Patents Examined by Mark Fischer
  • Patent number: 12294832
    Abstract: A microelectromechanical systems device includes a vibrator and a reinforcing film. The vibrator includes a piezoelectric element configured to convert pressure to an electrical signal. The reinforcing film is configured to reinforce strength of the vibrator. The vibrator further has a groove at which a portion of the reinforcing film is disposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, MIRISE Technologies Corporation, Nisshinbo Micro Devices Inc.
    Inventors: Yuki Ohara, Tomoya Joke, Tetsuya Enomoto, Hideo Yamada, Shuji Katakami, Takahide Usui, Hiroyuki Kuchiji, Naoki Masumoto
  • Patent number: 12293773
    Abstract: A system for automatically selecting a sound recognition model for an environment based on audio data and image data associated with the environment. The system includes a camera, a microphone, a memory including a plurality of sound recognition models, and an electronic processor. The electronic processor is configured to receive the audio data associated with the environment from the microphone, receive the image data associated with the environment from the camera, and determine one or more characteristics of the environment based on the audio data and the image data. The electronic processor is also configured to select the sound recognition model from the plurality of sound recognition models based on the one or more characteristics of the environment, receive additional audio data associated with the environment from the microphone, and analyze the additional audio data using the sound recognition model to perform a sound recognition task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Luca Bondi, Irtsam Ghazi
  • Patent number: 12289587
    Abstract: An acoustic reproduction method includes: acquiring a first audio signal corresponding to an ambient sound that arrives at a listener from a first range in a sound reproduction space and a second audio signal corresponding to a target sound that arrives at the listener from a point in the sound reproduction space; acquiring direction information about the listener; performing, when a back range of the listener is determined to include the first range and the point based on the direction information, correction processing such that the first range does not overlap the point when the sound reproduction space is viewed in a predetermined direction; and mixing at least one of the first audio signal or the second audio signal and outputting the at least one thereof to an output channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Hikaru Usami, Tomokazu Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 12284499
    Abstract: An audio system receives sounds from a local area with a set of sensors. The audio system analyzes the sounds to identify an amount of background noise in the environment. The audio system may also identify target sound in the environment, such as voice from a nearby speaker, to reinforce. The amount of background noise is then used to adaptively set a level of reinforcement for the target sound. In low-noise environments, the target sound may be minimally, or not reinforced, while in high-noise environments a reinforcement sound signal may be generated with the target sound so that a transducer array may generate reinforcing sounds for the target sound and increase its contrast with the noise in the environment. By applying the reinforcement dynamically, the system automatically adjusts for different sounds and environments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Lovitt, Nicholas William Metzar
  • Patent number: 12284487
    Abstract: A hearing aid and a method performed by a hearing aid including at least one microphone unit, an accelerometer unit, and a processor. The method performed by the hearing aid includes generating a processed microphone signal including attenuating the microphone signal in accordance with an attenuation value; wherein the attenuation value is based on a measure of correlation between a microphone signal from the microphone unit and an acceleration signal from the accelerometer unit. The hearing aid instantly reduces noise arising from mechanical handling of the hearing aid based on input from the microphone unit and the accelerometer unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: OTICON A/S
    Inventors: Hongyan Sun, Martin Kuriger, Morten Christophersen
  • Patent number: 12273681
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a microphone, comprising a vibration pickup assembly configured to generate vibration; at least two acoustoelectric conversion elements configured to respectively receive the vibration of the vibration pickup assembly to generate an electrical signal; at least one sampling module configured to convert electrical signals output by different acoustoelectric conversion elements of the at least two acoustoelectric conversion elements into digital signals, wherein, each of the at least two acoustoelectric conversion element has a resonant frequency, and a difference between resonant frequencies of two of the at least two acoustoelectric conversion elements is greater than 1000 Hz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: SHENZHEN SHOKZ CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wenbing Zhou, Yongshuai Yuan, Wenjun Deng, Yujia Huang, Xin Qi, Fengyun Liao
  • Patent number: 12273685
    Abstract: Presented herein are techniques for generating a hierarchical classification of a set of sound signals received at hearing prosthesis. The hierarchical classification includes a plurality of nested classifications of a sound environment associated with the set of sound signals received at hearing prosthesis, including a primary classification and one or more secondary classifications that each represent different characteristics of the sound environment. The primary classification represents a basic categorization of the sound environment, while the secondary classifications define sub-categories/refinements of the associated primary classification and/or other secondary classifications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Michael Goorevich, Obaid Ur Rehman Qazi, Carl Puchner
  • Patent number: 12262190
    Abstract: Various implementations include computer-implemented methods and related systems for controlling the phantom center image of an audio output in an automobile. In one implementation, a method includes: receiving at least one user interface command to modify a phantom center image of audio output from the audio system in the automobile, wherein the phantom center image of the audio output includes a designated position of sound produced by a set of speakers in the audio system other than physical locations of the set of speakers in the audio system; and adjusting a perceived location of the phantom center image of the audio output from the audio system based upon the at least one user interface command to modify the phantom center image of the audio output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Scott Dublin, Charles Terence Henry Oswald, Eduardo T. Salvador, Jeffery Robert Vautin
  • Patent number: 12250526
    Abstract: Audio beamforming systems and methods that enable more precise control of lobes and nulls of an array microphone are provided. Optimized beamformer coefficients can be generated to result in beamformed signals associated with one or more lobes steered towards one or more desired sound locations and one or more nulls steered towards one or more undesired sound location. The performance of acoustic echo cancellation can be improved and enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: Shure Acquisition Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Wenshun Tian, Michael Ryan Lester
  • Patent number: 12238481
    Abstract: Acoustic activity detection is provided herein. Operations of a method can include receiving an acoustic signal at a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) microphone. Based on portions of the acoustic signal being determined to exceed a threshold signal level, output pulses are generated. Further, the method can include extracting information representative of a frequency of the acoustic signal based on respective spacing between rising edges of the output pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: INVENSENSE, INC.
    Inventors: Tomas Pitak, Igor Mucha, Robert Dick, Michael Tuttle
  • Patent number: 12238479
    Abstract: The present invention provides a MEMS speaker including a substrate sidewall enclosing a cavity. The substrate sidewall includes a first surface and a second surface, a sounding assembly that is arranged on the first surface of the substrate sidewall and also seals the cavity at the opening of the first surface, and a bracket disposed in the cavity. The sounding assembly includes a first sounding assembly and the second sounding assembly. Each sounding assembly includes a driving part and a flexible diaphragm. The flexible diaphragm closes the gap formed between the free ends of adjacent driving parts and between the free ends of the driving parts and the substrate sidewall. The present invention also provides a manufacturing method of MEMS speaker. The MEMS speakers provided by the present invention have high-quality acoustic performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: AAC Kaitai Technologies (Wuhan) CO., LTD
    Inventors: Shiyang Cheng, Yiwei Zhou, Qiang Dan, Yang Li
  • Patent number: 12231845
    Abstract: A system performs processing of transmitting, to a second-space side that is a second indoor space separated from a first space, a first picked-up image signal obtained by imaging the first space, and a first audio signal obtained by collecting sound in the first space, and processing of receiving, from the second-space side, a second picked-up image signal obtained by imaging a second space, and a second audio signal obtained by collecting sound in the second space, causing a first projector to output, to a first screen, a projection image, and causing a first speaker to output audio. The system further performs first image analysis processing of detecting a person in the first space based on the first picked-up image signal, and first directivity control processing of controlling a directivity of a first microphone so as to be directed to a position of the person in the first space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: tonari KK
    Inventors: Ryo Kawaguchi, Taj Campbell, Allen Jacob McGinty, Brian Schwind, Andrea Law, Alvaro Arregui Falcon, Alisaun Fukugaki, Shiro Gonoo
  • Patent number: 12231870
    Abstract: A headphone arrangement includes two earphones, wherein each earphone comprises a housing encompassing a low-frequency transducer and an array of at least three high-frequency transducers. The low-frequency transducer of each earphone is disposed on or over an ear canal of a user when the earphone is worn by the user, and is configured to broadcast low-frequency sound that corresponds to low-frequency components of an input signal. The array of at least three high frequency transducers of each array are configured to broadcast high-frequency sound that corresponds to high-frequency components of the input signal, and the array of at least three high frequency transducers of each array is disposed adjacent to the low-frequency transducer and in a lower rostral quadrant of a full circle around the low-frequency transducer when the earphone is worn by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventor: Ulrich Horbach
  • Patent number: 12231867
    Abstract: According to an example embodiment, a method for processing an input audio signal (101) in accordance with spatial metadata (103) so as to play back a spatial audio signal in a device (50) in dependence of at least one sound reproduction characteristic (105) of the device is provided, the method comprising obtaining said input audio signal (101) and said spatial metadata (103); obtaining said at least one sound reproduction characteristic (105) of the device; rendering a first portion of the spatial audio signal using a first type playback procedure applied on the input audio signal in dependence of the spatial metadata (103), wherein the first portion comprises sound directions within a front region of the spatial audio signal; and rendering a second portion of the spatial audio signal using a second type playback procedure applied on the input audio signal in dependence of the spatial metadata (103) and in dependence of said at least one sound reproduction characteristic (105), wherein the second portion co
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
    Inventors: Juha Vilkamo, Riitta Väänänen, Sampo Vesa, Mikko-Ville Laitinen, Jussi Virolainen
  • Patent number: 12225353
    Abstract: A hearing device, including: a device body; a receiver, configured to emit an audio signal, the audio signal being reflected to form a feedback signal, and the proximal end of the device body being proximate to an ear canal; an in-ear microphone, arranged at a proximal end of the device body and configured to receive the feedback signal; and a signal analyzing module, connected to the in-ear microphone and configured to analyze the feedback signal to obtain an analysis result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Shanghai United Imaging Microelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Fa Wang
  • Patent number: 12219335
    Abstract: An apparatus may include a passive vibration member, a supporting member overlapping the passive vibration member, and a vibration apparatus between the passive vibration member and the supporting member and configured to include first and second active vibration members connected to each other and intersecting with each other. The first active vibration member may be connected to a first member of one of the passive vibration member and the supporting member, and the second active vibration member may be connected to a second member of the other of the passive vibration member and the supporting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: LG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jaehun Ye
  • Patent number: 12219329
    Abstract: A microphone system for a boomless headset is disclosed, comprising a microphone array and a processing unit. The microphone array comprises Q microphones and generates Q audio signals. A first microphone and a second microphone are disposed on different earcups, and a third microphone is disposed on one of two earcups and displaced laterally and vertically from one of the first and the second microphones. The processing unit performs operations comprising: performing spatial filtering over the Q audio signals using a trained model based on an arc line with a vertical distance and a horizontal distance from a midpoint between the first and the second microphones, a time delay range for the first and the second microphones and coordinates of the Q microphones to generate a beamformed output signal originated from zero or more target sound sources inside a target beam area, where Q>=3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: BRITISH CAYMAN ISLANDS INTELLIGO TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventors: Hsueh-Ying Lai, Chih-Sheng Chen, Hua-Jun Hong, Chien Hua Hsu, Tsung-Liang Chen
  • Patent number: 12207059
    Abstract: An individual cutoff frequency for an individual secondary path measurement is determined. First and second acoustic transducer-to-eardrum responses below and above the cutoff frequency are determined using an individual secondary path measurement, a reduced dimensionality estimate, and a least squares estimate. A sound pressure level at an eardrum of the user is predicted using the first and second receiver-to-eardrum responses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2024
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Wenyu Jin, Henning Schepker
  • Patent number: 12200443
    Abstract: Sufficient sound pressure is obtained in the mid-low range, to provide a SoT module 100 which can be applied to a variety of applications. A SoT module 100 comprises a plate-shaped piezoelectric composite 105 for generating bending vibration by the impression of an AC voltage, a plurality of elastic bodies, one ends of which are bonded to the main surface of the piezoelectric composite 105, the elastic bodies 120a and 120b transmitting vibration of the piezoelectric composite 105 and a vibration plate 130 has a main surface which is bonded to the other ends of the elastic bodies 120a and 120b, wherein the piezoelectric composite 105 comprises piezoelectric elements 110a, 110b formed in a rectangular plate, and there is a position of the centroid of the piezoelectric composite 105 between the plurality of elastic bodies 120a and 120b.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: MICHIHIRO CO., Ltd
    Inventors: Kyungsu Kim, Jun Oyakawa, Michihiro Yagi, Shinobu Nakamura
  • Patent number: 12200420
    Abstract: A microphone assembly can include a microphone capsule having a diaphragm and a diaphragm cover, a grill for protecting the microphone capsule, and a filter material placed between the grill and the diaphragm cover. The microphone assembly can include a first air gap between the grill and the filter material to create a first interface, a second air gap between the filter material and the diaphragm cover to create a second interface, and a third air gap between the diaphragm cover and a diaphragm to create a third interface. The first interface, the second interface, and the third interface are each configured to create turbulence to assist in draining off energy from plosives and wind and reduce intensity of disturbances at the diaphragm. The filter material may include a mesh and can be supported by a frame, and the frame may be configured to fit underneath the grill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: Shure Acquisition Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Alwicker, Michael Alan Diamond, Charles S. Argento, Benjamin Jay Grigg