Patents by Inventor Carlos Renato Nakagawa
Carlos Renato Nakagawa 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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Publication number: 20230255554Abstract: A hearing assistance device adapted to be worn by a wearer comprises a processor configured to generate a sequence of audio cues that audibly guide the wearer through a series of actions involving the wearer's head and neck in accordance with a predetermined corrective or therapeutic maneuver. A speaker is configured to play back the sequence of audio cues for reception by the wearer. One or more sensors are configured to sense movement of the head during each of the actions. The processor is configured to determine if head movement for an action associated with each audio cue has been correctly executed by the wearer, and produce an output indicative of successful or unsuccessful execution of the actions by the wearer.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 23, 2023Publication date: August 17, 2023Inventors: Justin R. Burwinkel, Carlos Renato Nakagawa, Jason A. Galster
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Patent number: 11714157Abstract: A device has a microphone array that acquires sound data and a camera that acquires image data. A portion of the device may be moveable by one or more actuators. Responsive to the user, the portion of the device is moved toward an estimated direction of the user. The estimated direction is based on sensor data including the sound data and the image data. First variance values for individual sound direction values are calculated. Data derived from the image data or data from other sensors may be used to modify the first variance values and determine second data comprising second variances. The second data may be processed to determine the estimated direction of the user. For example, the second data may be processed by both a forward and a backward Kalman filter, and the output combined to determine an estimated direction toward the user.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2021Date of Patent: August 1, 2023Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Carlos Renato Nakagawa, Mohamed Mansour, Borham Lee, Shobha Devi Kuruba Buchannagari
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Patent number: 11670326Abstract: Techniques for improving microphone noise detection and suppression are provided. A method for detecting wind noise corresponding to microphone signals may include determining a phase of a complex coherence of the microphone signals. The phase may be used to determine a presence of wind near the microphones. A derivative of the phase may be used to determine a presence of speech near the microphones. Further, a method for suppressing noise caused by the wind may include determining a gain based on a cross power spectrum of the microphone signals and applying the gain to the microphone signals. The method for suppressing the noise may also include attenuating the microphone signals using a post filter. Based on detection of the wind, microphones which are more exposed to the wind may not be used to process the speech whereas microphones less exposed to the wind may be used to process the speech.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2021Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Carlos Renato Nakagawa
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Patent number: 11559252Abstract: A hearing assistance device adapted to be worn by a wearer comprises a processor configured to generate a sequence of audio cues that audibly guide the wearer through a series of actions involving the wearer's head and neck in accordance with a predetermined corrective or therapeutic maneuver. A speaker is configured to play back the sequence of audio cues for reception by the wearer. One or more sensors are configured to sense movement of the head during each of the actions. The processor is configured to determine if head movement for an action associated with each audio cue has been correctly executed by the wearer, and produce an output indicative of successful or unsuccessful execution of the actions by the wearer.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2017Date of Patent: January 24, 2023Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: Justin R. Burwinkel, Carlos Renato Nakagawa, Jason Galster
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Patent number: 11539833Abstract: A multi-channel acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) system that includes a step-size controller that dynamically determines a step-size value for each channel and each tone index on a frame-by-frame basis. The system determines that near-end signals are present by calculating a scaled error and determining that the scaled error exceeds a threshold value. When the scaled error exceeds the threshold value, the system may switch from a first cost function to a second cost function and determine a step-size value using a robust algorithm. The robust algorithm may prevent the system from diverging due to the presence of the near-end signal. For example, the robust algorithm may select a different cost function to determine the step-size value and/or combine different step-size computations, resulting in the step-size value being temporarily reduced. Thus, the robust algorithm may enable the AEC to better model the near-end disturbance statistics while the near-end signal is present.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2020Date of Patent: December 27, 2022Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Carlos Renato Nakagawa
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Patent number: 11517708Abstract: An ear-worn electronic device includes a right ear device comprising a first processor and a left ear device comprising a second processor communicatively coupled to the first processor. A physiologic sensor module comprises one or more physiologic sensors configured to sense at least one physiologic parameter from a wearer. A motion sensor module comprises one or more sensors configured to sense movement of the wearer. The first and second processors are coupled to the physiologic and motion sensor modules. The first and second processors are configured to produce a three-dimensional virtual sound environment comprising relaxing sounds, generate verbal instructions within the three-dimensional virtual sound environment that guide the wearer through a predetermined mental exercise that promotes wearer relaxation, and generate verbal commentary that assesses wearer compliance with the predetermined mental exercise in response to one or both of the sensed movement and the at least one physiologic parameter.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2020Date of Patent: December 6, 2022Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: Miquel Espi Maques, Sahar Akram, Navin Chatlani, Karim Helwani, Carlos Renato Nakagawa, Tao Zhang
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Publication number: 20220146617Abstract: A device has a microphone array that acquires sound data and a camera that acquires image data. A portion of the device may be moveable by one or more actuators. Responsive to the user, the portion of the device is moved toward an estimated direction of the user. The estimated direction is based on sensor data including the sound data and the image data. First variance values for individual sound direction values are calculated. Data derived from the image data or data from other sensors may be used to modify the first variance values and determine second data comprising second variances. The second data may be processed to determine the estimated direction of the user. For example, the second data may be processed by both a forward and a backward Kalman filter, and the output combined to determine an estimated direction toward the user.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2021Publication date: May 12, 2022Inventors: CARLOS RENATO NAKAGAWA, MOHAMED MANSOUR, BORHAM LEE, SHOBHA DEVI KURUBA BUCHANNAGARI
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Patent number: 11259117Abstract: A system configured to improve audio processing by performing dereverberation and noise reduction during a communication session. The system may apply a two-channel dereverberation algorithm by calculating coherence-to-diffuse ratio (CDR) values and calculating dereverberation (DER) gain values based on the CDR values. While the device calculates the DER gain values prior to performing acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) processing, the device applies the DER gain values after performing residual echo suppression (RES) processing in order to avoid excessive attenuation of the local speech. To improve output speech quality, the device does not apply the DER gain values for nonreverberant signals, when a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) value is too low, and/or when far-end talk (e.g., remote speech) is present. Dereverberation processing is further improved by using frequency dependent parameters to calculate the DER gain values and by adjusting other gain values when the DER gain values are applied.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2020Date of Patent: February 22, 2022Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Kanthasamy Chelliah, Wai Chung Chu, Andreas Schwarz, Carlos Renato Nakagawa, Berkant Tacer, Carlo Murgia
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Patent number: 11189297Abstract: A multi-channel acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) system that includes a residual echo suppressor (RES) that dynamically controls an amount of attenuation to reduce distortion of local speech during double-talk conditions. The RES determines when double-talk conditions are present based on an echo return loss enhancement (ERLE) value. When the ERLE value is above a first threshold value but below a second threshold value, the RES reduces an amount of attenuation applied while generating an RES mask to pass local speech without distortion. When the ERLE value is below the first threshold value or above the second threshold value, the RES applies full attenuation while generating the RES mask in order to suppress a residual echo signal. To further improve RES processing, the RES may apply smoothing across time, smoothing across frequencies, or apply extra echo suppression processing to further attenuate the residual echo signal.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2020Date of Patent: November 30, 2021Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Carlos Renato Nakagawa, Carlo Murgia, Berkant Tacer
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Patent number: 10887709Abstract: A system configured to perform aligned beam merger (ABM) processing to combine multiple beamformed signals. The system may capture audio data and perform beamforming to generate beamformed audio signals corresponding to a plurality of directions. The system may apply an ABM algorithm to select a number of the beamformed audio signals, align the selected audio signals, and merge the selected audio signals to generate a distortionless output audio signal. The system may scale the selected audio signals based on relative magnitude and apply a complex correction factor to compensate for a phase error for each of the selected audio signals.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2019Date of Patent: January 5, 2021Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Mohamed Mansour, Carlos Renato Nakagawa
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Patent number: 10867617Abstract: This disclosure describes, in part, techniques for processing audio data. For instance, an electronic device may include an automatic gain controller (AGC) that determines AGC gains for amplifying or attenuating an audio data. To determine the AGC gains, the AGC uses information from a residual echo suppressor (RES) and/or a noise reductor (NR). The information may indicate RES gains applied to the audio data by the RES and/or NR gains applied to the audio data by the NR. In some instances, to determine the AGC gain, the AGC determines time-constant parameter(s) using the information. The AGC then uses the time-constant parameter(s) to determine an input signal level for the audio data and/or the AGC gain. In some instances, to determine the AGC gain, the AGC operates in an attack mode or a release mode based on the information.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2018Date of Patent: December 15, 2020Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Carlos Renato Nakagawa, Carlo Murgia, Wai Chung Chu, Kuan-Chieh Yen
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Publication number: 20200230347Abstract: An ear-worn electronic device includes a right ear device comprising a first processor and a left ear device comprising a second processor communicatively coupled to the first processor. A physiologic sensor module comprises one or more physiologic sensors configured to sense at least one physiologic parameter from a wearer. A motion sensor module comprises one or more sensors configured to sense movement of the wearer. The first and second processors are coupled to the physiologic and motion sensor modules. The first and second processors are configured to produce a three-dimensional virtual sound environment comprising relaxing sounds, generate verbal instructions within the three-dimensional virtual sound environment that guide the wearer through a predetermined mental exercise that promotes wearer relaxation, and generate verbal commentary that assesses wearer compliance with the predetermined mental exercise in response to one or both of the sensed movement and the at least one physiologic parameter.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 26, 2020Publication date: July 23, 2020Inventors: Miquel Espi Maques, Sahar Akram, Navin Chatlani, Karim Helwani, Carlos Renato Nakagawa, Tao Zhang
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Patent number: 10617842Abstract: An ear-worn electronic device includes a right ear device comprising a first processor and a left ear device comprising a second processor communicatively coupled to the first processor. A physiologic sensor module comprises one or more physiologic sensors configured to sense at least one physiologic parameter from a wearer. A motion sensor module comprises one or more sensors configured to sense movement of the wearer. The first and second processors are coupled to the physiologic and motion sensor modules. The first and second processors are configured to produce a three-dimensional virtual sound environment comprising relaxing sounds, generate verbal instructions within the three-dimensional virtual sound environment that guide the wearer through a predetermined mental exercise that promotes wearer relaxation, and generate verbal commentary that assesses wearer compliance with the predetermined mental exercise in response to one or both of the sensed movement and the at least one physiologic parameter.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2017Date of Patent: April 14, 2020Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: Miguel Espi Maques, Sahar Akram, Navin Chatlani, Karim Helwani, Carlos Renato Nakagawa, Tao Zhang
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Publication number: 20190030277Abstract: An ear-worn electronic device includes a right ear device comprising a first processor and a left ear device comprising a second processor communicatively coupled to the first processor. A physiologic sensor module comprises one or more physiologic sensors configured to sense at least one physiologic parameter from a wearer. A motion sensor module comprises one or more sensors configured to sense movement of the wearer. The first and second processors are coupled to the physiologic and motion sensor modules. The first and second processors are configured to produce a three-dimensional virtual sound environment comprising relaxing sounds, generate verbal instructions within the three-dimensional virtual sound environment that guide the wearer through a predetermined mental exercise that promotes wearer relaxation, and generate verbal commentary that assesses wearer compliance with the predetermined mental exercise in response to one or both of the sensed movement and the at least one physiologic parameter.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2017Publication date: January 31, 2019Inventors: Miquel Espi Maques, Sahar Akram, Navin Chatlani, Karim Helwani, Carlos Renato Nakagawa, Tao Zhang
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Publication number: 20180317837Abstract: A hearing assistance device adapted to be worn by a wearer comprises a processor configured to generate a sequence of audio cues that audibly guide the wearer through a series of actions involving the wearer's head and neck in accordance with a predetermined corrective or therapeutic maneuver. A speaker is configured to play back the sequence of audio cues for reception by the wearer. One or more sensors are configured to sense movement of the head during each of the actions. The processor is configured to determine if head movement for an action associated with each audio cue has been correctly executed by the wearer, and produce an output indicative of successful or unsuccessful execution of the actions by the wearer.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 8, 2017Publication date: November 8, 2018Inventors: Justin R. Burwinkel, Carlos Renato Nakagawa, Jason Galster
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Patent number: 9848273Abstract: A hearing system includes one or more hearing devices configured to be worn by a user. Each hearing device includes a signal source that provides an input electrical signal representing a sound of a virtual source. A filter implements a head related transfer function (HRTF) to add spatialization cues associated with a virtual location of the virtual source to the electrical signal and outputs a filtered electrical signal that includes the spatialization cues. A speaker of the hearing device converts the filtered electrical signal into an acoustic signal and plays the acoustic signal to the user. The system includes motion tracking circuitry that tracks motion of the user as the user moves in a direction of a perceived location that the user perceives to be the virtual location of the virtual source. Head related transfer function (HRTF) individualization circuitry determines a difference between the virtual location and the perceived location in response to the motion of the user.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2016Date of Patent: December 19, 2017Assignee: STARKEY LABORATORIES, INC.Inventors: Karim Helwani, Carlos Renato Nakagawa, Buye Xu, Yangjun Xing