Patents by Inventor Donald Joseph Butts
Donald Joseph Butts 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: 20220208165Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure set forth a method of reducing noise in an audio signal. The method includes determining, based on sensor data acquired from a first set of sensors, a first position of a user in an environment. The method also includes acquiring, via the first set of sensors, one or more audio signals associated with sound in the environment and identifying one or more noise elements in the one or more audio signals. The method also includes generating a first directional audio signal based on the one or more noise elements. When the first directional audio signal is outputted by a first speaker, the first speaker produces a first acoustic field that attenuates the one or more noise elements at the first position.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 1, 2019Publication date: June 30, 2022Inventor: Donald Joseph BUTTS
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Patent number: 10771907Abstract: An array of audio transducers includes an optical emitter, for example, and without limitation, a light emitting diode (LED), associated with each transducer. Simultaneous stimulation of all transducers illuminates all LED's. An imager then creates a map of the transducer array. Stimulation of a single transducer, illuminating the associated LED, creates an optical signature that imaging software uses to determine the position of the transducer within the array. The system then verifies the correspondence between each transducer and the associated driver amplifier by sequential stimulation of each transducer within the array. The system may vary the frequency of the stimulation applied to transducers that include filtering networks, known as crossovers, to validate performance. Further, the system may compute the angles between transducer assemblies that may be deployed in non-planar configurations, thus ensuring that the installation is constructed to specifications.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2014Date of Patent: September 8, 2020Assignee: Harman International Industries, IncorporatedInventors: Graham Hammell, Gerhard Pfaffinger, Davide Di Censo, Donald Joseph Butts, Jaime Elliot Nahman
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Publication number: 20200021927Abstract: A system and method for customizing a hearing device to the purchased at the point of sale. The system has a user interface and a test hearing device having a plurality of biometric sensors arranged in a sensor array that contact a user for detecting data representative of an auditory brainstem response. The system creates a customized hearing algorithm using the collected data. The hearing device to be purchased is communicatively coupled to the user interface and the customized hearing algorithm is downloaded to the hearing device to be purchased.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2018Publication date: January 16, 2020Applicant: Harman International Industries, IncorporatedInventor: Donald Joseph Butts
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Patent number: 10440480Abstract: A technique for reducing noise in a listening environment. The technique includes dividing the listening environment into a plurality of zones, where each zone is associated with a different active noise cancellation (ANC) system. A boundary between a first zone included in the plurality of zones and a second zone included in the plurality of zones comprises open space. The technique further includes assigning a plurality of acoustic sensors and a plurality of speakers to the ANC system associated with each zone included in the plurality of zones. The technique further includes, for each zone included in the plurality of zones, acquiring acoustic data via the plurality of acoustic sensors, processing the acoustic data, via a processor, to generate noise cancellation signals, and outputting the noise cancellation signals via the plurality of speakers.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2016Date of Patent: October 8, 2019Assignee: HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATEDInventors: Donald Joseph Butts, Todd Suko
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Patent number: 10341339Abstract: The various embodiments set forth an apparatus comprising an earpiece, a sensor configured to measure an inherent attribute associated with a user, a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with a wireless access point of a wireless communication network, and a controller. The controller is configured to establish authenticated access to the wireless communication network based on the inherent attribute associated with the user. An advantage of the disclosed embodiment is that a hearable device can conveniently authenticate user access to a network with enhanced security, based on one or more inherence factors that are measured by the hearable device.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2015Date of Patent: July 2, 2019Assignee: HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATEDInventors: Heikki Laine, Donald Joseph Butts
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Patent number: 9959859Abstract: The various embodiments set forth an active noise cancellation system that includes a source separation algorithm. The source separation algorithm enables the identification of acoustic inputs from a particular sound source based on a reference signal generated with one or more microphones. Consequently, the identified acoustic inputs can be cancelled or damped in a targeted listening location via an acoustic correction signal, where the acoustic correction signal is generated based on a sound source separated from the reference signal. Advantageously, the reference signal can be generated with a microphone, even though such a reference signal may include a combination of multiple acoustic inputs. Thus, noise sources that cannot be individually measured, for example with an accelerometer mounted to a vibrating structure, can still be identified and actively cancelled.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2015Date of Patent: May 1, 2018Assignee: HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATEDInventor: Donald Joseph Butts
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Patent number: 9830931Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for determining a set of sound parameters associated with a sound type. The technique includes receiving, via a network and from each a first plurality of remote computing devices, an audio recording of a first sound type and a descriptor associated with the first sound type. The technique further includes processing the audio recordings via a processor to determine a first set of sound parameters associated with the first sound type. The technique further includes receiving a request associated with the descriptor from at least one remote computing device and, in response, transmitting the first set of sound parameters associated with the first sound type to the at least one remote computing device.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2015Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATEDInventors: Donald Joseph Butts, Brandon Stacey
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Publication number: 20170301338Abstract: A technique for reducing noise in a listening environment. The technique includes dividing the listening environment into a plurality of zones, where each zone is associated with a different active noise cancellation (ANC) system. A boundary between a first zone included in the plurality of zones and a second zone included in the plurality of zones comprises open space. The technique further includes assigning a plurality of acoustic sensors and a plurality of speakers to the ANC system associated with each zone included in the plurality of zones. The technique further includes, for each zone included in the plurality of zones, acquiring acoustic data via the plurality of acoustic sensors, processing the acoustic data, via a processor, to generate noise cancellation signals, and outputting the noise cancellation signals via the plurality of speakers.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2016Publication date: October 19, 2017Inventors: Donald Joseph Butts, Todd Suko
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Publication number: 20170291681Abstract: A composite insulation is included between the skin of an aircraft and interior trim panels. The composite insulation includes multiple layers of micro-perforate material interspersed with layers of semi-rigid material. For a given thickness, the composite insulation provides superior transmission loss over a wide range of frequencies, including low frequencies, compared to conventional homogeneous insulation having the same thickness. Thus, the composite insulation reduces broadband noise within the cabin of an aircraft more effectively compared to conventional insulation.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2016Publication date: October 12, 2017Inventors: Donald Joseph Butts, Todd Suko
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Patent number: 9787274Abstract: A technique for determining one or more equalization parameters includes acquiring, via one or more electrodes, auditory brainstem response (ABR) data associated with a first audio sample and determining, via a processor, one or more equalization parameters based on the ABR data. The technique further includes reproducing a second audio sample based on the one or more equalization parameters, acquiring, via the one or more electrodes, complex auditory brainstem response (cABR) data associated with the second audio sample, and comparing, via the processor, the cABR data to at least one representation of the second audio sample to determine at least one measure of similarity. The technique further includes modifying the one or more equalization parameters based on the at least one measure of similarity.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2015Date of Patent: October 10, 2017Assignee: HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATEDInventor: Donald Joseph Butts
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Publication number: 20170194021Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for determining a set of sound parameters associated with a sound type. The technique includes receiving, via a network and from each a first plurality of remote computing devices, an audio recording of a first sound type and a descriptor associated with the first sound type. The technique further includes processing the audio recordings via a processor to determine a first set of sound parameters associated with the first sound type. The technique further includes receiving a request associated with the descriptor from at least one remote computing device and, in response, transmitting the first set of sound parameters associated with the first sound type to the at least one remote computing device.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 31, 2015Publication date: July 6, 2017Inventors: Donald Joseph Butts, Brandon Stacey
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Publication number: 20170193975Abstract: The various embodiments set forth an active noise cancellation system that includes a source separation algorithm. The source separation algorithm enables the identification of acoustic inputs from a particular sound source based on a reference signal generated with one or more microphones. Consequently, the identified acoustic inputs can be cancelled or damped in a targeted listening location via an acoustic correction signal, where the acoustic correction signal is generated based on a sound source separated from the reference signal. Advantageously, the reference signal can be generated with a microphone, even though such a reference signal may include a combination of multiple acoustic inputs. Thus, noise sources that cannot be individually measured, for example with an accelerometer mounted to a vibrating structure, can still be identified and actively cancelled.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 31, 2015Publication date: July 6, 2017Inventor: Donald Joseph Butts
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Publication number: 20170118204Abstract: The various embodiments set forth an apparatus comprising an earpiece, a sensor configured to measure an inherent attribute associated with a user, a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with a wireless access point of a wireless communication network, and a controller. The controller is configured to establish authenticated access to the wireless communication network based on the inherent attribute associated with the user. An advantage of the disclosed embodiment is that a hearable device can conveniently authenticate user access to a network with enhanced security, based on one or more inherence factors that are measured by the hearable device.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2015Publication date: April 27, 2017Inventors: Heikki LAINE, Donald Joseph BUTTS
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Publication number: 20160112022Abstract: A technique for determining one or more equalization parameters includes acquiring, via one or more electrodes, auditory brainstem response (ABR) data associated with a first audio sample and determining, via a processor, one or more equalization parameters based on the ABR data. The technique further includes reproducing a second audio sample based on the one or more equalization parameters, acquiring, via the one or more electrodes, complex auditory brainstem response (cABR) data associated with the second audio sample, and comparing, via the processor, the cABR data to at least one representation of the second audio sample to determine at least one measure of similarity. The technique further includes modifying the one or more equalization parameters based on the at least one measure of similarity.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 20, 2015Publication date: April 21, 2016Inventor: Donald Joseph Butts