Patents Examined by Davetta W. Goins
  • Patent number: 9918165
    Abstract: An information distribution system enhances a vehicle audio/video system. The system flexibly delivers audio and video, potentially obtained from many different sources, to different locations in the vehicle. Each passenger receives the audio or video that is of interest to them without distracting interruptions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: HARMAN BECKER AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS-GMBH
    Inventor: Christian BrĂ¼lle-Drews
  • Patent number: 9918167
    Abstract: Embodiments for a speaker spider of a loudspeaker are provided. The speaker spider may include a central opening and a plurality of concentric corrugations. Dimensions of the speaker spider may substantially homogenize stress on the speaker spiders during operation of the loud speaker. Dimensions of such a speaker spider that substantially homogenizes stress on the speaker spider during operation may involve one or more of (i) corrugations having azimuthally varying depths, (ii) corrugations having azimuthally varying crest and/or trough curvature radii, and (iii) corrugations having angularly varying distances from the central opening of the speaker spider, among other possibilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventor: Benny Danovi
  • Patent number: 9911406
    Abstract: Audio loudspeaker 100 can be arranged in various vertical arrays, such as 102 or 104. Each loudspeaker 100 includes a generally trapezoidal-shaped housing 120 composed of two forwardly projecting lobe sections 122. A pair of low-frequency cone transducers 130 are housed in the lobe sections 122. A vertically arranged set 132 of high-frequency compression drivers are positioned centrally in the housing to project in the forward direction. Three mid-frequency cone transducers 134 are vertically arranged along opposite sides of the high frequency drivers 132. Each of the low-, mid-, and high-frequency transducers are individually powered and controlled by a separate DSP channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: LOUD AUDIO, LLC
    Inventors: Nathan Butler, Steven Desrosiers, Matthew Joseph Dube, Geoffrey Peter McKinnon, Jeffrey A. Rocha
  • Patent number: 9913038
    Abstract: A multi-channel headphone has a housing, multiple independent sound channels formed in the housing, and at least one speaker unit mounted inside the housing. The at least one speaker unit produces sound directly passing through one of the sound channels and refracted through the rest of sound channels. As the refracted sound is slower than the directly travelling sound, multiple layers of auditory feeling can be provided and a stereo sound effect can be generated for users to enjoy better auditory feeling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Inventor: Chien-Chuan Pan
  • Patent number: 9905230
    Abstract: The application relates to audio encoder and decoder systems. An embodiment of the encoder system comprises a downmix stage for generating a downmix signal and a residual signal based on a stereo signal. In addition, the encoder system comprises a parameter determining stage for determining parametric stereo parameters such as an inter-channel intensity difference and an inter-channel cross-correlation. Preferably, the parametric stereo parameters are time- and frequency-variant. Moreover, the encoder system comprises a transform stage. The transform stage generates a pseudo left/right stereo signal by performing a transform based on the downmix signal and the residual signal. The pseudo stereo signal is processed by a perceptual stereo encoder. For stereo encoding, left/right encoding or mid/side encoding is selectable. Preferably, the selection between left/right stereo encoding and mid/side stereo encoding is time- and frequency-variant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Heiko Purnhagen, Pontus Carlsson, Kristofer Kjoerling
  • Patent number: 9905242
    Abstract: A signal analysis device includes: a signal reception unit which receives an input signal containing a plurality of constituent elements; and a signal analysis unit which generates analysis information indicating the relationship between the constituent elements from the input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Shimada, Toshiyuki Nomura, Akihiko Sugiyama, Osamu Houshuyama
  • Patent number: 9900705
    Abstract: A tone generation system includes a square wave signal generator configured to generate a first series of square wave signals to replicate a fundamental frequency of a desired mechanical tone, and a second series of square waves signals to replicate a second harmonic of the desired mechanical tone. An amplifier is configured to receive the first and second series of square waves, and a speaker is connected to receive an output signal from the amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Federal Signal Corporation
    Inventors: Scott Cassidy, Lonnie Moravetz, David L. Corey, Robert Steiert
  • Patent number: 9900677
    Abstract: A wearable monitoring system includes a microelectromechanical (MEMS) microphone to receive acoustic signal data through skin of a user. An integrated circuit chip is bonded to and electrically connected to the MEMS microphone. A portable power source is connected to at least the integrated circuit chip. A flexible substrate is configured to encapsulate and affix the MEMS microphone and the integrated circuit chip to the skin of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Li-Wen Hung, John U. Knickerbocker
  • Patent number: 9883290
    Abstract: An audio driver assembly comprises a driver housing and an audio driver secured within the driver housing. The audio driver comprises a magnet assembly, a flexible diaphragm overlying the magnet assembly, and a spacer between the magnet assembly and the flexible diaphragm. A headphone and a method of forming a headphone are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Skullcandy, Inc.
    Inventors: John Timothy, Sam Noertker
  • Patent number: 9883279
    Abstract: A wireless headset system includes a housing having at least a wireless communication component configured to communicate with a wireless host device. The housing includes: a body portion, an ear-bud portion having at least a speaker operatively coupled with the wireless communications component, and a neck portion having an ear-bud end and a body end, the ear-bud end coupled with the ear-bud portion, the body end coupled with the body portion. The housing is attachable on the wireless host device between an inner surface of the ear-bud portion and an inner surface of the body portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Khyber Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Rajendra Kumar
  • Patent number: 9877116
    Abstract: A method of operating a hearing device comprising a first antenna, a first transceiver coupled to the first antenna, an acoustic output transducer, a microphone, and a processing unit, the processing unit being coupled to the first transceiver, the acoustic output transducer, and the microphone, the method includes: pairing the hearing device with an audio system; initiating detection of hearing device motion; sending position data indicative of a position of the hearing device to the audio system; wirelessly receiving a first audio stream based on the position data; converting the first audio stream to a first wireless input signal; mixing the first wireless input signal with an audio input signal from the microphone of the hearing device to form a mixed signal; processing the mixed signal to form an output signal; and converting the output signal to an audio output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: GN Hearing A/S
    Inventor: Jesper Udesen
  • Patent number: 9877132
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for improving a stereo audio signal of an FM stereo radio receiver. The method comprises determining one or more parametric stereo parameters based on the stereo audio signal in a frequency-variant or frequency-invariant manner. Preferably, these PS parameters are time- and frequency-variant. Moreover, the method comprises generating the improved stereo signal based on a first audio signal and the one or more parametric stereo parameters. The first audio signal is obtained from the stereo audio signal, e.g. by a downmix operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Jonas Engdegard, Heiko Purnhagen, Karl Jonas Roeden
  • Patent number: 9877126
    Abstract: According to one aspect, an electronic device for detecting an audio accessory. The electronic device includes an audio jack having at least two detection terminals. The detection terminals are spaced apart and positioned within a socket of the audio jack so when an audio plug of the accessory is inserted into the socket of the audio jack, the detection terminals will be shorted. The presence of a short between the detection terminals is indicative that the audio accessory is present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventors: Jens Kristian Poulsen, Yong Zhang, Per Magnus Fredrik Hansson
  • Patent number: 9877113
    Abstract: A condenser microphone unit that has a capacitor element with a large effective area and a high signal-noise ratio but does not have frequency-dependence occurring with sound waves beyond the audio frequency range. A solid cylindrical fixed electrode pole is used as a fixed electrode. A diaphragm includes a rectangular synthetic resin film having a length smaller than or equal to the axis length of the fixed electrode pole, and a width equal to a circumferential length of the fixed electrode pole, the synthetic resin film including an electrode film on one face and ribs on the other face and entirely partitioned by the ribs into a plurality of diaphragm regions. The synthetic resin film is attached to an entire outer periphery of the fixed electrode pole such that the ribs are in contact with the outer periphery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA AUDIO-TECHNICA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Akino
  • Patent number: 9877093
    Abstract: A linear vibrator includes a stator having a housing including a receiving space therein, a moveable unit, an elastic member suspending the moveable unit in the receiving space, and a protection member located between the stator and the moveable unit. The protection member forms a first bevel along a vibration direction of the moveable unit, one of the stator and the moveable unit includes a second bevel corresponding to the first bevel. The second bevel keeps a distance from the first bevel for rubbing each other when the linear vibrator falls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: AAC TECHNOLOGIES PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Chengliang Wang, Fuhu Zhang
  • Patent number: 9872117
    Abstract: A device and method for adjusting an output to an audio port based on a determined sensitivity is provided. The device comprises a processor, an audio port, and an electrical measurement device configured to measure electrical properties of an external device plugged into the audio port over a range of frequencies. Using the electrical measurement device, one or more electrical properties of the external device plugged into the audio port are measured at a plurality of frequencies. A sensitivity of the external device is determined using the one or more electrical properties of the external device measured using the electrical measurement device. An output to the audio port is adjusted based on the sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventors: Robert William Lowles, Christian Lorenz
  • Patent number: 9872092
    Abstract: A speaker device and an electronic device including the speaker device. The speaker device includes a speaker body, which includes a front surface, a rear surface, and a side surface provided between the front surface and the rear surface, and a sealing member provided to enclose at least the side surface of the speaker body, in which the sealing member isolates sound output through the front surface of the speaker body and sound output through the rear surface of the speaker body from each other. The speaker device and the electronic device including the same may be implemented variously according to an embodiment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jung-Eun Han, Ki-Won Kim, Myung-Cheol Lee, Sun-Young Lee, Young-Bae Ji, Jin-Hyuk Choi
  • Patent number: 9866973
    Abstract: A method for maintaining battery balancing of a hearing aid in an electronic device is provided. The method includes establishing a connection with a first hearing aid, determining whether the connection with the first hearing aid is maintained for more than a specific period, and if the connection with the first hearing aid is maintained for more than the specific period, establishing a connection with a second hearing aid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jung-Keun Park, Heon-Chol Kim, Seong-Hun Jeong
  • Patent number: 9866980
    Abstract: Provided is a measuring apparatus capable of measuring a vibration amount weighted with characteristics of vibration transmission to a human ear and capable of evaluating correctly an electronic device having a vibrator. A measuring apparatus 10 configured to evaluate an electronic device 100 that transmits vibration sound to a human ear by pressing a vibrator 102 held in a housing 101 thereto, including an ear simulator 50 that mimics a human ear, and a vibration detection unit 55 disposed on a periphery 52 of an artificial ear canal 53 formed in the ear simulator 50.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Inagaki, Yoichi Hirata
  • Patent number: 9866977
    Abstract: The application relates to a portable electronic device comprising a) a folded substrate carrying components of the device, and b) another, separate component having a fixed outer contour, and c) a housing for enclosing said folded substrate and said separate component, said housing having an inner contour, wherein said folded substrate is folded from a planar substrate along a folding line, said folded substrate exhibiting outer edges comprising a folded edge following said folding line. The application further relates to a method of manufacturing a folded substrate. The object of the present application is to facilitate miniaturization of a portable electronic device, such as a hearing aid. The problem is solved in that the folded substrate is shaped to provide that at least one of said outer edges follow(s) the fixed outer contour of the separate component and/or the inner contour of said housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: OTICON A/S
    Inventors: Kenneth Rueskov Moller, Jan T. L. Larsen