Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to assistive listening devices and systems for providing audio streams to device wearers within sound fields. In an embodiment an assistive listening device is included having a control circuit, an electroacoustic transducer for generating sound in electrical communication with the control circuit, a power supply circuit in electrical communication with the control circuit, and a communications circuit in electrical communication with the control circuit. The control circuit can be configured to issue a communication to an audio communication device or audio provisioning device including at least one of a language preference, a set of hearing requirements, data regarding a presentation delay, and an authorization status identifier, digital code, digital token, or digital key specific to a wearer of the assistive listening device. Other embodiments are also included herein.

Abstract: A method includes: generating a hearing profile for a user; accessing a set of hearing-assistance device options, each hearing-assistance device option defining a form factor of a hearing-assistance device, in a set of hearing-assistance devices; accessing an image of an ear of the user; detecting a set of constraining dimensions in the image of the ear of the user; identifying a subset of hearing-assistance device options, in the set of hearing-assistance device options, defining form factors conforming to the set of constraining dimensions; accessing a set of preferences of the user; ranking the subset of hearing-assistance device options based on the set of preferences; selecting a first hearing-assistance device option, from the subset of hearing-assistance device options, corresponding to a highest rank in the subset of hearing-assistance device options; and configuring a first hearing-assistance device represented by the first hearing-assistance device option with the hearing profile.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and devices are disclosed for identifying and of controlling communications on interfering links in a local area network (20) having user-devices (22, 23, 24, 25) located therein operable to communicate via a local area network (LAN) gateway device (30, 50) with remote devices in a communications network (10,15) outside the LAN (20), communications being carried via one or more LAN links (28) for at least a portion of a path between user-devices (22, 23, 24, 25) and the gateway device (30, 50), and being carried via a digital subscriber (xDSL) line (19) for at least a portion of a path between the gateway device (30, 50) and the remote devices.

Abstract: A system for measuring sound levels is provided. The system comprises a processor, a memory, and an application stored in the memory that when executed on the processor receives sound levels recorded by each of a plurality of sound sensors located in a coverage area. The application also samples noise levels from the received sound levels at least one location within the coverage area. The application also derives values based at least on the samples and on estimates of sound attenuation at the at least one location. The application also creates a heat map based at least on the derived values, the heat map representing at least noise levels experienced within the coverage area.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for personalizing the audio signal of an audio or video stream, comprising: sending the audio or video stream from a server to a client over a communications network, processing the audio signal by means of a processing unit to match an optimal hearing profile of a user listening to the audio at the client, characterized in that the processing unit is arranged at the server or in the communications network, between the server and the client.

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.

Abstract: Laser-based devices utilizing temperature modulation for improved self-mix sensing. A self-mix laser unit includes: an active region having a first side and a second, opposite, side; a p-type Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) region, which is in direct touch with said first side of the active region; an n-type DBR region, which is in direct touch with the second side of the active region; and an n-type or p-type or other substrate. A heating unit provides modulated heating to the active region, either directly via an electrical resistor within the active region; or indirectly by passing or propagating modulated heat through one of the DBR regions or through the substrate. The modulated heating improves the laser-based self-mix signal.

Abstract: A pair of sets of audio blocks is determined from a multi-channel audio signal. The pair comprises a first set for a first time block over audio channels and a second set for a second time block over the audio channels. Audio features including inter-channel audio features are generated from the pair. The audio features are graphically presented with user interface components on a display page. A specific perceptible audio characteristic is visually conveyed to the user using the user interface components dynamically updated with sets of audio features computed from pairs of sets of audio blocks of the multi-channel audio signal.

Abstract: A method for rendering an audio output based on an audio data stream including M audio signals, side information including a series of reconstruction instances of a reconstruction matrix C and first timing data, the side information allowing reconstruction of N audio objects from the M audio signals, and object metadata defining spatial relationships between the N audio objects. The method includes generating a synchronized rendering matrix based on the object metadata, the first timing data, and information relating to a current playback system configuration, the synchronized rendering matrix having a rendering instance for each reconstruction instance, multiplying each reconstruction instance with a corresponding rendering instance to form a corresponding instance of an integrated rendering matrix, and applying the integrated rendering matrix to the audio signals in order to render an audio output.

Abstract: A monitoring system that is configured to monitor a property is disclosed. The monitoring system includes a microphone that is configured to detect sound within an area near a door of the property and generate audio data that represents the sound. The monitoring system includes a monitor control unit configured to obtain the audio data generated by the microphone; evaluate one or more characteristics of the audio data; based on evaluating the one or more characteristics of the audio data, determine that the audio data corresponds to a knock event at the door; and in response to determining that the audio data corresponds to a knock event at the door, perform a monitoring system action. The one or more characteristics of the audio data include one or more of a duration, a peak frequency, an amplitude, or a period.

Abstract: A method is provided for operating a piezoelectric MEMS sound transducer in the audible wavelength spectrum and/or in the ultrasonic range. The method includes storing electrical energy in an energy store and indirectly transferring this electrical energy via a transfer unit between the energy store and the piezoelectric MEMS sound transducer. In a first switching state, the transfer unit is first of all charged from the energy store. In a second switching state, the transfer unit is discharged and the piezoelectric MEMS sound transducer is charged. In a third switching state, the piezoelectric MEMS sound transducer is discharged and the transfer unit is charged. In a fourth switching state, the transfer unit is then discharged and the energy store is charged.

Abstract: A system and method for providing low interaural coherence at low frequencies is disclosed. In some embodiments, the system may include a reverberator and a low-frequency interaural coherence control system. The reverberator may include two sets of comb filters, one for the left ear output signal and one for the right ear output signal. The low-frequency interaural coherence control system can include a plurality of sections, each section can be configured to control a certain frequency range of the signals that propagate through the given section. The sections may include a left high-frequency section for the left ear output signal and a right high-frequency section for the right ear output signal. The sections may also include a shared low-frequency section that can output signals to be combined by combiners of the left and right high-frequency sections.

Abstract: A display device includes: a display panel; a first sound generating device disposed below the display panel, where the first sound generating device generates a sound by causing the display panel to vibrate; and a second sound generating device disposed below the display panel, where the second generating sound generating device generates a sound by causing the display panel to vibrate. The first sound generating device includes: a first vibrator which vibrates in a first direction, which is a thickness direction of the display panel; and a second vibrator which vibrates in the first direction, and the second sound generating device includes: a third vibrator which vibrates in the first direction; and a fourth vibrator which vibrates in a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to modifying an input signal. In one example of a process for modifying an input signal, the process includes splitting the input signal into at least a first input part and a second input part, the amplification of at least the first input part with a linear gain to create a first output part, the nonlinear amplification of at least the second input part of the input signal to create a second output part, and summing the first output part and the second output part in order to provide an output signal.

Abstract: A system configured to perform adaptive feedback reduction, such as howling suppression, to prevent feedback from occurring when two devices are acoustically coupled during a communication session. To reduce feedback between the acoustically coupled devices, a device monitors input audio data from a microphone and determines whether feedback is present in individual frequency subbands. For example, the device determines an expected value for a first subband using neighboring subbands (e.g., averaging subbands surrounding the first subband) and compares the expected value to an actual value for the first subband. If the actual value is noticeably higher than the expected value, the device determines that feedback is present in the first subband and attenuates the first subband. If the feedback is not present, the device passes the first subband without attenuation.

Abstract: A method includes providing, for each respective audio channel of a plurality of audio channels provided by an operating system of a computing device, a set of successive audio processing stages to apply to the respective audio channel. The method also includes providing, by the operating system, an application programming interface (API) configured to set a plurality of parameters for adjusting the set of successive audio processing stages for each respective audio channel. The method additionally includes receiving, via the API and from an application running on the computing device, one or more values for one or more parameters of the plurality of parameters. The method further includes adjusting, by the operating system, the plurality of audio channels based on the received one or more values for the one or more parameters.

Abstract: A sound signal processing device, a sound signal processing method, and a sound signal processing program can remove echo signals included in input signals from a plurality of microphones with a simple circuit configuration are provided. The present device 1 includes an output part 20 that outputs a reception signal s2, an input part 30 that combines signals input from each of a plurality of microphones 3 and generates a transmission signal s4, wherein the microphones 3 collect an echo component of the reception signal and voice of a speaker and generate an echo signal es corresponding to the echo component and a sound signal s1 corresponding to the voice of the speaker, a removal signal generator 70 that generates a removal signal s5 removing the echo signal included in the transmission signal based on a filter coefficient F, a controller 50 that calculates the filter coefficient, and a removal part 80 that generates an echo removal signal s6 based on the transmission signal and the removal signal.

Abstract: A hearing aid includes: a microphone configured to provide a microphone signal that corresponds with an acoustic stimulus naturally received by a user of the hearing aid; a processing unit coupled to the microphone, the processing unit configured to provide a processed signal based at least on the microphone signal; a speaker coupled to the processing unit, the speaker configured to provide an acoustic signal based on the processed signal; and a sensor configured to measure a neural response of the user to the acoustic stimulus, and to provide a sensor output; wherein the processing unit is configured to detect presence of speech based on the microphone signal, and to process the sensor output and the microphone signal to estimate speech intelligibility; and wherein the processing unit is also configured to adjust a sound processing parameter for the hearing aid based at least on the estimated speech intelligibility.

Abstract: Systems and methods for utilizing customer data in a communication system are provided. In exemplary embodiments, customer records at a customer data warehousing system are accessed. Customer data from the customer records are extracted and associated with a customer identifier. The customer data is then stored to an indexed database, the extracted customer data being indexed according to the identifier. When an incoming communication is received, the communication system will determine a communication identifier of the incoming communication. A lookup and matching process is then performed using the communication identifier in the indexed customer information database. If a matching customer identifier is found, associated customer data may be retrieved and used to provide enhanced communication system services including communication routing and customer data alerts.

Abstract: A video encoding method and an electronic device adapted to the method are provided.