Patents Examined by Yosef K Laekemariam
  • Patent number: 11097666
    Abstract: An instrument is provided with: a body; a speaker having a plurality of flanges that bulge outward from the body; a case that has a recess for housing the speaker. The recess has a side wall, an installation surface on which the speaker is installed, and a plurality of fixing parts that fix the flanges in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the installation surface and that bulge inward from the side wall. The speaker can rotate about the rotational axis in the orthogonal direction up to a fixing position where the flanges and the fixing parts overlap each other in the orthogonal direction after the speaker has been disposed in an unfixing position where the flanges and the fixing parts do not overlap each other in the orthogonal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: NIPPON SEIKI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yui Yaegashi
  • Patent number: 11102591
    Abstract: An ear-worn electronic device comprises a plurality of EEG sensors configured to sense EEG signals from or proximate a wearer's ear. At least one processor is configured to detect, during a baseline period of no wearer movement, EEG signals from the EEG sensors, and detect, during each of a plurality of candidate control movements by the wearer, EEG signals from the EEG sensors. The at least one processor is also configured to compute, using the EEG signals, discriminability metrics for the candidate control movements and the baseline period, the discriminability metrics indicating how discriminable neural signals associated with the candidate control movements and the baseline period are from one another. The at least one processor is further configured to select a subset of the candidate control movements using the discriminability metrics, each of the selected control movements defining a neural command for controlling the ear-worn electronic device by the wearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Lauren Petley, Swapan Gandhi, Simon Carlile, Sahar Akram
  • Patent number: 11102563
    Abstract: Embodiments describe an attachment mechanism including a wire bent in various directions forming a spring compressible in lateral directions. The wire includes a first wireform feature and a second wireform feature extending from the first wireform feature, where the first wireform feature and the second wireform feature each include: an intermediate segment; a u-shaped segment extending from the intermediate segment; and an end segment extending from the u-shaped segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Craig M. Stanley, Sean T. McIntosh, Ethan L. Huwe, Brian R. Twehues, Mohammad Soroush Ghahri Sarabi
  • Patent number: 11089962
    Abstract: A patient monitoring device includes a microphone, a speaker, a display, a processor, and a volume assessment module executable on the processor to operate the microphone to generate an audio environment recording of the audio environment surrounding the patient, determine an ambient noise level based on the audio environment recording, and control the speaker and/or display of the patient monitoring device based on the ambient noise level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bhuvnesh Joshi, Ravi Jaiswal
  • Patent number: 11095849
    Abstract: Scene changes that are done pleasingly and without user input or control. Based on the number of speakers and changes in speakers, either to a different individual or movement by the same speaker, based on the locations of the speakers and based on the overlap of the current and intended scenes, a decision is made whether to perform a smooth transition or do a cut. It has been determined that the decision on cut versus smooth transition is preferably based on the location of the center of the intended new scene versus the boundaries of the current scene, a cut used if the center is outside the boundaries and a smooth transition if inside. If a smooth transition, an easing function, such as ease in ease out, is performed to change the scene. A preferred value for the smooth transition is to perform the transition over 80 frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: PLANTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Rommel Gabriel Childress, Jr., Alain Elon Nimri, Stephen Paul Schaefer
  • Patent number: 11089421
    Abstract: A computer implemented system for rendering captured audio soundfields to a listener comprises apparatus to deliver the audio soundfields to the listener. The delivery apparatus delivers the audio soundfields to the listener with first and second audio elements perceived by the listener as emanating from first and second virtual source locations, respectively, and with the first audio element and/or the second audio element delivered to the listener from a third virtual source location. The first virtual source location and the second virtual source location are perceived by the listener as being located to the front of the listener, and the third virtual source location is located to the rear or the side of the listener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Richard J. Cartwright, David S. McGrath, Glenn N. Dickins
  • Patent number: 11076950
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to electrolarynx devices, systems, and their use. In particular, the present disclosure relates to methods and compositions (e.g., devices) that provide electrolarynx (EL) users with improved speech quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: TRUSTEES OF TUFTS COLLEGE
    Inventors: Karen Panetta, Chiamaka Chima, Paul Lehrman
  • Patent number: 11076216
    Abstract: Example techniques may involve headphone interaction. An implementation may include while headphones are disconnected from a control device, the control device receiving an indication of particular audio content being played back by a first zone of the media playback system. While the particular audio content is being played back by the one or more playback devices of the media playback system, detecting that headphones have been connected to the first control device. Headphones may be connectable to the control device via either (a) an analog headphone jack or (b) a point-to-point personal area network connection. In response to detecting that the headphones are connected to the control device: the control device (i) causing the one or more playback devices of the first zone to stop playback of the particular audio content; (ii) retrieving the particular audio content and (iii) resuming playback of the particular audio content via the connected headphones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Clayton, Charles Alessi
  • Patent number: 11032654
    Abstract: A method for the broadcasting of sound to persons (10, 20, 30) with mobile hearing systems (11, 21, 31) at a meeting with a speaker (1) and with an audiovisual system (2, 3, 4), the audiovisual system having a computer (2), a screen (3) and a microphone (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: SONOVA AG
    Inventors: Hans-Ueli Röck, Hilmar Meier, Harald Krueger, Manuela Feilner
  • Patent number: 11026008
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a microphone and a terminal device. The microphone includes: a housing, a flexible circuit board, and a signal converter. The housing includes cavity with an open end; the flexible circuit board is connected to the housing to block the opening of the cavity. The signal converter disposed in the cavity is configured to convert a sound signal into an electrical signal and connected to the flexible circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chiafu Yen, Hui Du
  • Patent number: 11017797
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to reduce noise from harmonic noise sources. An example apparatus includes a contour tracer to determine a first point of comparatively large amplitude of a frequency component in a frequency spectrum of an audio sample, determine a set of points in the frequency spectrum having amplitude values within an amplitude threshold of the first point, frequency values within a frequency threshold of the first point, and phase values within a phase threshold of the first point, increment a counter when a distance between (1) a second point in the set of points and (2) the first point satisfies a distance threshold, and when the counter satisfies a counter threshold, generate the contour trace, the contour trace including the set of points, and a subtractor to remove the contour trace from the audio sample when the amplitude values satisfy an outlier threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: Matthew McCallum
  • Patent number: 11004436
    Abstract: A method for active noise reduction in an electric or hybrid vehicle includes (i) detecting noise in an area surrounding the vehicle by at least one sound recording apparatus which is attached to the vehicle, and (ii) generating anti-phase sound by at least one sound output apparatus, which is attached to the vehicle, depending on a signal recorded by the sound recording apparatus. The generated anti-phase sound is generated with respect to a portion of the noise in the area surrounding the vehicle and is output into the area surrounding the vehicle. Also described is a corresponding electric or hybrid vehicle which is designed to perform active noise reduction with respect to its ambient noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Inventors: Raoul Heyne, Alexander Schneider-Schaper
  • Patent number: 10999688
    Abstract: Higher Order Ambisonics represents three-dimensional sound independent of a specific loudspeaker set-up. However, transmission of an HOA representation results in a very high bit rate. Therefore, compression with a fixed number of channels is used, in which directional and ambient signal components are processed differently. The ambient HOA component is represented by a minimum number of HOA coefficient sequences. The remaining channels contain either directional signals or additional coefficient sequences of the ambient HOA component, depending on what will result in optimum perceptual quality. This processing can change on a frame-by-frame basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Sven Kordon, Alexander Krueger
  • Patent number: 10990802
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus and a control method thereof are provided. The method for controlling the imaging apparatus includes acquiring images having a same focal length by performing continuous imaging in a predetermined time when a user's imaging command is input, calculating motion vectors using the images and separating a foreground and a background of a first image among the images based on the calculated motion vectors and color information of the first image, and performing out focusing based on the separated foreground and the separated background.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sun-jung Kim, Beom-su Kim, Hong-il Kim, Tae-hwa Hong, Joo-young Son
  • Patent number: 10993066
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising means configured to: receive first information indicative of a reference location; provide for presentation of audio content as spatial audio to be perceived, from the reference location, as originating from a direction of at least one virtual audio source, the at least one virtual audio source associated with a real-world location; receive second information indicative of at least the presence of a real-world object between the real-world location of the at least one virtual audio source and the reference location; modify, based on the second information, the audio content to indicate aurally the location of the real-world object; and provide for presentation of the modified audio content as spatial audio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
    Inventors: Lasse Laaksonen, Arto Lehtiniemi, Antti Eronen, Jussi Leppänen
  • Patent number: 10990877
    Abstract: Various embodiments describe frame selection based on training and using a neural network. In an example, the neural network is a convolutional neural network trained with training pairs. Each training pair includes two training frames from a frame collection. The loss function relies on the estimated quality difference between the two training frames. Further, the definition of the loss function varies based on the actual quality difference between these two frames. In a further example, the neural network is trained by incorporating facial heatmaps generated from the training frames and facial quality scores of faces detected in the training frames. In addition, the training involves using a feature mean that represents an average of the features of the training frames belonging to the same frame collection. Once the neural network is trained, a frame collection is input thereto and a frame is selected based on generated quality scores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: ADOBE INC.
    Inventors: Zhe Lin, Xiaohui Shen, Radomir Mech, Jian Ren
  • Patent number: 10984778
    Abstract: An adaptive filter includes a frequency domain adaptation block that analyzes a statistic of coefficient movement in the frequency domain. The adaption block adjusts, in the frequency domain, a parameter (step size or leakage factor) that affects speed of convergence of the adaptive filter based on the analyzed statistic of filter coefficient movement. The filter includes an associated coefficient, statistic of coefficient movement, and parameter for each frequency bin. The coefficients may be complex numbers, and separate real and imaginary statistics and parameters are maintained. The statistic may be direction counts of the filter coefficient movement. The step size may be adjusted to a predetermined minimum value when the current direction of movement of the filter coefficient is different than the predominant direction and otherwise the step size is adjusted approximately proportionally to an amount of predominance by a value based on a direction count of the filter coefficient movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Dayong Zhou, Chin Huang Yong
  • Patent number: 10984566
    Abstract: The image processing apparatus includes a calculator configured to calculate, using luminance values of one or more input images produced by photoelectric conversion of multiple polarized lights whose polarization angles are mutually different, an angle-dependent component at a specific polarization angle among angle-dependent components that are luminance components changing depending on the polarization angle. The apparatus further includes a producer configured to produce an output image using the angle-dependent component at the specific polarization angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Rie Ishimatsu
  • Patent number: 10972602
    Abstract: In one example, a processing system including at least one processor may obtain a call request from a calling device to a destination device, identify a caller category associated with the calling device, and forward the call request to the destination device with an indicator of the caller category, where the indicator of the caller category is to cause the destination device to present at least one of: a first ringtone that is associated with the caller category or a first vibration pattern that is associated with the caller category.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventor: Howard L. Lang
  • Patent number: 10936277
    Abstract: A method (100) for calibrating a sound delivery system (1) having a processing assembly, a data communications assembly (9) coupled to the processing assembly, and at least one audio transducer (21a, 21b) mounted with at least one processor (11) of the processing assembly and responsive thereto for delivering sound to a user (3), the method including the steps of: transmitting from a remote user interface device (6) for the sound delivery system, a sequence of command codes for specifying predetermined characteristics of test sounds; receiving the command code sequence at the communications assembly of the sound delivery system; providing the command code sequence to the processing assembly of the sound delivery system; reproducing by a selected at least one audio transducer, the predetermined test sounds under control of said at least one processor according to the command code sequence; measuring with a reference SPL meter (70) proximate to the audio transducer, characteristics of test sounds reproduced by
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Audeara Pty Ltd.
    Inventors: Christopher Arnold Jeffery, James Alexander Fielding, Alex John Afflick