Patents Examined by Qin Zhu
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Patent number: 11184729Abstract: Disclosed herein are related to a system and a method for synchronizing signal processing on audio channels. In one aspect, a system includes processors, each including an audio data input configured to receive audio data from multiple audio sources. In one aspect, each processor includes audio channels coupled to the audio data input, where each audio channel includes a corresponding processing chain configured to convert a sample rate of audio data from a corresponding audio source. Each processor may include a synchronization pulse generator configured to generate a corresponding synchronization pulse for each processing chain in response to a trigger pulse. The synchronization pulse generator may include a counter configured to generate an output having a phase based on a programmable initial condition of the counter, where the synchronization pulse for each processing chain is based on the counter output and a phase register value of the corresponding processing chain.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2020Date of Patent: November 23, 2021Assignee: Knowles Electronics, LLCInventors: Christopher Konrad Wolf, Erick Alvarado
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Patent number: 11178503Abstract: Embodiments are described for a system of rendering object-based audio content through a system that includes individually addressable drivers, including at least one driver that is configured to project sound waves toward one or more surfaces within a listening environment for reflection to a listening area within the listening environment; a renderer configured to receive and process audio streams and one or more metadata sets associated with each of the audio streams and specifying a playback location of a respective audio stream; and a playback system coupled to the renderer and configured to render the audio streams to a plurality of audio feeds corresponding to the array of audio drivers in accordance with the one or more metadata sets.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2020Date of Patent: November 16, 2021Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing CorporationInventors: Sripal S. Mehta, Brett G. Crockett, Spencer Hooks, Alan Seefeldt, Christophe Chabanne, C. Phillip Brown, Joshua B. Lando, Brad Basler, Stewart Murrie
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Patent number: 11176951Abstract: A method for processing a monophonic signal in a 3D audio decoder, including processing binauralizing decoded signals intended to be delivered spatially by a headset. The method is such that, on detection, in a datastream representative of the monophonic signal, of an indication of non-binauralization processing, which indication is associated with spatial delivery position information, the decoded monophonic signal is directed to a stereophonic rendering engine, which takes into account the position information to construct two delivery channels that are directly processed via a direct mixing that sums these two channels with a binauralized signal output from the binauralization processing, in order to be delivered via the headset. A decoder device that implements the processing method is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2018Date of Patent: November 16, 2021Assignee: ORANGEInventor: Gregory Pallone
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Patent number: 11172318Abstract: An apparatus and method of rendering audio. The method includes deriving filters by defining a binaural error, defining an activation penalty, and minimizing a cost function that is a combination of the binaural error and the activation penalty. In this manner, the listening experience is improved by reducing the signal level output by loudspeakers further from an audio object's desired position.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2018Date of Patent: November 9, 2021Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing CorporationInventor: Alan J. Seefeldt
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Patent number: 11159867Abstract: A microphone assembly comprises a substrate and an enclosure disposed on the substrate. A port is defined in one of the substrate or the enclosure. An acoustic transducer is configured to generate an electrical signal in response to acoustic activity. The acoustic transducer comprises a membrane separating a front volume from a back volume of the microphone assembly. The front volume is in fluidic communication with the port, and the back volume is filled with a first gas having a thermal conductivity lower than a thermal conductivity of air. An integrated circuit is electrically coupled to the acoustic transducer and configured to receive the electrical signal from the acoustic transducer. At least a portion of a boundary defining at least one of the front volume or the back volume is configured to have compliance so as to allow pressure equalization. The first gas is different from the second gas.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2020Date of Patent: October 26, 2021Assignee: Knowles Electronics, LLCInventors: Peter Loeppert, Michael Pedersen, Michael Kuntzman
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Patent number: 11153707Abstract: A view can be presented with an augmented reality (AR) view of the space. The viewer can also initiate alterations to the environment based on the information and recommendations presented in the AR view. Current conditions, past trends, and forecasted future trends can be included in the creation of the AR displays. For example, the AR system can capture, archive, and predict audio to accompany an augmented reality or virtual reality experience. The audio presented with the experience can be from a real-time capture, an audio file captured in the past, and/or a simulated audio file representing an estimated past or future environment.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2020Date of Patent: October 19, 2021Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventors: Brittaney Zellner, Sameena Khan, Ryan Schaub, Barrett Kreiner, Ari Craine, Robert Koch
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Patent number: 11153509Abstract: A distribution assistance apparatus and a distribution assistance method are provided. An input and output IF mixes a sound input from an HS microphone or a built-in microphone with a sound signal of distribution data received from a portable terminal and outputs the sound. Even when an addition process or an effect is applied to distribution data in the portable terminal, a sound input from the HS microphone or the built-in microphone can be output through a monitor at that point in time without causing a latency.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2020Date of Patent: October 19, 2021Assignee: Roland CorporationInventor: Masakazu Watanabe
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Patent number: 11140508Abstract: An apparatus, based on a first audio track of at least one audio track, the first audio track audibly presented to the user as spatial audio such that it is perceived to originate from a particular location and based on the user being within a predetermined distance of the particular location; configured to provide for a change in the audible presentation of the first audio track to the user from presentation as spatial audio to presentation as at least one of monophonic and stereophonic audio.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2018Date of Patent: October 5, 2021Assignee: Nokia Technologies OyInventors: Antti Eronen, Adriana Vasilache, Henri Toukomaa, Kari Juhani Järvinen, Sujeet Shyamsundar Mate
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Patent number: 11133785Abstract: An amplifier for headphones including a current digital-to-analog converter (DAC) configured to output a current based on a digital audio input signal, an output electrically connected to a speaker and configured to output an output signal to the speaker, and a pulse width modulation (PWM) loop configured to receive an error signal, the error signal based on a difference between the current from the current DAC and a current of the output signal, and generate the output signal based on the error signal. The PWM loop includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to receive an analog signal based on the current from the current DAC and output a digital signal representing the analog signal, and an encoder configured to receive the digital signal and output a pulse having a width based on the analog signal.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2018Date of Patent: September 28, 2021Assignee: AVNERA CORPORATIONInventor: Wai Laing Lee
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Patent number: 11128944Abstract: A proximity detecting headphone device is provided, with a proximity sensor, plurality of output devices, data store having predetermined heat signatures, and a control circuit communicatively coupled to the proximity sensor, output device, and data store. The control circuit is configured to: capture, via the proximity sensor, proximity data within a threshold distance of the proximity detecting headphone device; determine, using the proximity data, a presence of a person within the threshold distance; generate an audio notification when the presence of the person within the threshold distance is determined; and transmit, via the plurality of output devices, the audio notification. The proximity detecting headphone device communicates with a computing device. The proximity sensor comprises a laser rangefinder that captures time-of-flight data. The predetermined heat signatures comprise the heat signatures of vehicles and persons.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2019Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Inventors: Patricia Williams Smith, Neva Thompson, Carl Edward Williams, Kelvin DeWayne King
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Patent number: 11115775Abstract: An acoustic crosstalk canceller is determined for an asymmetric audio playback device, by determining a transfer function of an acoustic stereo playback path having asymmetries defined by speakers of the playback device. The transfer function is inverted to determine an inverse transfer function. The inverse transfer function is regularised by applying frequency dependent regularisation parameters to obtain an acoustic crosstalk canceller. Also, the inverse transfer function could be regularised for symmetric playback paths by applying aggregated frequency dependent regularisation parameters to obtain an acoustic crosstalk canceller without band branching.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2020Date of Patent: September 7, 2021Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.Inventor: Vitaliy Sapozhnykov
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Patent number: 11115765Abstract: One example may include a method that includes receiving, at a presentation server, an audio data signal from a mobile device located in a presentation space, identifying a mobile device identification characteristic of the mobile device based on the received audio data signal, determining a mobile device location via a location determination procedure, and playing the audio signal via a loudspeaker.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2020Date of Patent: September 7, 2021Assignee: Biamp Systems, LLCInventors: Nicholas William Metzar, Richard S. Juszkiewicz, Matthew V. Kotvis, Jason E. Damori
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Patent number: 11113903Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for determining a maintenance issue are described. An audio signal is obtained and analyzed to generate an audio signature. A characteristic of a component is identified based on the audio signature and an action is determined based on the characteristic of the component.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2019Date of Patent: September 7, 2021Assignee: eBay Inc.Inventor: Sergio Pinzon Gonzales, Jr.
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Patent number: 11109178Abstract: A method (910) for rendering an audio signal in a virtual reality rendering environment (180) is described. The method (910) comprises rendering (911) an origin audio signal of an audio source (311, 312, 313) from an origin source position on an origin sphere (114) around an origin listening position (301) of a listener (181). Furthermore, the method (900) comprises determining (912) that the listener (181) moves from the origin listening position (301) to a destination listening position (302). In addition, the method (900) comprises determining (913) a destination source position of the audio source (311, 312, 313) on a destination sphere (114) around the destination listening position (302) based on the origin source position, and determining (914) a destination audio signal of the audio source (311, 312, 313) based on the origin audio signal.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2018Date of Patent: August 31, 2021Assignee: Dolby International ABInventors: Leon Terentiv, Christof Fersch, Daniel Fischer
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Patent number: 11107454Abstract: An audio processing device (100) includes a correction microphone (110), a reference microphone (120), a classification unit (130), an active noise cancellation (ANC) unit (140), and a speaker (150). The correction microphone is arranged in an area adjacent to an ear of a user of the device and picks up acoustic signals in the area and outputs same as a correction signal. The reference microphone picks up surrounding noises (124) from a surrounding area of the user and outputs same as a reference signal. The classification unit receives the reference signal and splits the reference signal corresponding to a spectrum and amplitude thereof into signal components of two or more classes and outputs a classified signal. The ANC unit receives and processes the correction signal based on the classified signal and outputs a corresponding audio signal. The speaker receives the audio signal and provides a corresponding acoustic signal output.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2020Date of Patent: August 31, 2021Assignee: Dräger Safety AG & Co. KGaAInventors: Achim Volmer, Michael Brodersen, Jens Reermann
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Patent number: 11107489Abstract: A signal processing apparatus includes a generator, an output controller, and an echo canceller. The generator generates an output sound signal by combining an over-the-phone sound signal with a system sound signal different from the over-the-phone sound signal. The output controller outputs, to a loudspeaker, the output sound signal generated by the generator. The echo canceller cancels the output sound signal from an input sound signal input via a microphone located in a vicinity of the loudspeaker. The output controller suppresses a level of the system sound signal to be output from the loudspeaker so as not to be greater than a predetermined value within a range in which a volume value for the over-the-phone sound signal is settable.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2020Date of Patent: August 31, 2021Assignee: DENSO TEN LimitedInventors: Katsuaki Hikima, Atsushi Nakagawa
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Patent number: 11102579Abstract: An apparatus for reducing cross-talk between transmitted audio signals and received audio in a headset. The headset includes one or more of a set of earphones, a headset frame, a microphone boom with an array of MEMS microphone configured to isolate the earphone audio from the microphone audio, a VOX circuit, low crosstalk cable(s), and/or other components. Sets of microphones may be enabled and/or disabled to reduce cross-talk between received audio signals and transmitted audio signals. The VOX circuit is configured to reduce cross-talk between received audio signals and transmitted audio signals.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2020Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: H.M. Electronics, Inc.Inventors: Charles Butten, Karl Knoblock, Robert Snyder
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Patent number: 11089425Abstract: The present invention pertains to an audio playback method and an audio playback apparatus in a 6DoF environment. The audio playback method of the present invention is characterised by comprising: a decoding step of decoding a received audio signal, and outputting the decoded audio signal and metadata; a modelling step of receiving input of position information of a user, checking whether the position of the user has changed from a previous position, and if the position of the user has changed, modelling binaural rendering data so as to correspond to the changed position of the user; and a rendering step of binaural-rendering the decoded audio signal using the modelled rendering data, and outputting the same as a two-channel audio signal.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2017Date of Patent: August 10, 2021Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.Inventors: Tung Chin Lee, Sejin Oh
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Patent number: 11082792Abstract: An apparatus comprising circuitry configured to generate one or more focused sound sources as virtual loudspeakers of an announcement system.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2018Date of Patent: August 3, 2021Assignee: SONY CORPORATIONInventors: Fabien Cardinaux, Michael Enenkl, Marc Ferras Font, Franck Giron, Thomas Kemp, Patrick Putzolu, Andreas Schwager, Stefan Uhlich
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Patent number: 11076254Abstract: An audio processing apparatus includes a sensor configured to output a detection signal in accordance with an orientation of the sensor; a memory storing instructions; and at least one processor that implements the instructions to: sequentially generate, based on the detection signal, orientation information pieces each indicative of the orientation of the sensor; correct a current orientation information piece based on an average of a first plurality of orientation information pieces, among the sequentially generated orientation information pieces, and generate a corrected current orientation information piece; determine a head-related-transfer function in accordance with the corrected current orientation information piece; and apply a sound-image-localization processing to an audio signal based on the determined head-related-transfer function.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2020Date of Patent: July 27, 2021Assignee: YAMAHA CORPORATIONInventor: Yusuke Konagai