Patents Examined by Katherine Faley
  • Patent number: 12160718
    Abstract: A moving-coil speaker includes a frame, magnetic circuit system setting section, and magnetic circuit system. The frame has a first surface. The magnetic circuit system setting section is formed on the first surface and includes a first region and a second region surrounding the first region. The magnetic circuit system is disposed at the magnetic circuit system setting section and includes at least one voice coil which spaced from the first surface of the frame and having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end. The first end defines a virtual plane extending along a radial direction of the voice coil. The virtual plane and the first surface of the first region define a first distance. The virtual plane and the first surface of the second region define a second distance. The second distance is greater than the first distance, and the second distance and the first distance are parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: Merry Electronics (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tsai Ti Lai
  • Patent number: 12058494
    Abstract: A media system and a method of using the media system to accommodate hearing loss of a user, are described. The method includes selecting a personal level-and-frequency dependent audio filter that corresponds to a hearing loss profile of the user. The personal level-and-frequency dependent audio filter can be one of several level-and-frequency-dependent audio filters having respective average gain levels and respective gain contours. An accommodative audio output signal can be generated by applying the personal level-and-frequency dependent audio filter to an audio input signal to enhance the audio input signal based on an input level and an input frequency of the audio input signal. The audio output signal can be played by an audio output device to deliver speech or music that the user perceives clearly, despite the hearing loss of the user. Other aspects are also described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: John Woodruff, Yacine Azmi, Ian M. Fisch, Jing Xia
  • Patent number: 12039965
    Abstract: An audio processing system includes: a first microphone configured to output a first signal based on a first audio signal; one or more microphones each of which outputs a microphone signal based on an audio signal; one or more adaptive filters configured to respectively receive the microphone signals from the one or more microphones and output passing signals based on the microphone signals; and a processor configured to: determine whether the microphone signal includes uncorrelated noise; control one or more filter coefficients of the one or more adaptive filters; and subtract a subtraction signal based on the passing signals from the first signal. The one or more microphones include a second microphone that outputs a second signal. When determining that the second signal includes the uncorrelated noise, the processor is configured to set a level of the second signal input to the corresponding adaptive filter to zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomofumi Yamanashi, Yutaka Banba
  • Patent number: 12028677
    Abstract: A sound output device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a speaker configured to generate sound; a guide tube formed in a shape of a hollow tube, the guide tube configured to receive the sound generated from the speaker, through an end of the guide tube, and output the received sound; and a waveguide disposed between the speaker and the guide tube. The waveguide includes: a throat tube configured to connect the speaker and the guide tube to each other, and formed in a shape of a hollow tube, and at least one path change structure configured to adjust a predetermined frequency band of the sound in a process of transmitting the sound generated from the speaker to the guide tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dongkyu Park, Sangchul Ko, Donghyun Jung
  • Patent number: 12022264
    Abstract: A charging device of a hearing aid has a charging unit, which has a housing with a housing cover and a magnet arranged therein and movably guided in a longitudinal direction. At one longitudinal end, a contact is attached on the magnet for the detachable, direct electrical contacting with a counter contact of the hearing aid. The contact is electrically connected by a line to a charging circuit, wherein the housing cover has an opening, within which the contact is inserted. The charging device is part of a system having a hearing aid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Thilo von Mansberg
  • Patent number: 12002483
    Abstract: The disclosure is generally directed to a system for reducing wind noise. A system includes one or more processors coupled to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to obtain signals respectively generated from two or more microphones during a time period, the signals representing acoustic energy detected by the two or more microphones during the time period, determine a coherence between the signals, and determine a filter based on the coherence. The filter is configured to reduce wind noise in one or more of the signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Gongqiang Yu, Michael Smedegaard, Tetsuro Oishi
  • Patent number: 11997468
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a processing device, a processing method, a reproducing method, and a program capable of performing appropriate processing. A processing device according to the present embodiment includes: an envelope computation unit computing an envelope for a frequency response of a sound pickup signal; a scale conversion unit generating scale converted data by performing scale conversion and data interpolation on frequency data of the envelope; a normalization factor computation unit dividing the scale converted data into a plurality of frequency bands, obtaining a characteristic value for each frequency band, and computing a normalization factor, based on the characteristic values; and a normalization unit, using the normalization factor, normalizing the sound pickup signal in the time domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: JVCKENWOOD CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahiro Gejo, Hisako Murata, Masaya Konishi, Yumi Fujii, Kuniaki Takachi, Toshiaki Nagai
  • Patent number: 11995375
    Abstract: This application discloses an audio stream switching method and apparatus. After a switching device receives a switching instruction, the switching device determines a synchronization relationship between a switch-in stream and a switch-out stream, determines a parameter value of a switching point of the switch-in stream based on the synchronization relationship and a timestamp of a packet in the switch-in stream, and determines a timestamp of a switching point of the switch-out stream based on the synchronization relationship and a timestamp of a packet in the switch-out stream, and/or the switching device switches a packet that is in the switch-out stream and whose parameter value is greater than the parameter value of the switching point of the switch-out stream to a packet that is in the switch-in stream and whose parameter value is greater than the parameter value of the switching point of the switch-in stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chao Liu, Jie Xiong, Jinhui Zhang, Lihong Feng
  • Patent number: 11981259
    Abstract: A sound generation device for a vehicle, the sound generation device being installed in a vehicle which travels using an electric-powered motor as a power source, includes a sound control apparatus which sets a plurality of frequencies corresponding to a motor rotation speed and generates a synthetic sound signal indicating a synthetic sound including sounds at the plurality of frequencies and a speaker which outputs the synthetic sound based on the synthetic sound signal generated by the sound control apparatus, and the sound control apparatus sets an increase amount of an output of a sound in a low frequency band large compared to an increase amount of an output of a sound in a high frequency band in a frequency range of the synthetic sound in accordance with an increase in a motor torque value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Yukifusa Hattori, Seisuke Mitsunaga, Hidekazu Shiraishi, Katsuya Shimizu, Ryuichi Yamada, Chieko Nakagami
  • Patent number: 11956582
    Abstract: The present application is directed to an alignment device suited for use with a microphone. The device may include an end that is configured to contact a user's face, an attachment portion, with the attachment portion having an attachment piece configured to attach to a microphone. The device also can include a tendril extending between the end and the attachment portion. The tendril can extend along a length of the microphone to a point past a grille of the microphone. The end can be offset from the grille to maintain the user's face a distance from the grille.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Hadersbeck & Associates, LLC
    Inventors: Chad Hadersbeck, Adam Zimmer
  • Patent number: 11863936
    Abstract: A method includes determining a first feature of a first audio signal at a first location in a signal processing path and determining, using the first feature, a first environmental classification of the first signal. Further, the method includes, based on the first environmental classification, enabling, modifying or disabling one or both of a first signal processing mode at the first location and a second signal processing mode at a second location in the signal processing path. The method also includes determining a second feature of a second audio signal at the second location and determining, using the second feature, a second environmental classification of the second signal. Further, the method includes, based on the second environmental classification, enabling, modifying or disabling one or both of the first signal processing mode at the first location and the second signal processing mode at the second location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Michael Goorevich, Kyriaky Griffin
  • Patent number: 11856372
    Abstract: A hearing device system has a photoplethysmography sensor to be worn in the auditory canal in an intended worn state and an earpiece which at least partly covers the photoplethysmography sensor toward the auditory canal in the intended worn state. Moreover, the hearing device system has a controller which is configured to use light captured by the photoplethysmography sensor to derive a comparison quantity of the earpiece characteristic for a transmission of the earpiece, for a wavelength range of the photoplethysmography sensor, to compare the comparison quantity with a specified first limit and to output an alert if the limit is traversed by the comparison quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Frank Naumann
  • Patent number: 11792557
    Abstract: A sound capture system can include a sound capture device configured for placement within a sound-generating device. The sound capture system can include a suspension system configured to suspend the sound capture device within the sound-generating device. The suspension system acoustically decouples the sound capture device from the sound-generating device. The sound capture device includes a plurality of transducers configured to generate a plurality of audio signals concurrently from sound generated by the sound-generating device. In another aspect, the sound capture system includes a signal processing circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: LATIN PULSE MUSIC INC.
    Inventor: Michael P. Lazarus
  • Patent number: 11758340
    Abstract: A flexible circuit board of a hearing aid and the hearing aid are provided. The flexible circuit board has an annular portion bent into an annular shape, wherein the annular portion is used for surrounding a peripheral side of a battery, and an outer side surface of the annular portion has pads; the flexible circuit board has a device portion located on a front side of the annular portion, wherein the device portion is used for installing electronic devices and is used for electrically connecting a receiver; the flexible circuit board has a chip portion connected to a bottom end of the annular portion, wherein the chip portion is used for binding a chip. The flexible circuit board strings together the receiver, the chip and the battery into a compact structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Xiamen Retone Hearing Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chengxiang Zhang
  • Patent number: 11743657
    Abstract: A method, system and devices to selectively control modal vibrations in an elastic panel with a number of force actuators distributed throughout the surface of the elastic panel to excite/depress the response of one or more vibrational resonant modes included in a prescribed subset. The force actuators are disposed such that prescribed modal excitation/depression may be realized when the actuators are driven by a common source signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
    Inventors: Michael Charles Heilemann, Mark Frederick Bocko, David Allan Anderson
  • Patent number: 11743640
    Abstract: An audio system includes a speaker and a processor. The processor determines a privacy setting for an audio signal. The privacy setting may be selected by a user. The privacy setting may indicate activation of a private mode, or may indicate a privacy level from a range of privacy levels. The processor determines an audio filter that adjusts the audio signal to mitigate sound leakage when presented by the speaker based on the privacy setting. The audio filter may include a low-pass filter and a multiband compressor. The parameters of the audio filter may vary based on the privacy setting. The processor applies the audio filter to the audio signal to generate a filtered audio signal and provides the filtered audio signal to the speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Tetsuro Oishi, Gelmont Rios
  • Patent number: 11705100
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide methods, apparatuses, and systems for closed-loop sleep protection and/or sleep regulation. According to an aspect, sleep disturbing noises are predicted and a biosignal parameter is measured to dynamically mask predicted disturbing environmental noises in the sleeping environment with active attenuation. Environmental noises in a sleeping environment of a subject are detected, input, or predicted based on historical data of the sleeping environment collected over a period of time. The biosignal parameter is used to determine sleep physiology of a subject. Based on the environmental noises in the sleeping environment and the determined sleep physiology, the noises are predicted to be disturbing or non-disturbing noises. For predicted disturbing noises, one or more actions are taken to regulate sleep and avoid sleep disruption by using sound masking prior to or concurrently with the occurrence of the predicted disturbing noises.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: BOSE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kathleen Elizabeth Kremer, Jeffrey M. Ellenbogen, Matthew Chace Carpenter, Steven Carl Pletcher, Chia-Ling Li
  • Patent number: 11689866
    Abstract: Hearing devices capable of performing a self-test as well as a method for automatically testing a hearing device. A hearing device includes a measurement bridge circuit connected to the receiver of the hearing device in parallel with the audio amplifier of the hearing device. A method for self-testing a hearing device includes the steps of i) disabling the audio amplifier connected to the receiver, in particular by putting the amplifier in a high impedance state, ii) applying with a measurement bridge circuit a direct current (DC) and/or an alternating current (AC) to the receiver, iii) measuring with the measurement bridge circuit (5) a voltage at the receiver, and iv) detecting a presence or absence of a fault condition based on the measured voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: SONOVA AG
    Inventor: Fethi Cherigui
  • Patent number: 11647347
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a faceplate for a hearing device, the faceplate configured to cover a lateral opening of a housing of the hearing device and having a side which is laterally oriented when the hearing device is worn at least partially in the ear canal, including the steps of: providing a faceplate base part including a first surface, a faceplate insertion part including a second surface, and a printed circuit board (“PCB”) with an antenna; inserting the antenna PCB into the faceplate base part so that that the antenna PCB extends along the first surface; inserting the faceplate insertion part into the faceplate base part so that the second surface of the faceplate insertion part pushes the antenna PCB against the first surface of the faceplate base part; and fixing the faceplate insertion part within the faceplate base part so as to form the faceplate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: SONOVA AG
    Inventors: Daniel R. Goodland, Andre L. Ochsenbein
  • Patent number: 11647344
    Abstract: A hearing device is disclosed, comprising a main microphone, M auxiliary microphones, a transform circuit, a processor, a memory and a post-processing circuit. The transform circuit transforms first sample values in current frames of a main audio signal and M auxiliary audio signals from the microphones into a main and M auxiliary spectral representations. The memory includes instructions to be executed by the processor to perform operations comprising: performing ANC over the first sample values using an end-to-end neural network to generate second sample values; and, performing audio signal processing over the main and the M auxiliary spectral representations using the end-to-end neural network to generate a compensation mask. The post-processing circuit modifies the main spectral representation with the compensation mask to generate a compensated spectral representation, and generates an output audio signal according to the second sample values and the compensated spectral representation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: BRITISH CAYMAN ISLANDS INTELLIGO TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventors: Ting-Yao Chen, Chen-Chu Hsu, Yao-Chun Liu, Tsung-Liang Chen