Patents Examined by Davetta W. Goins
  • Patent number: 10798516
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus and method capable of performing compensation to achieve a standard sound regardless of a recording environment. The microphone picks up sound from a sound source and inputs the sound to a recording apparatus as an analog audio signal. The recording apparatus is an apparatus that performs binaural recording and generates an audio file of a sound obtained by binaural recording. The recording apparatus adds metadata related to a recording environment of binaural content to the audio file generated by binaural recording and transmits the file with the metadata to a reproducing apparatus. The present disclosure is applicable to a recording/reproducing system that performs binaural recording and reproduction of the sound, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigetoshi Hayashi, Kohei Asada, Yushi Yamabe
  • Patent number: 10797654
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an amplification device (10) of an input signal comprising: a first amplification stage (12), a second amplification stage (14), each amplification stage (12, 14) comprising: a switching circuit (22), the switching circuit (22) being able to generate, as output (22A, 22B), a switched signal having at least two states, and an inductive element (24) able to smooth the switched signal to obtain a smoothed signal (I1, I3), the smoothed signal (I1, I3) having a useful component and a stray component. The amplification device (10) further comprises a compensation circuit (16), for each amplification stage (12, 14), able to generate a compensation signal (I2, I4) of the stray component of the smoothed signal (I1, I3) generated in the inductive element (24) of the corresponding amplification stage (12, 14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: DEVIALET
    Inventors: Alexandre Huffenus, Pierre-Emmanuel Calmel
  • Patent number: 10796703
    Abstract: Methods and systems encoding a stereo audio signal having a left channel and a right channel are disclosed. The system includes a downmixer for generating a downmix signal and a residual signal from the stereo audio signal in selected frequency bands representing only part of a used audio frequency range of the stereo audio signal, and a decision module for selecting, in a time variant manner, either left/right perceptual encoding or mid/side perceptual encoding. The system also includes a parameter estimator for estimating stereo parameters for reconstructing a stereo image of a portion of the stereo audio signal, and a perceptual encoder for performing either left/right perceptual encoding or mid/side perceptual encoding based on the selecting to generate an encoded output signal. Finally, the system includes a bitstream generator for creating a bitstream signal comprising the encoded output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Heiko Purnhagen, Pontus Carlsson, Kristofer Kjoerling
  • Patent number: 10795638
    Abstract: Various implementations include conversation assistance audio devices with settings that are adjustable based upon user feedback. In some cases, the conversation assistance audio device is configured to use a set of simulated audio environments to personalize audio settings for a user. In other cases, the conversation assistance audio device is configured to iteratively adjust audio settings from a baseline set of audio settings in response to user commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: BOSE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Andrew Todd Sabin, Jahn Dmitri Eichfeld, Benjamin Davis Parker
  • Patent number: 10764661
    Abstract: Loudspeaker enclosures and loudspeaker devices are provided. In some embodiments, a loudspeaker device is provided, the loudspeaker device comprising: a loudspeaker enclosure, comprising: a rear side; and a front side of the loudspeaker enclosure comprising: a lower portion of the front side comprising a first opening for receiving a first loudspeaker and a second opening for receiving a second loudspeaker; and an upper portion of the front side comprising a third opening for receiving a third loudspeaker, a first port, and a second port, wherein a distance from the lower portion of the front side to the rear side is greater than a distance from the upper portion of the front side to the rear side; the first loudspeaker positioned in the first opening; the second loudspeaker positioned in the second opening; and the third loudspeaker positioned in the third opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Warner Music Inc.
    Inventor: George Augspurger
  • Patent number: 10754607
    Abstract: Systems and methods for multi-threshold sensing at an audio receiver, and systems and methods for calibrating an audio system to optimize for the specific configuration of the audio system are disclosed herein. In some implementations of a multi-threshold receiver, at least one additional voltage level is selected to trigger latching events within the receiver based on changes of the receiver input (which includes differential signals Vp and Vn) and in turn, to generate internal signals within the multi-threshold receiver, and then logic operations are performed on these internal signals to generate the output of the multi-threshold receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Jason Gonzalez, Puxuan Dong, Lior Amarilio
  • Patent number: 10757525
    Abstract: A vehicle and a method of controlling the vehicle are capable of outputting a sound similar to an original sound by modulating a sound signal obtained using a plurality of microphones of an external terminal device considering the physical characteristics of a user and the sound reproduction space. The vehicle includes: a speaker; a sensor module configured to detect a state of the vehicle; a communicator including a plurality of microphones and configured to receive a sound signal having two channels, information about sensitivity of each microphone of the plurality of microphones, and information about a relative position between the plurality of microphones; and a controller configured to: modulate the sound signal on at least one of the sensitivity of the plurality of microphones, the relative position between the plurality of microphones, and a Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF); remove the reverberation from the modulated sound signal; and control the speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Youngbeom Kim
  • Patent number: 10752169
    Abstract: In a vehicle equipped with a vehicle sound system, determining a virtual fixed gear ratio; determining a virtual RPM based on the virtual fixed gear ratio; generating a set of harmonic signals based on the virtual RPM, the harmonic signals being sine-wave signals proportional to harmonics of the virtual RPM; processing the harmonic signals to produce a set of processed harmonic signals; and in the vehicle sound system, transducing the processed harmonic signals to acoustic energy thereby to produce an engine sound within a passenger cabin of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Cristian Marius Hera, Ben J. Feng
  • Patent number: 10750269
    Abstract: Wireless headphones having a built-in flexible battery are provided. Wireless headphones having a built-in flexible battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprise: a band part having at least one fastening portion; a pair of headset parts, each of which includes a speaker unit for receiving a wirelessly transmitted audio signal and outputting the audio signal to the outside, and is connected to the band part; and a plate-shaped flexible battery which is embedded in the band part so as to supply power to the headset parts, and has a to-be-fastened portion corresponding to the fastening portion so as to be fixed in position when coupled to the band part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Amogreentech Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gi Wook Lee, Seung Yun Rho
  • Patent number: 10746838
    Abstract: A wideband signal is enhanced or suppressed to the same extent at each frequency without increasing the size of an overall sensor array. To achieve this, there is provided a signal processing apparatus including a direction estimator that obtains a direction of arrival of a signal for signals received from a plurality of sensors and each containing a target signal and noise, a first gain calculator that calculates a first gain using the direction of arrival of the signal, an integrator that obtains an integrated signal by integrating the signals received from the plurality of sensors, and a multiplier that multiplies the first gain by the integrated signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiko Sugiyama, Ryoji Miyahara
  • Patent number: 10750284
    Abstract: Improved techniques for presenting sound effects at a portable media device are disclosed. The sound effects can be output as audio sounds to an internal speaker, an external speaker, or both. In addition, the audio sounds for the sound effects can be output together with other audio sounds pertaining to media assets (e.g., audio tracks being played). In one embodiment, the sound effects can serve to provide auditory feedback to a user of the portable media device. A user interface can facilitate a user's selection of sound effect usages, types or characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Aram Lindahl, Joseph Mark Williams, Muthya K Girish
  • Patent number: 10743101
    Abstract: A playback device comprises a network interface configured to communicate with a network microphone device. A processor of the playback device comprises instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to receive a message associated with the network microphone device; and adjust a volume of audio content below a volume of content associated with the network microphone device based on the message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Simon Jarvis, Romi Kadri, Paul Andrew Bates, Luis Vega-Zayas
  • Patent number: 10741163
    Abstract: A road noise-cancellation system, comprising: an actuator disposed in a vehicle cabin; a controller comprising a processor and non-volatile memory, the controller being programmed to: generate a noise-cancellation signal with a noise-cancellation filter including a first plurality of coefficients, the noise-cancellation signal being based on the first plurality of coefficients, the noise-cancellation signal being transduced by the actuator to generate a noise-cancellation audio signal based on the noise-cancellation signal, the noise-cancellation audio signal destructively interfering with an undesired noise in a noise-cancellation zone; adjust the first plurality of coefficients of the noise-cancellation filter based on one or more input signals to provide a second plurality of coefficients; store the second plurality of coefficients in the non-volatile memory during a shutdown sequence or at the end of an interval; and restore the second plurality of coefficients from non-volatile memory to the noise-cancel
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Travis Hein, Siamak Farahbakhsh, Eric Bernstein
  • Patent number: 10728666
    Abstract: A first array of speaker elements is disposed in a cylindrical configuration about an axis and configured to play back audio at a first range of frequencies. A second array of speaker elements is disposed in a cylindrical configuration about the axis and configured to play back audio at a second range of frequencies. A digital signal processor generates a first plurality of output channels from an input channel for the first frequencies, applies the output channels to the first array of speaker elements using a first rotation matrix to generate a first beam of audio content at a target angle about the axis, generates a second plurality of output channels from the input channel for the second frequencies, and applies the second output channels to the second array of speaker elements using a second rotation matrix to generate a second beam of audio content at the target angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventor: Ulrich Horbach
  • Patent number: 10725121
    Abstract: This applications relates to methods and apparatus for monitoring a socket (101), to detect a connection status of a mating plug (102), e.g. for monitoring an audio jack socket for connection of an audio jack plug. A monitor (115, 305) is configured to monitor a voltage (VM) at a monitoring node (114), which is coupled to a jack detect contact (112) of the socket and a voltage pull-up element (113). The voltage (VM) at the monitoring node (114) is monitored against a threshold (Vthv) and a threshold module (302) is configured to vary the threshold depending on an indication of signal activity (SACT) of a signal path for a first socket contact (103) which will be electrically connected to the jack detect contact when a plug when inserted in the socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventor: John Bruce Bowlerwell
  • Patent number: 10721575
    Abstract: A multi-channel and multi-zone audio environment is provided. Various inventions are disclosed that allow playback devices on one or more networks to provide an effective multi-channel and a multi-zone audio environment using timing information. According to one example, timing information is used to coordinate playback devices connected over a low-latency network to provide audio along with a video display. In another example, timing information is used to coordinate playback devices connected over a mesh network to provide audio in one or more zones or zone groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Simon Jarvis, Hilmar Lehnert, Aurelio Rafael Ramos, Luis Vega
  • Patent number: 10708691
    Abstract: An electronic device that provides dynamic equalization in a directional speaker array is described. Based at least in part on audio content and an acoustic radiation pattern associated with a second electronic device, the electronic device may determine drive signals for a set of drivers. Then, the electronic device may adjust the drive signals for at least a subset of the set of drivers based at least in part on a distortion margin in at least the subset of the drivers, where the distortion margin is based at least in part on the drive signals, a distortion threshold of at least the subset of the drivers and a volume setting. Next, based at least in part on the adjusted drive signals, the electronic device may output, using the set of drivers, the sound corresponding to the audio content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: EVA Automation, Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan Moore
  • Patent number: 10699692
    Abstract: Sound effects are generated from a speaker inside a vehicle compartment repeatedly between a lower limit frequency and an upper limit frequency in accordance with an increase in the vehicle velocity. Consequently, the frequency is increased with respect to an increase in the vehicle velocity, in a manner so that audible sound effects, that is, sound effects at a so-called infinite scale, are generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xun Wang, Toshio Inoue, Takuma Maesaka
  • Patent number: 10701475
    Abstract: A sound absorbing assembly for a loudspeaker module and a loudspeaker module are disclosed. The sound absorbing assembly comprises a holding shell, the holding shell is provided with a receiving trough, the receiving trough is filled with a sound absorbing material, the holding shell is fixed within a rear vocal cavity of the loudspeaker module by injection molding, a bottom of the receiving trough is provided with sound penetration holes, and an interior of the receiving trough communicates with the rear vocal cavity via the sound penetration holes. The sound absorbing assembly is provided with a receiving trough on the holding shell, and the sound penetration holes of the receiving trough form sound transmission channels, to enable the sound absorbing material placed within the receiving trough to perform the sound absorbing function, to improve the acoustic quality of the loudspeaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Goertek Inc.
    Inventors: Aliang Chen, Guangfu Liu
  • Patent number: 10687140
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method for enhancing noise reduction amount of a feedback active noise reduction headphone and active noise reduction headphones. The method includes: arranging a noise reduction microphone of the feedback active noise reduction headphone at a position away from directly in front of a loudspeaker; and adjusting a relative position between the noise reduction microphone and an ear canal opening of a wearer, and enabling an open-loop transfer function at the ear canal opening L2(s0) and an open-loop transfer function at the noise reduction microphone L1(s0) to satisfy a relation of |L2(s0)|>|L1(s0)|, to enhance an actual noise reduction amount at the ear canal opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Qingdao GoerTek Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yang Hua, Peng Li, Ruohui Wang