Patents by Inventor Brenton Robert Steele

Brenton Robert Steele 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: 11134330
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention determine a speech estimate using a bone conduction sensor or accelerometer, without employing voice activity detection gating of speech estimation. Speech estimation is based either exclusively on the bone conduction signal, or is performed in combination with a microphone signal. The speech estimate is then used to condition an output signal of the microphone. There are multiple use cases for speech processing in audio devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: David Leigh Watts, Brenton Robert Steele, Thomas Ivan Harvey, Vitaliy Sapozhnykov
  • Patent number: 10490208
    Abstract: A signal processing device for configurable voice activity detection. A plurality of inputs receive respective microphone signals. A microphone signal router configurably routes the microphone signals. At least one voice activity detection module receives a pair of microphone signals from the router, and produces a respective output indicating whether speech or noise has been detected by the voice activity detection module in the respective pair of microphone signals. A voice activity decision module receives the output of the voice activity detection module(s) and determines whether voice activity exists in the microphone signals. A spatial noise reduction module receives microphone signals from the microphone signal router, and performs adaptive beamforming based in part upon the output of the voice activity decision module, and outputs a spatial noise reduced output. The device permits simple configurability to deliver spatial noise reduction for one of a wide variety of headset form factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Brenton Robert Steele, Hu Chen, Ben Hutchins
  • Publication number: 20190342652
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention determine a speech estimate using a bone conduction sensor or accelerometer, without employing voice activity detection gating of speech estimation. Speech estimation is based either exclusively on the bone conduction signal, or is performed in combination with a microphone signal. The speech estimate is then used to condition an output signal of the microphone. There are multiple use cases for speech processing in audio devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Applicant: Cirrus Logic International Semiconductor Ltd.
    Inventors: David Leigh WATTS, Brenton Robert STEELE, Thomas Ivan HARVEY, Vitaliy SAPOZHNYKOV
  • Patent number: 10418048
    Abstract: A device for noise estimation comprises a first microphone capturing a nominal speech signal, and a second microphone capturing a nominal noise signal. A generalized sidelobe canceller of the device applies spatial noise reduction, and comprises a blocking matrix filter to adaptively process the nominal speech signal to produce a speech cancellation signal, a node for subtracting the speech cancellation signal from the nominal noise signal to produce a noise reference signal, a noise cancellation filter to adaptively filter the noise reference signal to produce a noise cancellation signal; and a node for subtracting the noise cancellation signal from the nominal speech signal to produce a speech reference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Hutchins, Brenton Robert Steele
  • Patent number: 10397687
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention determine a speech estimate using a bone conduction sensor or accelerometer, without employing voice activity detection gating of speech estimation. Speech estimation is based either exclusively on the bone conduction signal, or is performed in combination with a microphone signal. The speech estimate is then used to condition an output signal of the microphone. There are multiple use cases for speech processing in audio devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic, Inc.
    Inventors: David Leigh Watts, Brenton Robert Steele, Thomas Ivan Harvey, Vitaliy Sapozhnykov
  • Publication number: 20180367882
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention determine a speech estimate using a bone conduction sensor or accelerometer, without employing voice activity detection gating of speech estimation. Speech estimation is based either exclusively on the bone conduction signal, or is performed in combination with a microphone signal. The speech estimate is then used to condition an output signal of the microphone. There are multiple use cases for speech processing in audio devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Applicant: Cirrus Logic International Semiconductor Ltd.
    Inventors: David Leigh WATTS, Brenton Robert STEELE, Thomas Ivan HARVEY, Vitaliy SAPOZHNYKOV
  • Publication number: 20180294000
    Abstract: A signal processing device for configurable voice activity detection. A plurality of inputs receive respective microphone signals. A microphone signal router configurably routes the microphone signals. At least one voice activity detection module receives a pair of microphone signals from the router, and produces a respective output indicating whether speech or noise has been detected by the voice activity detection module in the respective pair of microphone signals. A voice activity decision module receives the output of the voice activity detection module(s) and determines whether voice activity exists in the microphone signals. A spatial noise reduction module receives microphone signals from the microphone signal router, and performs adaptive beamforming based in part upon the output of the voice activity decision module, and outputs a spatial noise reduced output. The device permits simple configurability to deliver spatial noise reduction for one of a wide variety of headset form factors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Applicant: Cirrus Logic International Semiconductor Ltd.
    Inventors: Brenton Robert STEELE, Hu CHEN, Ben HUTCHINS
  • Patent number: 9271090
    Abstract: This invention concerns a method, and a device, for feedback cancellation. This invention also concerns a computer program product comprising computer program code means to make a computer execute a procedure for feedback cancellation. The method comprises providing an adaptive feedback cancellation filter which adapts under the control of a control module, and filtering at least one input of the control module to suppress correlated signals from the input prior to the control module operating upon the input. The device comprises an adaptive feedback cancellation filter, a control module and at least one filter. The control module controls adaptation of the adaptive feedback cancellation filter. The filter suppresses correlated signals from an input to the control module prior to the control module operating upon the input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: WOLFSON DYNAMIC HEARING PTY LTD
    Inventor: Brenton Robert Steele
  • Patent number: 8650237
    Abstract: Adaptive processing of an input signal is achieved by offline analysis, with inline processing comprising an adaptive filter. The method comprises passing the input signal through an adaptive time domain filter to produce an output signal. The input signal and/or output signal is used as an offline analysis signal. The analysis signal is transformed into a transform domain (eg frequency domain) to produce a transformed analysis signal. The transformed analysis signal is analyzed, for example by ADRO, to produce a plurality of desired gains each corresponding to a respective transform domain sub-band. A time domain filter characteristic is synthesized to at least approach the desired gains. The adaptive filter is updated with the synthesized filter characteristic. Minimum phase adaptive filter techniques are found to possess particular benefits in this scheme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Wolfson Dynamic Hearing Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Bonar Dickson, Brenton Robert Steele
  • Patent number: 8385864
    Abstract: Adaptively processing an input signal, such as an input signal of a hearing aid. The input signal is passed through an adaptive time domain filter to produce an output signal. At least one of the input signal and the output signal is used as an analysis signal. The analysis signal is transformed into a transform domain to produce a transformed analysis signal, which is analyzed to produce a desired gain for each respective transform domain sub-band. A minimum phase time domain filter characteristic is synthesized which approaches the desired gains. The adaptive filter is updated with the synthesized filter characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Wolfson Dynamic Hearing Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Bonar Dickson, Brenton Robert Steele
  • Patent number: 8331582
    Abstract: The invention relates to adaptive directional systems, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for producing adaptive directional signals. The invention may be applied to the provision of audio frequency adaptive directional microphone systems for devices such as hearing aids and mobile telephones. The method involves constructing the adaptive directional signal (46) from a weighted sum of a first signal (42A) having an omni-directional polar pattern and a second signal (42B) having a bi-directional polar pattern, wherein the weights are calculated to give the combined signal a constant gain in a predetermined direction and to minimize the power of the combined signal. The method has particular application in producing signals in digital hearing aids, the predetermined direction being in the forward direction with respect to the wearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Wolfson Dynamic Hearing Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Brenton Robert Steele
  • Publication number: 20100290641
    Abstract: This invention concerns a method, and a device, for feedback cancellation. This invention also concerns a computer program product comprising computer program code means to make a computer execute a procedure for feedback cancellation. The method comprises providing an adaptive feedback cancellation filter which adapts under the control of a control module, and filtering at least one input of the control module to suppress correlated signals from the input prior to the control module operating upon the input. The device comprises an adaptive feedback cancellation filter, a control module and at least one filter. The control module controls adaptation of the adaptive feedback cancellation filter. The filter suppresses correlated signals from an input to the control module prior to the control module operating upon the input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Inventor: Brenton Robert Steele
  • Patent number: 7774396
    Abstract: Adaptive processing of an input signal is achieved by offline analysis, with inline processing comprising an adaptive filter. The method comprises passing the input signal through an adaptive time domain filter to produce an output signal. The input signal and/or output signal is used as an offline analysis signal. The analysis signal is transformed into a transform domain (eg frequency domain) to produce a transformed analysis signal. The transformed analysis signal is analysed, for example by ADRO, to produce a plurality of desired gains each corresponding to a respective transform domain sub-band. A time domain filter characteristic is synthesised to at least approach the desired gains. The adaptive filter is updated with the synthesised filter characteristic. Minimum phase adaptive filter techniques are found to possess particular benefits in this scheme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Dynamic Hearing Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Bonar Dickson, Brenton Robert Steele
  • Publication number: 20100198899
    Abstract: Adaptive processing of an input signal is achieved by offline analysis, with inline processing comprising an adaptive filter. The method comprises passing the input signal through an adaptive time domain filter to produce an output signal. The input signal and/or output signal is used as an offline analysis signal. The analysis signal is transformed into a transform domain (eg frequency domain) to produce a transformed analysis signal. The transformed analysis signal is analyzed, for example by ADRO, to produce a plurality of desired gains each corresponding to a respective transform domain sub-band. A time domain filter characteristic is synthesized to at least approach the desired gains. The adaptive filter is updated with the synthesized filter characteristic. Minimum phase adaptive filter techniques are found to possess particular benefits in this scheme.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: Dynamic Hearing Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Bonar Dickson, Brenton Robert Steele
  • Publication number: 20090017784
    Abstract: Adaptively processing an input signal, such as an input signal of a hearing aid. The input signal is passed through an adaptive time domain filter to produce an output signal. At least one of the input signal and the output signal is used as an analysis signal. The analysis signal is transformed into a transform domain to produce a transformed analysis signal, which is analysed to produce a desired gain for each respective transform domain sub-band. A minimum phase time domain filter characteristic is synthesised which approaches the desired gains. The adaptive filter is updated with the synthesised filter characteristic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2006
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Inventors: Bonar Dickson, Brenton Robert Steele