Patents Examined by Ping Lee
  • Patent number: 11568851
    Abstract: An active noise reduction device includes: a reference signal inputter; an adaptive filter; a ? adjuster that calculates a step size parameter by multiplying a reference value for the step size parameter by a correction coefficient that is proportional to a reciprocal of a first representative input value that indicates a signal level of the reference signal in a first predetermined period; a filter coefficient updater that updates adaptive filter coefficient W by using the step size parameter calculated; and a determiner. When it is determined that a second representative input value is greater than a threshold value, at least one of the adaptive filter or the filter coefficient updater is transitioned from a normal state to a restriction state in which an effect of reducing noise is smaller than in the normal state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Tani
  • Patent number: 11568844
    Abstract: A noise control system comprises a feedforward module, a feedback module, an error pre-processing module, and a signal integrating module. The feedforward module is configured to receive a reference signal and output a feedforward anti-noise signal by performing feedforward processing to the reference signal. The feedback module is configured to receive an error signal and output a feedback anti-noise signal by performing feedback processing to the error signal. The error pre-processing module is configured to receive the error signal and output a first pre-processing signal to the feedforward module and a second pre-processing signal to the feedback module. The signal integrating module is configured to output an integrated anti-noise signal integrated from the feedforward anti-noise signal and the feedback anti-noise signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: SYSTEM ELITE TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hao-Ming Chen, Athena Tang
  • Patent number: 11552611
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for automatically adjusting a reference gain of an audio mixer having a reference channel for receiving a far end audio signal from a remote location as a reference signal and a plurality of audio input channels for receiving audio signals captured by a plurality of microphone element. An exemplary method includes determining an echo level in an input audio signal received at a given audio input channel, and automatically determining a gain amount for the reference channel based on the echo level. An exemplary system includes a reference gain adjuster configured to automatically determine a gain amount for the reference channel based on an echo level detected in an input audio signal received at a given audio input channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Shure Acquisition Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Dusan Veselinovic, Michael Ryan Lester
  • Patent number: 11541404
    Abstract: A showerhead assembly with a plurality of speakers is disclosed. The illustrative showerhead assembly includes a showerhead to exert fluid, a support structure to transport the fluid to the showerhead, and a plurality of speakers to exert sound with a consistent directionality. The showerhead assembly illustratively includes a dome housing having an inner wall and an outer rim, a showerhead to exert fluid, a support structure extending from a center of the housing such that the support structure has a first end attachable to a wall or ceiling and a second end distal from the first end and the support structure transports the fluid to the showerhead, and a plurality of speakers disposed on the support structure such that the speakers are directed toward the inner wall of the housing and the speakers generate and exert sound with a consistent directionality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Delta Faucet Company
    Inventors: Mark Cipriani, Patrick B. Jonte, Thomas Edward Gospel
  • Patent number: 11546713
    Abstract: An information processing device includes circuitry that detects a change in a position of a person. The circuitry also changes a position of a virtual sound source in accordance with the change in the position of the person and outputs a sound through wave field synthesis so that a spatial sound field is transmitted via a plurality of speakers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Eisaburo Itakura, Takeshi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11538486
    Abstract: Methods for echo estimation or echo management (echo suppression or cancellation) on an input audio signal, with at least one of adaptation of a sparse prediction filter set, modification (for example, truncation) of adapted prediction filter impulse responses, generation of a composite impulse response from adapted prediction filter impulse responses, or use of echo estimation and/or echo management resources in a manner determined at least in part by classification of the input audio signal as being (or not being) echo free. Other aspects are systems configured to perform any embodiment of any of the methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Dong Shi, Kai Li, Hannes Muesch, David Gunawan, Paul Holmberg, Glenn N. Dickins
  • Patent number: 11540043
    Abstract: An active noise reduction earbud and method. The earbud includes a housing comprising an outlet portion that defines a sound outlet, wherein the outlet portion is configured to be located in or proximate the external auditory meatus of a user's ear, a first feedforward microphone configured to develop a first input signal, and a first sound inlet opening in the housing and configured to conduct external sound to be sensed by the first feedforward microphone, wherein the first sound inlet opening is proximate the outlet portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: BOSE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Andrew Donald Munro, Lei Cheng, Ole Nielsen, Emery Ku, Cedrik Bacon
  • Patent number: 11528543
    Abstract: A terminal device and a sound-emitting apparatus arranged in the terminal device, where the terminal device includes a housing, a display is arranged on a surface of the housing, a notch is formed at an end of the display, and a camera system is arranged inside the housing. The camera system is arranged opposite to the notch in a direction perpendicular to the display, and a camera of the camera system is located inside the notch. A through-hole is arranged opposite to an opening of the notch in the housing in a direction parallel to the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Bangshi Yin, Fan Yang, Dong Ma, Kangle Xue, Bin Yan
  • Patent number: 11514882
    Abstract: Sound reduction includes producing an error signal representative of sound present in a target space, producing a reference signal corresponding to undesired sound present in the target space, and producing, based on the reference signal and the error signal a cancelling output signal representative of the undesired sound present in the target space. The method further includes producing, based on the cancelling output signal, sound to destructively interfere with the undesired sound present in the target space, and limiting the amplitude or power of at least one of the reference signal, the error signal and the cancelling output signal if a first condition is met, the at least one signal under examination is at least one of the reference signal, the error signal and the cancelling output signal, and fully or partially suspending the active noise controller update mechanism if a second condition is met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Juergen Zollner
  • Patent number: 11508350
    Abstract: An apparatus for synthesizing an engine sound according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a memory for storing a plurality of explosion sound samples corresponding to a plurality of cylinders included in a cylinder module, respectively; a sound output unit; and a processor for calculating explosion periods of the plurality of cylinders, and overlapping the plurality of samples stored according to the calculated explosion periods on explosion noises of corresponding cylinders, respectively, to output a synthesized virtual engine sound through the sound output unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Byounggi Lee, Kihyun Kim, Kyuho Lee
  • Patent number: 11490199
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method, each of which: acquires sound data generated from a plurality of sound signals collected at a plurality of microphones; acquires, from one or more sensors, a result of detecting a position of the sound recording apparatus at a time point during a time period when the plurality of sound signals is collected; and stores, in a memory, position data indicating the position of the sound recording apparatus detected at the time point, and sound data generated based on a plurality of sound signals collected at the microphones at the time point at which the position was detected, in association with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Atsushi Matsuura
  • Patent number: 11482204
    Abstract: In a first system signal processing unit, a first system auxiliary filter generates a correction signal for correcting an error signal from a noise signal, a first system subtractor subtracts the correction signal from an output of a first microphone to obtain an error signal, an adaptive filter performs an adaptive operation using the error signal to generate a cancel sound output from a first speaker, and a DMS detects a position of a user's ear. When the position of the user's ear moves, the controller stops the adaptive operation, updates the transfer function of the first system auxiliary filter to the transfer function corresponding to the noise cancel position matching the position of the user's ear, gradually changes the transfer function of the adaptive filter to the transfer function corresponding to the matching noise cancel position, and resumes the adaptive operation after the change is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignees: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD., A SCHOOL CORPORATION KANSAI UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Ryosuke Tachi, Yuji Saito, Yoshinobu Kajikawa
  • Patent number: 11483646
    Abstract: Techniques for improving beamforming using filter coefficient values corresponding to virtual microphones are described. A system may define “virtual” microphone positions and determine corresponding filter coefficient values. These filter coefficient values may be applied to input audio data captured by actual physical microphones, enabling the system to improve performance of beamforming and/or to reduce a number of physical microphones without degrading performance. Offline testing and simulations may be performed to identify the best combination of virtual microphones and/or filter coefficient values for a particular look-direction. For example, the simulations may identify that a first filter coefficient corresponding to a first virtual microphone and a first direction will be associated with a first physical microphone and the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Guangdong Pan, Philip Ryan Hilmes, Robert Ayrapetian
  • Patent number: 11477557
    Abstract: In an active noise reducing headphone, a signal processor applies filters and control gains of both the feed-forward and feedback active noise cancellation signal paths. The signal processor is configured to apply first feed-forward filters to the feed-forward signal path and apply first feedback filters to the feedback signal path during a first operating mode providing effective cancellation of ambient sound, and to apply second feed-forward filters to the feed-forward signal path during a second operating mode providing active hear-through of ambient sounds with ambient naturalness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel M. Gauger, Jr., Jason Harlow
  • Patent number: 11468873
    Abstract: An integrated circuit for implementing at least a portion of a personal audio device may include a processing circuit to implement an adaptive filter having a response that generates an anti-noise signal to reduce the presence of the ambient audio sounds at an error microphone, implement a coefficient control block that shapes the response of the adaptive filter in conformity with the error microphone signal by computing coefficients that determine the response of the adaptive filter to minimize the ambient audio sounds at the error microphone, and responsive to detecting a condition that triggers a reset of the adaptive filter, increment the coefficients in a plurality of steps from initial values of the coefficients at a time of triggering the reset to final values of the coefficients at a conclusion of the reset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Sang-Ik Cho, Dayong Zhou
  • Patent number: 11468875
    Abstract: Active noise cancellation systems and methods include a feedforward path configured to receive a reference signal comprising ambient noise and adaptively generate an anti-noise signal to cancel the ambient noise. The adaptive filter is tuned in accordance with at least one parameter, which is set by a logic device configured to determine an ambient noise condition based the reference signal by estimating a fullband power of the reference signal, estimating a low-frequency power of the reference signal, comparing the fullband power and low-frequency power to one or more thresholds, and/or setting one or more ambient noise flags. The ambient noise condition may include a quiet background, a wideband noise condition, and/or a low-frequency dominant noise condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Steve Rui, Govind Kannan
  • Patent number: 11462205
    Abstract: A first variable filter receives a sound of a second seat audio source as an input and generates a cancel sound for canceling the sound of the second seat audio source at a first seat. The transfer functions of the first variable filter and the second variable filter are updated such that the level of a signal obtained by subtracting the output of the auxiliary filter that generates a correction signal for correcting the difference between the positions of the first seat microphone and the first seat and the output of the second variable filter that receives the sound of the first seat audio source from the output of the first seat microphone is minimized. While the level of the signal exceeds a threshold, the signal is relayed to the second seat as a spoken voice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignees: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD, A SCHOOL CORPORATION KANSAI UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Ryosuke Tachi, Yoshinobu Kajikawa
  • Patent number: 11463831
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating one or more audio channels is provided. The apparatus includes a metadata decoder for receiving one or more compressed metadata signals. Each of the one or more compressed metadata signals includes a plurality of first metadata samples. The metadata decoder is configured to generate one or more reconstructed metadata signals and to generate each of the second metadata samples of each reconstructed metadata signal of the one or more reconstructed metadata signals depending on at least two of the first metadata samples of the reconstructed metadata signal. The apparatus includes an audio channel generator for generating the one or more audio channels depending on the one or more audio object signals and depending on the one or more reconstructed metadata signals. An apparatus for generating encoded audio information including one or more encoded audio signals and one or more compressed metadata signals is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Christian Borss, Christian Ertel
  • Patent number: 11450305
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to using a display as a sound emitter and may relate to an electronic device including a display. In particular a vibration sensor such as an accelerometer is physically coupled to the display and senses display vibration to provide a high accuracy feedback loop with respect to representing actual audio output from the display. The electronic device includes an actuator physically coupled to the display and configured to cause vibration of the display in response to an audio signal. The electronic device further includes a vibration sensor physically coupled to the display and configured to output a vibration sensor signal proportional to the vibration of the display due to the actuator. The electronic device further includes a processor operably coupled to the vibration sensor. The processor is configured to adjust the audio signal based on the vibration sensor signal from the vibration sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Ricardo De Jesus Bernal Castillo, Wade Heimbigner, Andre Gustavo Schevciw, Sang-Uk Ryu
  • Patent number: 11445320
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide for a device and method for processing multi-channel audio signals, the multi-channel audio signals comprising at least a left channel, a right channel, and a center channel. Embodiments of the invention also provide for a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed on a computer cause the computer to perform the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Johannes Heinrich Kares