Patents Examined by Thomas Maung
  • Patent number: 9368156
    Abstract: A controller includes a plurality of channel strips to which are allocated any one of a plurality of channels to be handled in a DAW. Each of the channel strips includes a channel strip display section, a movable fader capable of indicating a sound volume level of the allocated channel by means of a knob position of the fader, and a slide operation reception section operable to successively change the allocated channel. During a slide operation on the reception section, a CPU continuously updates only displayed content on the channel strip display section of each of the channel strips by a variation amount corresponding to the slide operation. Upon completion of the slide operation on the reception section, the CPU moves, through automatic control, the knob position of the movable fader of each of the channel strips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Kitayama, Tatsuya Umeo, Mitsunori Ochi
  • Patent number: 9324377
    Abstract: Systems and methods for facilitating rendering a visualization related to audio data are described. One of the methods includes accessing an audio file that is stored within a server computing system. The audio file includes the audio data. The method further includes extracting acoustic profile data from audio data. The extraction of the acoustic profile data is performed within the server computing system. The method also includes associating the acoustic profile data with the audio file and sending the acoustic profile data to a client device for displaying at the client device during playback of the audio file the visualization that is based on the acoustic profile data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventor: Oliver John Woodman
  • Patent number: 9311924
    Abstract: A method to watermark an audio signal includes inserting a first symbol in a spectral well, the spectral well corresponding to at least one of a second spectral portion when amplitude of a first spectral portion and amplitude of a third spectral portion exceed amplitude of the second spectral portion, or the second temporal portion when amplitude of a first temporal portion and amplitude of a third temporal portion exceed amplitude of the second temporal portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: TLS CORP.
    Inventor: Barry Blesser
  • Patent number: 9305317
    Abstract: A method of analyzing audio signals, such as for a drive monitoring system, includes recording an audio signal from a mobile device, the audio signal including a background audio stream and a residual audio signal. Communication with an audio database is performed to obtain a reference signal. If a match between the background audio stream and the reference signal is determined, a time alignment between the background audio stream and the reference is computed. At least a portion of the recorded audio signal is aligned with the reference signal using the time alignment. The background audio stream is canceled from the recorded audio signal, to result in the residual audio stream. A computer processor is used to determine a driving behavior factor from the residual audio stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Tourmaline Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Leonard H. Grokop, Lukas D. Kuhn
  • Patent number: 9304734
    Abstract: Each of DAW processes and UI devices which are controllers of the DAW processes regularly sends a heartbeat signal including identification information of a music system which the DAW process or UI device belongs to, to a network by broadcast or multicast. The heart beat signal can be transmitted to the network using an Ethernet frame for UDP including the heartbeat signal in the data body, as a heartbeat packet. Based on the received heartbeat signal, it can be distinguished that the DAW process or UI device which sent the heartbeat signal is which of a device or music software process belonging to the relevant music system, a device or music software process belonging to another music system, and a device or music software process not belonging to any music system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsunori Ochi
  • Patent number: 9275141
    Abstract: Methods and systems for processing a sample of a media stream are provided. In one example, a method includes receiving a sample of a media stream rendered by a media rendering source, and for matching media recordings from which the sample was obtained, the method also includes receiving a signature file including a temporally mapped collection of features describing content of the matching media recordings. Each received signature file may be stored in memory. In addition, a signature stream may be received that includes features extracted from the media stream, and a number of matching features between the signature stream of the media stream and the signature file for at least one matching media recording can be determined. In one example, when substantially matching features between the signature stream of the media stream and the signature file for a matching media recording stop occurring, a discontinuity can be identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Shazam Entertainment Ltd.
    Inventors: Avery Li-Chun Wang, Adrian Allan Revill
  • Patent number: 9269114
    Abstract: A content recording system comprises a digital media recording device to record content. A rights-management module is in electrical communication with the digital media recording device to detect a desired recording performed by the digital media recording device. The rights-management module further communicates digital rights information of a rights-managed content to the digital recording device. The recording of the rights-managed content is performed according to the digital rights information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory J. Boss, James R. Kozloski, Clifford A. Pickover, Anne R. Sand
  • Patent number: 9268787
    Abstract: An electronic device with one or more processors and memory detects a user input to play a media item, where the media item is associated with at least a portion of an audio track and one or more media files. The device requests the media item from a server in response to the user input and, in response to the request, receives, from the server, the one or more media files and information identifying at least the portion of the audio track. The device obtains at least the portion of the audio track based on the information identifying at least the portion of the audio track. The device also displays the one or more media files and, while displaying the one or more media files, plays back at least the portion of the audio track in synchronization with the one or more media files.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: EYEGROOVE, INC.
    Inventors: Scott Snibbe, Graham McDermott, Justin Ponczec, Spencer Schoeben, Jesse Fulton
  • Patent number: 9268845
    Abstract: Systems and methods audio matching using interest point overlap are disclosed herein. The systems include determining at least one matching reference segment based on a probe segment. Interest points for both the at least one matching reference segment and the probe segment can be generated. Probe segment interest points and matching reference segment interest points can be time aligned and frequency aligned. A count can be generated based on a number of overlapping interest points between each set of reference interest points and the set of probe segment interest points. The disclosed systems and methods allow false positive reference to be identified and eliminated based on the count. The benefits in eliminating false positive matches improve the accuracy of an audio matching system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Matthew Sharifi, Gheorghe Postelnicu, Annie Chen, Dominik Roblek
  • Patent number: 9262521
    Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for extracting a highlight section of music. The apparatus for extracting a highlight section of music in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention includes a frame divider that divides an audio file into a plurality of frames having a predetermined sample length; an average energy signal calculator that calculates a signal representing the average magnitude of audio energy for a plurality of samples belonging to each frame for each frame of the plurality of frames; and a highlight section selector that extracts a low frequency signal from the signal representing the average audio energy magnitude for each frame and determines the highlight section from frame sections including maximum points of the low frequency signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Sung-Min Kim, Seung-Jae Lee, Jung-Hyun Kim, Young-Ho Suh, Yong-Seok Seo, Jee-Hyun Park, Sang-Kwang Lee, Jung-Ho Lee, Young-Suk Yoon, Won-Young Yoo
  • Patent number: 9258428
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes extracting, by a processor, components from an audio signal to generate a modulating signal. The audio signal is generated by an endpoint operable to capture audio proximate the endpoint. The method also includes filtering, by the processor, the audio signal to generate a band-limited audio signal. The method also includes modulating, by the processor, the band-limited audio signal by the modulating signal to generate an enhancement signal. The method also includes combining, by the processor, the audio signal and the enhancement signal to generate an enhanced audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Marcello Caramma
  • Patent number: 9251797
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for preserving matrix-surround information in encoded audio/video includes a receiver operative to receive matrix-surround encoded audio signals via a modem, separate the audio signals into a frequency spectrum having discrete audio frequencies, and determine a cutoff threshold used to encode the matrix-surround encoded audio signals. The method and apparatus further includes a decoder operative to decode a first set of the audio frequencies below the determined cutoff threshold using a first matrix-surround preserving audio encoding method and to decode a second set of audio frequencies above the cutoff threshold using a second non matrix-surround preserving audio encoding method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Wolfgang A. Schildbach, Kenneth Edward Cooke
  • Patent number: 9251406
    Abstract: A system and method for aggregating emotions of users for a media program. A server stores reference audio signal fingerprints, each associated with a reference audio signal of the program. For each user, the server computer: receives a first audio signal fingerprint from a client device operated by a user, the first audio signal fingerprint associated with a first audio signal comprising ambient sound associated with the user and an audio signal of the program; searches the stored reference audio signal fingerprints to determine one that is related to the first audio signal fingerprint; determines an ambient sound signal by obtaining a difference between the stored reference audio signal fingerprint and the first audio signal fingerprint; and determines, using the ambient sound signal, an emotion of the user for a program segment. The server computer aggregates the emotions to determine a representative emotion of the users for the segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Ronny Lempel, Edward Bortnikov, Nadav Golbandi, Sergiy Bilobrov
  • Patent number: 9235552
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for producing a collaborative recording of an audio event. An online server or service identifies participating mobile devices with recording capabilities that are available for recording at least a portion of the audio event. The online server or service determines the locations of the potential participating mobile devices, and identifies ranges of frequencies to be recorded by each of the participating mobile devices. The individual recordings are then compiled into a final collaborative recording.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas Eck, Jay Yagnik
  • Patent number: 9224178
    Abstract: A content recording system comprises a digital media recording device to record content. A rights-management module is in electrical communication with the digital media recording device to detect a desired recording performed by the digital media recording device. The rights-management module further communicates digital rights information of a rights-managed content to the digital recording device. The recording of the rights-managed content is performed according to the digital rights information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory J. Boss, James R. Kozloski, Clifford A. Pickover, Anne R. Sand
  • Patent number: 9225822
    Abstract: An audio watermark signal is associated audio host signal, but is provided separately. When the audio host signal is rendered, a user can control whether—and how strongly—the watermark signal is also rendered. The specification details a great variety of other technologies —most relating to audio and image content, and/or portable devices (e.g., smartphones).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce L. Davis, Tony F. Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 9218843
    Abstract: A method for managing audio of a device including scanning for an audio controller of a docking station coupled to the device, determining whether an audio device is coupled to an audio interface of the docking station if the device is coupled to the audio controller, and transferring audio between the device and the audio controller of the docking station if the audio device is coupled to the audio interface of the docking station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Peter Yen, Bart Downing, James Herbert, David Lombard
  • Patent number: 9219968
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed to monitor a media device. An example method includes attempting to detect a transition in a digital audio signal output by a port of the media device. If the transition is detected, the example method includes determining the media device is in an on state. If the transition is not detected, the example method includes determining the media device is in an off state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC.
    Inventor: Chuck Conklin
  • Patent number: 9202472
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating unique pitch-resistant descriptors for audio clips are provided. In one or more embodiments, a descriptor for an audio clip is generated as a function of relative magnitudes between interest points within the audio clip's time-frequency representation. A number of techniques for leveraging the relative magnitudes to generate descriptors are considered. These techniques include ordering of interest points as a function of ascending or descending magnitude, creation of binary vectors based on magnitude comparisons between pairs of points, and calculation of quantized magnitude ratios between pairs of points. Descriptors generated based on relative magnitudes according to the techniques disclosed herein are relatively invariant to common transformations to the original audio clip, such as pitch shifting, time stretching, global volume changes, equalization, and/or dynamic range compression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Sharifi, Dominik Roblek, George Tzanetakis
  • Patent number: 9201580
    Abstract: Sound alignment user interface techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a user interface is output having a first representation of sound data generated from a first sound signal and a second representation of sound data generated from a second sound signal. One or more inputs are received, via interaction with the user interface, that indicate that a first point in time in the first representation corresponds to a second point in time in the second representation. Aligned sound data is generated from the sound data from the first and second sound signals based at least in part on correspondence of the first point in time in the sound data generated from the first sound signal to the second point in time in the sound data generated from the second sound signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated
    Inventors: Brian John King, Gautham J. Mysore, Paris Smaragdis