Patents Examined by Leshui Zhang
  • Patent number: 10803843
    Abstract: A computer user interface (UI) is capable of generating a sound when a predetermined event occurs. The sound generated when the predetermined event occurs may possess at least some characteristics of a predominant natural language used by a user and/or a location of a computer implementing the UI. This enables the user to quickly assimilate the sound generated when the predetermined event occurs. Because the user quickly assimilates the sound generated when the predetermined event occurs, the user is able to rapidly respond to the predetermined event, at times using the computer UI, which reduces undesirable memory use, processor use and/or battery drain associated with a computing device that implements the computer UI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Andrea Hsieh-Lin Chang, Matthew Lee Johnston, Joseph George Kelly
  • Patent number: 10798512
    Abstract: A method for mapping a plurality of input channels of an input channel configuration to output channels of an output channel configuration includes providing a set of rules associated with each input channel of the plurality of input channels, wherein the rules define different mappings between the associated input channel and a set of output channels. For each input channel of the plurality of input channels, a rule associated with the input channel is accessed, determination is made whether the set of output channels defined in the accessed rule is present in the output channel configuration, and the accessed rule is selected if the set of output channels defined in the accessed rule is present in the output channel configuration. The input channels are mapped to the output channels according to the selected rule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Juergen Herre, Fabian Kuech, Michael Kratschmer, Achim Kuntz, Christoph Faller
  • Patent number: 10798515
    Abstract: An audio system captures audio data of test sounds through a microphone of a headset worn by a user. The test sounds are played by an external speaker, and the audio data includes audio data captured for different orientations of the headset with respect to the external speaker. A set of head-related transfer function (HRTFs) is calculated based at least in part on the audio data of the test sounds at the different orientations of the headset. A portion of the set of HRTFs is discarded to create an intermediate set of HRTFs. The discarded portion corresponding to one or more distortion regions that are based in part on wearing the headset. One or more HRTFs are generated that correspond to the discarded portion using at least some of the intermediate set of HRTFs to create an individualized set of HRTFs for the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Lou Alon, Maria Cuevas Rodriguez, Ravish Mehra, Philip Robinson
  • Patent number: 10770080
    Abstract: An audio decoder for providing at least four bandwidth-extended channel signals on the basis of an encoded representation provides first and second downmix signals on the basis of a jointly encoded representation of the first and second downmix signals using a multi-channel decoding and provides at least first and second audio channel signals on the basis of the first downmix signal using a multi-channel decoding, and provides at least third and fourth audio channel signals on the basis of the second downmix signal using a multi-channel decoding. It performs a multi-channel bandwidth extension on the basis of the first and third audio channel signals, to obtain first and third bandwidth-extended channel signals, and performs a multi-channel bandwidth extension on the basis of the second and fourth audio channel signals, to obtain second and fourth bandwidth extended channel signals. An audio encoder uses a related concept.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung, e.V.
    Inventors: Sascha Dick, Christian Ertel, Christian Helmrich, Johannes Hilpert, Andreas Hoelzer, Achim Kuntz
  • Patent number: 10771897
    Abstract: A system for enhancing sound includes a structure defining a first portion of an oblong enclosure that forms an approximated double ellipse profile and positioned between a first area proximate a first speaker driver and a second area proximate the listener, the first portion of the oblong enclosure forming a first part of the approximated double ellipse profile; and a second portion of the oblong enclosure that forms the approximated double ellipse profile and positioned between a third area proximate a second speaker driver and a fourth area proximate the listener, the second portion of the oblong enclosure forming a second part of the approximated double ellipse profile. The first portion and the second portion are shaped such that sound emitted from the first speaker driver and the second speaker driver is reflected and focused toward the listener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Inventor: Richard O'Polka
  • Patent number: 10757928
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrasonic generator for repelling harmful animals. The invention comprises a columnar ultrasonic wave generating body 18 which has a piezoelectric element 16 and a connecting body 22 and a smaller-diameter connecting body 24 each having a reduced diameter, a diaphragm 28 which is in the form of a speaker horn, and a connecting rod 26 which extends from the ultrasonic wave generating body 18 and connects and fixes the diaphragm 28 to an end thereof. The thickness of the diaphragm 28 gradually decreases from the base 34 connected to the connecting rod 26 toward an outer edge of the diaphragm 28 and one or more undulated portions 36 are formed concentrically on the front face of the diaphragm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Inventor: Seog-tae Kim
  • Patent number: 10755720
    Abstract: A multi-channel audio decoder for providing at least two output audio signals on the basis of an encoded representation is configured to perform a weighted combination of a downmix signal, a decorrelated signal and a residual signal, to obtain one of the output audio signals. The multi-channel audio decoder is configured to determine a weight describing a contribution of the decorrelated signal in the weighted combination in dependence on the residual signal. A multi-channel audio encoder for providing an encoded representation of a multi-channel audio signal is configured to obtain a downmix signal on the basis of the multi-channel audio signal, to provide parameters describing dependencies between the channels of the multi-channel audio signal, and to provide a residual signal. The multi-channel audio encoder is configured to vary an amount of residual signal included into the encoded representation in dependence on the multi-channel audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angwandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Sascha Dick, Christian Helmrich, Johannes Hilpert, Andreas Hoelzer
  • Patent number: 10757493
    Abstract: The present invention provides a speaker module comprising a module housing, and a speaker unit accommodated in the module housing, and the speaker unit separates a cavity formed by the module housing into a front acoustic cavity and a rear acoustic cavity; sound absorbing particles are filled into the rear acoustic cavity, and the sidewall of the module housing is provided with an isolation mesh cloth for isolating the sound absorbing particles and the speaker unit; the isolating mesh cloth is fixed to a first fixing frame by injection molding, and the first fixing frame is fixed in the corresponding module housing by injection molding. According to the present invention, it can prevent the problems such as leakage, deviation or breakage of the mesh during the process of fixing the isolating mesh cloth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: GOERTEK INC.
    Inventors: Shuangshuang Fan, Gang Chen
  • Patent number: 10747955
    Abstract: A learning device includes a memory and a processor configured to execute a process including acquiring a plurality of documents, clustering the plurality of documents with respect to each of a first plurality of words, the first plurality of words being included in the plurality of documents, assigning a common label to a first word and a second word among the first plurality of words in a case where a cluster relating to the first word and a cluster relating to the second word resemble each other, and re-clustering, on the basis of the common label, the plurality of documents including the first word and the second word after the assigning the common label.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Yuji Mizobuchi
  • Patent number: 10730422
    Abstract: The technology described in this document can be embodied in a vehicle seat that includes a seat headrest portion for supporting the head of an occupant, and a seat backrest portion for supporting the back of the occupant in a seated position. The backrest portion includes an enclosure for receiving at least a portion of an acoustic transducer. The vehicle seat also includes an acoustic channel having a first end that is configured to be fitted around a driver of the acoustic transducer in an acoustically sealed configuration, and a second end. The second end is opposite the first end and disposed at a location closer to the seat headrest portion than the seat backrest portion. The acoustic channel is configured to radiate acoustic energy from the acoustic transducer through the second end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Charles Oswald, Bradford Kyle Subat, Tobe Z. Barksdale, Muhammad Haris Usmani
  • Patent number: 10720141
    Abstract: An in-ear device includes a housing shaped to hold the in-ear device in an ear, and an audio package, disposed in the housing, to emit sound. A tympanic membrane measurement unit (TMMU) is structured to measure a movement of a tympanic membrane in the ear caused by external sound received by the tympanic membrane, and a controller is coupled to the audio package and the TMMU. The controller includes logic that when executed by the controller causes the in-ear device to perform operations. The operations include measuring a movement of the tympanic membrane, and in response to measuring the movement of the tympanic membrane, outputting sound from the audio package to destructively interfere with the external sound received by the tympanic membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: X Development LLC
    Inventors: Jason Rugolo, Cyrus Behroozi, Benoit Schillings
  • Patent number: 10721577
    Abstract: The present technology relates to an acoustic signal processing apparatus, an acoustic signal processing method, and a program for expanding a range of listening positions in which an effect of a transaural reproduction system can be obtained. First and second output signals for localizing a sound image in front of or behind and on the left of a first position located on the left of a listening position are output from first and second speakers, respectively. Third and fourth output signals for localizing a sound image in front of or behind and on the right of a second position located on the right of the listening position are output from third and fourth speakers, respectively. The first speaker is disposed in a first direction in front of or behind the listening position and on the left of the listening position. The second speaker is disposed in the first direction and on the right of the listening position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kenji Nakano
  • Patent number: 10701507
    Abstract: An apparatus for mapping a first input channel and a second input channel of an input channel configuration to at least one output channel of an output channel configuration, wherein each input channel and each output channel has a direction in which an associated loudspeaker is located relative to a central listener position, configured to map the first input channel to a first output channel of the output channel configuration; and despite of the fact that an angle deviation between a direction of the second input channel and a direction of the first output channel is less than an angle deviation between a direction of the second input channel and the second output channel and/or is less than an angle deviation between the direction of the second input channel and the direction of the third output channel, map the second input channel to the second and third output channels by panning between the second and third output channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Juergen Herre, Fabian Kuech, Michael Kratschmer, Achim Kuntz, Christoph Faller
  • Patent number: 10701480
    Abstract: A head-mounted wearable device (HMWD) includes a plurality of microphones. These microphones may be used to acquire audio data produced by the user, such as speech, or sound from the ambient environment. In one implementation, a first air conduction (AC) microphone is emplaced at a bridge of the nose of the HMWD, a second AC microphone at a hinge, and a bone conduction (BC) microphone is positioned at a distal end of one of the temples of the HMWD. For example, the BC microphone may be located in the left temple proximate to the apex of the user's ear. A semi-rigid structure may provide mechanical coupling between the user's head and the BC microphone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Jung Sik Yang, Xuan Zhong, Jianchun Dong, Zhen Xu
  • Patent number: 10685188
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer readable media can generate a plurality of language clusters based on one or more of: language similarity between languages or social behavior similarity between languages. A representative language for a language cluster of the plurality of language clusters can be determined. For the language cluster of the plurality of language clusters, a machine learning model can be trained based on the representative language for the language cluster to classify content items in languages included in the language cluster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Ying Zhang, Arun Babu, James Li
  • Patent number: 10687143
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform; monitoring at least one indicator dependent on a transducer mechanical integration parameter; and determining a change in the at least one indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventor: Koray Ozcan
  • Patent number: 10674258
    Abstract: There is provided a voice processing system capable of acquiring user voice more clearly, the voice processing system including: a mounting unit configured to be attached to a user. The mounting unit includes at least three voice acquisition units configured to acquire voice data for beamforming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Sekiya, Hideto Mori, Makoto Hanyuda, Yu Togasaki, Yuya Hirano
  • Patent number: 10667038
    Abstract: A micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) microphone assembly including an enclosure having a top side and a bottom side that define a first chamber having a first volume and an acoustic inlet port formed through one of the top side or the bottom side. The assembly further including a MEMS microphone mounted within the first chamber, the MEMS microphone defining a second chamber having a second volume and a diaphragm having a first side interfacing with the first chamber and a second side interfacing with the second chamber. The assembly also including an acoustically absorbent material within one of the first chamber or the second chamber, the acoustically absorbent material to cause a simulated acoustic enlargement of the first volume or the second volume, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Janhavi S. Agashe, Jae H. Lee, Ruchir M. Dave
  • Patent number: 10658995
    Abstract: Calibration of a headset that uses bone conduction to provide audio content to a wearer is presented. A first tone of a plurality of tones that are at different frequencies is presented to the wearer via an air conduction transducer. A corresponding tone having a same frequency as the first tone is also presented to the wearer via a bone conduction (BC) transducer. The corresponding tone is adjusted such that a level of loudness is within a threshold range of a level of loudness of the first tone. An ear-canal sound pressure (ECSP) resulting from the first tone is recorded and a voltage applied to the BC transducer for generating the adjusted corresponding tone. An equalization filter is generated based in part on the ECSP and the voltage, the equalization filter for filtering an audio signal for presentation via the BC transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Peter Bowers, Morteza Khaleghimeybodi, Peter Gottlieb, Antonio John Miller, Jack Yahkub Dagdagan
  • Patent number: 10659880
    Abstract: A method of processing audio data for replay on a mobile device with a first speaker and a second speaker, wherein the audio data comprises a respective audio signal for each of the first and second speakers, includes: determining a device orientation of the mobile device; if the determined device orientation is vertical orientation, applying a first processing mode to the audio signals for the first and second speakers; and if the determined device orientation is horizontal orientation, applying a second processing mode to the audio signals for the first and second speakers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignees: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Dirk Jeroen Breebaart, Mark David de Burgh, Nicholas Luke Appleton, Heiko Purnhagen, Mark William Gerrard, David Matthew Cooper