Patents Examined by Ubachukwu Odunukwe
  • Patent number: 10425733
    Abstract: A microphone equalization system determines an equalization filter which is used to spectrally shape a signal from a microphone. A loudspeaker has an enclosure, a back volume, a driver diaphragm, and a sensor located inside the back volume. An external microphone is located outside the loudspeaker. A processor determines the equalization filter based on comparison of a first signal from an output of the sensor and a second signal from an output of the external microphone both of which are produced while the driver diaphragm produces acoustic pressure waves produced by the driver diaphragm. The processor is to then spectrally shape a third signal from the output of the external microphone that is responsive to further acoustic pressure waves from a source other than the loudspeaker. Other aspects are also described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sylvain J. Choisel, Afrooz Family, Simon K. Porter
  • Patent number: 10405096
    Abstract: A system includes an audio transducer. The audio output of the transducer may be directed at an operator. The directionality of the audio output may ensure privacy in audio delivery. Further, the directionality of the audio output may reduce the potential for other nearby individuals to be disturbed by the audio output. A directed audio system may control the content of the audio output. The content of the audio output may be configured for applications in individual operator workspaces, multiple-operator common spaces, shared-use spaces or a combination thereof. The directed audio system may customize the audio output in accord with a stored audio profile for the operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Steelcase, Inc.
    Inventors: Darrin Sculley, Mark Slager, Scott Wilson, Mark McKenna, Kirk Gregory Griffes
  • Patent number: 10390140
    Abstract: Disclosed is an output device that outputs an audio signal. An output device which outputs an audio signal includes a battery, a sensing module including a plurality of sensors, a communication circuit configured to communicate with at least one of an external electronic device and another output device coupled to the output device, and a processor electrically connected with the battery, the sensing module, and the communication circuit. The processor is configured to obtain information about a level of the battery, to obtain information about a level of another battery included in the another output device using the communication circuit, and to assign a task associated with one of the plurality of sensors to the output device and/or the another output device based on the information about the level of the battery and the information about the level of the another battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yun Hwa Seo, Na Rin Kim, Byung Jun Lee, Jeong Gwan Kang
  • Patent number: 10390124
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a transducer device including a driver and an audio system. The driver includes a diaphragm, a magnet, and a voice coil. The diaphragm vibrates in response to an external force. The magnet provides a magnetic field. The voice coil unit generates an inducing voltage by inducing a variation of the magnetic field in response to a vibration of the diaphragm. The audio system is coupled to the voice coil and includes an audio playing circuit and a wake-up circuit. The audio playing circuit outputs an audio signal to the voice coil unit. The wake-up circuit receives the inducing voltage and boots up the transducer device when the inducing voltage satisfies a predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: MERRY ELECTRONICS(SHENZHEN) CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Po-Chang Lin
  • Patent number: 10390131
    Abstract: A microphone array included in a portable electronic device is used to generate various virtual studio microphones by combining one or more microphone signals to produce one or more acoustic pickup beams. An error is determined in a position of the microphone array relative to an audio source to be recorded. An interface is displayed to instruct a user on repositioning the microphone array relative to the instrument and the instrument is recorded using the repositioned microphone array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Sheaffer, Darius A. Satongar, Joshua D. Atkins, Martin E. Johnson
  • Patent number: 10365886
    Abstract: An example implementation involves a playback device receiving digital data representing audio content, the digital data encoded in a first format. The playback device causes one or more speaker drivers to playback the audio content. The playback device decodes a portion of the received digital data to convert the portion of the received digital data from the first format to a second format and transmits, via a network interface to a computing device of an identification system, the decoded portion of the received digital data. The playback device receives, from via the network interface from the identification system, metadata corresponding to the audio content, and in response, causes a control device to display a graphical representation of the received metadata, wherein causing the control device to display the graphical representation comprises sending, via the network interface to the control device, the received metadata to the control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Clayton, Aurelio Rafael Ramos
  • Patent number: 10356508
    Abstract: A sound collecting apparatus capable of effectively suppressing sounds other than a target sound is provided. The sound collecting apparatus includes a plurality of microphones. A total number of effective microphone pairs in which a distance between two microphones is smaller than a distance D is larger than a total number of the plurality of microphones. The distance D is represented by D=c/2f, where the frequency of the target sound acquired from each of the plurality of microphones is f and sound velocity is c. When an angle formed by a straight line connecting two microphones configuring an effective microphone pair and a predetermined straight line is ?, the angles ? of all effective microphone pairs acquired from the plurality of microphones are different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Kohhei Hayashida, Tsuyoki Nishikawa, Takeo Kanamori
  • Patent number: 10339910
    Abstract: A system for cancelling objectionable wind noise in a vehicle cabin includes a wind noise identification module that is configured to receive data from a microphone indicating a noise measured in a cabin of a vehicle and determine whether the noise is objectionable wind noise based on (i) a position of a moveable panel configured to cover an opening in a body of the vehicle and (ii) at least one of an amplitude of the noise and a frequency of the noise. The system also includes a first noise cancellation module that is configured to generate a noise cancellation waveform to mitigate the noise based on at least one of the amplitude of the noise and the frequency of the noise when the noise is objectionable wind noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Frank C. Valeri, Scott M. Reilly
  • Patent number: 10341759
    Abstract: Method of wind and noise reduction for headphones starts by receiving acoustic signals from first external microphone included on the outside of earcup's housing. Acoustic signals are received from internal microphone included inside earcup's housing. ANC downlink corrector processes downlink signal to generate echo estimate of speaker signal. First summator removes echo estimate of speaker signal from acoustic signals from internal microphone to generate corrected internal microphone signal. Spectral combiner performs spectral mixing of corrected internal microphone signal with acoustic signals from first external microphone to generate mixed signal. Lower frequency portion of mixed signal includes corresponding lower frequency portion of corrected internal microphone signal, and higher frequency portion of mixed signal includes corresponding higher frequency portion of acoustic signals from first external microphone. Other embodiments are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sorin V. Dusan, Tom-Davy W. Saux, Vladan Bajic
  • Patent number: 10334350
    Abstract: In general, the subject matter described in this disclosure can be embodied in methods, systems, and computer-readable devices. An audio processing device plays a source audio signal with an electroacoustic transducer of a user earpiece, and records an aural signal that is sensed by same said electroacoustic transducer. The audio processing device determines values of one or more features of the aural signal that indicate a characteristic of a space in which the user earpiece is located. The audio processing device compares the determined values of the one or more features of the aural signal with pre-defined values of the one or more features. Based on a result of the comparing, the audio processing device determines whether the user earpiece is located at a user's ear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Bugatone Ltd.
    Inventor: Noam Petrank
  • Patent number: 10334340
    Abstract: A microphone with integrated speaker which includes a front casing with a front connecting portion and a front handle portion having a battery opening; a rear casing with a rear connecting portion and a rear handle portion connected to the front casing to form a first cavity with a cylindrical connecting portion and a cylindrical handle portion with a second cavity; a metallic net cover coupled with the cylindrical connecting portion; a vocal pickup support arrangement provided inside the metallic net cover between the front connecting portion and the rear connecting portion in which a vocal pickup unit is provided; a speaker positioned inside the first cavity; a pair of electrode plates positioned inside the second cavity; a circuit board affixed on the front casing; a battery cover detachably connected to the front handle portion; and an aluminum alloy handle covers the cylindrical handle portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Inventor: Kuo Su
  • Patent number: 10325613
    Abstract: An acoustic signal delay measurement apparatus constituted of: an acoustic signal input terminal; an acoustic signal output terminal; at least one echo input terminal; an adjustable tapped delay line exhibiting a plurality of taps, a first end of the tapped delay line coupled to the acoustic signal input terminal, each of the taps exhibiting a respective predetermined delay; a processor, an output of the processor coupled to a control input of the adjustable tapped delay line; and a plurality of adaptive filters, a first input of each of the plurality of adaptive filters coupled to a respective one of the at least one echo input terminal, a second input of each of the plurality of adaptive filters coupled to a respective one of the plurality of taps and an output of each of the plurality of adaptive filters coupled to a respective input of the processor, wherein the processor is arranged to determine a system delay responsive to: the amount of time it takes for one of the plurality of adaptive filters to conv
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Microsemi Semiconductor ULC
    Inventor: Patrick Xavier Lionais
  • Patent number: 10321250
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for controlling sound in a vehicle may include a sound detector that detects a sound output position at which the sound is output in the vehicle, and a processor that changes a sound position in the vehicle based on the sound output position detected by the sound detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Sung Tae Cho
  • Patent number: 10313798
    Abstract: An electronic device with directional MEMS microphone assembly is provided, including a MEMS microphone capsule with a PCB affixed thereto, and a housing affixed to the PCB. The microphone assembly includes a first internal port and a second internal port through the PCB, wherein the first and second internal ports fluidically communicate with the MEMS microphone capsule. The microphone assembly further includes first and second external ports through the housing, wherein the first external port is offset from the first internal port in an offset direction perpendicular to a thickness direction of the microphone assembly. The microphone assembly further includes first and second cavities located between the PCB and the housing, wherein the first cavity fluidically communicates with the first internal port and the first external port, and the second cavity fluidically communicates with the second internal port and the second external port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin Juho Venalainen, Brian W. Aznoe, Dana William Bourke
  • Patent number: 10306348
    Abstract: Techniques for mute pattern injection for a pulse-density modulation microphone are described. In one or more implementations, a pulse-density modulation (PDM) microphone includes a transducer that receives a pressure wave and produces an analog signal that represents the pressure wave, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that receives the analog signal from the transducer and converts the analog signal into a digital PDM signal. The PDM microphone also includes a pattern generator that generates a digital mute signal, a controller that outputs control signals, and a multiplexer that receives the control signals, the digital mute signal, and the digital PDM signal. The multiplexer transmits the digital mute signal or the digital PDM signal, responsive to the control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Bengt Stefan Gustavsson, Hui-Ya Liao Nelson
  • Patent number: 10306367
    Abstract: An electronic device such as a pair of headphones may be provided with left and right speakers for playing audio to a user. Control circuitry in the electronic device may play audio through the speakers in an unreversed configuration in which left channel audio is played through a first of the speakers that is adjacent to a left ear of the user and right channel audio is played through a second of the speakers that is adjacent to a right ear of the user or a reversed configuration in which these channel assignments are reversed. A grip sensor may be used to distinguish between the user's left hand and the user's right hand. A motion sensor may detect movement as the headphones are placed on the user's head or on someone else's head. Control circuitry may use grip information and motion information to determine left and right channel assignments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan R. Peterson, Daniel D. Sunshine, Jahan C. Minoo
  • Patent number: 10299038
    Abstract: The technology described in this document can be embodied in an apparatus that includes an array of multiple microphones, and a passive directional acoustic element disposed between at least two of the multiple microphones. The passive directional acoustic element includes a pipe having an elongated opening along at least a portion of the length of the pipe, and an acoustically resistive material covering at least a portion of the elongated opening. One or more structural characteristics of the passive acoustic element is configured for capturing a target frequency range in accordance with a target beam pattern associated with the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Wontak Kim, Austin Mackey, Joseph A. Coffey, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10284981
    Abstract: Examples are provided for establishing a bonded zone comprising a first playback device comprising a respective first wireless radio and a second playback device comprising a second respective wireless radio. The first and second playback devices may establish a bonded zone comprising at least the first and second playback device. While in the established bonded zone, the first playback device may determine that the first playback device is in the established bonded zone and that the first playback device is not currently playing audio in synchrony with the second playback device. Responsive to determining that the first playback device is not playing audio in synchrony, the first playback device may disable communicating via the first wireless radio of the first playback device and send a message to the second playback device to disable communicating via the first wireless radio of the second playback device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: SONOS, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Peters, Gary Fox
  • Patent number: 10284939
    Abstract: A headphone listening device may include at least one speaker included in an earpiece and configured to playback first audio content from a first audio source. The headphone device may include at least one sensor configured to detect a trigger event and a controller. The controller may be configured to, in response to receiving the trigger event from the sensor, enable at least one microphone to acquire second audio content, fade a volume of the first audio content, and playback the second audio content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventors: Daniel I. Radin, Kent Jopling, Isword Zhang
  • Patent number: 10276147
    Abstract: A microphone system may include a measuring device that includes a plurality of sound elements and a semiconductor chip connected to the sound elements and receives a vibration signal and a noise signal from the outside to cancel the vibration signal and changes a phase of the noise signal to output a reverse phase noise signal; and a driver that is connected to the semiconductor chip and is included in a front glass of a vehicle and vibrates in response to the reverse phase noise signal to cancel a noise signal inputted from the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Ilseon Yoo