Abstract: An electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device may include an enclosure and a transparent cover. The electronic device may include a display assembly. The electronic device may further include an inductive charging unit designed to inductively charge a stylus, or other object suitable for use with the display assembly. The electronic device may further include audio modules, at least some of which are designed to cause resonation of the enclosure to produce acoustical energy in the form of audible sound. Some audio modules produce acoustical energy in relatively low frequencies, while other audio modules produce acoustical energy in relatively high frequencies. The electronic device may further include a vision system designed for facial recognition. The display assembly may include a metal chassis as well as antennae for wireless communication. In order to prevent antennae interference, the metal chassis can be electrically grounded to the enclosure.

Abstract: A distributed microphones signal server includes a network interface circuit that communicates with mobile terminals and a plurality of microphones that are geographically distributed. The server receives an audio request message containing a location of the mobile terminal, and selects a microphone from among the plurality of microphones responsive to the location of the mobile terminal. The server obtains an audio stream from the selected microphone, and communicates the audio stream to the mobile terminal. Related methods by a distributed microphones signal server are disclosed. Related computer program products and methods by a mobile terminal are disclosed.

Abstract: A portable speaker, such as a subwoofer, that is configured to pair via Bluetooth from any device capable of streaming Bluetooth audio and act as the “sink.” The portable speaker is also configured to pair via Bluetooth to other audio equipment capable of streaming Bluetooth audio and act as the “source.” The portable speaker is also preferably configured to synchronize the audio signal going to the portable speaker and the other unit playing music, such that the user will not hear delays between the two units playing the audio stream. Preferably, the portable speaker is configured to be portable in which the size and weight is small enough for a person to carry, and is portable in which it operates with rechargeable batteries inside the unit, thus not needing any other power source such as AC outlet, or automobile power system. Another embodiment omits the speaker and instead provides a line out for connection to an external speaker, such as a subwoofer.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for presenting mixed reality audio. In an example method, audio is presented to a user of a wearable head device. A first position of the user's head at a first time is determined based on one or more sensors of the wearable head device. A second position of the user's head at a second time later than the first time is determined based on the one or more sensors. An audio signal is determined based on a difference between the first position and the second position. The audio signal is presented to the user via a speaker of the wearable head device. Determining the audio signal comprises determining an origin of the audio signal in a virtual environment. Presenting the audio signal to the user comprises presenting the audio signal as if originating from the determined origin. Determining the origin of the audio signal comprises applying an offset to a position of the user's head.

Abstract: An audio-video communication system comprises a wireless exterior module located proximate an entrance, a computerized controller running a software application, and a remote peripheral device. The wireless exterior module includes a proximity sensor for detecting a person at the entrance, a video camera for recording an image of the person at the entrance, a microphone for recording the person at the entrance, a speaker for playing audio to the person at the entrance, a transmitter for communicating sounds and images of the person at the entrance, and a receiver for receiving communications at the wireless exterior module. The computerized controller is disposed in wireless electronic communication with the wireless exterior module via the transmitter and the receiver of the wireless exterior module. The remote peripheral device is configured to electronically communicate with the computerized controller for viewing an image from the video camera communicated from the wireless exterior module.

Abstract: This invention provides a system and method for utilizing a wireless, handheld communication device to image a scene in multiple directions, so as to include multiple parties in addition to the user, and also, optionally, to project images on a plurality of display screens—for example a user-facing screen on the front face of the phone and an opposing screen on the rear/back face of the phone that faces (e.g.) a chat participant other than the user (an audience). The housing of the smartphone is adapted to provide a multi-camera and multi-screen arrangement. More particularly, the housing of the smartphone is adapted to include (at least) a front-directed camera and a rear-directed camera on respective front and rear faces, and openings along the left and right side edges for small-scale cameras and associated protective windows that are directed to image the left and right areas adjacent to the phone.

Abstract: Systems and methods for rendering audio signals are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method may receive an input signal including a first portion and the second portion. A first processing stage comprising a first filter is applied to the first portion to generate a first filtered signal. A second processing stage comprising a second filter is applied to the first portion to generate a second filtered signal. A third processing stage comprising a third filter is applied to the second portion to generate a third filtered signal. A fourth processing stage comprising a fourth filter is applied to the second portion to generate a fourth filtered signal. A first output signal is determined based on a sum of the first filtered signal and the third filtered signal. A second output signal is determined based on a sum of the second filtered signal and the fourth filtered signal.

Abstract: A sound effect adjustment method, device, electronic device, and storage medium are provided. The sound effect adjustment method can be applied to an electronic device. The method includes: detecting whether at least one target application is running on a current electronic device, wherein the current electronic device is capable of outputting audio sounds when the target application runs; determining at least one reference electronic device corresponding to the current electronic device when running the target application; obtaining sound effect parameters configured by the reference electronic device when running the target application; and adjusting, based on the sound effect parameters, output sound effects of the current electronic device when running the target application.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are wearable devices, their configurations, and methods of operation that use self-mixing interferometry signals of a self-mixing interferometry sensor to recognize user inputs. The user inputs may include voiced commands or silent gesture commands. The devices may be wearable on the user's head, with the self-mixing interferometry sensor configured to direct a beam of light toward a location on the user's head. Skin deformations or vibrations at the location may be caused by the user's speech or the user's silent gestures and recognized using the self-mixing interferometry signal. The self-mixing interferometry signals may be used for bioauthentication and/or audio conditioning of received sound or voice inputs to a microphone.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus comprising: an image sensor configured to capture an image of a subject to generate image data; an audio input device configured to receive an audio signal indicating sound to be collected during image capturing with the image sensor; a detector configured to detect a subject region which corresponds to the subject in the image data; a controller configured to control a sound collection area where a sound from the subject is collected for the audio signal; wherein when the detector detects a plurality of subject regions, the controller compares a size of a subject region of a focus target with a size of another subject regions among the plurality of subject regions, and determines whether or not a subject corresponding to each of the plurality of subject regions is a sound collection target based on a comparison result.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of rendering audio. A binaural signal is split on an amplitude weighting basis into a front binaural signal and a rear binaural signal, based on perceived position information of the audio. In this manner, the front-back differentiation of the binaural signal is improved.

Abstract: Improved convolutional neural network-based machine learning models are disclosed herein. A convolutional neural network is configured to decompose feature maps generated based on a data item to be classified. The feature maps are decomposed into a first and second subsets. The first subset is representative of high frequency components of the data item, and the second subset is representative of low frequency components of the data item. The second subset is upsampled and is combined with the first subset. The combined feature maps are convolved with a filter to extract a set of features associated with the data item. The first subset is also downsampled and combined with the second subset. The combined feature maps are convolved with a filter to extract another set of features. The data item is classified based on the sets of features extracted based on the convolution operations.

Abstract: A system comprising an earpiece, the earpiece having a first end facing a tympanic membrane, and a second end facing toward a surrounding of a user when the earpiece is worn by the user, includes: a vent channel coupled to a first vent opening at the first end, and to a second vent opening at the second end, wherein the vent channel comprises a vent port; a closing element comprising a first magnetic member, the closing element configured to cause the vent port to be open, and to cause the vent port to be closed; an inductive member comprising a conductive material, the inductive member configured for inductive coupling with a second magnetic member, wherein the second magnetic member is configured for displacing the closing element by magnetic interaction with the first magnetic member; and a processor configured to obtain an electrical measurement value of the second magnetic member.

Abstract: A hearing aid is described which incorporates an antenna integrated into the housing that is configured to radiate with linear polarization such that the electric field is perpendicular to the head of a wearer. The described technique results in lower propagation losses from ear to ear and an improvement in ear-to-ear communications using a far-field link (e.g., in the 2.4 GHz band).

Abstract: An animal deterrent assembly includes a housing that is positionable adjacent an area intended to be free of animals. A balloon is coupled to the housing and the balloon is inflatable present a visual deterrent for an animal. A blower is positioned within the housing to inflate the balloon. A plurality of speakers is each coupled to the housing to present an audible deterrent for the animal. A motion sensor is coupled to the housing and each of the blower and the speakers is turned on when the motion sensor senses motion of the animal. A transceiver is coupled to the housing to communicate an alert to thereby alerting a user that the animal has approached the area.

Abstract: A video communications method is provided, including: respectively displaying video images of at least two terminals in at least two display subareas of a video communication interface in a video chat session of the at least two terminal; obtaining a first special effect display instruction; and adding a first special effect to the at least two display subareas based on the first special effect display instruction. The method also includes transmitting the first special effect display instruction to a second terminal of the at least two terminals, the second terminal being an action recipient of the first special effect; and selecting, among multiple end special effects, a target end special effect to be added to the video images of the at least two terminals according to a body action occurred in the video image of the second terminal.

Abstract: The present application discloses exemplary arrangements of an end-fire microphone array inside a vehicle and exemplary digital signal processors configured for the end-fire in-car microphone array. The exemplary digital signal processors may be configured in two modes, a phone call mode and an automatic speech recognition mode. In each mode, the exemplary digital signal processors are improved for enhanced SNR. Different end-fire microphone array arrangements are also disclosed.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein involve an auxiliary zone contributing audio to a primary zone. In an example implementation, a network media system determines that a first zone in the network media system is playing back a first type of audio content and that a second zone in the network media system is not playing back audio content. While the first zone is playing back the first type of audio content and the second zone is not playing back audio content, the network media system forms a temporarily playback configuration. In the temporary playback configuration, the first zone plays back primary audio content including full frequency range audio content and the second playback device of the second zone plays back auxiliary audio content including low frequency range audio content.

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.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present disclosure provides an intercom system including a cloud server, and a relay gateway. The cloud server is configured to receive a trigger signal from a visitor door station, and to send a notification when the cloud server receives the trigger signal from the visitor door station. In one embodiment, the relay gateway is configured to receive the notification from the cloud server and to send the notification to one of a plurality of local intercom stations via one of plurality of hard wires, the hard wires being connected to the local intercom stations, respectively. In one embodiment, the cloud server is configured to send the notification to a remote intercom device that corresponds to the one of the plurality of the local intercom stations.