Patents by Inventor Bernd Iser
Bernd Iser 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).
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Patent number: 11798576Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a communication system having microphones and loudspeakers to determine a noise and speech level estimate for a transformed signal, determine a SNR from the noise and speech level estimates, and determine a gain for the transformed signal to achieve a selected SNR range at a given position. In one embodiment, the gain is determined by adapting an actual gain to follow a target gain, wherein the target gain is adjusted to achieve the selected SNR range.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2019Date of Patent: October 24, 2023Assignee: Cerence Operating CompanyInventors: Tobias Herbig, Meik Pfeffinger, Bernd Iser
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Publication number: 20200176012Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a communication system having microphones and loudspeakers to determine a noise and speech level estimate for a transformed signal, determine a SNR from the noise and speech level estimates, and determine a gain for the transformed signal to achieve a selected SNR range at a given position. In one embodiment, the gain is determined by adapting an actual gain to follow a target gain, wherein the target gain is adjusted to achieve the selected SNR range.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 1, 2019Publication date: June 4, 2020Applicant: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.Inventors: Tobias HERBIG, Meik PFEFFINGER, Bernd ISER
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Publication number: 20170011753Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a communication system having microphones and loudspeakers to determine a noise and speech level estimate for a transformed signal, determine a SNR from the noise and speech level estimates, and determine a gain for the transformed signal to achieve a selected SNR range at a given position. In one embodiment, the gain is determined by adapting an actual gain to follow a target gain, wherein the target gain is adjusted to achieve the selected SNR range.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2014Publication date: January 12, 2017Applicant: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.Inventors: Tobias Herbig, Meik Pfeffinger, Bernd Iser
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Patent number: 9129608Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention exploit redundancy of succeeding FFT spectra and use this redundancy for computing interpolated temporal supporting points. An analysis filter bank converts overlapped sequences of an audio (ex. loudspeaker) signal from a time domain to a frequency domain to obtain a time series of short-time loudspeaker spectra. An interpolator temporally interpolates this time series. The interpolation is fed to an echo canceller, which computes an estimated echo spectrum. A microphone analysis filter bank converts overlapped sequences of an audio microphone signal from the time domain to the frequency domain to obtain a time series of short-time microphone spectra. The estimated echo spectrum is subtracted from the microphone spectrum. Further signal enhancement (filtration) may be applied. A synthesis filter bank converts the filtered microphone spectra to the time domain to generate an echo compensated audio microphone signal.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2013Date of Patent: September 8, 2015Assignee: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.Inventors: Mohamed Krini, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt, Bernd Iser, Arthur Wolf
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Patent number: 9076455Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention exploit redundancy of succeeding FFT spectra and use this redundancy for computing interpolated temporal supporting points. An analysis filter bank converts overlapped sequences of an audio (ex. loudspeaker) signal from a time domain to a frequency domain to obtain a time series of short-time loudspeaker spectra. An interpolator temporally interpolates this time series. The interpolation is fed to an echo canceller, which computes an estimated echo spectrum. A microphone analysis filter bank converts overlapped sequences of an audio microphone signal from the time domain to the frequency domain to obtain a time series of short-time microphone spectra. The estimated echo spectrum is subtracted from the microphone spectrum. Further signal enhancement (filtration) may be applied. A synthesis filter bank converts the filtered microphone spectra to the time domain to generate an echo compensated audio microphone signal.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2012Date of Patent: July 7, 2015Assignee: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.Inventors: Mohamed Krini, Gerhard Schmidt, Bernd Iser, Arthur Wolf
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Patent number: 8805453Abstract: The present invention relates to a signal processing system, comprising a number of microphones and loudspeakers, a hands-free set configured to receive a telephone signal from a remote party and to transmit a microphone signal supplied by at least one of the microphones to the remote party; an in-vehicle communication system configured to receive a microphone signal supplied by at least one of the microphones; receive the telephone signal; amplify the microphone signal to obtain at least one first output signal; output the at least one first output signal and/or a second output signal corresponding to the telephone signal to at least one of the loudspeakers; and wherein the signal processing systems is configured to detect speech activity in the telephone signal and to control the in-vehicle communication system to reduce amplification of the microphone signal by a damping factor, if it is detected that speech activity is present in the telephone signal.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2013Date of Patent: August 12, 2014Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.Inventors: Tim Haulick, Bernd Iser, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt, Arthur Wolf
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Patent number: 8565415Abstract: A signal processing system enhances communication. When an audio signal is detected, an echo component of the detected audio signal may be estimated. A near party communication device may receive an audio signal from a remote party communication device. A characteristic of the received audio signal may be adjusted based on the echo component of the detected audio signal.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2008Date of Patent: October 22, 2013Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.Inventors: Gerhard Uwe Schmidt, Bernd Iser
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Publication number: 20130208905Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention exploit redundancy of succeeding FFT spectra and use this redundancy for computing interpolated temporal supporting points. An analysis filter bank converts overlapped sequences of an audio (ex. loudspeaker) signal from a time domain to a frequency domain to obtain a time series of short-time loudspeaker spectra. An interpolator temporally interpolates this time series. The interpolation is fed to an echo canceller, which computes an estimated echo spectrum. A microphone analysis filter bank converts overlapped sequences of an audio microphone signal from the time domain to the frequency domain to obtain a time series of short-time microphone spectra. The estimated echo spectrum is subtracted from the microphone spectrum. Further signal enhancement (filtration) may be applied. A synthesis filter bank converts the filtered microphone spectra to the time domain to generate an echo compensated audio microphone signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 22, 2012Publication date: August 15, 2013Applicant: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.Inventors: Mohamed Krini, Gerhard Schmidt, Bernd Iser, Arthur Wolf
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Patent number: 8369901Abstract: The present invention relates to a signal processing system, comprising a number of microphones and loudspeakers, a hands-free set configured to receive a telephone signal from a remote party and to transmit a microphone signal supplied by at least one of the microphones to the remote party; an in-vehicle communication system configured to receive a microphone signal supplied by at least one of the microphones; receive the telephone signal; amplify the microphone signal to obtain at least one first output signal; output the at least one first output signal and/or a second output signal corresponding to the telephone signal to at least one of the loudspeakers; and wherein the signal processing systems is configured to detect speech activity in the telephone signal and to control the in-vehicle communication system to reduce amplification of the microphone signal by a damping factor, if it is detected that speech activity is present in the telephone signal.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2009Date of Patent: February 5, 2013Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.Inventors: Tim Haulick, Bernd Iser, Gerhard Schmidt, Arthur Wolf
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Patent number: 8243955Abstract: A noise attenuation system attenuates noise in an input signal. The system may estimate a power of the input signal, and determine a noise power value based on the input power estimate. The noise power value corresponds to an estimate of a noise power within the input signal. The system may determine an attenuation factor based on the noise power value, and attenuate the input signal by using the attenuation factor.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2010Date of Patent: August 14, 2012Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbHInventors: Bernd Iser, Gerhard Schmidt, Mathias Roder
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Patent number: 8190429Abstract: A codebook spectral envelope may be used to extend the bandwidth of a bandwidth limited signal. A system includes codebooks that list codebook spectral envelopes. A codebook spectral envelope may be selected based on a characteristic of the spectral envelope of the bandwidth limited signal. Modifications of selected codebook spectral envelopes may generate a bandwidth extension signal that may be added to the bandwidth limited signal to improve the quality of the signal.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2008Date of Patent: May 29, 2012Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.Inventors: Bernd Iser, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt
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Patent number: 8160889Abstract: A bandwidth extension system extends the bandwidth of an acoustic signal. By shifting a portion of the signal by a frequency value, the system generates an upper bandwidth extension signal. An extended bandwidth acoustic signal may be generated from the acoustic signal, the upper bandwidth extension signal, and/or a lower bandwidth extension signal.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 2008Date of Patent: April 17, 2012Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.Inventors: Bernd Iser, Gerhard Nüssle, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt
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Publication number: 20100239104Abstract: A noise attenuation system attenuates noise in an input signal. The system may estimate a power of the input signal, and determine a noise power value based on the input power estimate. The noise power value corresponds to an estimate of a noise power within the input signal. The system may determine an attenuation factor based on the noise power value, and attenuate the input signal by using the attenuation factor.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2010Publication date: September 23, 2010Applicant: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbHInventors: Bernd Iser, Gerhard Schmidt, Mathias Roder
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Patent number: 7792680Abstract: A method for extending the spectral bandwidth of an excitation signal of a speech signal includes determining a bandwidth limited excitation signal of the speech signal, and applying a nonlinear function to the excitation signal for generating a bandwidth extended excitation signal.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2006Date of Patent: September 7, 2010Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.Inventors: Bernd Iser, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt
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Patent number: 7783479Abstract: A system for use in providing a wideband signal from a received narrowband signal is set forth. The system comprises an extracted narrowband feature vector that corresponds to at least one characteristic of the narrowband signal. A narrowband codebook having one or more narrowband codebook index vectors is also employed, where each narrowband codebook index vector is associated with one or more corresponding narrowband codebook parameters. An analyzer is provided to correlate the extracted narrowband feature vector with an entry in the narrowband codebook. More particularly, the analyzer is responsive to the extracted narrowband feature vector to identify the narrowband codebook feature index vector that best matches the extracted narrowband feature vector. A signal mapper is provided to execute a mapping function of the extracted narrowband feature vector and/or the narrowband codebook index vector identified by the analyzer.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2006Date of Patent: August 24, 2010Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.Inventors: Bernd Iser, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt
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Patent number: 7756714Abstract: A system is provided for extending the spectral bandwidth of a bandwidth limited audio signal by applying a nonlinear function to the bandwidth limited speech signal to generate the low frequency audio signal components that were attenuated in the bandwidth limited audio signal.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2007Date of Patent: July 13, 2010Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.Inventors: Bernd Iser, Gerhard Schmidt
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Patent number: 7693714Abstract: An electronic communication system is set forth that includes the transmission of a narrowband speech signal corresponding to a narrowband version of speech utterances of a speaker as well as the transmission of speaker-dependent data. The speaker-dependent data may be used to correlate narrowband versions of the speech utterances of the speaker with corresponding wideband versions of the speech utterances of the speaker. Both the narrowband speech signal and the speaker-dependent data are received by a receiving party. A receiver at the receiving party uses the narrowband speech signal and the speaker-dependent data to generate a wideband speech signal corresponding to a wideband version of the speech utterances of the speaker.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2006Date of Patent: April 6, 2010Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbHInventors: Bernd Iser, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt
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Publication number: 20100035663Abstract: The present invention relates to a signal processing system, comprising a number of microphones and loudspeakers, a hands-free set configured to receive a telephone signal from a remote party and to transmit a microphone signal supplied by at least one of the microphones to the remote party; an in-vehicle communication system configured to receive a microphone signal supplied by at least one of the microphones; receive the telephone signal; amplify the microphone signal to obtain at least one first output signal; output the at least one first output signal and/or a second output signal corresponding to the telephone signal to at least one of the loudspeakers; and wherein the signal processing systems is configured to detect speech activity in the telephone signal and to control the in-vehicle communication system to reduce amplification of the microphone signal by a damping factor, if it is detected that speech activity is present in the telephone signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2009Publication date: February 11, 2010Applicant: Nuance Communications, Inc.Inventors: Tim Haulick, Bernd Iser, Gerhard Schmidt, Arthur Wolf
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Patent number: 7630881Abstract: A system extends a bandwidth of bandlimited audio signals by analyzing bandlimited audio signals at a transmission cycle rate. The analyzer may obtain a bandlimited parameter at a transmission cycle rate. A mapping device or logic in the system obtains a wideband parameter based on the bandlimited parameter. An audio signal generator generates a highband and/or lowband audio signal based on the wideband parameter at the transmission cycle rate. In some systems, the bandlimited audio signal is analyzed at the transmission cycle rate. The highband and/or lowband audio signals and the combined wideband audio signal are generated at the transmission cycle rate.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2005Date of Patent: December 8, 2009Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.Inventors: Bernd Iser, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt
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Publication number: 20090225980Abstract: A signal processing system enhances communication. When an audio signal is detected, an echo component of the detected audio signal may be estimated. A near party communication device may receive an audio signal from a remote party communication device. A characteristic of the received audio signal may be adjusted based on the echo component of the detected audio signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2008Publication date: September 10, 2009Inventors: Gerhard Uwe Schmidt, Bernd Iser