Patents Examined by Vivian C Chin
  • Patent number: 11849299
    Abstract: Example techniques relate to playback based on acoustic signals in a system including a first network device and a second network device. A first network device may detect a presence of a user using a camera and/or infrared sensors. The first network device sends, in response to detecting the presence of the user, a particular signal via the first network interface. The second network device receives data corresponding to the particular signal and plays back an audio output corresponding to the particular signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathon Reilly, Niels Van Erven
  • Patent number: 11842716
    Abstract: A global active noise control method for a rotorcraft, including: acquiring the acoustic pressure signal at a measuring point of the rotorcraft; predicting the holographic and global sound field of noise of the rotor; reconstructing the reverse sound field of the noise of the rotor; and performing adaptive sound field adjustment based on the optimal phase search.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: NANJING UNIVERSITY OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONUATICS
    Inventors: Yang Lu, Xice Xu, Mengxue Shao, Jinru Chen
  • Patent number: 11829555
    Abstract: An indicator identifying a force intensity of a touch input provided on a touch input surface is received. It is determined that the touch input is associated with an audio volume control. An audio volume is controlled based at least in part on the indicator identifying the force intensity of the touch input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Inventors: Lapoe E. Lynn, Samuel W. Sheng, Shih-Ming Shih, Yenyu Hsieh
  • Patent number: 11823654
    Abstract: In at least one embodiment, an active noise cancellation system. The system includes a first controller, a data bus, and a second controller. The first controller receives first information from a plurality of noise sensing devices and second information from an audio system. The first controller employs a time division multiplexing scheme to generate a multiplexed stream of data including the first information and the second information. The data bus transmits the multiplexed stream of data on a single data channel. The second controller receives the multiplexed stream of data on the single data channel and separates the first information from the second information on the multiplexed stream of data to perform ANC functionality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventors: Tao Feng, Tingting Zhou, Yuliu Cao
  • Patent number: 11825290
    Abstract: Example techniques relate to playback based on acoustic signals in a system including a first network device and a second network device. A first network device may detect a presence of a user using a camera and/or infrared sensors. The first network device sends, in response to detecting the presence of the user, a particular signal via the first network interface. The second network device receives data corresponding to the particular signal and plays back an audio output corresponding to the particular signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathon Reilly, Niels Van Erven
  • Patent number: 11825289
    Abstract: Example techniques relate to playback based on acoustic signals in a system including a first network device and a second network device. A first network device may detect a presence of a user using a camera and/or infrared sensors. The first network device sends, in response to detecting the presence of the user, a particular signal via the first network interface. The second network device receives data corresponding to the particular signal and plays back an audio output corresponding to the particular signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathon Reilly, Niels Van Erven
  • Patent number: 11818538
    Abstract: Systems and methods for managing content of a vehicle infotainment system are presented. In one example, one or more servers may activate and deactivate hardware components and software modules for vehicle infotainment systems to scale functionality and performance of the vehicle infotainment systems. The servers may receive upgrade and downgrade requests via a plurality of sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Chris Ludwig, Riley Winton
  • Patent number: 11818552
    Abstract: A monitoring system can include an earpiece, a database with stored earpiece characteristics data, and a microphone to receive a plurality of signals where each signal of the plurality of signals can represents a respective sound pressure level of sound pressure values over a time duration. The system can also include a processor and a memory coupled processor, the memory having computer instructions which when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform the operations. The operations can include determining exposure time duration when a signal of the plurality of signals exceeds a sound pressure level threshold value, retrieving a subset of data of the stored earpiece characteristics data, and modifying an acoustic output of the earpiece in accordance with the subset of data of the stored earpiece characteristics data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Staton Techiya LLC
    Inventor: Steven Wayne Goldstein
  • Patent number: 11812212
    Abstract: A headphone device includes (i) a first earpiece including an antenna at least partially disposed within the first earpiece, (ii) a second earpiece, (iii) a headbow adjustably connecting the first earpiece and the second earpiece, where one or both of the first and second earpieces are extendable from the headbow, the headbow including an inner cavity, and (iv) a cable assembly including a cable that is formed into a sinusoidal pattern having a series of peaks and valleys when the cable assembly is in a resting position, the cable at least partially formed from an elastomeric material, the cable assembly extending between the first and second earpieces within the inner cavity of the headbow in the resting position such that the cable assembly is extendable within the inner cavity of the headbow from the resting position when one or both of the first and second earpieces are extended from the headbow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Dieter Rapitsch, Patrice Billaudet
  • Patent number: 11805377
    Abstract: A measurement device according to an embodiment includes: a base portion (10), a plurality of pillars (20, 30, 40) in an arc shape not directly facing one another having one end of each connected to the base portion and the other end of each coupled by a coupling portion (60), and a plurality of speakers (70) provided on each of the pillars and having distances to a certain location substantially uniform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koyuru Okimoto
  • Patent number: 11804208
    Abstract: Systems and methods for communicating information related to a wearable device are disclosed. Exemplary information includes audio information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Polaris Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Jake A. Stafford, Steven B. Elgee, Benjamin S. Fuchs
  • Patent number: 11804239
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a method comprises: capturing, by one or more microphone arrays of a vehicle, sound signals in an environment; extracting frequency spectrum features from the sound signals; predicting, using an acoustic scene classifier and the frequency spectrum features, one or more siren signal classifications; converting the one or more siren signal classifications into one or more siren signal event detections; computing time delay of arrival estimates for the one or more detected siren signals; estimating one or more bearing angles to one or more sources of the one or more detected siren signals using the time delay of arrival estimates and a known geometry of the microphone array; and tracking, using a Bayesian filter, the one or more bearing angles. If a siren is detected, actions are performed by the vehicle depending on the location of the emergency vehicle and whether the emergency vehicle is active or inactive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventors: Jugal Buddhadev, Rajesh K. Venkateswaran, Alok Sharma, Yunpeng Xu, Michael Lee, Paul Schmitt, Matthew Andromalos
  • Patent number: 11805375
    Abstract: A speaker comprises a housing, a transducer residing inside the housing, and at least one sound guiding hole located on the housing. The transducer generates vibrations. The vibrations produce a sound wave inside the housing and cause a leaked sound wave spreading outside the housing from a portion of the housing. The at least one sound guiding hole guides the sound wave inside the housing through the at least one sound guiding hole to an outside of the housing. The guided sound wave interferes with the leaked sound wave in a target region. The interference at a specific frequency relates to a distance between the at least one sound guiding hole and the portion of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: SHENZHEN SHOKZ CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Lei Zhang, Junjiang Fu, Bingyan Yan, Fengyun Liao, Xin Qi
  • Patent number: 11800312
    Abstract: A method for generating a 3D audio representation of an audio by a first wireless headphone: collecting a first audio signal; generating a first counting signal; generating a first synchronizing signal based on the first counting signal; and retrieving a portion of the first audio signal. The method includes, by a second wireless headphone: receiving a wireless signal from the first wireless headphone, indicating a first local clock of the first wireless headphone; synchronizing a second local clock of the second wireless headphone with the first local clock; collecting a second audio signal; generating a second synchronizing signal based on the second local clock; and retrieving a portion of the second audio signal. The method further includes generating, by a user equipment, the 3D audio representation of the audio based on the first and the second audio signals and the first and the second synchronizing signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: BESTECHNIC (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Weifeng Tong, Liang Zhang, Mingliang Xu
  • Patent number: 11792595
    Abstract: Examples disclosed herein include a speaker. The speaker may include a group of microphones and a processor. The processor may determine a first speaker-channel identifier for a multi-speaker system at least partially responsive to a first tone captured at the group of microphones. The processor may also determine a position of a source of the captured first tone relative to the speaker at least partially responsive to position information derived from the captured first tone. The processor may also determine a second speaker-channel identifier at least partially responsive to the first speaker-channel identifier and the position of the source of the captured first tone. The processor may also determine speaker settings at least partially responsive to the second speaker-channel identifier. Related devices, systems and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventor: Tik Man Lee
  • Patent number: 11792590
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining and adapting to changes in microphone performance of playback devices are disclosed herein. In one example, an audio input is received at an array of individual microphones of a network microphone device. Output microphone signals are generated from each of the individual microphones based on the audio input. The output microphone signals are analyzed to detect a trigger event. After detecting the trigger event, the output microphone signals are compared to detect aberrant behavior of one or more of the microphones. Optionally, corrective actions can be taken or suggested based on the detection of aberrant behavior of one or more microphones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt Thomas Soto, Connor Kristopher Smith, Roberto Maria Dizon, Patrick Kevin McPherson, Charles Conor Sleith
  • Patent number: 11791778
    Abstract: Example embodiments provide a process that includes one or more of receiving an audio signal from a feedback path of a feedback compressor circuit, determining whether an auxiliary attenuation value applied to the feedback compressor circuit has changed since a last audio signal was received, responsive to determining the auxiliary value has changed, determining a current operational state value of the LPF needs to be modified based on the changed auxiliary attenuation value, modifying the operational state value of the LPF, and applying the audio signal to the modified LPF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Biamp Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Aaron Faulstich
  • Patent number: 11785406
    Abstract: A system configured to detect a tap event on a surface of a device only using microphone audio data. For example, instead of using a physical sensor to detect the tap event, the device may detect a tap event in proximity to a microphone based on a power level difference between two or more microphones. When a power ratio exceeds a threshold, the device may detect a tap event and perform an action. For example, the device may output an alarm and use a detected tap event as an input to delay or end the alarm. In some examples, the device may detect a tap event using a plurality of microphones. Additionally or alternatively, the device may distinguish between multiple tap events based on a location of the tap event, enabling the device to perform two separate actions depending on the location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Savaskan Bulek, Tarun Pruthi, Ali Abdollahzadeh Milani, Trausti Thor Kristjansson
  • Patent number: 11763790
    Abstract: An active noise control apparatus of vehicles capable of making it difficult for a passenger in a vehicle to hear the voice of another passenger, achieving privacy protection, and a method of controlling the same are disclosed. The active noise control method includes primarily determining a noise level based on a first microphone signal input through a microphone corresponding to a first seat, secondarily determining whether to output an anti-noise signal generated based on the first microphone signal and the magnitude of the anti-noise signal based on the noise level and the level of the first microphone signal, and outputting the anti-noise signal through a headrest speaker of a second seat in response to the secondary determining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Jung Keun You, Kaang Dok Yee, Myoung Ok Lee, Mun Hwan Cho
  • Patent number: 11763791
    Abstract: Adaptive noise cancellation systems and methods comprise a reference sensor operable to sense environmental noise and generate a corresponding reference signal, an error sensor operable to sense noise in a noise cancellation zone and generate a corresponding error signal, a noise cancellation filter operable to receive the reference signal and generate an anti-noise signal to cancel the environmental noise in the cancellation zone, an adaptation module operable to receive the reference signal and the error signal and adaptively adjust the anti-noise signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Trausti Thormundsson, Ali Abdollahzadeh Milani, Govind Kannan