Kenichi Yamaura
  • Patent number: 11272139
    Abstract: A user interface and method for establishing a video call to share data associated with a software application executed on an electronic device. One or more first selectable user interface objects representing software applications installed on the electronic device, one or more second selectable UI objects representing contacts of a user of the electronic device and a third selectable UI object related to executing a video call are displayed on the touch-sensitive display. A selection of one of the first selectable UI objects and a selection of the second selectable UI objects are determined. Upon detecting a touch input selecting of the third selectable UI object, the software application selected by the determining is executed, and a video call is established between the first electronic device and a second electronic device of the contact selected by the determining in order to exchange data associated with the software application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventors: Miro Stojakovic, Jacob Fyge, Bo Do, Daniel Johansson, Maximiliano Gabriel, Roger Olsson
  • Patent number: 11256338
    Abstract: A voice-controlled electronic device that includes an axisymmetric device housing having a longitudinal axis bisecting opposing top and bottom surfaces and a side surface extending between the top and bottom surfaces. The device can further include a plurality of microphones disposed within the device housing and distributed radially around the longitudinal axis; a processor configured to execute computer instructions stored in a computer-readable memory for interacting with a user and processing voice commands received by the plurality of microphones and first and second transducers configured to generate sound waves within different frequency ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Craig M. Stanley, Simon K. Porter, John H. Sheerin, Glenn K. Trainer, Jason C. Della Rosa, Ethan L. Huwe, Sean T. McIntosh, Erik L. Wang, Christopher J. Stringer, Molly J. Anderson
  • Patent number: 11252512
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods, and device associated with an electrostatically driven graphene speaker. In one aspect, the device includes a graphene membrane having a diameter of about 3 millimeters to about 11 millimeters, and a first electrode proximate a first side of the graphene membrane, the first electrode being electrically conductive. The device is a microphone or a loudspeaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Qin Zhou, Alexander K. Zettl
  • Patent number: 11246000
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system configured to determine filter parameters of an audio precompensation filter for the compensation of an associated sound generating system having at least two loudspeakers. The system is configured to obtain sound field models describing the sound field in at least one region of space designated the bright zone and the sound field in at least one region of space designated the dark zone. The system is also configured to obtain a target sound field in the bright zone. Further, the system is configured to determine filter parameters of the audio precompensation filter so that a criterion function is optimized under the constraint of causality and stability of the dynamics of the audio precompensation filter to enable reproduction of a desired target sound field in the bright zone, while reproducing as little sound as possible in the dark zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: DIRAC RESEARCH AB
    Inventor: Simon Widmark
  • Patent number: 11237241
    Abstract: Systems, methods, tangible non-transitory computer-readable media, and devices associated with detecting and locating sounds are provided. For example, sound data associated with sounds can be received. The sounds can include source sounds and background sounds received by microphones. Based on the sound data, time differences can be determined. Each of the time differences can include a time difference between receipt of a source sound and receipt of a background sound at each of the microphones respectively. A set of the source sounds can be synchronized based on the time differences. An amplified source sound can be generated based on a combination of the synchronized set of the source sounds. A source location of the source sounds can be determined based on the amplified source sound. Based on the source location, control signals can be generated in order to change actions performed by an autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Owen Watt, Ashutosh Ghosh, Chao Zhang, Jacob Daniel Fetter
  • Patent number: 11240584
    Abstract: An earphone system (10) includes a first ear bud (12) having wireless communications circuitry, a second ear bud (14) having wireless communications circuitry and first electric cabling (16) having a first end provided with a first electrical connector element (18) releasably connectable with the first ear bud, a second end provided with a second electrical connector element (20) releasably connectable with the second ear bud and a third electrical connector element (22) disposed intermediate the first and second ends. The earphone system (10) has second electric cabling (24) having a first end provided with a fourth electrical connector element (26) releasably connectable with the third electrical connector element and a second end provided with a fifth electrical connector element (28) connectable an output connector element of an electronic device to receive an audio signal from the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Binatone Electronics International Ltd.
    Inventor: Dino Lalvani
  • Patent number: 11240623
    Abstract: One or more processors may obtain a first distance between a first audio zone of the two or more audio zones associated with the one or more interest points within the first audio zone, and a first device position of a device, obtain a second distance between a second audio zone of the two or more audio zones associated with the one or more interest points within the second audio zone, and the first device position of the device, and obtain an updated first distance and updated second distance after movement of the device has changed from the first device position to a second device position. The one or more processor(s) may independently control the first audio zone and the second audio zone, such that the audio data within the first audio zone and the second audio zone are adjusted based on the updated first distance and updated second distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: Nils Gunther Peters, S M Akramus Salehin, Shankar Thagadur Shivappa, Moo Young Kim, Dipanjan Sen
  • Patent number: 11223922
    Abstract: Vehicles and sound systems for vehicles are provided. In one example, the sound system includes a plurality of sound producing devices. An amplifier is in communication with the sound producing devices. The amplifier is configured to receive input channels of audio content, to map the input channels with output channels to the sound producing devices in one of stereo mode and surround sound mode, and to remap the input channels with the output channels to the sound producing devices in the other of the stereo mode and the surround sound mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Inventors: Josh Tatum, Matthew Wallace, John Bullock, John Marchetti
  • Patent number: 11218805
    Abstract: Embodiments included herein generally relate to managing low frequencies of an output signal. For example, a method may include: measuring a sound pressure level (SPL) of a speaker; dynamically selecting a cutoff frequency for operating a first filter configured to provide a first bass component of a bass element of an output signal and a second filter configured to provide a second bass component of the bass element; providing the cutoff frequency to the first filter to configure the first filter to generate the first bass component based on the cutoff frequency; providing the cutoff frequency to the second filter to configure the second filter to generate the second bass component based on the cutoff frequency; and generating an output signal based on at least one of the first and second bass components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Roku, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Caston Curtis, Kasper Andersen
  • Patent number: 11211078
    Abstract: Higher Order Ambisonics represents three-dimensional sound independent of a specific loudspeaker set-up. However, transmission of an HOA representation results in a very high bit rate. Therefore compression with a fixed number of channels is used, in which directional and ambient signal components are processed differently. For coding, portions of the original HOA representation are predicted from the directional signal components. This prediction provides side information which is required for a corresponding decoding. By using some additional specific purpose bits, a known side information coding processing is improved in that the required number of bits for coding that side information is reduced on average.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Sven Kordon, Alexander Krueger, Oliver Wuebbolt
  • Patent number: 11212638
    Abstract: In some embodiments, virtualization methods for generating a binaural signal in response to channels of a multi-channel audio signal, which apply a binaural room impulse response (BRIR) to each channel including by using at least one feedback delay network (FDN) to apply a common late reverberation to a downmix of the channels. In some embodiments, input signal channels are processed in a first processing path to apply to each channel a direct response and early reflection portion of a single-channel BRIR for the channel, and the downmix of the channels is processed in a second processing path including at least one FDN which applies the common late reverberation. Typically, the common late reverberation emulates collective macro attributes of late reverberation portions of at least some of the single-channel BRIRs. Other aspects are headphone virtualizers configured to perform any embodiment of the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Kuan-Chieh Yen, Dirk Jeroen Breebaart, Grant A. Davidson, Rhonda Wilson, David M. Cooper, Zhiwei Shuang
  • Patent number: 11212636
    Abstract: A method of presenting audio comprises: identifying a first ear listener position and a second ear listener position in a mixed reality environment; identifying a first virtual sound source in the mixed reality environment; identifying a first object in the mixed reality environment; determining a first audio signal in the mixed reality environment, wherein the first audio signal originates at the first virtual sound source and intersects the first ear listener position; determining a second audio signal in the mixed reality environment, wherein the second audio signal originates at the first virtual sound source, intersects the first object, and intersects the second ear listener position; determining a third audio signal based on the second audio signal and the first object; presenting, to a first ear of a user, the first audio signal; and presenting, to a second ear of the user, the third audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
    Inventor: Anastasia Andreyevna Tajik
  • Patent number: 11202162
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for replicating a remote venue in a local venue. An embodiment operates by receiving original audio. Thereafter, the original stream of audio is modified to produce modified audio based on an audio profile unique to a remote venue smaller than the local venue. The audio profile comprises a virtual representation of the remote venue including (i) a virtual audio source corresponding to the local venue's audio source and configured to produce the original audio and (ii) a virtual reverberation point corresponding to a real-world location in the remote venue and the portion of the local venue. As such, the modified audio is determined based on receipt of the original audio from the reverberation point. Thus, after correlating the modified audio to the local venue's audio source, the modified audio is provided by the audio source to the portion of the local venue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: MSG Entertainment Group, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart Elby, Erik Hockman
  • Patent number: 11197098
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a speaker having a frame, a vibrating system and a magnetic circuit system. The vibrating system has a vibrating diaphragm, a voice coil for driving the vibrating diaphragm, and an elastic supporting assembly fixed on the frame and connected to the voice coil. The magnetic circuit system has a main magnet, a secondary magnet spaced on two opposite sides of the main magnet, a magnetic plate stacked on the secondary magnet and spaced away from the elastic supporting assembly, and an auxiliary magnet fixed on the magnetic plate and spaced away from the main magnet. The elastic supporting assembly is positioned on the other two opposite sides of the main magnet. The auxiliary magnetic located close to the vibrating diaphragm and facing to the elastic supporting assembly. The speaker of the present invention has advantages of good reliability and excellent acoustic performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: AAC Technologies Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Xiaodong Liu, Long Zhang
  • Patent number: 11197092
    Abstract: An in-vehicle independent sound field system and control system based on mini-speakers are provided. The system includes a mini-speaker array installed in front of a user and a mini-speaker installed near the user's ear. Each mini-speaker is provided with a coupling rear cavity, and the mini-speaker near the user's ear is provided with a sound guide front cavity. A controller is provided to control the mini-speaker array to perform an intermediate-and-high frequency directional replay, and control the mini-speakers near the user's ear to perform low-frequency replay and autonomous counterbalance, to solve the problem that a speaker array cannot be installed with a traditional in-vehicle speaker size and that a low-frequency effect is bad when merely using a speaker array to control sound direction, Besides, when different sources are being played, they rarely interfere with each other, thereby improving personalized requirements for sound and user experience of users in a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: AAC Technologies Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuyuan Sun, Xingzhi Huang, Hao Yin, Xiang Huang