Patents Examined by Jason R Kurr
  • Patent number: 11601754
    Abstract: An audio system for a vehicle may include: an audio signal processing system arranged to process a plurality of audio channels and generate a principal signal and an accommodating signal for each of the plurality of audio channels; an array of loudspeakers including at least two pairs of loudspeakers, each of the at least two pairs of loudspeakers including a front loudspeaker and a rear loudspeaker; wherein the loudspeakers of the array are positioned such that a first line connecting acoustic centers of a front loudspeaker and a rear loudspeaker of a first pair of loudspeakers is angularly displaced relative to a second line connecting acoustic centers of a front loudspeaker and a rear loudspeaker of a second pair of loudspeakers; and wherein the audio signal processing system is arranged to provide a principal signal of a first audio channel among the plurality of audio channels to the front loudspeaker of the first pair of loudspeakers, provide an accommodating signal of the first audio channel to the rea
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Tymphany Worldwide Enterprises Limited
    Inventors: James Meredith Thompson, Thilo Christian Stompler, Gavin Jones, John Evan Bunner
  • Patent number: 11595749
    Abstract: Aspects relate to systems and methods for dynamic active noise reduction including at least a sensor configured to sense a physiological characteristic of a user and transmit a physiological signal correlated to the sensed physiological characteristic, at least an environmental microphone configured to transduce an environmental noise to an environmental noise signal, a processor configured to receive the environmental noise signal, generate a noise-reducing sound signal as a function of the environmental noise signal, and, modify the noise-reducing sound signal as a function of the physiological signal, and a speaker configured to transduce a noise-reducing sound from the modified noise-reducing sound signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: GMECI, LLC
    Inventors: Bradford R. Everman, Brian Scott Bradke
  • Patent number: 11589177
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for monitoring a space using a three-dimensional acoustic web, and to a method of emitting a plurality of acoustic signals, forming a three-dimensional acoustic web in a monitoring target space based on interference between acoustic waves, and recognizing a situation of the monitoring target space based on a change in measured acoustic signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Inventor: Jae Whan Kim
  • Patent number: 11589150
    Abstract: A portable acoustic device comprising: a device housing that defines an internal cavity, the device housing comprising a speaker housing portion and a stem portion extending away from the speaker housing portion; a first acoustic port formed through a wall of the speaker housing; an audio driver disposed within the speaker housing portion and aligned to emit sound through the acoustic first port; a battery disposed within the speaker housing portion and positioned an opposite side of the audio driver than the acoustic port; an antenna disposed in the stem; a user input region disposed along the stem; and a system in a chip disposed in the stem, the system in a chip comprising: a processor that controls operation of the portable wireless acoustic device, charging circuitry, an accelerometer, a wireless communication controller, support components for the antenna and support components for the user input region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Lee M. Panecki, Arun D. Chawan, Julia C. Canning, Michael B. Minerbi, Pengchuan Wang, Kyle Tse, Brian R. Twehues, Sean T. Bong, Eric X. Zhou, Ethan L. Huwe, Scott C. Grinker, Haochuan Sang, Martin Kuster, Sean J. Docherty, Ryan Buck, Yuta Kuboyama
  • Patent number: 11570563
    Abstract: A loudspeaker controller for estimating a fundamental resonance frequency of a loudspeaker includes: an amplifier circuit, arranged to generate a driving signal of the loudspeaker according to an audio input signal; a sensing circuit, arranged to sense characteristics of the driving signal to generate a measurement signal; a plurality of band pass filter circuits, arranged to filter the measurement signal to generate a plurality of filter outputs, respectively, wherein the plurality of band pass filter circuits have different passbands; and an estimation circuit, arranged to estimate the fundamental resonance frequency according to the plurality of filter outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Elite Semiconductor Microelectronics Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Jung-Kuei Chang, Wun-Long Yu
  • Patent number: 11556304
    Abstract: In one aspect, an example method includes (i) determining, by a playback device, a loudness level of first media content that the playback device is receiving from a first source; (ii) comparing, by the playback device, the determined loudness level of the first media content with a reference loudness level indicated by a loudness level profile for the first media content; (iii) determining, by the playback device, a target volume level for the playback device based on a difference between the determined loudness level of the first media content and the reference loudness level; and (iv) while the playback device presents second media content from a second source in place of the first media content, adjusting, by the playback device, a volume of the playback device toward the target volume level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Inventors: Markus K. Cremer, Shashank Merchant, Robert Coover, Todd J. Hodges, Joshua Ernest Morris
  • Patent number: 11553296
    Abstract: A system and method of modifying a binaural signal using headtracking information. The system calculates a delay, a first filter response, and a second filter response, and applies these to the left and right components of the binaural signal according to the headtracking information. The system may also apply headtracking to parametric binaural signals. In this manner, headtracking may be applied to pre-rendered binaural audio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: C. Phillip Brown, Joshua Brandon Lando, Mark F. Davis, Alan J. Seefeldt, David Matthew Cooper, Dirk Jeroen Breebaart, Rhonda Wilson
  • Patent number: 11546679
    Abstract: A speaker system includes a first panel, a second panel, a third panel, a speaker unit, and a sound absorber. The first panel is an outer panel constituting a part of a vehicle door of a vehicle having a compartment. The second panel constitutes a part of the vehicle door and is situated closer to the compartment than the first panel and has an opening. The third panel constitutes a part of the vehicle door and resides between the first panel and the second panel. The speaker unit overlaps the opening in a plan view when viewed from the compartment along a central axis of the speaker unit and outputs sound toward the compartment. The sound absorber is arranged at a location corresponding to an anti-node of particle velocity in a standing wave generated in a space defined between the speaker unit and the first panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshikazu Honji
  • Patent number: 11545169
    Abstract: In one aspect, a first playback device is configured to (i) receive a set of voice signals, (ii) process the set of voice signals using a first set of audio processing algorithms, (iii) identify, from the set of voice signals, at least two voice signals that are to be further processed, (iv) determine that the first playback device does not have a threshold amount of computational power available, (v) receive an indication of an available amount of computational power of a second playback device, (vi) send the at least two voice signals to the second playback device, (vii) cause the second playback device to process the at least two voice signals using a second set of audio processing algorithms, (viii) receive, from the second playback device, the processed at least two voice signals, and (ix) combine the processed at least two voice signals into a combined voice signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventor: Shao-Fu Shih
  • Patent number: 11546688
    Abstract: The present application relates to the technical field of loudspeakers. Disclosed are a loudspeaker device, a method, apparatus and device for adjusting the sound effect thereof, and a medium. The method is used for increasing the diversity of the sound effect of the loudspeaker device, and comprises: determining the spatial distribution state of multiple loudspeaker units in the loudspeaker device; determining a sound effect mode corresponding to the spatial distribution state; and adjusting the sound effect of the loudspeaker device according to the sound effect mode. According to the present application, the sound effect mode is accordingly adjusted according to the spatial distribution state of multiple loudspeaker units in the loudspeaker device. In this way, when the spatial distribution state changes, the sound effect mode of the loudspeaker device also changes, thereby overcoming the defect of the single sound effect of the loudspeaker device, i.e.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: GOERTEK INC.
    Inventors: Huaiqing Tian, Xiaojiao Zhang, Ke Dong
  • Patent number: 11540425
    Abstract: A cooling device generating unidirectional air flow to cool an electrical component. The cooling device is an equivalent of an electrical acoustic diode to make air flow only one direction. A speaker generates air flow in a first passageway to a cavity, and then expels air out from the cavity through a second passageway. An electrical component is cooled by the air flow, and may be positioned adjacent the passageways, or positioned in the cavity. In one example, eyewear having an electrical component positioned in a temple is cooled by the cooling device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Snap Inc.
    Inventors: Andrea Ashwood, Dillon Johnson, Daniel C. Wiggins
  • Patent number: 11533558
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for driving an acoustic transducer, including: obtaining a reference electrical signal according to a first electrical signal output by a first acoustic transducer element in a case where sound waves are not received by the first acoustic transducer element; obtaining an actual detected electrical signal according to a second electrical signal output by a second acoustic transducer element in a case where sound waves are received by the second acoustic transducer element; and performing a noise reduction process on the actual detected electrical signal according to the reference electrical signal to obtain a noise-reduced signal as a final output electrical signal of the second acoustic transducer element in a case where sound waves are received by the second acoustic transducer element. An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an acoustic transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: BEIJING BOE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yongchun Tao, Yichi Zhang, Jingwen Guo
  • Patent number: 11533557
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that provide directional speakers and haptic devices for each guest of a ride vehicle. A controller may receive a vehicle location, seat location data, input audio data, and input haptic data. The seat location data may include a guest's seat location in the ride vehicle and/or the guest's preferences (e.g., a preferred language, volume preferences, or content rating preference). The controller may generate different audio output signals corresponding to different guests based on the input audio data, the vehicle location, and/or the seat location data, and generate different haptic output signals corresponding to different guests based on the input haptic data, the vehicle location, and/or the seat location data. The controller may then instruct directional speaker directed at the seat locations of the different guests to output the different audio output signals and instruct haptic devices directed at the seat locations to output the different haptic output signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC
    Inventors: Gregory S. Hall, Corrie Pickering
  • Patent number: 11523206
    Abstract: Examples described herein relate to a charging system for wireless earbuds involving charging adapters that are attachable to the wireless earbuds. In some implementations, the charging adapter is attachable to an external surface of an earbud using a magnetic or mechanical interface that align electrodes of the charging adapter with electrodes on the wireless headset, allowing an internal battery of the earbud to draw current and charge from the charging adapter while the earbud is in-ear. Then, when the internal battery is and recharged using a charging case or wall charger, the charging adapter can be detached from the earbud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventor: Hilmar Lehnert
  • Patent number: 11523211
    Abstract: A method and device for generating synthetic vortex sound field (SVSF) with more mode number includes the following steps: (1) a transducer array composed of N transducer units is constructed, and each transducer unit emits a sound field to generate an initial sound field; (2) at the same time, the position of the transducer unit and the phase of the sound field emitted by each transducer unit are changed, and each change produces a sound field, and thus changings times produces of sound fields, wherein the way to change the position of the transducer unit is to rotate the transducer array as a whole; (3) the initial sound field is superimposed with s of sound fields generated in step (2), to obtain SVSF with more mode number. The method and device for generating vortex sound field (VSF) can be used for underwater communication or acoustic imaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignees: CHENGDU INSTITUTE OF BIOLOGY, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF ELECTRONIC SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF CHINA
    Inventors: Haibo Jiang, Xinyang He, Yubin Gong, Dan Tang, Yang Yang, Zijun Chen, Jiangnan Fu, Yuan Gao
  • Patent number: 11516566
    Abstract: A speaker box includes a housing, a speaker unit and a flexible circuit board. The housing includes a base defining a through hole, and a cover. The flexible circuit board includes an end received in the housing and an opposite end exposed to outside of the housing. The flexible circuit board includes a first surface facing the cover and a second surface opposite to the cover. A first pad and a second pad are disposed at the second surface. The flexible circuit board includes a first mounting part, a second mounting part and a bending part. The first pad is arranged on the first mounting part and configured to be electrically coupled to the speaker unit. The second pad is arranged on the second mounting part and configured to be electrically coupled to external circuits. The second pad is exposed to outside of the housing via the through hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: AAC Technologies Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Jianhua Ding, Guoxiu Feng
  • Patent number: 11514881
    Abstract: A vehicle for blocking a virtual engine sound that is introduced into the vehicle includes: a speed sensor configured to detect a travelling speed of the vehicle; a virtual engine sound system (VESS) including a first speaker and a second speaker; and a controller configured to control the VESS based on the travelling speed, wherein the controller is configured to: upon the vehicle being in a stopped state, control the VESS such that the first speaker outputs a virtual engine sound and the second speaker outputs a sound having an inverse phase of the virtual engine sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventor: Youngbeom Kim
  • Patent number: 11510004
    Abstract: A method for delivering an optimized acoustic signal to a targeted sound field includes determining a bright zone having a high acoustic energy sound delivery region and a dark zone having low acoustic energy sound delivery region. The system selects a finite impulse response (FIR) filter set associated with a plurality of loudspeakers, and generates, via the plurality of loudspeakers and based on the FIR filter set, an acoustic signal having a sound pressure due to the combined loudspeakers (p) at an observation point r in a sound field disposed in the bright zone. The acoustic signal is delivered such that the sound pressure due to the combined loudspeakers at the observation point is approximately equal to unity acoustic energy at the observation point when the sound pressure due to the combined loudspeakers is generated via a single loudspeaker of the plurality of loudspeakers, and the remaining loudspeakers of the plurality of loudspeakers are off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Andre John Van Schyndel
  • Patent number: 11509985
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses an earphone charging device including a lower box portion having a main control circuit, an upper cap portion covering the lower box portion, and a display screen positioning around the lower box portion. The display screen includes a first portion firmly secured to the lower box portion and at least one second portion floatably connected to the lower box portion. The present disclosure can not only provide a high-leveled visual feeling of the large screen, but also realize a rapid storage of the display screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: DONGGUAN LUXSHARE TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD
    Inventors: Yun Feng, Guoqin Huang, Yong Huang
  • Patent number: 11503398
    Abstract: A method for in-ear detection, the method may include transmitting test signals, by a speaker of an earbud, during a test period, and while the earbud is operating at a first operational mode, wherein the test signals comprise at least one first test signal within a first frequency range, at least one second test signal within a second frequency range, and at one third test signal within a third frequency range; wherein the first frequency range, the second frequency range and the third frequency range differ from each other and are within a human auditory range; generating, by a feedback microphone of the earbud, sensed information that is indicative of audio signals sensed by the feedback microphone as a result of the transmitting of the test signals; and determining whether the earbud is located within an ear of a person, wherein the determining is based on the sensed information and a reference out of ear spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: DSP GROUP LTD.
    Inventor: Gabriel Seiden