Patents Examined by Eugene Zhao
-
Patent number: 9460201Abstract: A method includes receiving an audio fingerprint from a listening device. The method also includes, in response to determining that a portion of a stored audio fingerprint substantially matches a portion of the received audio fingerprint, identifying a longest unordered match between the received audio fingerprint and the stored audio fingerprint that satisfies a similarity threshold. The method further includes, in response to determining that the identified longest unordered match satisfies a length criterion, detecting a match between the received audio fingerprint and the stored audio fingerprint.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2013Date of Patent: October 4, 2016Assignee: IHEARTMEDIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC.Inventor: Dyon Anniballi
-
Patent number: 9436761Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for selectively communicating data and audio over a limited-size audio plug. A host device determines whether an audio accessory or a data communicating accessory is plugged therein via a signal, or lack thereof, communicated to the host device via the audio plug of the accessory. The host device then either communicates audio or data over the audio plug contacts that are typically used only for audio communication based on whether its connected to an audio accessory or data communicating accessory. An audio plug may also include a split-ring contact where multiple, independent contacts are formed in place of a single tip, ring, or sleeve contact. The split-ring contact may be used for communicating audio and/or data.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2013Date of Patent: September 6, 2016Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Cesar Lozano Villarreal, Ruenjou Lu, Mahmoud R. Amini, Jonathan M. Zweig, David C. Breece, III
-
Patent number: 9415308Abstract: A method and system for daisy chaining tournament audio controllers, where the method comprises, in a headset coupled to a first tournament audio controller (TAC), the first TAC being in a daisy chain of TACs: receiving a chat signal from a previous TAC in the daisy chain of TACs, receiving a microphone signal from a microphone in the headset, summing the chat signal with the microphone signal, communicating the summed signal to a next TAC in the daisy chain, and communicating the chat signal to the headset. The microphone signal may be removed from the summed chat signal and microphone signal by adding a second microphone signal 180 degrees out of phase with the microphone signal. The chat signal may be summed with the microphone signal at an amplitude set by a user of the headset after the removal of the microphone signal.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2015Date of Patent: August 16, 2016Assignee: Voyetra Turtle Beach, Inc.Inventors: David Zepp, Travis Kettering
-
Patent number: 9380388Abstract: Techniques for removing crosstalk from a system, e.g., an audio system, having first and second (e.g., left and right) channels. In an aspect, first and second output voltages of corresponding first and second amplifiers are sampled during a calibration mode, in which one of the amplifiers is driven with a reference voltage, and the output of the other of the amplifiers is configured to have a high impedance. The sampled first and second output voltages may be digitized for processing by a processor to estimate a crosstalk removal function. The crosstalk removal function may then be multiplied with the input signals and added in a cross-channel manner to the first and second input signals prior to amplification to remove crosstalk from the system. In certain aspects, multiple reference voltages may be applied during the calibration mode to improve the estimate of the crosstalk removal function.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2012Date of Patent: June 28, 2016Assignee: QUALCOMM IncorporatedInventors: Seyfollah S Bazarjani, Arash Mehrabi
-
Patent number: 9369101Abstract: An unitary electronic speaker device and system for rendering a playlist are provided. An assignment of a playlist identifying a plurality of songs is received from a home personal computer. In one embodiment, the unitary electronic speaker device does not have any storage space other than the memory, and uses the hard disk embodied in the home personal computer to supply the songs. The songs are received and rendered at the unitary electronic speaker device in an order defined by the playlist. Any number of the unitary electronic speaker devices may be connected in a network with the home personal computer. In one embodiment a plurality of unitary electronic speaker devices are connected through a LAN using Ethernet.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2015Date of Patent: June 14, 2016Assignee: Black Hills Media, LLCInventors: Safi Qureshey, Daniel D. Sheppard
-
Patent number: 9349383Abstract: A system and method for audio bandwidth dependent noise suppression may detect the audio bandwidth of an audio signal responsive to one or more audio indicators. The audio indicators may include the audio sampling rate and characteristics of an associated compression format. Noise suppression gains may be calculated responsive to the audio signal. Noise suppression gains may mitigate undesirable noise in the reproduced output signal. The noise suppression gains may be modified responsive to the detected audio bandwidth. Less noise reduction may be desirable when more audio bandwidth is available. The modified noise suppression gains may be applied to the audio signal.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2013Date of Patent: May 24, 2016Assignee: 2236008 Ontario Inc.Inventor: Phillip Alan Hetherington
-
Patent number: 9338565Abstract: A binaural listening system comprises first and second listening devices adapted for being located at or in left and right ears, respectively, of a user, the binaural listening system being adapted for receiving a wirelessly transmitted signal comprising a target signal and an acoustically propagated signal comprising the target signal as modified by respective first and second acoustic propagation paths from an audio source to the first and second listening devices. Spatial information is provided to an audio signal streamed to a pair of listening devices of a binaural listening system. The first and second listening devices each comprise an alignment unit for aligning the first and second streamed target audio signals with the first and second propagated electric signals in the first and second listening devices, respectively, to provide first and second aligned streamed target audio signals in the first and second listening devices, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2012Date of Patent: May 10, 2016Assignee: OTICON A/SInventor: Peter S. K. Hansen
-
Patent number: 9307317Abstract: A wireless programmable microphone apparatus and related devices are disclosed. The programmable wireless microphone apparatus may be used by a law enforcement agency to collect data that may be used as evidence in a legal proceeding. The wireless programmable microphone apparatus includes one or more internal storage devices that may be secure storage drives and/or be pre-configured to execute one or more related applications in a plug-in fashion. The storage device may contain a suite of applications that are pre-configured to execute without requiring “installation” on a computer system prior to execution. The wireless programmable microphone may have one or more wireless communication and connection interfaces to stream audio and associated metadata to an associated mobile surveillance system. The wireless communication interfaces may also be used for device authentication. Optionally, audio and metadata information may be stored locally and synchronized with other devices at a later time.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2015Date of Patent: April 5, 2016Assignee: Coban Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Hung C Chang, Terry Wayne Boykin
-
Patent number: 9307326Abstract: A microphone array, having a three-dimensional (3D) shape, has a plurality of microphone devices mounted onto (at least one) flexible printed circuit board (PCB), which is bent to achieve the 3D dimensional shape. Output signals from the microphone devices can be combined (e.g., by weighted or unweighted summation or differencing) to form sub-element output signals and/or element output signals, and ultimately a single array output signal for the microphone array. The PCB may be uniformly flexible or may have rigid sections interconnected by flexible portions. Possible 3D shapes include (without limitation) cylinders, spirals, serpentines, and polyhedrons, each formed from a single flexible PCB. Alternatively, the microphone array may be an assembly of multiple, interconnecting sub-arrays, each having two or more rigid portions separated by one or more flexible portions, where each sub-array has at least one cut-out portion for receiving a rigid portion of another sub-array.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2010Date of Patent: April 5, 2016Assignee: MH Acoustics LLCInventor: Gary W. Elko
-
Patent number: 9301037Abstract: An apparatus for receiving audio from an audio source device, comprises a housing. The housing contains a receiver for receiving audio over a wireless connection, a microphone, a transmitter for transmitting audio from the microphone to the audio source device, and a processor capable of establishing the wireless connection. The apparatus further comprises a battery, a clip attached to the housing, for attaching the apparatus to a garment or an article of luggage, and a speaker adapted for placement on or in a human ear, coupled to the housing via a wire inside the housing and the speaker, such that the speaker, the clip and the housing appear as a single unit. The apparatus may also comprise a mechanical power switch, which powers on the apparatus, establishes the wireless connection, and answers an incoming call if present, upon the placement of the mechanical power switch in an on position.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2014Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: CLIP & TALK LLCInventor: Charalambos Kalyvas
-
Patent number: 9294204Abstract: A first stream of audio data is received a into a data store. Excess pauses are identified in the audio data. A second stream of audio data is transmitted from the data store comprising the first stream of audio data with the excess pause removed, the second stream of audio data transmitted after a delay that is approximately equal to but no less than the duration of the removed excess pause.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2013Date of Patent: March 22, 2016Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Clark A. Dudek, Phillip D. Jones, Eric Woods
-
Patent number: 9287997Abstract: A first stream of audio data is received a into a data store. Excess pauses are identified in the audio data. A second stream of audio data is transmitted from the data store comprising the first stream of audio data with the excess pause removed, the second stream of audio data transmitted after a delay that is approximately equal to but no less than the duration of the removed excess pause.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2012Date of Patent: March 15, 2016Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Clark A. Dudek, Phillip D. Jones, Eric Woods
-
Patent number: 9269342Abstract: An active noise reduction earphone. The earphone includes structure for positioning and retaining the earphone in the ear of a user without a headband, active noise reduction circuitry including an acoustic driver with a nominal diameter greater than 10 mm oriented so that a line parallel to, or coincident with, an axis of the acoustic driver and that intersects a centerline of the nozzle intersects the centerline of the nozzle at angle ?>±30 degrees. A microphone is positioned adjacent an edge of the acoustic driver. The earphone is configured so that a portion of the acoustic driver is within the concha of a user and another portion of the acoustic driver is outside the concha of the user when the earphone is in position. An opening coupling the nozzle to the environment includes impedance providing structure in the opening.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2012Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: BOSE CORPORATIONInventors: Kevin P. Annunziato, Jason Harlow, Michael Monahan, Anand Parthasarathi, Ryan C. Silvestri, Eric M. Wallace
-
Patent number: 9264810Abstract: Embodiments provide apparatuses and systems which include a front surface, a back surface, and a second back surface. A speaker may be disposed between the front surface and the back surface. The speaker is to direct audio substantially orthogonally through the back surface. The second back surface is to enable an acoustic response from the speaker. A method is also provided which enables a computing device to determine whether it is engaging a surface. In response to the determination, the computing device may adjust the audio signal provisioned to a speaker directed orthogonally to the surface, and output the audio signal to provision an omni-directional acoustic response.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2012Date of Patent: February 16, 2016Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Richard Gioscia, Philip Bryan, Michael Christian Ryner
-
Patent number: 9258644Abstract: In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a camera system and an optimization system. The optimization system is configured to communicate with the camera system. At least one microphone is connected to the optimization system. The optimization system is configured to adjust a beamform of the at least one microphone based, at least in part, on camera focus information of the camera system.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2012Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: Nokia Technologies OyInventors: Ossi E. Maenpaa, Kimmo Makitalo, Mikko T. Tammi, Jussi Virolainen, Antti P. Kelloniemi
-
Patent number: 9258655Abstract: Artifacts occurring during frequency compression, in particular in the case of hearing aids, are avoided or reduced. The method compresses the frequency of an audio signal having a fundamental frequency and at least one harmonic. The audio signal is provided in a plurality of frequency channels. The harmonic of the audio signal is shifted or mapped from a first frequency channel of the plurality of frequency channels into a second frequency channel. In addition a frequency which is likewise harmonic with respect to the fundamental frequency is estimated in the second frequency channel, the harmonic being shifted or mapped onto the estimated frequency. As a result the harmonic pattern is preserved in the compressed signal and the artifacts are reduced.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2011Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Robert Bäuml, Ulrich Kornagel, Thomas Pilgrim
-
Patent number: 9253567Abstract: Embodiments described in the present disclosure relate to an array microphone apparatus for generating a beam forming signal. The apparatus includes first, second, and third omni-directional microphones, each converting an audible signal into a corresponding electrical signal. The three microphones are arranged in a horizontal coplanar alignment, and the second microphone is disposed between the other two microphones. The apparatus includes a first directional microphone forming device to jointly output a first directional microphone signal with a first bi-directional pattern, and a magnitude and phase response handler device to output a second directional microphone signal with an omni-directional pattern shifted by a prefixed value with respect to first directional microphone signal.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2012Date of Patent: February 2, 2016Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.Inventors: Alessandro Morcelli, Marco Veneri
-
Patent number: 9235918Abstract: An audio media visualization method and system. The method includes receiving by a computing processor, mood description data describing different human emotions/moods. The computer processor an audio file comprising audio data and generates a mood descriptor file comprising portions of the audio data associated with specified descriptions of the mood description data. The computer processor receives a mood tag library file comprising mood tags mapped to animated and/or still objects representing various emotions/moods and associates each animated and/or still object with an associated description. The computer processor synchronizes the animated and/or still objects with the portions of said audio data and presents the animated and/or still objects synchronized with the portions of said audio data.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2015Date of Patent: January 12, 2016Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Tamer E. Abuelsaad, John E. Moore, Jr., Rajeshkumar N. Singi, Robert R. Wentworth
-
Patent number: 9232309Abstract: An audio system is provided that employs time-frequency analysis and/or synthesis techniques for processing audio obtained from a microphone array. These time-frequency analysis/synthesis techniques can be more robust, provide better spatial resolution, and have less computational complexity than existing adaptive filter implementations. The time-frequency techniques can be implemented for dual microphone arrays or for microphone arrays having more than two microphones. Many different time-frequency techniques may be used in the audio system. As one example, the Gabor transform may be used to analyze time and frequency components of audio signals obtained from the microphone array.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2012Date of Patent: January 5, 2016Assignee: DTS LLCInventors: Zhonghou Zheng, Shie Qian
-
Patent number: 9226070Abstract: A directional sound source filtering apparatus using a microphone array and a control method thereof are provided. The directional sound source filtering apparatus using a microphone array includes an image detector to detect images in a destination area, a sound collector located by the microphone array in which microphones are arranged to detect sound sources together with the images detected by the image detector. The apparatus includes a controller to precalculate time delay values of sound sources within the images in order to extract sound sources within the image from the sound sources detected by the sound collector, and perform beamforming through the calculated time delay values. Sound source signals only within images may be selectively amplified using beamformers.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2011Date of Patent: December 29, 2015Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.Inventor: Kyung Hak Hyun