Patents Examined by Jesse A Elbin
-
Patent number: 10311911Abstract: A system includes a processor configured to receive a capture instruction from a vehicle user. The processor is also configured to capture a plurality of center-stack display-related states responsive to the capture instruction. The processor is further configured to capture a predetermined amount of audio from a currently playing media source responsive to the capture instruction. The processor is additionally configured to store the captured center-stack related states and predetermined amount of audio in a record file and, responsive to selection of the record file, recreate a center stack display and audio output by respective reference to the display-related states and predetermined amount of audio stored in the record file.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2017Date of Patent: June 4, 2019Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventor: Yifan Chen
-
Patent number: 10306380Abstract: A hearing assistance system having a first hearing device worn at a first of a user's ears, a second hearing device worn at a second of the user's ears, and an external audio source device for transmitting an external audio data stream, each hearing device having an interface for wireless data exchange with the external device, including receipt of the external audio data stream, the hearing devices being adapted to establish a binaural link between the first and second hearing devices, the hearing assistance system being adapted to estimate the quality of at least one of the links from the external device to the hearing devices. The hearing assistance system is adapted to dynamically adjust the coding of the audio stream transmitted by the external device according to the estimated quality of the at least one of the links from the external device to the hearing devices.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2014Date of Patent: May 28, 2019Assignee: Sonova AGInventors: Hans-Ueli Roeck, Stephan Gehring
-
Patent number: 10299024Abstract: A headset may comprise at least one ear cup and an ear cup shaper configurable to maintain contact with at least a portion of the head of a user wearing the headset, when the user is utilizing other equipment that when used affect the at least a portion of the head. The ear cup may comprise filler material, such as foam, and the ear cup shaper may be configured to create a depression in the filler material to maintain the contact with at least a portion of a head of a user. The adjustable ear cup shaper may comprise one or more of a strap, a plunger, a mechanical latch, and a magnet. The other equipment may comprise a visual device, such as eyeglasses, that have a portion that makes contact with the at least a portion of the head of the user.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2017Date of Patent: May 21, 2019Assignee: VOYETRA TURTLE BEACH, INC.Inventors: Richard Kulavik, Andy Logan
-
Patent number: 10289379Abstract: An apparatus is provided in which a user can easily check that an appropriate audio file is assigned. A system includes a PC connected to a communication line, and an audio interface apparatus that has an immediate output switch that outputs, to the PC, a reproduction start instruction signal of an audio file which is assigned in advance in response to a user operation. The PC judges, when an audio file or a video file is assigned by a user operation and in the background, whether or not the assignment is normal, and displays a judgment result in association with a virtual switch displayed on the display corresponding to the immediate output switch. The judgment is also repeatedly executed in the background at a predetermined timing after the assignment, and when the assignment is not normal, this is displayed.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2017Date of Patent: May 14, 2019Assignee: TEAC CorporationInventor: Kaname Hayasaka
-
Patent number: 10291995Abstract: This application discloses various audio play control methods and apparatuses, and various electronic devices. One of the audio play control method comprises: determining play control information of a first audio that is being played or to be played by an electronic device, in response to that an acoustic part of the electronic device is blocked; and sending the play control information to play, according to the play control information, a corresponding audio through an acoustic part of at least another electronic device. This application can compensate for or replace an audio play sound effect of the electronic device through the at least another electronic device, thereby improving convenience when a user uses.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2016Date of Patent: May 14, 2019Assignee: BEIJING ZHIGU RUI TUO TECH CO., LTD.Inventor: Ran Xu
-
Patent number: 10289272Abstract: A portable media player communicates with a host computer for enabling a user of the player to manage media distribution using the control software of the host computer. The host computer can send a GUI that is displayed on the otherwise “dumb” player, and the user can view the GUI and press a single button to command the control software to download a media title to the player. The host computer can periodically poll the player to determine its status.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2016Date of Patent: May 14, 2019Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Cristian Lars Almstrand, Prem Aanand Venkatesan, Hiroyuki Shinkai, Hirokazu Imazeki, Masahiko Seki
-
Patent number: 10284936Abstract: Disclosed is a receiver comprises an external housing, the external housing comprises a first housing, a second housing and a third housing adapted with each other from top to bottom, a vibration system is accommodated in a cavity formed by the external housing and comprises a vibration diaphragm dividing the receiver into a front sound cavity and a rear sound cavity, the third housing is injection-molded and provided with a sound outlet hole of the rear sound cavity which is in communication with outside environment. The third housing is coupled with a mesh fabric at a position corresponding to the sound outlet hole by injection-molding, and the mesh fabric isolates the rear sound cavity from the outside environment. The receiver can effectively prevent performance degradation of a product caused by impurities of the outside environment falling into the rear cavity, thereby providing a function of product protection.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2016Date of Patent: May 7, 2019Assignee: GOERTEK INC.Inventors: Linjin Mao, Gang Chen
-
Patent number: 10284976Abstract: A hearing device configured to be worn in an ear canal, wherein the hearing device comprises a housing, a receiver, one or more microphones and a battery. The receiver is arranged in the housing in a manner in which the receiver at least partly extends outside of the housing, and a sealing element is configured to be arranged in the bony region of the ear canal.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2017Date of Patent: May 7, 2019Assignee: OTICON A/SInventors: Karsten Bo Rasmussen, Dennis Presutti, Troels Holm Pedersen, Lars Steen Christensen, Kenneth Rueskov Møller
-
Patent number: 10271606Abstract: A protective helmet includes a microphone and an electronic device for improving communication with the environment. The microphone is arranged on a supporting cage below a shell of the helmet and captures the sound waves that are generated by an organ of speech of the wearer of the helmet and propagate the sound waves in the area of the supporting cage.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2016Date of Patent: April 30, 2019Assignee: PFANNER SCHUTZBEKLEIDUNG GMBHInventor: Philipp Auerbach
-
Patent number: 10276175Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for using audio watermarks with key phrases. One of the methods includes receiving, by a playback device, an audio data stream; determining, before the audio data stream is output by the playback device, whether a portion of the audio data stream encodes a particular key phrase by analyzing the portion using an automated speech recognizer; in response to determining that the portion of the audio data stream encodes the particular key phrase, modifying the audio data stream to include an audio watermark; and providing the modified audio data stream for output.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2017Date of Patent: April 30, 2019Assignee: Google LLCInventor: Ricardo Antonio Garcia
-
Patent number: 10276186Abstract: A parameter determination device includes: a spectral envelope estimating portion performing estimation of a spectral envelope using a parameter ?0 specified in a predetermined method, regarding the ?0-th power of absolute values of a frequency domain sample sequence corresponding to a time-series signal as a power spectrum on the assumption that the parameter ?0 and a parameter ? are positive numbers; a whitened spectral sequence generating portion obtaining a whitened spectral sequence which is a sequence obtained by dividing the frequency domain sample sequence by the spectral envelope; and a parameter acquiring portion determining such a parameter ? that generalized Gaussian distribution with the parameter ? as a shape parameter approximates a histogram of the whitened spectral sequence.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2016Date of Patent: April 30, 2019Assignees: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION, The University of TokyoInventors: Takehiro Moriya, Yutaka Kamamoto, Noboru Harada, Hirokazu Kameoka, Ryosuke Sugiura
-
Patent number: 10271441Abstract: A retractable storage system for a handheld electronic device has a protective housing member operative shaped and sized to bound the handheld electronic device and enable wrapping around the handheld electronic device. A charging station structured on the housing member has an aperture to arrest, dispense, charge and store an accessory item of the handheld electronic device. One or more storage chambers structured on the protective housing member to store the accessory item. An electric power transfer component provides an electrical power and is electrically connected to the charging station.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2016Date of Patent: April 23, 2019Assignee: ADVANCED ACCESS TECHNOLOGIES LLCInventor: John T. Merenda
-
Patent number: 10264373Abstract: According to an embodiment, a hearing aid is disclosed. The hearing aid includes a first functional unit and a second functional unit. The second functional unit is configured to removably couple with the first functional unit. The coupling provides at least a mechanical connection between the first functional unit and the second functional unit. The first functional unit includes a moveable element that is configured to move between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the moveable element is contained entirely within the first functional unit. In the second position, a part of the moveable element is configured to protrude out of the first functional unit. The second functional unit includes a recess configured to receive the part of the moveable element that protrudes out of the first functional unit such that the first functional unit and the second functional unit are immovably locked with respect to each other in response to the moveable element is received in the recess.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2017Date of Patent: April 16, 2019Assignee: OTICON MEDICAL A/SInventors: Morten Friis Karlsen, Claus Tipsmark
-
Patent number: 10255032Abstract: An audio/video (A/V) hub that coordinates playback of audio content is described. In particular, the A/V hub may calculate current time offsets between clocks in electronic devices and a clock in the A/V hub based on differences between transmit times of frames from the electronic devices and receive times when the frames were received. For example, the current time offsets may be calculated using wireless ranging by ignoring distances between the A/V hub and the electronic devices. Then, the A/V hub may transmit, to the electronic devices, one or more frames that include audio content and playback timing information, which may specify playback times when the electronic devices are to playback the audio content based on the current time offsets. Furthermore, the playback times of the electronic devices may have a temporal relationship so that the playback of the audio content by the electronic devices is coordinated.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2017Date of Patent: April 9, 2019Assignee: EVA Automation, Inc.Inventors: Gaylord Yu, Steven Stupp
-
Patent number: 10255033Abstract: An electronic device that coordinates a playback operation is described. In particular, an interface circuit in the electronic device may calculate, based on differences between transmit times when packets were transmitted by a second electronic device and receive times of the packets, relative drift as a function of time between a clock in the interface circuit and a second clock in the second electronic device. Then, the interface circuit may adjust, based on the relative drift, a clock circuit that provides the clock to eliminate the relative drift, and may determine a remaining time offset between the clock and the second clock. Next, the interface circuit may modify a future time when the electronic device is to perform the playback operation based on the remaining time offset to determine a corrected future time, and the electronic device may perform the playback operation at the corrected future time.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2017Date of Patent: April 9, 2019Assignee: EVA Automation, Inc.Inventors: Leo Lay, Adrian Harold Chadd, Haisong Wang, Shiwei Zhao, Li Li, Gaylord Yu
-
Patent number: 10257627Abstract: The invention regards a communication device which is adapted for placement in a users ear. The communication device comprises a shell part enclosing an input transducer for receiving an input signal, a signal processing device and an output N transducer for providing a signal perceivable as sound, a battery located at a surface part of the shell which is facing away from the head of the user, a transmission and reception circuit for transmission and/or reception of electromagnetic energy. According to the invention an antenna for radiating and/or receiving electromagnetic energy is provided such that it has a first surface turned towards the surroundings and a second surface located in close proximity of the battery.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2017Date of Patent: April 9, 2019Assignee: Oticon A/SInventors: Kare Tais Christensen, Ove Knudsen
-
Patent number: 10248379Abstract: A process at an electronic computing device (device) for automatic and selective context-based gating of an electronic digital assistant speech-output function includes detecting, via a sensor communicatively coupled to the device or via a notification received at the device, an event associated with a need to reduce a cognitive load on the user. Responsively, temporarily gating a portion of an electronic digital assistant speech-output function to prevent reproduction to the user of one or more first speech-output events generated during a first period of time associated with the event. Subsequently, and after detecting that the event has ended, ending the temporary gating to allow reproduction of one or more second speech-output events generated during a second period of time after the event has ended.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2017Date of Patent: April 2, 2019Assignee: MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, INC.Inventor: Paul D. Steinberg
-
Patent number: 10241748Abstract: An audio/video (A/V) hub that coordinates playback of audio content is described. In particular, the A/V hub may calculate current time offsets between clocks in electronic devices and a clock in the A/V hub based on differences between receive times when frames are received from electronic devices and expected transmit times of the frames. For example, the expected transmit times may be based on coordination of clocks in the electronic devices and a clock in the A/V hub at a previous time and a predefined transmit schedule of the frames. Then, the A/V hub may transmit, to the electronic devices, one or more frames that include audio content and playback timing information, which may specify playback times when the electronic devices are to playback the audio content based on the current time offsets.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2017Date of Patent: March 26, 2019Assignee: Eva Automation, Inc.Inventors: Gaylord Yu, Steven Stupp
-
Patent number: 10236006Abstract: Pre-processing modules are configured to compensate for time and pitch scaling and shifting and provide compensated audio frames to a watermark detector. Audio frames are adjusted for time stretching and shrinking and for pitch shifting. Detection metrics are evaluated to identify candidates to a watermark detector. Various schemes are also detailed for tracking modifications made to audio stems mixed into audio tracks, and for accessing a history of modifications for facilitating identification of audio stems and audio tracks comprised of stems. Various approaches address interference from audio overlays added to channels of audio after embedding. One approach applies informed embedding based on phase differences between corresponding components of the channels. A detector extracts the watermark payload effectively from either additive or subtractive combination of the channels because the informed embedding ensures that the watermark survives both types of processing.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2017Date of Patent: March 19, 2019Assignee: Digimarc CorporationInventors: Aparna R. Gurijala, Brett A. Bradley, Ravi K. Sharma
-
Patent number: 10235010Abstract: An information processing apparatus acquires information about designation of a position of a virtual viewpoint related to a virtual viewpoint image generated based on image capturing by a plurality of cameras, and decides, based on the information, a virtual listening point for generating an audio signal based on sound pickup at a plurality of sound pickup points.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2017Date of Patent: March 19, 2019Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Masanobu Funakoshi