Patents Examined by David Siegel
  • Patent number: 11960704
    Abstract: An example method involves monitoring, by a computing device, a communications feed for an indication of media and detecting, in the communications feed, the indication of the media. The method may further involve identifying at least one media item corresponding to the indication of the media and causing a playback queue of a media playback system to include one or more of the identified at least one media item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Clayton, Danny Valente
  • Patent number: 11961504
    Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for receiving feature-based voice data associated with a first acoustic domain. One or more rate-based augmentations may be performed on at least a portion of the feature-based voice data, thus defining rate-based augmented feature-based voice data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Dushyant Sharma, Patrick A. Naylor
  • Patent number: 11941319
    Abstract: A computer system causes output of audio information from a first application to a set of one or more audio output devices in accordance with a first audio output mode previously selected for the first application using a system audio output setting control. After, the computer system receives a request to play audio from a second application different from the first application. In response, the computer system causes output of audio information from the second application to the set of one or more audio output devices, including, in accordance with a determination that a second audio output mode, different from the first audio output mode, was previously selected for the second application using the system audio output setting control, causing output of the audio information from the second application via the set of one or more audio output devices in accordance with the second audio output mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Taylor G. Carrigan, Charles C. Hoyt, Cyrus D. Irani, Christopher J. Sanders
  • Patent number: 11937064
    Abstract: Example embodiments disclosed herein relate to audio object clustering. A method for metadata-preserved audio object clustering is disclosed. The method comprises classifying an audio object into at least a category based rendering mode information metadata. The method further comprises assigning a predetermined number of clusters to the categories and rendering the audio object based on the rendering mode. Corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Lianwu Chen, Lie Lu, Nicolas R. Tsingos
  • Patent number: 11928151
    Abstract: Example techniques involve playback of curated playlists based on media preferences. In an example implementation, a playback device receives data representing one or more instructions to play back a particular curated playlist of a streaming audio service and, in response, plays back audio tracks of the particular curated playlist. During playback, when a preference database includes a negative preference for a given audio track, the playback device skips that audio track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventor: Maarten van der Heide
  • Patent number: 11902762
    Abstract: Example embodiments disclosed herein relate to orientation-aware surround sound playback. A method for processing audio on an electronic device that includes a plurality of loudspeakers is disclosed, the loudspeakers arranged in more than one dimension of the electronic device. The method includes, responsive to receipt of a plurality of received audio streams, generating a rendering component associated with the plurality of received audio streams, determining an orientation dependent component of the rendering component, processing the rendering component by updating the orientation dependent component according to an orientation of the loudspeakers and dispatching the received audio streams to the plurality of loudspeakers for playback based on the processed rendering component. Corresponding system and computer program products are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Xuejing Sun, Guilin Ma, Xiguang Zheng
  • Patent number: 11886484
    Abstract: A music playing method and apparatus based on user interaction, a device and a storage medium, which relate to the technical field of music videos. The method includes: capturing a target video through a video capturing apparatus; determining an audio processing mode corresponding to a target action when it is identified in the target video that a target object presents the target action; and playing music according to the audio processing mode. The target video is captured by the video capturing apparatus, and when the target object in the target video is identified to generate the target action, the corresponding audio processing mode is determined based on the target action, and music is played according to the audio processing mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: LEMON INC.
    Inventors: Tao Xiong, Shihkuang Chu, Hao Huang, Shaoyuan Li, Chenyu Sun
  • Patent number: 11887608
    Abstract: Some disclosed methods involve encoding or decoding directional audio data. Some encoding methods may involve receiving a mono audio signal corresponding to an audio object and a representation of a radiation pattern corresponding to the audio object. The radiation pattern may include sound levels corresponding to plurality of sample times, a plurality of frequency bands and a plurality of directions. The methods may involve encoding the mono audio signal and encoding the source radiation pattern to determine radiation pattern metadata. Encoding the radiation pattern may involve determining a spherical harmonic transform of the representation of the radiation pattern and compressing the spherical harmonic transform to obtain encoded radiation pattern metadata.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignees: DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Nicolas R. Tsingos, Mark R. P. Thomas, Christof Fersch
  • Patent number: 11875783
    Abstract: A method, system, and device are directed to audio input bit-size conversion for compatibility to audio processing systems with an expected input sample bit-size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Marcin Terpilowski, Tomasz Dorau, Tobias Bocklet
  • Patent number: 11871076
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described for determining characteristics of a content item. The characteristics of multiple content items may be compared to determine a winning content item(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Inventor: Melodie Noel
  • Patent number: 11870940
    Abstract: An apparatus and/or method discloses a video conference with enhanced audio quality using high-fidelity audio sharing (“HAS”). In one embodiment, a network connection between a first user equipment (“UE”) and a second UE is established via a communication network for providing an interactive real-time meeting. After sending a first calibration audio signal from the first UE to the second UE, a second calibration audio signal is retuned from the second UE to the first UE according to the first calibration audio signal. Upon identifying a far end audio (“FEA”) delay based on the first calibration audio signal and the second calibration audio signal, a first mixed audio data containing the first shared audio data and first FEA data is fetched from an audio buffer. The first FEA data is subsequently removed or extracted from the mixed audio data in response to the FEA delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Zoom Video Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhaofeng Jia, Huipin Zhang
  • Patent number: 11854560
    Abstract: An audio scene encoder for encoding an audio scene, the audio scene having at least two component signals, has: a core encoder for core encoding the at least two component signals, wherein the core encoder is configured to generate a first encoded representation for a first portion of the at least two component signals, and to generate a second encoded representation for a second portion of the at least two component signals, a spatial analyzer for analyzing the audio scene to derive one or more spatial parameters or one or more spatial parameter sets for the second portion; and an output interface for forming the encoded audio scene signal, the encoded audio scene signal having the first encoded representation, the second encoded representation, and the one or more spatial parameters or one or more spatial parameter sets for the second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Inventors: Guillaume Fuchs, Stefan Bayer, Markus Multrus, Oliver Thiergart, Alexandre Bouthéon, Jürgen Herre, Florin Ghido, Wolfgang Jaegers, Fabian Küch
  • Patent number: 11856369
    Abstract: A hearing aid system presents a hearing impaired user with customized enhanced intelligibility sound in a preferred language. The system includes a model trained with a set of source speech data representing sampling from a speech population relevant to the user. The model is also trained with a set of corresponding alternative articulation of source data, pre-defined or algorithmically constructed during an interactive session with the user. The model creates a set of selected target speech training data from the set of alternative articulation data that is preferred by the user as being satisfactorily intelligible and clear. The system includes a machine learning model, trained to shift incoming source speech data to a preferred variant of the target data that the hearing aid system presents to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Inventor: Abbas Rafii
  • Patent number: 11854527
    Abstract: An electronic device for adjusting a speech output rate (speech rate) of speech output data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Piotr Marcinkiewicz
  • Patent number: 11829680
    Abstract: A system for playing media content items operates to provide smooth transitions between the media content items to continuously support a user's repetitive motion activity. The system can generate crossfade data containing information for transitions between media content items. The mix-in and mix-out points for the transitions are calculated to eliminate one or more portions of media content items that have lower musical energy than a majority portion of the items, and to maintain substantially consistent and/or stable musical energy (e.g., audio power or sound power) throughout the media content items including transitions therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Spotify AB
    Inventors: Tristan Jehan, Sten Garmark, Nicola Montecchio
  • Patent number: 11822853
    Abstract: Example techniques relate to playback queue subscriptions. An example implementation involves a computing system receiving, from a first computing device associated with a first user account, an instruction to enable subscription to a first playback queue associated with a first media playback system. In response to the instruction, the computing system enables second user accounts to subscribe to the first playback queue. The second user accounts are registered with respective second media playback systems in respective second household. The computing system receives, from a particular second media playback system, a request to subscribe to the first playback queue; and in response, sends one or more messages that update a control interface of the first control device to display a subscriber indication and (ii) sends one or more messages that populate a second playback queue of the particular second media playback system with audio tracks of the first playback queue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris Bierbower, Philippe Vossel
  • Patent number: 11825275
    Abstract: An electronic device may comprise audio processing circuitry and a universal serial bus (USB) connector having a first contact and a second contact. In a first mode of operation, the audio processing circuitry is configured to output one or more audio signals carrying music and/or voice via the first contact and the second contact. In a second mode of operation, the audio processing circuitry is configured to output a signal for delivering supply current via the first contact and the second contact. While the electronic device is in the first mode of operation, a gain and/or volume limit of the audio processing circuitry may be set to a first level, and while the electronic device is in the second mode of operation, the gain and/or volume limit of the audio processing circuitry may be set to a second level that is higher than the first level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Voyetra Turtle Beach, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Kulavik
  • Patent number: 11809777
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing a virtual demonstration experience that includes presenting a user interface including an option to select between at least two configurations. The techniques also include initiating a first playback of an audio track for a first configuration, the first playback based on a binaural recording of a first audio system setup rendering the audio track. The techniques also include, in response to selection of a second configuration while the first playback of the audio track is occurring, switching to a second playback of the audio track, the second playback based on a binaural recording of a second audio system setup rendering the audio track, the second audio system setup different from the first audio system setup, wherein switching to the second playback of the audio track continues from where the first playback was prior to switching to the second playback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Steven Edward Munley, Caroline T. Webber, Christian Bousquet, Nicole Michelle Curran, Francis P. Flannery
  • Patent number: 11809779
    Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed for providing play/pause content. An example method includes receiving a command to play audio from a zone, the zone including one or more playback devices, wherein the zone is configured to play items from a playback queue responsive to the command to play audio. The example method also includes determining that the playback queue includes no playable items. The example method also includes automatically placing information identifying at least one playable item in the playback queue. The example method also includes, responsive to the command to play audio, causing to play the at least one playable item by the zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Neil Griffiths, Jonathon Reilly
  • Patent number: 11809772
    Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting detect termination status in an audio communication system, wherein termination status indicates whether exactly one termination circuit is part of the audio communication system, are disclosed. Exemplary implementations may: accept an input voltage, by a voltage-controlled current source that includes and drives a resistive load; generate an AC voltage used as an input voltage for the current source; connect a first set of one or more filters to the output of the current source that generate a first analog output signal; connect a second set of one or more filters to the resistive load that generate a second analog output signal; determine a ratio of the first and second analog output signals and use it to determine the termination status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: H.M. Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Victor Lerner, Charles Butten