Patents Examined by Jesse Elbin
  • Patent number: 10846048
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: EVA Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Leo Lay, Adrian Harold Chadd, Haisong Wang, Shiwei Zhao, Li Li, Gaylord Yu
  • Patent number: 10841690
    Abstract: A sound reproducing apparatus and a sound reproducing method are provided. The apparatus includes a noise assessment unit configured to assess an intensity of ambient sound, a processor that determines an omnidirectional audio output level based on the intensity of ambient sound, an omnidirectional speaker configured to reproduce a desired sound at the omnidirectional audio output level, and a directional speaker configured to reproduce the desired sound simultaneously with the omnidirectional speaker. The method includes the steps of assessing an intensity of ambient sound, determining an omnidirectional audio output level based on the intensity of ambient sound, and reproducing a desired sound simultaneously from an omnidirectional speaker and a directional speaker. The omnidirectional speaker is controlled to reproduce the desired sound at the omnidirectional audio output level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: ASAHI KASEI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shiro Kobayashi, Masaya Yamashita, Takeshi Ishii, Soichi Mejima
  • Patent number: 10820090
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a speaker assembly, including: a housing with an accommodation space formed by a top wall, a bottom wall, and a sidewall; a speaker received in the accommodation space. The speaker includes a first unit having a first diaphragm and a second unit having a second diaphragm; a first back cavity formed by the first unit and the bottom wall; a second back cavity formed by the second unit and the top wall. An auxiliary cavity is formed by the second diaphragm and the bottom wall; a partition wall connecting between the top wall and the bottom wall for separating the auxiliary cavity from the first back cavity. The partition wall has a through hole corresponding to the second diaphragm. The second unit has a side adjacent to the second diaphragm fixed to the partition wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: AAC Technologies Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Pengfei Yu, Tao Shao
  • Patent number: 10783359
    Abstract: A headset including a speaker, a motion sensor, a transceiver, and a processor is provided. The speaker plays audio data. The motion sensor senses a posture of a user to generate first sensing data. The transceiver performs data transmission with an external device. The processor is coupled to the motion sensor and the transceiver. The processor determines whether the posture is correct according to the first sensing data to generate an output result and transmits the output result through the transceiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Merry Electronics (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Meng-Wei Lin, Mao-Hung Lin, Hung-Chi Lin, Sheng Chen
  • Patent number: 10785554
    Abstract: The present disclosure concerns a multi-cable positioning device and a headset with multi-cable positioning device. The device comprises at least a fastening portion for removable attachment to clothing, and a cable management portion. The cable management portion comprises at least a first cable receptacle for a first cable, and a second cable receptacle for a second cable, wherein the cable receptacles are adapted for rotational and translational locking of the cables to increase comfort and stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew J Mainini, Manoj K Mistry
  • Patent number: 10779033
    Abstract: An example computing device in a first mode is configured for playback of given audio content. While in the first mode, the computing device displays a representation of one or more playback devices in a media playback system that are available to accept playback responsibility for the given audio content and receives user input indicating a selection of a given playback device. The computing device transmits an instruction for playback responsibility to be transferred to the given playback device such that i) an identifier of the given audio content and a playback position for the given audio content are provided to the given playback device and ii) the given playback device becomes configured for playback of the given audio content. The computing device transitions from the first mode to a second mode in which the computing device is configured to control the given playback device's playback of the given audio content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur Coburn, IV, Joni Rafalski Hoadley
  • Patent number: 10777210
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventor: Ricardo Antonio Garcia
  • Patent number: 10765017
    Abstract: A storage system includes a protective housing member configured to mate with a handheld electronic device. The protective housing member includes a charging area formed between a surface of the protective housing member and a surface of an accessory item of the handheld electronic device. The charging area is configured to charge the accessory item of the handheld electronic device. The charging area is powered by at last one power component of the protective housing member or at least one power component of the handheld electronic device. The storage system further includes at least one integrated circuit which is either a component of the handheld electronic device or a component of the protective housing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: ADVANCED ACCESS TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventor: John T. Merenda
  • Patent number: 10757515
    Abstract: A hearing aid comprises a housing, comprising: a substrate carrying a wireless interface, the substrate further carrying a processor, the substrate arranged in the housing; an antenna arranged in the housing, the antenna being connected to the wireless interface; the antenna configured to emit and/or receive electromagnetic fields, an electronic element, connected to the processor via an electrical connection line; wherein a decoupling element is provided in the electrical connection line wherein the decoupling element has a characteristic frequency at the frequency, at which the antenna is tuned to radiate and/or receive the electromagnetic fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Jens Troelsen, Poul Henriksen
  • Patent number: 10757471
    Abstract: An example zone player is configured to play back a first media item identified in a remote playback queue provided by a computing system that is communicatively coupled to the zone player via at least a cloud-based network. The zone player is also configured to, while playing back the first media item, transmit a first indication that the zone player is ready for a next one or more media items identified in the remote playback queue and, after transmitting the first indication, (i) receive, from the computing system, data for retrieving at least a second media item identified in the remote playback queue from a cloud-based media service, and (ii) use the data for retrieving the second media item to retrieve the second media item from the cloud-based media service. The zone player is also configured to transition from playing back the first media item to playing back the second media item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur Coburn, IV, Joni Rafalski Hoadley
  • Patent number: 10740061
    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: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Neil Griffiths, Jonathan Reilly
  • Patent number: 10735843
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for an eyewear accommodating headset with adaptive and variable ear support. An example headset may comprise an ear cup with two or more distinct sections that differ in one or more characteristics. A first section is adaptively configured to accommodate a temple piece of a pair of eyeglasses of a wearer of the headset, and a second section is configured to maintain contact with a temple of the wearer of the headset. The different sections may comprise different foams (or different parts of foam, each with different characteristics). The characteristics may comprise hardness and/or density. Another example headset may comprise an ear cup with a divot that accommodates the temple piece of the eyeglasses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Voyetra Turtle Beach, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Kulavik, Thomas M. Schoene, David Zepp, Juergen Stark
  • Patent number: 10687110
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein involve facilitating playback in a media playback system that includes a first media device and a second media device. An example implementation involves comparing one or more first network performance metrics corresponding to a network interface of the first media device to one or more second network performance metrics corresponding to a network interface of the second media device, wherein the comparison indicates that the first media device has a better network connection than the second media device. Based on the comparison, the first media device is configured to forward data indicating audio content from a network source to the second media device to facilitate playback of the audio content by the second media device. The second media device plays back particular audio content via one or more speakers by receiving data indicating the particular audio content from the first media device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Hrishikesh Gossain, Jonathan Lang
  • Patent number: 10664128
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masanobu Funakoshi
  • Patent number: 10656903
    Abstract: Technology is described for providing audio for digital content. The digital content may be provided to a plurality of devices. The devices may be represented as environment objects in the digital content. A location may be identified within the digital content that corresponds to environment objects representing the devices. Audio may be received from the devices. The audio may be transmitted to the devices for directional audio playback. The audio may be directed to correspond with the virtual location of the environment objects in the digital content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Alistair Robert Hirst
  • Patent number: 10656905
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventor: Paul D. Steinberg
  • Patent number: 10649720
    Abstract: Disclosed are a sound effect configuration method and system and a related device. The method comprises: detecting a starting operation for a target application of a mobile terminal and determining a period for setting sound effect comprising system time, the target application being for controlling an audio output device; determining a reference parameter of sound effect according to a pre-stored mapping between periods for setting sound effect and parameters of sound effect of the audio output device, the reference parameter of sound effect corresponding to the period for setting sound effect comprising the system time; sending a pre-configuration instruction comprising the reference parameter of sound effect to the audio output device, the pre-configuration instruction being for instructing the audio output device to create an instance of sound effect for an audio stream to be played according to the reference parameter of sound effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.
    Inventors: Gaoting Gan, Yajun Li, Guang Tu, Hai Yang
  • Patent number: 10649722
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: EVA Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Gaylord Yu, Steven Stupp
  • Patent number: 10649721
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Eva Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Gaylord Yu, Steven Stupp
  • Patent number: 10638220
    Abstract: A moving-coil loudspeaker is provided, comprising a vibration system and a magnetic circuit system located below the vibration system; the vibration system including a diaphragm, a spider, and a voice coil, the diaphragm comprising a diaphragm body part and a diaphragm reinforcing part; and the magnetic circuit system including a center washer, a center magnet, and a magnetic yoke; wherein the diaphragm reinforcing part comprises a first conductive material layer, the spider comprises a second conductive material layer, and the diaphragm reinforcing part and the spider are bonded by a conductive adhesive which establishes electrically connection between the first and second conductive material layers; and wherein the first and second conductive material layers functioning as a movable plate, and the center washer, the center magnet, and the magnetic yoke functioning as a fixed plate constitute a capacitor structure for detecting a vibration displacement of the moving-coil loudspeaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Goertek, Inc.
    Inventors: Huixian Cao, Shu Jiang, Xinfeng Yang