Patents Examined by Fan Tsang
  • Patent number: 9819902
    Abstract: A telecommunications device sends and receives messages comprising data about telecommunications resources and resource state of proximate devices. The telecommunications device has a processor configured to determine a proximate resource pool using at least the telecommunication resources of the other devices, and the state of the telecommunications resources of the other devices, the proximate resource pool comprising a list of content streams being generated by, or potentially being generated by, specified ones of the other devices. The processor is configured to receive instructions from one of the other devices, the instructions being to add, divert or stop a specified content stream of the proximate resource pool within a telecommunications activity ongoing at the device. In various examples, the processor is configured to execute the instructions responsive to the instructions being from a trusted device, or responsive to user authorization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Edward Sean Lloyd Rintel, Richard Harry Robert Harper, Kenton Paul Anthony O'Hara, Philip Charles Gosset, Daniel Wilkinson Gratiot, Ian James Ray
  • Patent number: 9819429
    Abstract: Provided are a method and device for audio post-processing. The method may comprise receiving, at a first processor, an audio signal, detecting, at the first processor, a plurality of post-processing modules for altering the audio signal, and creating, based on information identifying functions of the plurality of post-processing modules, an optimized acceleration module. It may further comprise sending, through the optimized acceleration module, a buffer packet of the audio signal along a single data path to a second processor and post-processing, at the second processor, the buffer packet of the audio signal through each of a plurality of associated post-processing modules that correspond to the post-processing modules on the first processor, controlling each associated post-processing module via control paths from each corresponding post-processing module, and receiving, at the first processor, a post-processed buffer packet of the audio signal via a single return data path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Innovation Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Harikishan Desineni, Alexy Mathew Joseph, SathishKumar Mani, Ravi Alamanda
  • Patent number: 9820073
    Abstract: Extracting a common signal from multiple audio signals may include summing a first signal and a second signal to obtain a first+second signal; subtracting the second signal from the first signal to obtain a first?second signal; transforming the first+second signal and the first?second signal to frequency domain representations; calculating absolute value of the frequency domain representations of the first+second signal and the first?second signal; subtracting the absolute value of the frequency domain representation of the first?second signal from the absolute value of the frequency domain representation of the first+second signal to obtain a difference signal; multiplying the difference signal by the frequency domain representation of the first+second signal to obtain a product signal; dividing the product signal by the absolute value of the frequency domain representation of the first+second signal to obtain a frequency domain representation of the common signal; and transforming the frequency domain repre
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: TLS Corp.
    Inventor: Frank Foti
  • Patent number: 9798513
    Abstract: Content identification methods for consumer devices determine robust audio fingerprints that are resilient to audio distortions. One method generates signatures representing audio content based on a constant Q-factor transform (CQT). A 2D spectral representation of a 1D audio signal facilitates generation of region based signatures within frequency octaves and across the entire 2D signal representation. Also, points of interest are detected within the 2D audio signal representation and interest regions are determined around selected points of interest. Another method generates audio descriptors using an accumulating filter function on bands of the audio spectrum and generates audio transform coefficients. A response of each spectral band is computed and transform coefficients are determined by filtering, by accumulating derivatives with different lags, and computing second order derivatives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: GRACENOTES, INC.
    Inventors: Jose Pio Pereira, Mihailo M. Stojancic, Peter Wendt
  • Patent number: 9792027
    Abstract: A computing device may provide a control interface that enables the user to manage the synchronized output of companion content (e.g., textual content and corresponding audio content). For example, the computing device may display a visual cue to identify a current location in textual content corresponding to a current output position of companion audio content. As the audio content is presented, the visual cue may be advanced to maintain synchronization between the output position within the audio content and a corresponding position in the textual content. The user may control the synchronized output by dragging her finger across the textual content displayed on the touch screen. Accordingly, the control interface may provide a highlight or other visual indication of the distance between the advancing position in the textual content and the location of a pointer to the textual content indicated by the current position of the user's finger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Audible, Inc.
    Inventors: Guy Ashley Story, Jr., Bruce N. Israel
  • Patent number: 9786298
    Abstract: Audio fingerprinting includes obtaining audio samples of a piece of audio, generating frequency representations of the audio samples, identifying increasing and decreasing energy regions in frequency bands of the frequency representations, and generating hashes of features of the piece of audio. Each hash of features corresponds to portions of the identified energy regions appearing in a respective time window. Each feature is defined as a numeric value that encodes information representing: a frequency band of an energy region appearing in the respective time window, whether the energy region appearing in the respective time window is an increasing energy region or whether the energy region appearing in the respective time window is a decreasing energy region, and a placement of the energy region appearing in the respective time window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Source Digital, Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick Greene
  • Patent number: 9766854
    Abstract: This disclosure concerns the playback of audio content, e.g. in the form of music. More particularly, the disclosure concerns the playback of streamed audio. In one example embodiment, there is a method of operating an electronic device for dynamically controlling a playlist including one or several audio items. A request to adjust an energy level (e.g. a tempo) associated with the playlist is received. In response to receiving this request, the playlist is adjusted in accordance with the requested energy level (e.g., the tempo).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: SPOTIFY AB
    Inventors: Souheil Medaghri Alaoui, Miles Lennon, Kieran Del Pasqua
  • Patent number: 9763019
    Abstract: In general, techniques are described for identifying distinct audio objects from spherical harmonic coefficients (which may also be denotes as higher order ambisonic coefficients). A device comprising one or more processors may perform the techniques so as to identify the distinct audio objects from the spherical harmonic coefficients (SHC) associated with the audio objects based on a directionality determined for one or more of the audio objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Nils Günther Peters, Dipanjan Sen
  • Patent number: 9742428
    Abstract: A delta-sigma modulator includes a loop filter, a quantizer configured to change an analog output signal into a digital signal, and a digital-to-analog converter configured to receive the digital signal and including a first capacitor and a second capacitor. In a first sampling period, the first capacitor is discharged, and at the same time, the second capacitor is charged with a reference voltage. In a second sampling period, the digital signal includes noise caused by a clock jitter, the first capacitor is charged with a reference voltage, and the second capacitor is discharged and generates a charge corresponding to the noise. In a next first sampling period, the first capacitor is discharged, and at the same time, the second capacitor generates a noise current corresponding to the noise using the charge and is charged with a reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignees: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., RESEARCH & FOUNDATION SUNGKYUNKWAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Mooyeol Choi, Hyungdong Roh, Bai-Sun Kong, Sunwoo Kwon, Myung-Jin Lee
  • Patent number: 9742463
    Abstract: A copper wire interface circuit is provided, where a current output amplifier is connected to a port impedance component and a transmit end, and the current output amplifier is configured to amplify a to-be-transmitted signal; the port impedance component is connected to a high-pass filter, impedance, after undergoing impedance transformation performed by the high-pass filter, of the port impedance component is used for performing impedance matching with equivalent impedance of a cable and a load; the high-pass filter is connected to the port impedance component and the cable, the high-pass filter is configured to filter the to-be-transmitted signal or a received signal and perform impedance transformation on the port impedance component; and an echo cancellation module is connected to the port impedance component and a receive end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Zhilei Zhao
  • Patent number: 9728178
    Abstract: By using the adaptive filter, the reference input signal is processed so as to identify a pseudo-signal of a particular signal to be deleted. The pseudo-signal is subtracted from the mixture containing a target signal inputted from a microphone, the particular signal to be deleted, and a noise so as to obtain an error signal. A stationary noise is estimated to obtain a stationary noise estimated value. A non-stationary noise is estimated to obtain a non-stationary noise estimated value. The stationary noise estimated value is mixed with the non-stationary estimated value to obtain a mixed noise estimated value. An update amount is calculated according to a correlation value between the error signal and the reference input signal, and the mixed noise estimated value. According to the update amount, a coefficient of the adaptive filter is updated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Akihiko Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 9723260
    Abstract: A videoconferencing apparatus automatically tracks speakers in a room and dynamically switches between a controlled, people-view camera and a fixed, room-view camera. When no one is speaking, the apparatus shows the room view to the far-end. When there is a dominant speaker in the room, the apparatus directs the people-view camera at the dominant speaker and switches from the room-view camera to the people-view camera. When there is a new speaker in the room, the apparatus switches to the room-view camera first, directs the people-view camera at the new speaker, and then switches to the people-view camera directed at the new speaker. When there are two near-end speakers engaged in a conversation, the apparatus tracks and zooms-in the people-view camera so that both speakers are in view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Polycom, Inc.
    Inventor: Jinwei Feng
  • Patent number: 9720642
    Abstract: Examples described herein may include a first playback device sending a first request for first media content to a computing system associated with a media service provider and a second playback device sending a second request for second media content to the computing system. The first and second playback devices may be associated with an account of the media service provider. The computing system may determine whether either or both of the first and second playback devices are allowed to receive the respective requested media content based on information included in the first request and the second request. Such information included in the requests may characterize playback operations respectively associated with the requests and/or may indicate a time at which the respective playback devices last received a playback command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventor: Keith Corbin
  • Patent number: 9723261
    Abstract: A disclosed information processing device transmits and receives, as elements, audio information of inputted audio, video information of video taken, and screen image information of a screen image to be shared. The information processing device includes a determination criteria storing unit configured to store determination criteria created in terms of the elements for determining whether to continue transmission or reception of the elements, an information obtaining unit configured to obtain specified information related to the elements from the elements being transmitted and received, and an element determination unit configured to determine from the obtained information whether to continue or not the transmission or the reception of the elements by referring to the determination criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoh Nagamine, Takuya Imai, Kenichiro Morita
  • Patent number: 9715367
    Abstract: An example implementation involves a computing device transmitting, via a local area network, a command that instructs a playback device to play a particular audio signal. The example implementation also involves the computing device receiving data indicating a detected audio signal corresponding to playback of the particular audio signal by the playback device, where the detected audio signal includes a portion of the particular audio signal. The implementation further involves the computing device obtaining data indicating a predetermined audio characteristic and determining an audio processing algorithm based on the detected audio signal and the predetermined audio characteristic. The example implementation involves causing the playback device to apply the determined audio processing algorithm when playing audio via at least one speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy W. Sheen
  • Patent number: 9712208
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for training a Vector coefficient of a vectored digital subscriber line, where the method includes: after a handshake phase is executed for a joining line, calculating, by using a pilot estimation method, an initial precoding coefficient and an initial cancellation coefficient that represent interference from the joining line to a normal working line; and after a channel discovery phase is executed for the joining line, compensating the initial precoding coefficient and the initial cancellation coefficient by using a compensation factor, to obtain a precoding coefficient and a cancellation coefficient that represent the interference from the joining line to the normal working line, wherein the compensation factor is obtained according to a signal power change or a signal phase change of the joining line. The present invention improves efficiency of Vector coefficient training.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jianping Tu, Jie Lv, Xiang Wang
  • Patent number: 9710220
    Abstract: Context data (230) is determined for an ambient media playback (110) in the surrounding of a user equipment. Based on the determined context data (230), identification data (240) for the ambient media playback (110) is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Mobile Communications Inc.
    Inventor: Emil Hansson
  • Patent number: 9712923
    Abstract: A microphone includes a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) circuit and an integrated circuit. The MEMS circuit is configured to convert a voice signal into an electrical signal, and the integrated circuit is coupled to the MEMS circuit and is configured to receive the electrical signal. The integrated circuit and the MEMS circuit receive a clock signal from an external host. The clock signal is effective to cause the MEMS circuit and integrated circuit to operate in full system operation mode during a first time period and in a voice activity mode of operation during a second time period. The voice activity mode has a first power consumption and the full system operation mode has a second power consumption. The first power consumption is less than the second power consumption. The integrated circuit is configured to generate an interrupt upon the detection of voice activity, and send the interrupt to the host.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Knowles Electronics, LLC
    Inventors: Claus Erdmann Fürst, Henrik Thomsen, Michael Deruginsky, Dibyendu Nandy, Oddy Nopporn Khamharn
  • Patent number: 9705953
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for facilitating digital signal processing in a client-server computing environment. In one embodiment, a local computing device is used to playback a digital media asset that is processed by a digital signal processing server. The local computing device can be configured to provide a user interface that receives a user selection of the segment of the media asset that is to be modified, and responsive to such selection, that instructs the digital signal processing server to segment the media asset accordingly. The “segmented mix”, which includes the user-selected portion of the media asset that is to be modified, is provided to the local computing device for local processing according to the user's instructions. The “main mix”, which comprises the other non-selected portions of the media asset, continues to be processed by the digital signal processing server and provided to the local computing device for playback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: James Anderson Moorer
  • Patent number: 9648158
    Abstract: An echo path monitoring system for controlling an adaptive filter configured to estimate an echo of a far-end signal comprised in a microphone signal, the system comprising a comparison generator configured to compare the microphone signal with the estimated echo to obtain a first comparison and compare an error signal, which represents a difference between the microphone signal and the estimated echo, with the estimated echo to obtain a second comparison, and a controller configured to combine the first and second comparisons to form a parameter indicative of a state of the microphone signal and, in dependence on said parameter, control an operating mode of the adaptive filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Imagination Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Senthil Kumar Mani, Sowmya Mannava