Patents by Inventor David William Nolan Robison

David William Nolan Robison 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: 10863035
    Abstract: Presented herein is an audio endpoint for telecommunication operations with increased echo rejection. According to one example, the audio endpoint includes a housing body, an upper speaker assembly, a lower speaker assembly, and at least one microphone assembly. The upper speaker assembly is disposed near a top portion of the housing body and has an effective frequency range above a first frequency. The lower speaker assembly is disposed near a bottom portion of the housing body and has an effective frequency range below a second frequency. The microphone assembly includes a first microphone element and a second microphone element. The first microphone element is above the second microphone element so that they are vertically aligned. The first microphone element has an effective frequency range below the first frequency and the second microphone element has an effective frequency range above the second frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: David William Nolan Robison, Kevin Lee Hughes, Feng Bao
  • Patent number: 10789935
    Abstract: In one example, a headset obtains a first audio signal including a user audio signal from a first microphone on the headset and a second audio signal including the user audio signal from a second microphone on the headset. The headset derives a first candidate signal from the first audio signal and a second candidate signal from the second audio signal. Based on the first audio signal and the second audio signal, the headset determines that a mechanical touch noise is present in one of the first audio signal and the second audio signal. In response to determining that the mechanical touch noise is present in one of the first audio signal and the second audio signal, the headset selects an output audio signal from a plurality of candidate signals including the first candidate signal and the second candidate signal. Headset provides the output audio signal to a receiver device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Feng Bao, David William Nolan Robison, Tor A. Sundsbarm
  • Patent number: 10771887
    Abstract: In one example, a headset obtains, from a first microphone on the headset, a first audio signal including a user audio signal and an anisotropic background audio signal. The headset obtains, from a second microphone on the headset, a second audio signal including the user audio signal and the anisotropic background audio signal. The headset extracts, from the first audio signal and the second audio signal, using a first adaptive filter, a reference audio signal including the anisotropic background audio signal. Based on the reference signal, the headset cancels, using a second adaptive filter, the anisotropic background audio signal from a third audio signal derived from the first and second audio signals to produce an output audio signal. The headset provides the output audio signal to a receiver device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Feng Bao, David William Nolan Robison, Jian Zou, Tor Sundsbarm
  • Publication number: 20200219479
    Abstract: In one example, a headset obtains a first audio signal including a user audio signal from a first microphone on the headset and a second audio signal including the user audio signal from a second microphone on the headset. The headset derives a first candidate signal from the first audio signal and a second candidate signal from the second audio signal. Based on the first audio signal and the second audio signal, the headset determines that a mechanical touch noise is present in one of the first audio signal and the second audio signal. In response to determining that the mechanical touch noise is present in one of the first audio signal and the second audio signal, the headset selects an output audio signal from a plurality of candidate signals including the first candidate signal and the second candidate signal. Headset provides the output audio signal to a receiver device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2019
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Inventors: Feng Bao, David William Nolan Robison, Tor A. Sundsbarm
  • Publication number: 20200204902
    Abstract: In one example, a headset obtains, from a first microphone on the headset, a first audio signal including a user audio signal and an anisotropic background audio signal. The headset obtains, from a second microphone on the headset, a second audio signal including the user audio signal and the anisotropic background audio signal. The headset extracts, from the first audio signal and the second audio signal, using a first adaptive filter, a reference audio signal including the anisotropic background audio signal. Based on the reference signal, the headset cancels, using a second adaptive filter, the anisotropic background audio signal from a third audio signal derived from the first and second audio signals to produce an output audio signal. The headset provides the output audio signal to a receiver device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: Feng Bao, David William Nolan Robison, Jian Zou, Tor Sundsbarm
  • Patent number: 10313786
    Abstract: A device including an array of bidirectional microphones optimizes the echo rejection of the bidirectional microphones. The microphone array receives audio from an audio source and generates audio signals from each of the bidirectional microphones. The device forms audio beams from combinations of the audio signals generated from the microphone array. Each audio beam captures audio from either its positive polarity zone or its negative polarity zone. The device determines a direction of the audio source and selects a perpendicular audio beam pair based on the direction of the audio source. The perpendicular audio beam pair includes a primary audio beam aimed toward the direction of the audio source and a secondary beam perpendicular to the primary audio beam. The device generates an output signal by combining the primary audio beam with the secondary audio beam based on polarity zone the audio is captured for each audio beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Feng Bao, David William Nolan Robison, Tor A. Sundsbarm, Fei Yang
  • Publication number: 20190166257
    Abstract: Presented herein is an audio endpoint for telecommunication operations with increased echo rejection. According to one example, the audio endpoint includes a housing body, an upper speaker assembly, a lower speaker assembly, and at least one microphone assembly. The upper speaker assembly is disposed near a top portion of the housing body and has an effective frequency range above a first frequency. The lower speaker assembly is disposed near a bottom portion of the housing body and has an effective frequency range below a second frequency. The microphone assembly includes a first microphone element and a second microphone element. The first microphone element is above the second microphone element so that they are vertically aligned. The first microphone element has an effective frequency range below the first frequency and the second microphone element has an effective frequency range above the second frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: David William Nolan Robison, Kevin Lee Hughes, Feng Bao
  • Patent number: 10051353
    Abstract: Presented herein is an audio endpoint for telecommunication operations, sometimes referred to herein as a “telecommunications audio endpoint” or, more, simply as an “audio endpoint.” According to at least one example, the audio endpoint presented herein includes a base, a speaker, a speaker waveguide, a microphone waveguide, and two or more microphones. The base is configured to engage a support surface (i.e., a table) and the speaker is configured to emit sounds (i.e., fire) in a direction of the base. The speaker waveguide is disposed between the speaker and the microphone waveguide, while the microphone waveguide is disposed between the speaker waveguide and the base. The two or more microphones are disposed within the microphone waveguide and are proximate to the base. In general, the speaker waveguide is configured to guide sounds output by the speaker in general radially (outward) directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: David William Nolan Robison, Kevin Lee Hughes, Feng Bao, Stephen Lee Ijams, Victor Manuel Sanchez, David M. Sanguinet
  • Publication number: 20180167706
    Abstract: Presented herein is an audio endpoint for telecommunication operations, sometimes referred to herein as a “telecommunications audio endpoint” or, more, simply as an “audio endpoint.” According to at least one example, the audio endpoint presented herein includes a base, a speaker, a speaker waveguide, a microphone waveguide, and two or more microphones. The base is configured to engage a support surface (i.e., a table) and the speaker is configured to emit sounds (i.e., fire) in a direction of the base. The speaker waveguide is disposed between the speaker and the microphone waveguide, while the microphone waveguide is disposed between the speaker waveguide and the base. The two or more microphones are disposed within the microphone waveguide and are proximate to the base. In general, the speaker waveguide is configured to guide sounds output by the speaker in general radially (outward) directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Inventors: David William Nolan Robison, Kevin Lee Hughes, Feng Bao, Stephen Lee Ijams, Victor Manuel Sanchez, David M. Sanguinet