Patents by Inventor Christian Uhle

Christian Uhle 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: 20130046546
    Abstract: An apparatus for modifying an input audio signal has an excitation determiner, a storage device and a signal modifier. The excitation determiner determines a value of an excitation parameter of a subband of a plurality of subbands of the input audio signal based on an energy content of the subband. Further, the storage device stores a lookup table containing a plurality of spectral weighting factors. A spectral weighting factor of the plurality of spectral weighting factors is associated to a predefined value of the excitation parameter and a subband of the plurality of subbands. The storage device provides a spectral weighting factor corresponding to the determined value of the excitation parameter and corresponding to the subband, the value of the excitation parameter is determined for. Further, the signal modifier modifies a content of the subband of the audio signal, the value of the excitation parameter is determined for, based on the provided spectral weighting factor to provide a modified subband.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Inventors: Christian UHLE, Juergen HERRE, Oliver HELLMUTH, Stefan FINAUER
  • Patent number: 8346565
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating an ambient signal from an audio signal includes a compressor for lossy compression of a representation of the audio signal so as to obtain a compressed representation of the audio signal describing a compressed audio signal. The apparatus for generating the ambient signal further includes a calculator for calculating a difference between the compressed representation of the audio signal and the representation of the audio signal so as to obtain a discrimination representation. The apparatus further includes a provider for providing the ambient signal using the discrimination representation. An apparatus for deriving a multi-channel audio signal from an audio signal includes an apparatus for generating an ambient signal from an audio signal, an apparatus for providing the audio signal as a front-loudspeaker signal and an apparatus for providing the ambient signal as a back-loudspeaker signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Christian Uhle, Juergen Herre, Andreas Walther, Oliver Hellmuth, Christiaan Janssen
  • Patent number: 8175730
    Abstract: In order to analyze an information signal, a significant short-time spectrum is extracted from the information signal, the means for extracting being configured to extract such short-time spectra which come closer to a specific characteristic than other short-time spectra of the information signal. The short-time spectra extracted are then decomposed into component signals using ICA analysis, a component signal spectrum representing a profile spectrum of a tone source which generates a tone corresponding to the characteristic sought for. From a sequence of short-time spectra of the information signal and from the profile spectra determined, an amplitude envelope is eventually calculated for each profile spectrum, the amplitude envelope indicating how a profile spectrum of a tone source all in all changes over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: SONY Corporation
    Inventors: Christian Dittmar, Christian Uhle, Jürgen Herre
  • Publication number: 20110191101
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing an audio signal to obtain control information for a speech enhancement filter has a feature extractor for extracting at least one feature per frequency band of a plurality of frequency bands of a short-time spectral representation of a plurality of short-time spectral representations, where the at least one feature represents a spectral shape of the short-time spectral representation in the frequency band. The apparatus additionally has a feature combiner for combining the at least one feature for each frequency band using combination parameters to obtain the control information for the speech enhancement filter for a time portion of the audio signal. The feature combiner can use a neural network regression method, which is based on combination parameters determined in a training phase for the neural network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Inventors: Christian Uhle, Oliver Hellmuth, Bernhard Grill, Falko Ridderbusch
  • Publication number: 20100232619
    Abstract: In order to generate a multi-channel signal having a number of output channels greater than a number of input channels, a mixer is used for upmixing the input signal to form at least a direct channel signal and at least an ambience channel signal. A speech detector is provided for detecting a section of the input signal, the direct channel signal or the ambience channel signal in which speech portions occur. Based on this detection, a signal modifier modifies the input signal or the ambience channel signal in order to attenuate speech portions in the ambience channel signal, whereas such speech portions in the direct channel signal are attenuated to a lesser extent or not at all. A loudspeaker signal outputter then maps the direct channel signals and the ambience channel signals to loudspeaker signals which are associated to a defined reproduction scheme, such as, for example, a 5.1 scheme.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Christian Uhle, Oliver Hellmuth, Juergen Herre, Harald Popp, Thorsten Kastner
  • Publication number: 20100030563
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating an ambient signal from an audio signal includes a compressor for lossy compression of a representation of the audio signal so as to obtain a compressed representation of the audio signal describing a compressed audio signal. The apparatus for generating the ambient signal further includes a calculator for calculating a difference between the compressed representation of the audio signal and the representation of the audio signal so as to obtain a discrimination representation. The apparatus further includes a provider for providing the ambient signal using the discrimination representation. An apparatus for deriving a multi-channel audio signal from an audio signal includes an apparatus for generating an ambient signal from an audio signal, an apparatus for providing the audio signal as a front-loudspeaker signal and an apparatus for providing the ambient signal as a back-loudspeaker signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewan
    Inventors: Christian Uhle, Juergen Herre, Andreas Walther, Oliver Hellmuth, Christiaan Janssen
  • Patent number: 7565213
    Abstract: A significant short-time spectrum is extracted from an information signal, the means for extracting being configured to extract such short-time spectra which come closer to a specific characteristic than others. The short-time spectra extracted are then decomposed into component signals using ICA analysis, a component signal spectrum representing a profile spectrum of a tone source which generates a tone corresponding to the characteristic sought. From a sequence of short-time spectra of the information signal and from the profile spectra determined, an amplitude envelope is calculated for each profile spectrum to indicate how a tone source profile spectrum changes over time. The profile spectra and all the amplitude envelopes associated therewith provide a description of the information signal which may be evaluated further, for example for transcription purposes in the case of a music signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Gracenote, Inc.
    Inventors: Christian Dittmar, Christian Uhle, Jürgen Herre
  • Publication number: 20090080666
    Abstract: An apparatus for extracting an ambient signal from an input audio signal comprises a gain-value determinator configured to determine a sequence of time-varying ambient signal gain values for a given frequency band of the time-frequency distribution of the input audio signal in dependence on the input audio signal. The apparatus comprises a weighter configured to weight one of the sub-band signals representing the given frequency band of the time-frequency-domain representation with the time-varying gain values, to obtain a weighted sub-band signal. The gain-value determinator is configured to obtain one or more quantitative feature-values describing one or more features of the input audio signal and to provide the gain-value as a function of the one or more quantitative feature values such that the gain values are quantitatively dependent on the quantitative values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Applicant: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Christian Uhle, Juergen Herre, Stefan Geyersberger, Falko Ridderbusch, Andreas Walter, Oliver Moser
  • Patent number: 7342167
    Abstract: An encoded rhythmic pattern has several groups of velocity values, wherein the velocity values are sorted, such that the groups are included in sequence in an encoded rhythmic pattern. Now, the velocity values concentrated at the beginning of the encoded rhythmic pattern have a higher importance for characterizing the rhythmic gist of a piece of music than velocity values included in additional groups of velocity values. By using such an encoded rhythmic pattern, an efficient database access can be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V.
    Inventors: Markus Cremer, Matthias Gruhne, Jan Rohden, Christian Uhle
  • Patent number: 7273978
    Abstract: For characterizing a tone signal a sequence of quantized entry times for each of at least two tone sources over time is provided on the basis of a quantization raster. Hereupon, a common period length underlying the at least two tone sources is determined using the sequences of entry times. Hereupon, the sequence of entry times is divided into respective sub-sequences, wherein a length of a sub-sequence is equal to the common period length. Finally, the sub-sequences for the first tone source are combined into a first combined sub-sequence and for the second tone source into a second combined sub-sequence, i.e. for example using a pattern histogram, in order to characterize the tone signal by the first combined sub-sequence and by the second combined sub-sequence, e.g. with regard to rhythm, speed or genre.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventor: Christian Uhle
  • Publication number: 20070199430
    Abstract: An encoded rhythmic pattern has several groups of velocity values, wherein the velocity values are sorted, such that the groups are included in sequence in an encoded rhythmic pattern. Now, the velocity values concentrated at the beginning of the encoded rhythmic pattern have a higher importance for characterizing the rhythmic gist of a piece of music than velocity values included in additional groups of velocity values. By using such an encoded rhythmic pattern, an efficient database access can be performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Publication date: August 30, 2007
    Inventors: Markus Cremer, Matthias Gruhne, Jan Rohden, Christian Uhle
  • Patent number: 7193148
    Abstract: An encoded rhythmic pattern has several groups of velocity values, wherein the velocity values are sorted, such that the groups are included in sequence in an encoded rhythmic pattern. Now, the velocity values concentrated at the beginning of the encoded rhythmic pattern have a higher importance for characterizing the rhythmic gist of a piece of music than velocity values included in additional groups of velocity values. By using such an encoded rhythmic pattern, an efficient database access can be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Markus Cremer, Matthias Gruhne, Jan Rohden, Christian Uhle
  • Publication number: 20060075886
    Abstract: An encoded rhythmic pattern has several groups of velocity values, wherein the velocity values are sorted, such that the groups are included in sequence in an encoded rhythmic pattern. Now, the velocity values concentrated at the beginning of the encoded rhythmic pattern have a higher importance for characterizing the rhythmic gist of a piece of music than velocity values included in additional groups of velocity values. By using such an encoded rhythmic pattern, an efficient database access can be performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Inventors: Markus Cremer, Matthias Gruhne, Jan Rohden, Christian Uhle
  • Publication number: 20060064299
    Abstract: For analyzing an information signal consisting of a superposition of partial signals, wherein a partial signal originates from an individual source, the information signal is first decomposed into several component signals. Then one or more features are calculated for each component signal, wherein the feature(s) is/are defined so that it/they provide(s) a statement on an information content of the component signal. Finally, an association of the component signals with at least two subspaces is performed on the basis of the features calculated for the component signals. By feature extraction on the component signal level, an efficient subspace decomposition which is meaningful with respect to a present audio scene is achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2005
    Publication date: March 23, 2006
    Inventors: Christian Uhle, Christian Dittmar, Thomas Sporer
  • Patent number: 7012183
    Abstract: An apparatus for analyzing an audio signal with regard to rhythm information of the audio signal by using an autocorrelation function comprises a filter bank for separating the audio signal into at least two sub-band signals. The sub-band signals are examined with regard to periodicities by an autocorrelation function, to obtain rhythm raw-information for the at least two sub-band signals. To reduce or eliminate the ambiguities of the autocorrelation function for periodical signals, the rhythm raw-information is postprocessed to obtain post-processed rhythm raw-information for the sub-band signal. The rhythm information of the audio signal is established based on the postprocessed rhythm raw-information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V.
    Inventors: Jürgen Herre, Jan Rohden, Christian Uhle, Markus Cremer
  • Publication number: 20050273319
    Abstract: In order to analyze an information signal, a significant short-time spectrum is extracted from the information signal, the means for extracting being configured to extract such short-time spectra which come closer to a specific characteristic than other short-time spectra of the information signal. The short-time spectra extracted are then decomposed into component signals using ICA analysis, a component signal spectrum representing a profile spectrum of a tone source which generates a tone corresponding to the characteristic sought for. From a sequence of short-time spectra of the information signal and from the profile spectra determined, an amplitude envelope is eventually calculated for each profile spectrum, the amplitude envelope indicating how a profile spectrum of a tone source all in all changes over time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2005
    Publication date: December 8, 2005
    Inventors: Christian Dittmar, Christian Uhle, Jurgen Herre
  • Publication number: 20050247185
    Abstract: For characterizing a tone signal a sequence of quantized entry times for each of at least two tone sources over time is provided on the basis of a quantization raster. Hereupon, a common period length underlying the at least two tone sources is determined using the sequences of entry times. Hereupon, the sequence of entry times is divided into respective sub-sequences, wherein a length of a sub-sequence is equal to the common period length. Finally, the sub-sequences for the first tone source are combined into a first combined sub-sequence and for the second tone source into a second combined sub-sequence, i.e. for example using a pattern histogram, in order to characterize the tone signal by the first combined sub-sequence and by the second combined sub-sequence, e.g. with regard to rhythm, speed or genre.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2005
    Publication date: November 10, 2005
    Inventor: Christian Uhle
  • Publication number: 20040158437
    Abstract: In a method of extracting a signal identifier from a time signal, the temporal occurrence of signal edges in the time signal is detected (12), wherein a signal edge has a specified temporal length. In addition, the temporal interval between two selected detected signal edges is determined (14). From the temporal interval determined, a frequency value is calculated (16), the frequency value being associated with a time of occurrence of the frequency value in the time signal so as to obtain a coordinate tuple from the frequency value and the time of occurrence for this frequency value. A signal identifier is created from a plurality of coordinate tuples (18), each coordinate tuple including a frequency value and a time of occurrence, which is why the signal identifier includes a sequence of signal identifier values reproducing the temporal form of the time signal. The extracted signal identifier is based on signal edges of the time signal and thus reproduces the temporal form of the time signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2004
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Inventors: Frank Klefenz, Karlheinz Brandenburg, Wolfgang Hirsch, Christian Uhle, Christian Richter, Andras Katai, Matthias Kaufmann
  • Publication number: 20040094019
    Abstract: An apparatus for analyzing an audio signal with regard to rhythm information of the audio signal by using an autocorrelation function comprises a filter bank for separating the audio signal into at least two sub-band signals. The sub-band signals are examined with regard to periodicities by an autocorrelation function, to obtain rhythm raw-information for the at least two sub-band signals. To reduce or eliminate the ambiguities of the autocorrelation function for periodical signals, the rhythm raw-information is postprocessed to obtain post-processed rhythm raw-information for the sub-band signal. The rhythm information of the audio signal is established based on the postprocessed rhythm raw-information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2003
    Publication date: May 20, 2004
    Inventors: Jurgen Herre, Jan Rohden, Christian Uhle, Markus Cremer
  • Publication number: 20040068401
    Abstract: An apparatus for analyzing an audio signal with regard to rhythm information of the audio signal comprises a filterbank for dividing the audio signal into at least two sub-band signals. Every sub-band signal is examined with regard to a periodicity of the sub-band signal to obtain rhythm raw-information of every sub-band signal. The rhythm raw-information is subjected to a quality evaluation to obtain a significance measure for every sub-band signal. The rhythm information of the audio signal will finally be established by considering the significance measure of the sub-band signal and the rhythm raw-information. This enables a more robust analysis of the audio signal, since sub-band signals, where significant rhythm information are present, are preferred compared to sub-band signals where less significant rhythm information are present, when establishing the rhythm information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2003
    Publication date: April 8, 2004
    Inventors: Jurgen Herre, Jan Rohden, Christian Uhle, Markus Cremer