Patents by Inventor Andrew Ericson

Andrew Ericson 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).

  • Patent number: 8788080
    Abstract: Technology for grouping, consolidating, and pairing individual playback devices with network capability (players) to stimulate a multi-channel listening environment is disclosed. Particularly, the embodiments described herein enable two or more playback devices to be paired, such that multi-channel audio is achieved. Such embodiments may be used to produce stereo and multi-channel audio environments for television and movies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Kallai, Michael Darrell Andrew Ericson, Robert A. Lambourne, Robert Reimann, Mark Triplett
  • Publication number: 20140093096
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting a crossover frequency between a plurality of audio speakers rendering audio content. In one example, a first subset of a plurality of audio speakers may be rendering a first sub-range of a range of audio frequencies of an audio content, and a second subset of speakers of the plurality of audio speakers may be rendering a second sub-range of the range of audio frequencies. In this example, the first sub-range and the second sub-range may be substantially separated at the crossover frequency. In one case, a playback volume at which the audio content is being rendered may be adjusted. In one instance, the crossover frequency may be adjusted in response to the volume adjustment to improve the audio content rendering quality by the respective subsets of audio speakers in the plurality of audio speakers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Inventors: Timothy W. Sheen, Michael Darrell Andrew Ericson, William H. Bush
  • Publication number: 20130346559
    Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to provide automated configuration of local playback devices and networks based on external input are disclosed. An example media playback device includes a control interface to receive and process, at the media playback device, network configuration information for a local network from an external source, the control interface to receive and process the network configuration from the external source without requiring user intervention. The example media playback device includes a wireless interface to communicate with the local network based at least in part on the network configuration information. The example media playback device includes a speaker to output audio based on audio information received via the local network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Inventors: Niels Van Erven, Michael Darrell Andrew Ericson, Steve Beckhardt, Nicholas A.J. Millington
  • Publication number: 20130287228
    Abstract: Techniques for optimizing a player based on the addition of a second player are disclosed. In an embodiment, when a first player no longer needs to play certain audio frequencies due to the addition of a second player, the gain of the first player is automatically increased as part of the setup process. In another embodiment, when a first player needs to play certain audio frequencies, for example due to the removal of a second player, the gain of the first player is automatically decreased. Many other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventors: Christopher Kallai, Mike Chamness, Michael Darrell Andrew Ericson
  • Publication number: 20130245798
    Abstract: Techniques pertaining to enhancing acoustic effects of music playing through digital signal processing are disclosed. Genre, or style, of music embedded in a music file is received and identified in a digital signal processor (DSP). Based on the music genre, an equalization processing unit in the DSP processes the audio data stream in the music file through an equalization profile selected from a collection of sound equalization profiles preloaded in a memory unit. Each equalization profile contains digital algorithms specifically designed to boost or attenuate audio signals at certain frequency ranges in the audio frequency spectrum according to the characteristics of the style of the music. The equalization-processed audio data stream is then played in an audio playback system with an acoustic enhancement that closely reflects the nature and characteristics of the style of the music.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2010
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Inventors: Chris Kallai, Michael Darrell Andrew Ericson
  • Publication number: 20130243199
    Abstract: Techniques for grouping or pairing individual audio products with network capability (players) to stimulate a multi-channel listening environment are disclosed. In instead of grouping selected players to play back an audio item, a user is allowed to activate one of the players to process the data of the audio item, essentially separating the data into individual streams, each of the streams representing a single-sound track and being played back in one of the players, thus creating a multi-channel listening environment with the selected players.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Inventors: Christopher Kallai, Michael Darrell Andrew Ericson, Robert A. Lambourne
  • Publication number: 20130022221
    Abstract: Techniques for shaping sound based on a speaker orientation are disclosed. In an embodiment, an audio data stream is obtained by a zone player having one or more speaker drivers, an orientation of the zone player is determined, and sound is reproduced by the zone player based on the orientation. The sound may be further shaped based on other states of the zone player in addition to orientation. The overall sound may be shaped from one zone player or from a collection of zone players.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Inventors: Christopher Kallai, Michael Darrell Andrew Ericson, Jonathan P. Lang, Craig Wisneski, Jonathon Reilly, Seamus Daly, Todd Mansfield
  • Publication number: 20120096125
    Abstract: Certain embodiments provide methods and systems for managing a sound profile. An example method includes accessing a playback device on a network. The example method includes displaying a graphic interface to allow a user to adjust the sound profile, wherein the sound profile includes a plurality of parameters for user adjustment. The example method includes saving the sound profile. The example method includes processing an audio signal at the playback device according to the sound profile, wherein user adjustments to the sound profile are used to configure the playback device to process the audio signal upon saving the sound profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Inventors: Christopher Kallai, Michael Darrell Andrew Ericson
  • Publication number: 20070003671
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a composition comprising a calcium combination consisting essentially of dicalcium phosphate anhydrous and calcium lactate, and a juice. The present disclosure further relates to a method of fortifying a beverage comprising preparing a calcium combination consisting essentially of dicalcium phosphate anhydrous and calcium lactate; and combining the calcium combination and a juice.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Publication date: January 4, 2007
    Inventors: Timothy Anglea, Andrew Ericson
  • Publication number: 20070003672
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a composition comprising (a) a calcium combination consisting essentially of tricalcium phosphate, monocalcium phosphate and calcium lactate, and (b) a juice. The present disclosure further relates to a method of fortifying a beverage comprising preparing a calcium combination consisting essentially of tricalcium phosphate, monocalcium phosphate and calcium lactate; and combining the calcium combination and a juice.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Publication date: January 4, 2007
    Inventors: Timothy Anglea, Andrew Ericson