Patents Examined by Simon King
  • Patent number: 11943576
    Abstract: A contextual audio system configured to adjust audio playback in response to positional data. The contextual audio system may include a wearable audio device and, optionally, a sensing device. In some embodiments, the sensing device and the wearable audio device are the same. Generally, the contextual audio system employs different types of data to determine a user's location and/or activity (both of which are examples of “context”) and adjust audio output of the wearable audio device portion of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Kathleen A. Bergeron, Jay K. Blahnik
  • Patent number: 11924368
    Abstract: To improve accuracy of an evaluation in an acoustic quality evaluation test performed by comparing an evaluation target sound and a reference sound. A data correction apparatus 3 compares, in a call performed between a near-end terminal 1 and a far-end terminal 2, an evaluation target sound in which a voice output from the near-end terminal 1 is recorded and a reference sound in which a voice spoken by a call partner using the far-end terminal 2 to correct test data used in a listening test for evaluating acoustic quality of the call. A correction target determination unit 31 determines, as a correction target section, a voiced section that does not include the voice of the call partner detected from an acoustic signal representing the reference sound. A correction execution unit 32 updates the correction target section of the acoustic signal representing the reference sound with a non-voice signal predetermined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sachiko Kurihara, Noboru Harada
  • Patent number: 11924372
    Abstract: The present invention provides a call processing method and a device. The call processing method includes: receiving, by a customized alerting tone server, a call request sent by a calling terminal, and forwarding the call request to a called terminal; receiving a called terminal ringing message, and playing a customized alerting tone audio stream and a customized alerting tone video stream to the calling terminal; receiving a called terminal message indicating that a called user answers a call, and performing call media resource negotiation and customized alerting tone video resource negotiation with the calling terminal; and stopping playing the customized alerting tone audio stream to the calling terminal, and playing the customized alerting tone video stream to the calling terminal. The customized alerting tone continuous playing solution of the present invention enriches user experience and improves network usage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yibing Li, Hongxia Hao, Liang Lv, Kaichun Liao
  • Patent number: 11915725
    Abstract: A method of post-processing an audio recording in an audio production equipment (101) includes receiving at least one audio track (91) of the audio recording, analyzing one or more characteristics (80) of the at least one audio track (91) to identify a timing of one or more points of interest (251-254) of a content (201-203, 269) of the at least one audio track (91), and adding, to the audio recording and at the timing of the one or more points of interest (251-254), one or more audience reaction effects (261-264).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventor: Peter Isberg
  • Patent number: 11910145
    Abstract: Introduced here is a wearable audio system including modular ear-cup and ear-bud that can be attached and detached to the user together, or independently of each other. Further, the modular ear-cup and ear-bud can operate together, or independently of each other. The wearable audio system can perform active noise cancellation by measuring noise inside the ear-cup and/or the ear-bud, computing the noise canceling sound, and forwarding the noise canceling sound to a speaker inside the ear-cup and/or the ear-bud. The wearable audio system can be wirelessly charged while operating, thus allowing the user to continuously listen to music more than previously possible. The wearable audio system can optimize power consumption by redistributing power intensive tasks to power sources with the highest amount of power. Further, the ambient sound outside the ear-cup can be measured and played by the speakers in the earbud allowing the user to hear the surrounding environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: NURA HOLDINGS PTY LTD
    Inventors: Luke John Campbell, Dragan Petrovic
  • Patent number: 11910173
    Abstract: An audio system including a wearable audio device having a sensor to determine a first motion of the first wearable device from a first orientation to a second orientation, a first peripheral device, a first input arranged on, in, or in communication with the wearable audio device or the first peripheral device, and circuitry connected to the wearable audio device or the first peripheral device. The circuitry is arranged to: receive the first input while the first wearable audio device is in the first orientation; receive the first input while the first wearable audio device is moved via the first motion to the second orientation; determine that the first input has been released during or after the first motion; and, adjust a setting of the wearable audio device or the first peripheral device based at least in part on the first motion from the first orientation to the second orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Todd Richard Reily, Daniel Winchell Tellier, Daniel Buckley
  • Patent number: 11910152
    Abstract: An earphone of adjustable size to fit the ears of different users includes a housing, a speaker, an air path, an inflatable earplug, and a control assembly. The speaker and at least one part of the air path are arranged in the housing. The inflatable earplug communicates with the air path and is detachably attached to the housing. The control assembly is arranged outside of the housing and configured to inflate and deflate the inflatable earplug through the air path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Chiun Mai Communication Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Ching-Ming Hung, Sheng-Hsiung Tsai, Pei-Shuang Huang
  • Patent number: 11897809
    Abstract: Electronic devices including a textured component such as a cover member positioned over one or more components of the electronic device. Different surface regions of the textured component may be textured differently in order to provide optical contrast. For example, differently textured surface regions may differ in gloss, translucency, or both. In some cases the cover member defines a protruding feature and a surface region of the protruding feature is textured differently than an adjacent surface region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Andi M. Limarga, Akanksha Agrawal, Albert Ochagavia Tobena, Jason P. Shannon
  • Patent number: 11895456
    Abstract: In various examples, audio received from a source device is shared from a first wireless earbud to one or more other wireless earbuds. For example, source-device settings are shared by the first wireless earbud with the one or more other wireless earbuds to facilitate synchronization and passive receipt of data transmitted by the source device. Once the wireless earbuds are synchronized, they may check in with one another in a coordinated manner to share packets that were missed when passively listening to the source device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Milos Jorgovanovic, Ganesha Batta
  • Patent number: 11895455
    Abstract: Provided is an information processing device including an acoustic information acquisition unit configured to acquire an acoustic information about a resonance in a body of a user wearing a wearable device and a wearing determination unit configured to determine whether or not the user wears the wearable device based on the acoustic information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takayuki Arakawa
  • Patent number: 11895454
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to acoustic technology, in particular to an earphone including a sound generation portion. The sound generation portion includes a transducer and a housing for accommodating the transducer. The earphone further includes an earhook. The earhook includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion may be hung between an auricle and the head of a user, and the second portion may be connected to the first portion, extends toward an anterolateral side of the auricle, and may be connected to the sound generation portion. The sound generation portion may be fixed near an ear canal without blocking an opening of the ear canal. In at least one frequency range, when an input current of the transducer does not exceed 35.3 mA, a maximum sound pressure that the sound generation portion is able to provide to the ear canal may not be smaller than 75 dB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: SHENZHEN SHOKZ CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Lei Zhang, Peigeng Tong, Guolin Xie, Yongjian Li, Jiang Xu, Tao Zhao, Duoduo Wu, Ao Ji, Xin Qi
  • Patent number: 11895474
    Abstract: Methods, systems, devices, and computer-readable storage media for activity detection of a user of a computing device, using multi-modal sensing. A device can be configured to receive sensor data corresponding to multiple modalities and process the sensor data to predict an activity performed by a user of a computing device. The device in response to the detected activity can perform a response action, such as muting or pausing audio playback from the computing device. Different modalities can be combined, such as body vibration data, air vibration data, and image data, which can be processed to distinguish user activity, e.g., speaking versus not speaking, to allow the computing device to perform the correct corresponding action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Jamie Alexander Zyskowski, Karolis Misiunas, Thomas William Inskip, VI, Mohamad Hassan bin Mohamad Rom
  • Patent number: 11889029
    Abstract: In one example, a communications system and platform communications platform: provides data communications services, over at least one of the plurality of communication networks, involving a plurality of different or disparate communications systems respectively associated with a plurality of respectively different formats to a plurality of communication user-operable devices each of which has a user interface for communicating information; conveys the data communications services via a browser and to establish an electronic meeting between multiple individuals, the electronic meeting providing access to a plurality of different types of content, or of different format types; and generates, in response to the electronic meeting being established, a status message that is associated with the electronic meeting, that provides an update message to at least a subset of the plurality of communications systems, and that provides information regarding possible availability of an individual for participating in the e
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: 8x8, Inc.
    Inventor: Ramprakash Narayanaswamy
  • Patent number: 11865977
    Abstract: In some embodiments, an apparatus may install easily like a simple cell phone holder while facilitating controlling cameras mounted and/or fixed to a vehicle using a cell phone. For example, the system may facilitate installing, monitoring, powering and/or controlling vehicle mounted sensors without having to integrate the system into each particular vehicle. An aspect of some embodiments of the current invention relates to an integrated apparatus for mounting a mobile device and a media sensor on an open and/or two wheeled vehicle and for positioning a media sensor on that vehicle. Optionally, a camera integrated to the mount such that the field of view (FOV) of the camera is preserved over a desired scene even as the position of the mobile device is changed and/or the vehicle performs various maneuvers. In some, embodiments an integrated apparatus may be mounted to a rearview mirror of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Inventors: Yaron Lev, {hacek over (D)}avid Ben Shitrt
  • Patent number: 11869524
    Abstract: This application relates to an audio processing method and apparatus, a computer device, and a storage medium, and relates to the field of audio processing technologies. The method is executed by a computer device and includes: acquiring first audio data of which a sampling rate is a first sampling rate, processing the first audio data by using a super-resolution model, and obtaining second audio data according to an output result of the super-resolution model, a sampling rate of the second audio data being a second sampling rate, the second sampling rate being N times the first sampling rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventor: Fasheng Chen
  • Patent number: 11863942
    Abstract: An example method of operation may include detecting an acoustic stimulus via active beams associated with at least one microphone disposed in a defined space, detecting loudspeaker characteristic information of at least one loudspeaker providing the acoustic stimulus, transmitting acoustic stimulus information based on the acoustic stimulus to a central controller, and modifying, via a central controller, at least one control function associated with the at least one microphone and the at least one loudspeaker to minimize acoustic feedback produced by the loudspeaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Biamp Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Richard S. Juszkiewicz, Nicholas William Metzar, Iain Alexander McCowan, Matthew V. Kotvis, Jason Damori, Scott Wieser
  • Patent number: 11863953
    Abstract: Stereo headphone and methods for content sharing and for authentication. The stereo headphone includes two earpieces each having a housing, at least one electronic circuit housed in the housing of at least one of the earpieces, configured to allow the headphone to be paired with a remote terminal such as a cellular telephone and to establish a wireless link therewith. The electronic circuit includes an internal memory with more than 32 GB of capacity, an audio player making it possible to play audio files, in particular those saved in this internal memory, and an interface making it possible to select, as the source to be broadcast in the earpieces, the audio player of the headphone or the paired terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Inventors: Omar Bounamin Sylla, Malika Zenzane
  • Patent number: 11863710
    Abstract: An audio device is provided. The audio device includes processing circuitry which is connected to a loudspeaker and a microphone. The processing circuitry is configured to play an echo reference signal from a far end on the loudspeaker, and perform an acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) process using the echo reference signal and an acoustic signal received by the microphone using an AEC adaptive filter. The processing circuitry repeatedly determines a first status of the loudspeaker according to a relation between the played echo reference signal and the received acoustic signal, and transmits a first status signal indicating the first status of the loudspeaker to the far end through a cloud network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Shaw-Min Lei, Yiou-Wen Cheng, Liang-Che Sun
  • Patent number: 11854525
    Abstract: A method and system for daisy chaining tournament audio controllers, where the method comprises, in a headset coupled to a first audio controller, the first audio controller being in a daisy chain of audio controllers: receiving a chat signal from a second audio controller in the daisy chain of audio controllers, receiving a microphone signal from a microphone in the headset, summing the chat signal with the microphone signal, communicating the summed signal to a third audio controllers in the daisy chain, and communicating the chat signal to the headset. The microphone signal may be removed from the summed chat signal and microphone signal by adding a second microphone signal 180 degrees out of phase with the microphone signal. The chat signal may be summed with the microphone signal at an amplitude set by a user of the headset after the removal of the microphone signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Voyetra Turtle Beach, Inc.
    Inventors: David Zepp, Travis Kettering
  • Patent number: 11856383
    Abstract: A loudspeaker system comprising: a loudspeaker assembly including a diaphragm, a magnet assembly, and a voice coil assembly, wherein the magnet assembly and voice coil assembly are drivably coupled to the diaphragm to displace the diaphragm to transmit pressure waves as audible sound, an enclosure arranged to enclose the loudspeaker assembly and including a back face and a front face, wherein said back face extends over the magnet assembly, and the magnet assembly is mechanically coupled to the back face and/or side face of the enclosure and the diaphragm is coupled to a front face of the enclosure, wherein the magnet assembly and diaphragm are directly connected to each other by a collapsible basket or said loud speaker assembly does not comprise a basket coupling the magnet assembly and diaphragm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: PSS BELGIUM NV
    Inventor: Johan Schepens