Patents by Inventor Christoph Benz

Christoph Benz 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: 8116474
    Abstract: In order to suppress as much noise as possible in a hands-free device in a motor vehicle, for example, two microphones (M1, M2) are spaced a certain distance apart, the output signals (MS1, MS2) of which are added in an adder (AD) and subtracted in a subtracter (SU). The sum signal (S) of the adder (AD) undergoes a Fourier transform in a first Fourier transformer (F1), and the difference signal (D) of the subtracter (SU) undergoes a Fourier transform in a second Fourier transformer (F2). From the two Fourier transforms R(f) and D(f), a speech pause detector (P) detects speech pauses, during which a third arithmetic unit (R) calculates the transfer function HT of an adaptive transformation filter (TF). The transfer function of a spectral subtraction filter (SF), at the input of which the Fourier transform R(f) of the sum signal (S) is applied, is generated from the spectral power density Srr of the sum signal (S) and from the interference power density Snn generated by the adaptive transformation filter (TF).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Gierl, Christoph Benz
  • Publication number: 20120002515
    Abstract: Media content playback includes providing a plurality of media contents; providing for each of the media contents information identifying the respective media content; receiving from a user selection instructions that effect selecting or deselecting of a specific media content; providing context data based on measurements of at least one of absolute time, absolute position and of at least one physical quantity at or in the vicinity of the location where the selected media content is to be reproduced; providing or adapting a user profile that assigns for each specific media content user instructions to the context data provided at the time of receipt of the respective instruction; selecting according to the user profile one of the media contents dependent on the context data at the time of selection; and reproducing the selected media content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Inventors: Tobias Muench, Christoph Benz, Andreas Koerner, Philipp Schmauderer
  • Publication number: 20110202153
    Abstract: A receiving device for mobile reception of a receive signal including an audio signal associated with a currently received piece of music, and a method for playback in a mobile receiver are disclosed. A receiving circuit receives the receive signal and outputs the audio signal and information associated with the audio signal. The information includes one or more information fields associated with the currently received piece of music. An arithmetic unit evaluates the information associated with the audio signal. A database is configured for storing database entries. Each database entry includes data fields and associated audio data. The arithmetic unit assigns the information to an assigned database entry by comparing the information fields with the data fields. The arithmetic unit outputs the audio data of the assigned database entry based on a detected disturbance in the reception of the audio signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Tobias Münch, Philipp Schmauderer, Christoph Benz, Andreas Körner
  • Patent number: 7889871
    Abstract: The sound reproduction of a multichannel sound reproduction system with a plurality of speakers which is connected to the output of an FM stereo receiver is controlled by a control signal derived from the reception quality. Preferably, the control signal from the FM stereo receiver for controlling the stereo and mono components is also employed to control the multichannel sound reproduction system. For example, stereo, pseudo-stereo or mono reproduction are provided in the multichannel sound reproduction system in response to the stereo component within the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Gierl, Christoph Benz, Hans-Juergen Nitzpon, Andreas Koerner
  • Publication number: 20100285765
    Abstract: A radio receiver may determine whether a received frequency modulated radio signal includes interference from an adjacent channel. The receiver may compare a frequency deviation above the center frequency of the received signal to a frequency deviation below the center frequency of the received signal. The receiver determines that the radio signal is affected by adjacent channel noise when the frequency deviation below the center frequency is substantially different from the frequency deviation above the center frequency. Alternatively, the presence of noise from an adjacent channel may be detected by comparing a positive amplitude and a negative amplitude of a demodulated version of the frequency modulated radio signal. In this alternative, the receiver determines that the radio signal is affected by adjacent channel noise when the extent of the positive amplitude is substantially different from the extent of the negative amplitude.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Inventors: Olaf Axtmann, Philipp Schmauderer, Christoph Benz, Andreas Korner
  • Patent number: 7696939
    Abstract: A diversity antenna system may receive transmitted signals. The diversity antenna system includes multiple phase diversity antenna elements. One or more of the phase diversity antenna elements are positioned substantially parallel to an external surface of a vehicle. The phase diversity antenna elements are adapted to receive phase diversity signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Maja Sliskovic, Philipp Schmauderer, Christoph Benz
  • Publication number: 20080246672
    Abstract: A diversity antenna system may receive transmitted signals. The diversity antenna system includes multiple phase diversity antenna elements. One or more of the phase diversity antenna elements are positioned substantially parallel to an external surface of a vehicle. The phase diversity antenna elements are adapted to receive phase diversity signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2008
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Applicant: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Maja Sliskovic, Philipp Schmauderer, Christoph Benz
  • Publication number: 20080170708
    Abstract: In order to suppress as much noise as possible in a hands-free device in a motor vehicle, for example, two microphones (M1, M2) are spaced a certain distance apart, the output signals (MS1, MS2) of which are added in an adder (AD) and subtracted in a subtracter (SU). The sum signal (S) of the adder (AD) undergoes a Fourier transform in a first Fourier transformer (F1), and the difference signal (D) of the subtracter (SU) undergoes a Fourier transform in a second Fourier transformer (F2). From the two Fourier transforms R(f) and D(f), a speech pause detector (P) detects speech pauses, during which a third arithmetic unit (R) calculates the transfer function HT of an adaptive transformation filter (TF). The transfer function of a spectral subtraction filter (SF), at the input of which the Fourier transform R(f) of the sum signal (S) is applied, is generated from the spectral power density Srr of the sum signal (S) and from the interference power density Snn generated by the adaptive transformation filter (TF).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Publication date: July 17, 2008
    Inventors: Stefan Gierl, Christoph Benz
  • Patent number: 7315623
    Abstract: In order to suppress as much noise as possible in a hands-free device in a motor vehicle, for example, two microphones (M1, M2) are spaced a certain distance apart, the output signals (MS1, MS2) of which are added in an adder (AD) and subtracted in a subtracter (SU). The sum signal (S) of the adder (AD) undergoes a Fourier transform in a first Fourier transformer (F1), and the difference signal (D) of the subtracter (SU) undergoes a Fourier transform in a second Fourier transformer (F2). From the two Fourier transforms R(f) and D(f), a speech pause detector (P) detects speech pauses, during which a third arithmetic unit (R) calculates the transfer function HT of an adaptive transformation filter (TF). The transfer function of a spectral subtraction filter (SF), at the input of which the Fourier transform R(f) of the sum signal (S) is applied, is generated from the spectral power density Srr of the sum signal (S) and from the interference power density Snn generated by the adaptive transformation filter (TF).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Gierl, Christoph Benz
  • Patent number: 7305225
    Abstract: A motor vehicle entertainment system includes a radio receiver and a control unit. The control unit receives a first status signal indicative of whether or not a motor vehicle door has been unlocked and initiates the application of power to the radio receiver upon the first status signal indicating that the door has been unlocked. Upon the application of power to the radio receiver, the radio receiver scans through a selected frequency spectrum to identify valid frequencies and their associated broadcast identifying information and stores a list of the valid frequencies and their associated broadcast identifying information in a memory device associated with the radio receiver. The radio receiver acquires and records information on a plurality of transmitters initially in a standby mode before it switches over to an operating mode. The radio receiver has a device for receiving an ON command from the user and switches from the standby mode to the operating mode when the ON command is received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Benz, Stefan Gierl, Andreas Koerner
  • Publication number: 20070206712
    Abstract: To ensure that a phase-locked loop locks quickly to the pilot tone of the stereo-multiplex signal when a new transmitter is tuned in, the stereo-multiplex signal is multiplied in a multiplier M by the quadrature component of the pilot tone generated by a digital oscillator, is low-pass-filtered in a low-pass filter, and is fed as a control signal to the oscillator which is composed of a table of length N and a counter for addressing the table entries. The zero phase angle ?0 is set by a counter offset n0 by incrementing or decrementing the counter. It is advantageous to employ a virtual table of length N+ which is larger than the length N of the real table. To access the real table, however, only the corresponding MSBs of the actual count n(k) are used which match the address space of the real table of length N.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2007
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Inventors: Stefan Gierl, Christoph Benz
  • Patent number: 7254378
    Abstract: A system for decoding data, such as travel and traffic information, configured in data blocks embedded in an electromagnetic signal, such as a broadcasted radio signal, has been developed. The system includes a method and receiver for decoding the data with a background tuner in a manner that does not impair the ability of the background tuner to demodulate other signals. While a main tuner is tuned to demodulate a first electromagnetic signal to produce a data stream, the background tuner is switched to decode the data blocks only when the data blocks are expected to be received. In the remaining time, the background tuner is free to demodulate other signals to support a diversity or other function. If a data block is not received, or not received when expected, the background tuner returns to demodulating one or more other frequencies after a predetermined time interval has elapsed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Benz, Andreas Körner, Stefan Gierl
  • Patent number: 7239710
    Abstract: For the purpose of largely suppressing the noise pulses caused in a stereo radio receiver in the reception signal, particularly by the ignition system of a motor vehicle, a digital field strength signal representing the analog field strength signal is produced for example by digitizing the analog field strength signal. The scanning values of the digital audio signal, for example of the (L+R) signal, are produced by interpolation for at least as long as the digital field strength signal is outside a presettable tolerance range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Gierl, Christoph Benz
  • Patent number: 7164735
    Abstract: A phase-locked loop locks relatively quickly to a pilot tone of the stereo-multiplex signal when a new transmitter is tuned in. The stereo-multiplex signal may be multiplied in a multiplier by the quadrature component of the pilot tone generated by a digital oscillator. The result is a control signal that is provided to a low-pass filter, and the low-pass filtered control signal is provided as a control signal to an oscillator which may include a table of length N and a counter for addressing the table entries. The zero phase angle ?0 may be set by a counter offset n0 by incrementing or decrementing the counter. A table may be utilized having a virtual length N+ which is larger than the length N of the real table. To access the real table, however, the corresponding MSBs of the actual count n(k) are used which match the address space of the real table of length N.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Gierl, Christoph Benz
  • Publication number: 20070003067
    Abstract: The sound reproduction of a multichannel sound reproduction system with a plurality of speakers which is connected to the output of an FM stereo receiver is controlled by a control signal derived from the reception quality. Preferably, the control signal from the FM stereo receiver for controlling the stereo and mono components is also employed to control the multichannel sound reproduction system. For example, stereo, pseudo-stereo or mono reproduction are provided in the multichannel sound reproduction system in response to the stereo component within the output signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Publication date: January 4, 2007
    Inventors: Stefan Gierl, Christoph Benz, Hans-Juergen Nitzpon, Andreas Koerner
  • Patent number: 7065217
    Abstract: The sound reproduction of a multichannel sound reproduction system with a plurality of speakers which is connected to the output of an FM stereo receiver is controlled by a control signal derived from the reception quality. Preferably, the control signal from the FM stereo receiver for controlling the stereo and mono components is also employed to control the multichannel sound reproduction system. For example, stereo, pseudo-stereo or mono reproduction are provided in the multichannel sound reproduction system in response to the stereo component within the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Harman/Becker Automotive Systems (Becker division) GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Gierl, Christoph Benz, Hans-Juergen Nitzpon, Andreas Koerner
  • Publication number: 20060046676
    Abstract: According to the invention, a precise criterion for evaluating the reception quality is derived in a stereo radio set from the signal energy or power of the upper and lower sideband (OS, US) of the L?R signal (L?R) of the stereo multiplex signal (MPX). To achieve this, the upper sideband (OS) is filtered out of the L?R signal (L?R) using a first bandpass filter (BP1) and is mixed with an auxiliary carrier (H) of 38 KHz in a first mixer (M1) and shifted to the baseband. Similarly, the lower sideband (US) is filtered out of the L?R signal (L?R) using a second bandpass filter (BP2) and is mixed in a second mixer (M2) with an auxiliary carrier (H) of KHz and shifted to the baseband. The output signal of the first mixer (M1) is filtered in a first lowpass filter (TP1), whilst the output signal of the second mixer (M2) is filtered in a second lowpass filter (TP2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Inventors: Christoph Benz, Stefan Gierl
  • Publication number: 20050195920
    Abstract: A processing front-end for FM radio signals includes a receiver, a filter, and a mixer. The receiver obtains an FM radio signal including data content centered at a data frequency and programming content. The filter is coupled to the receiver and removes the programming content from the FM radio signal. The mixer accepts the filtered FM radio signal and shifts the center frequency of the data content to a lower frequency than the first frequency. The lower frequency is selected according to a sampling rate available in an analog-to-digital converter present in a subsequent processing stage, typically a low cost digital signal processor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2005
    Publication date: September 8, 2005
    Inventors: Stefan Gierl, Christoph Benz, Dieter Jurzizta
  • Publication number: 20050152559
    Abstract: In order to suppress as much noise as possible in a hands-free device in a motor vehicle, for example, two microphones (M1, M2) are spaced a certain distance apart, the output signals (MS1, MS2) of which are added in an adder (AD) and subtracted in a subtracter (SU). The sum signal (S) of the adder (AD) undergoes a Fourier transform in a first Fourier transformer (F1), and the difference signal (D) of the subtracter (SU) undergoes a Fourier transform in a second Fourier transformer (F2). From the two Fourier transforms R(f) and D(f), a speech pause detector (P) detects speech pauses, during which a third arithmetic unit (R) calculates the transfer function HT of an adaptive transformation filter (TF). The transfer function of a spectral subtraction filter (SF), at the input of which the Fourier transform R(f) of the sum signal (S) is applied, is generated from the spectral power density Srr of the sum signal (S) and from the interference power density Snn generated by the adaptive transformation filter (TF).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2002
    Publication date: July 14, 2005
    Inventors: Stefan Gierl, Christoph Benz
  • Publication number: 20050037721
    Abstract: A system for decoding data, such as travel and traffic information, configured in data blocks embedded in an electromagnetic signal, such as a broadcasted radio signal, has been developed. The system includes a method and receiver for decoding the data with a background tuner in a manner that does not impair the ability of the background tuner to demodulate other signals. While a main tuner is tuned to demodulate a first electromagnetic signal to produce a data stream, the background tuner is switched to decode the data blocks only when the data blocks are expected to be received. In the remaining time, the background tuner is free to demodulate other signals to support a diversity or other function. If a data block is not received, or not received when expected, the background tuner returns to demodulating one or more other frequencies after a predetermined time interval has elapsed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2004
    Publication date: February 17, 2005
    Inventors: Christoph Benz, Andreas Korner, Stefan Gierl