Patents by Inventor Alan J. Seefeldt

Alan J. Seefeldt has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20210112358
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a method of rendering adaptive audio by receiving input audio comprising channel-based audio, audio objects, and dynamic objects, wherein the dynamic objects are classified as sets of low-priority dynamic objects and high-priority dynamic objects, rendering the channel-based audio, the audio objects, and the low-priority dynamic objects in a first rendering processor of an audio processing system, and rendering the high-priority dynamic objects in a second rendering processor of the audio processing system. The rendered audio is then subject to virtualization and post-processing steps for playback through soundbars and other similar limited height capable speakers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joshua Brandon Lando, Freddie Sanchez, Alan J. Seefeldt
  • Patent number: 10956121
    Abstract: In an audio encoder, for audio content received in a source audio format, default gains are generated based on a default dynamic range compression (DRC) curve, and non-default gains are generated for a non-default gain profile. Based on the default gains and non-default gains, differential gains are generated. An audio signal comprising the audio content, the default DRC curve, and differential gains is generated. In an audio decoder, the default DRC curve and the differential gains are identified from the audio signal. Default gains are re-generated based on the default DRC curve. Based on the combination of the re-generated default gains and the differential gains, operations are performed on the audio content extracted from the audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignees: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Jeroen Koppens, Jeffrey Riedmiller, Kristofer Kjoerling, Alexander Stahlmann, Holger Hoerich, Alan J. Seefeldt
  • Patent number: 10932082
    Abstract: A system and method of modifying a binaural signal using headtracking information. The system calculates a delay, a first filter response, and a second filter response, and applies these to the left and right components of the binaural signal according to the headtracking information. The system may also apply headtracking to parametric binaural signals. In this manner, headtracking may be applied to pre-rendered binaural audio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: C. Phillip Brown, Joshua Brandon Lando, Mark F. Davis, Alan J. Seefeldt, David Matthew Cooper, Dirk Jeroen Breebaart, Rhonda Wilson
  • Publication number: 20200403593
    Abstract: Volume leveler controller and controlling method are disclosed. In one embodiment, A volume leveler controller includes an audio content classifier for identifying the content type of an audio signal in real time; and an adjusting unit for adjusting a volume leveler in a continuous manner based on the content type as identified. The adjusting unit may configured to positively correlate the dynamic gain of the volume leveler with informative content types of the audio signal, and negatively correlate the dynamic gain of the volume leveler with interfering content types of the audio signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun WANG, Lie LU, Alan J. SEEFELDT
  • Publication number: 20200396559
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to upward-firing speakers that reflect sound off a ceiling to a listening location at a distance from a speaker. The reflected sound provides height cues to reproduce audio objects that have overhead audio components. A virtual height filter based on a directional hearing model is applied to the upward-firing driver signal to improve the perception of height for audio signals transmitted by the virtual height speaker to provide optimum reproduction of the overhead reflected sound. The upward firing driver is tilted at an inclination angle of approximately 20 degrees to the horizontal axis of the speaker and separate height and direct terminal connections are provided to interface to an adaptive audio rendering system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brett G. CROCKETT, Alan J. SEEFELDT, C. Phillip BROWN
  • Patent number: 10838684
    Abstract: Embodiments are described for a method of rendering audio for playback through headphones comprising receiving digital audio content, receiving binaural rendering metadata generated by an authoring tool processing the received digital audio content, receiving playback metadata generated by a playback device, and combining the binaural rendering metadata and playback metadata to optimize playback of the digital audio content through the headphones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Nicolas R. Tsingos, Rhonda Wilson, Sunil Bharitkar, C. Phillip Brown, Alan J. Seefeldt, Remi Audfray
  • Patent number: 10833644
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a method for processing an audio signal in an audio processing apparatus is disclosed. The method includes receiving an audio signal and a parameter, the parameter indicating a location of an auditory event boundary. An audio portion between consecutive auditory event boundaries constitutes an auditory event. The method further includes applying a modification to the audio signal based in part on an occurrence of the auditory event. The parameter may be generated by monitoring a characteristic of the audio signal and identifying a change in the characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Brett G. Crockett, Alan J. Seefeldt
  • Publication number: 20200351606
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of rendering audio. The method includes deriving filters by defining a binaural error, defining an activation penalty, and minimizing a cost function that is a combination of the binaural error and the activation penalty. In this manner, the listening experience is improved by reducing the signal level output by loudspeakers further from an audio objects desired position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventor: Alan J. SEEFELDT
  • Patent number: 10803879
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for audio classifying and processing are disclosed. In one embodiment, an audio processing apparatus includes an audio classifier for classifying an audio signal into at least one audio type in real time; an audio improving device for improving experience of audience; and an adjusting unit for adjusting at least one parameter of the audio improving device in a continuous manner based on the confidence value of the at least one audio type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Lie Lu, Alan J. Seefeldt, Jun Wang
  • Publication number: 20200293272
    Abstract: In an audio encoder, for audio content received in a source audio format, default gains are generated based on a default dynamic range compression (DRC) curve, and non-default gains are generated for a non-default gain profile. Based on the default gains and non-default gains, differential gains are generated. An audio signal comprising the audio content, the default DRC curve, and differential gains is generated. In an audio decoder, the default DRC curve and the differential gains are identified from the audio signal. Default gains are re-generated based on the default DRC curve. Based on the combination of the re-generated default gains and the differential gains, operations are performed on the audio content extracted from the audio signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Applicants: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION, DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Jeroen Koppens, Jeffrey Riedmiller, Kristofer Kjoerling, Alexander Stahlmann, Holger Hoerich, Alan J. Seefeldt
  • Patent number: 10779084
    Abstract: Embodiments are described for a method for localizing a set of speakers (106) and microphones (108), having only the times of arrival between each of the speakers and microphones. An autodiscovery process (107) uses an external input to set: a global translation (3 continuous parameters), a global rotation (3 continuous parameters), and discrete symmetries, i.e., an exchange of any axis pairs and/or reversal of any axis. Different time of arrival acquisition techniques may be used, such as ultrasonic sweeps or generic multitrack audio content. The autodiscovery algorithm is based in minimizing a certain cost function, and the process allows for latencies in the recordings, possibly linked to the latencies in the emission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignees: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Daniel Arteaga, Giulio Cengarle, David Matthew Fischer, Antonio Mateos Sole, Davide Scaini, Alan J. Seefeldt
  • Publication number: 20200288260
    Abstract: An audio processing system and method which calculates, based on spatial metadata of the audio object, a panning coefficient for each of the audio objects in relation to each of a plurality of predefined channel coverage zones. Converts the audio signal into submixes in relation to the predefined channel coverage zones based on the calculated panning coefficients and the audio objects. Each of the submixes indicating a sum of components of the plurality of the audio objects in relation to one of the predefined channel coverage zones. Generating a submix gain by applying an audio processing to each of the submix and controls an object gain applied to each of the audio objects. The object gain being as a function of the panning coefficients for each of the audio objects and the submix gains in relation to each of the predefined channel coverage zones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Alan J. SEEFELDT, Lie LU, Chen ZHANG
  • Patent number: 10764709
    Abstract: A first playback stream presentation intended for reproduction on a first audio reproduction system and transform parameters may be received and decoded. The second playback stream presentation may be intended for reproduction on headphones. The transform parameters may be applied to an intermediate playback stream presentation to obtain the second playback stream presentation. The intermediate playback stream presentation may be the first playback stream presentation, a downmix of the first playback stream presentation, or an upmix of the first playback stream presentation. A cross-talk-cancelled signal may be obtained by processing the second playback stream presentation with a cross-talk cancellation algorithm. The cross-talk-cancelled signal may be processed by a dynamic equalization or gain stage wherein an amount of equalization or gain may be dependent on a level of the first playback stream presentation or the second playback stream presentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Dirk Jeroen Breebaart, Alan J. Seefeldt
  • Patent number: 10728692
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to upward-firing speakers that reflect sound off a ceiling to a listening location at a distance from a speaker. The reflected sound provides height cues to reproduce audio objects that have overhead audio components. A virtual height filter based on a directional hearing model is applied to the upward-firing driver signal to improve the perception of height for audio signals transmitted by the virtual height speaker to provide optimum reproduction of the overhead reflected sound. The upward firing driver is tilted at an inclination angle of approximately 20 degrees to the horizontal axis of the speaker and separate height and direct terminal connections are provided to interface to an adaptive audio rendering system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Brett G. Crockett, Alan J. Seefeldt, C. Phillip Brown
  • Patent number: 10707824
    Abstract: Volume leveler controller and controlling method are disclosed. In one embodiment, A volume leveler controller includes an audio content classifier for identifying the content type of an audio signal in real time; and an adjusting unit for adjusting a volume leveler in a continuous manner based on the content type as identified. The adjusting unit may configured to positively correlate the dynamic gain of the volume leveler with informative content types of the audio signal, and negatively correlate the dynamic gain of the volume leveler with interfering content types of the audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Wang, Lie Lu, Alan J. Seefeldt
  • Patent number: 10680569
    Abstract: Distortion reducing multi-band compressor with timbre preservation is provided. Timbre preservation is achieved by determining a time-varying threshold in each of a plurality frequency bands as a function of a respective fixed threshold for the frequency band and, at least in part, an audio signal level and a fixed threshold outside such frequency band. If a particular frequency band receives significant gain reduction due to being above or approaching its fixed threshold, then a time-varying threshold of one or more other frequency bands are also decreased to receive some gain reduction. In a specific embodiment, time-varying thresholds can be computed from an average difference of the audio input signal in each frequency band and its respective fixed threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventor: Alan J. Seefeldt
  • Patent number: 10659899
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a method of rendering adaptive audio by receiving input audio comprising channel-based audio, audio objects, and dynamic objects, wherein the dynamic objects are classified as sets of low-priority dynamic objects and high-priority dynamic objects, rendering the channel-based audio, the audio objects, and the low-priority dynamic objects in a first rendering processor of an audio processing system, and rendering the high-priority dynamic objects in a second rendering processor of the audio processing system. The rendered audio is then subject to virtualization and post-processing steps for playback through soundbars and other similar limited height capable speakers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua Brandon Lando, Freddie Sanchez, Alan J Seefeldt
  • Publication number: 20200144979
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a method for processing an audio signal in an audio processing apparatus is disclosed. The method includes receiving an audio signal and a parameter, the parameter indicating a location of an auditory event boundary. An audio portion between consecutive auditory event boundaries constitutes an auditory event. The method further includes applying a modification to the audio signal based in part on an occurrence of the auditory event. The parameter may be generated by monitoring a characteristic of the audio signal and identifying a change in the characteristic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2019
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Brett G. CROCKETT, Alan J. SEEFELDT
  • Patent number: 10606550
    Abstract: In an audio encoder, for audio content received in a source audio format, default gains are generated based on a default dynamic range compression (DRC) curve, and non-default gains are generated for a non-default gain profile. Based on the default gains and non-default gains, differential gains are generated. An audio signal comprising the audio content, the default DRC curve, and differential gains is generated. In an audio decoder, the default DRC curve and the differential gains are identified from the audio signal. Default gains are re-generated based on the default DRC curve. Based on the combination of the re-generated default gains and the differential gains, operations are performed on the audio content extracted from the audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignees: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Jeroen Koppens, Jeffrey Riedmiller, Kristofer Kjoerling, Alexander Stahlmann, Holger Hoerich, Alan J. Seefeldt
  • Patent number: D896783
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alan J. Seefeldt, Lucas E. Saule, Peter Michaelian, Vincent Voron