Patents Examined by Kenny H Truong
  • Patent number: 11979707
    Abstract: An audio reproduction device is disclosed. The audio reproduction device includes a housing, a driver assembly including a diaphragm, an ear cushion and at least one port. The diaphragm selectively vibrates based on a received audio input signal. The diaphragm has a front side and a back side. The driver assembly is disposed in the housing, with selective portion of the housing and the driver assembly define a housing chamber, the housing chamber disposed behind the back side of the diaphragm. The ear cushion surrounds the diaphragm and selective portion of the ear cushion forms an ear chamber, the ear chamber disposed in front of the front side of the diaphragm. The at least one port is configured to communicate with the housing chamber and selectively relieve pressure from the housing chamber and into the ear cushion, when the diaphragm selectively vibrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Scaeva Technologies, Inc
    Inventors: Steven E. Curd, Wendy S. Curd
  • Patent number: 11978428
    Abstract: Systems for magnetoacoustically transferring sound across an acoustic barrier include first and second acoustic resonators positioned on opposite sides of the barrier. Each of the first and second resonators includes an attached magnet. Via magnetic coupling between the magnets, an acoustic oscillation at the first resonator induces an oscillation of the same frequency at the second resonator. Thus sound waves absorbed at the first resonator are magnetically transferred across the barrier to the second resonator, from which they are emitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Taehwa Lee, Hideo Iizuka
  • Patent number: 11974116
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electronic device. The electronic device includes: an audio output device comprising circuitry configured to output a sound; a microphone; and a processor configured to control, based on a content being selected, the audio output device to output an audio signal corresponding to the content using a sound compensation value, wherein the processor is configured to: extract, based on a sound corresponding to the content being output from the audio output device and input to the microphone, characteristic information from the sound input to the microphone, calculate a sound compensation value based on the extracted characteristic information, and update the sound compensation value with the calculated sound compensation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hoseok Wey, Shukjae Choi, Inwoo Hwang, Sunmin Kim
  • Patent number: 11962977
    Abstract: A custom switchable hearing protection system includes an earplug and an electronic hearing device received in a recessed cavity in the earplug. The earplug includes a first portion disposed in a user's outer ear, a second portion disposed in the user's ear canal, and a sound tube extending through the second portion. The electronic hearing device includes electronics that incorporate digital signal processing to provide sound amplification and fast compression programming to shut off sound amplification to protect the user when a loud noise is detected. The housing of the electronic hearing device has a sound aperture for emitting the sound from a speaker assembly. The sound aperture is aligned with an opening of the sound tube, so that sound generated by the speaker assembly can propagate through the sound tube to the user's ear canal. A slider on the housing engages a switching device to activate or deactivate the electronics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Inventors: Daniel R. Schumaier, Dale F. Kundis
  • Patent number: 11962976
    Abstract: A hearing aid system has comprises a hearing aid with at least one input transducer, an output transducer, and a movement sensor. An actual movement of the hearing aid system user is detected as movement sensor data of the movement sensor and/or as movement sound data of the input transducer. An actual movement pattern for the actual movement is determined based on the movement sensor data and/or the movement sound data. The actual movement pattern is compared with a target movement pattern and, depending on the outcome of the comparison, an audio signal is generated at a perceptible signal level to supports the hearing aid system user in the execution of the actual movement. The movement sounds detected by the input transducer are used as the audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Rosa-Linde Fischer, Ronny Hannemann
  • Patent number: 11951889
    Abstract: Various implementations include seats and related loudspeakers. In particular cases, a seat includes: a seat headrest portion; a seat backrest portion; and a loudspeaker assembly. The loudspeaker assembly includes at least one driver for generating an acoustic output; and an acoustic exit fixed in the seat backrest portion and angled to provide the acoustic output to a location below a nominal ear position of an occupant of the seat, wherein a firing angle of the at least one driver provides the acoustic output to achieve a consistent frequency response across a range of positions deviating from the nominal ear position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Nicholas K. Lade, Bradford Kyle Subat, Charles Terence Henry Oswald
  • Patent number: 11956622
    Abstract: A signal processing system and method for delivering spatialized sound by optimizing sound waveforms from a sparse array of speakers to the ears of a user. The system can provide listening areas within a room or space, to provide spatialization sounds to create a 3D audio effect. In a binaural mode, a binary speaker array provides targeted beams aimed towards a user's ears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Comhear Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey M. Claar
  • Patent number: 11950037
    Abstract: A surface vehicle includes a microphone detecting sounds originating outside of the surface vehicle. A heating element is mounted in association with the microphone and provides heat for preventing accumulation of ice near the microphone wherein the ice accumulation would degrade an ability of the microphone to detect sounds originating outside of the surface vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventor: Karl Warren Frisch Cressman
  • Patent number: 11950050
    Abstract: This disclosure describes an apparatus and method of an embodiment of an invention that is a ceiling tile microphone that includes: a plurality of microphones positioned at predetermined locations and coupled together as a microphone array used for beamforming; a single ceiling tile with an outer surface on the front side of the ceiling tile where the outer surface is acoustically transparent, the microphone array couples to the back side of the single ceiling tile, the microphone array combines with the ceiling tile as a single unit, the single unit is mountable in a drop ceiling in place of a single ceiling tile included in the drop ceiling, all or part of the single unit is in the drop space of the drop ceiling when the single unit is used in a drop ceiling mounting configuration; where the ceiling tile microphone further includes beamforming, acoustic echo cancellation, and auto mixing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: ClearOne, Inc.
    Inventors: Derek Graham, David K. Lambert, Michael Braithwaite
  • Patent number: 11941415
    Abstract: Provided are an audio reproduction device and a method of controlling an operation thereof, which involve a user interface that allows a user to more effectively control various functions. The audio reproduction device includes a processor configured to obtain function information of the audio reproduction device corresponding to a user input received using mapping information for mapping between a user input received based on at least one of at least one wheel region rotatable clockwise or counterclockwise and at least one touch region and function information of the audio reproduction device, and to control the audio reproduction device according to the obtained function information of the audio reproduction device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mi-youn Won, Jung-geun Kim, Ji-hyae Kim, Won-hee Lee
  • Patent number: 11935512
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology provide for generation of a self-voice signal by an electronic device that is operating in an active noise cancellation mode. In this way, during a phone call, a video conference, or while listening to audio content, a user of the electronic device may benefit from active cancellation of ambient noise while still being able to hear their own voice when they speak. In various implementations described herein, the concurrent self-voice and automatic noise cancellation features are facilitated by accelerometer-based control of sidetone and/or active noise cancellation operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yang Lu, Andrew P. Bright, Fatos Myftari, Vasu Iyengar
  • Patent number: 11937072
    Abstract: An out-of-head localization filter determination system according to an embodiment includes headphones, a microphone unit, a measurement processor, and a server device. The measurement processor measures first ear canal transfer characteristics from a first position to a microphone, measures ear canal transfer characteristics from a second position to a microphone, and transmits user data related to the first ear canal transfer characteristics to the server device. The server device includes a storage unit that stores first preset data and a second preset data in association with each other, a comparison unit that compares the second preset data with the user data, and an extraction unit that extracts the first preset data according to a comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: JVCKENWOOD CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hisako Murata, Yumi Fujii, Toshiaki Nagai
  • Patent number: 11935510
    Abstract: An information processing device includes a first acquisition unit that acquires a sound signal outputted from a mic, an acoustic feature detection unit that detects an acoustic feature based on the sound signal, an identification unit that identifies first discomfort condition information corresponding to a first work type of work performed by a user, among one or more pieces of discomfort condition information specifying discomfort conditions using the acoustic feature and corresponding to one or more work types, based on work type information indicating the first work type, and an output judgment unit that judges whether first masking sound should be outputted or not based on the acoustic feature detected by the acoustic feature detection unit and the first discomfort condition information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kaori Handa, Masaru Kimura
  • Patent number: 11922965
    Abstract: A direction-of-arrival estimation device for achieving direction-of-arrival estimation which is robust against an SNR and in which an application range of a learning model is specific is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Yasuda, Yuma Koizumi
  • Patent number: 11917393
    Abstract: A sound field support method for an audio reproducing apparatus for simulating sound emitting from a sound source, the method includes selecting either position information on the sound source to be set in a virtual space or localization information of the sound source, in a case where sound from the sound source is to be simulated sound emitted from a speaker to be set in a target space, generating a first sound signal based on the position information in a state where the selecting has selected the position information, generating a second sound signal based on the localization information in a state where the selecting has selected the localization information, and adjusting sound image localization of an input audio signal from the sound source to be output to the speaker using the first sound signal and the second sound signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayuki Watanabe, Dai Hashimoto, Hiroomi Shidoji
  • Patent number: 11917381
    Abstract: A ribbon microphone assembly may include a ribbon capsule assembly, an amplifier connected to the capsule assembly, an analog-to-digital converter connected to the amplifier, a digital signal processor connected to the analog-to-digital converter to compensate for an on-axis frequency response caused by a directional polar response of the ribbon microphone assembly, and a USB output port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Shure Acquisition Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven R. Grosz, Benjamin Jay Grigg
  • Patent number: 11917390
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electronic device. The electronic device includes: an audio output device comprising circuitry configured to output a sound; a microphone; and a processor configured to control, based on a content being selected, the audio output device to output an audio signal corresponding to the content using a sound compensation value, wherein the processor is configured to: extract, based on a sound corresponding to the content being output from the audio output device and input to the microphone, characteristic information from the sound input to the microphone, calculate a sound compensation value based on the extracted characteristic information, and update the sound compensation value with the calculated sound compensation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hoseok Wey, Shukjae Choi, Inwoo Hwang, Sunmin Kim
  • Patent number: 11917368
    Abstract: A hearing aid includes a microphone, and a processing unit. The microphone is configured to receive sound incident on the hearing aid and deliver a corresponding microphone output to the processing unit. The processing unit is configured to process the microphone output to determine whether the incident sound comprises potentially harmful sound, and to generate a processor output including a processed version of the microphone output. A method of protecting a hearing aid wearer from sudden loud sounds uses a microphone in the hearing aid to receive incident sound and deliver a corresponding microphone output to a processing unit in the hearing aid. The processing unit processes the microphone output to generate a first processor output, determined by whether the incident sound includes potentially harmful impulsive sound, and a second processor output including a processed version of the microphone output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brant Candelore, Mahyar Nejat
  • Patent number: 11913827
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to an ultrasonic microphone and an ultrasonic acoustic radio. In one aspect a system includes a transmitter and a receiver. The receiver comprises a membrane. The membrane comprises a single layer or multiple layers of a two-dimensional material. The receiver is operable to receive sound waves in a frequency range, with the frequency range being the ultrasonic frequency range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Qin Zhou, Alexander K. Zettl
  • Patent number: 11910150
    Abstract: A control circuit for an electrostatic transducer including: an audio signal input, a detector configured to detect a current or charge signal from the electrostatic transducer. The detector is configured to produce an audio output signal varying at audio frequencies. A transform circuit is configured to transform the audio output signal to produce a feedback signal. A comparator is configured to compare an input audio signal at the audio signal input to the feedback signal to produce an error signal. A controller is configured to input a control signal to the electrostatic transducer, the control signal responsive to the error signal. The control signal is configured to control acoustic transparency of the electrostatic transducer, from outside space through through-holes of the first electrode, across the membrane and through through-holes of the second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Waves Audio Ltd.
    Inventors: Gabriel Zeltzer, Meir Shaashua