Patents by Inventor Erik Visser

Erik Visser 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: 20120224456
    Abstract: A method of signal processing includes calculating a range based on information from a reflected ultrasonic signal. Based on the calculated range, one among a plurality of direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation operations is selected. The method also includes performing the selected operation to calculate an estimated direction of arrival (DOA) of an audio-frequency component of a multichannel signal. Examples of DOA estimation operations include operations based on phase differences between channels of the multichannel signal and operations based on a difference in gain between signals that are based on channels of the multichannel signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Erik Visser, Brian Momeyer
  • Publication number: 20120182429
    Abstract: A mobile platform includes a microphone array and is capable of implementing beamforming to amplify or suppress audio information from a sound source. The sound source is indicated through a user input, such as pointing the mobile platform in the direction of the sound source or through a touch screen display interface. The mobile platform further includes orientation sensors capable of detecting movement of the mobile platform. When the mobile platform moves with respect to the sound source, the beamforming is adjusted based on the data from the orientation sensors so that beamforming is continuously implemented in the direction of the sound source. The audio information from the sound source may be included or suppressed from a telephone or video-telephony conversation. Images or video from a camera may be likewise controlled based on the data from the orientation sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Babak Forutanpour, Andre Gustavo P. Schevciw, Erik Visser, Brian Momeyer
  • Publication number: 20120130713
    Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatus, and machine-readable media for voice activity detection in a single-channel or multichannel audio signal are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Jongwon Shin, Erik Visser, Ian Ernan Liu
  • Publication number: 20120128165
    Abstract: Decomposition of a multichannel signal using direction-of-arrival estimation, a basis function inventory, and a sparse recovery technique is disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Erik Visser, Lae-Hoon Kim, Jongwon Shin
  • Publication number: 20120128175
    Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatus, and machine-readable media for orientation-sensitive selection and/or preservation of a recording direction using a multi-microphone setup are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Erik Visser, Ian Ernan Liu, Dinesh Ramakrishnan, Lae-Hoon Kim, Pei Xiang
  • Publication number: 20120128166
    Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatus, and machine-readable media for detecting head movement based on recorded sound signals are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Lae-Hoon Kim, Pei Xiang, Erik Visser
  • Publication number: 20120128160
    Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatus, and machine-readable media for three-dimensional sound recording and reproduction using a multi-microphone setup are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Lae-Hoon Kim, Erik Visser, Pei Xiang, Ian Ernan Liu, Dinesh Ramakrishnan
  • Patent number: 8175291
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus for processing an M-channel input signal are described that include outputting a signal produced by a selected one among a plurality of spatial separation filters. Applications to separating an acoustic signal from a noisy environment are described, and configurations that may be implemented on a multi-microphone handheld device are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Kwok-Leung Chan, Erik Visser, Hyun Jin Park, Jeremy Toman
  • Publication number: 20120101826
    Abstract: Decomposition of a multi-source signal using a basis function inventory and a sparse recovery technique is disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Erik Visser, Yinyi Guo, Mofei Zhu, Sang-Uk Ryu, Lae-Hoon Kim, Jongwon Shin
  • Publication number: 20120099732
    Abstract: An apparatus for multichannel signal processing separates signal components from different acoustic sources by initializing a separation filter bank with beams in the estimated source directions, adapting the separation filter bank under specified constraints, and normalizing an adapted solution based on a maximum response with respect to direction. Such an apparatus may be used to separate signal components from sources that are close to one another in the far field of the microphone array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Erik Visser
  • Patent number: 8160273
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for source separation include a converged plurality of coefficient values that is based on each of a plurality of M-channel signals. Each of the plurality of M-channel signals is based on signals produced by M transducers in response to at least one information source and at least one interference source. In some examples, the converged plurality of coefficient values is used to filter an M-channel signal to produce an information output signal and an interference output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Inventors: Erik Visser, Kwokleung Chan, Hyun Jin Park
  • Publication number: 20120051548
    Abstract: A disclosed method selects a plurality of fewer than all of the channels of a multichannel signal, based on information relating to the direction of arrival of at least one frequency component of the multichannel signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Erik Visser, Ernan Liu
  • Publication number: 20120020480
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for using a psychoacoustic-bass-enhanced signal to drive an array of loudspeakers are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: ERIK VISSER, Pei Xiang
  • Publication number: 20120020485
    Abstract: A multi-microphone system performs location-selective processing of an acoustic signal, wherein source location is indicated by directions of arrival relative to microphone pairs at opposite sides of a midsagittal plane of a user's head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: ERIK VISSER, IAN ERNAN LIU
  • Publication number: 20110293103
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for generating an anti-noise signal and equalizing a reproduced audio signal (e.g., a far-end telephone signal) are described, wherein the generating and the equalizing are both based on information from an acoustic error signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Hyun Jin Park, Erik Visser, Jongwon Shin, Kwokleung Chan, Samir K. Gupta, Andre Gustavo P. Schevciw, Ren Li, Jeremy P. Toman
  • Publication number: 20110288860
    Abstract: A noise cancelling headset for voice communications contains a microphone at each of the user's ears and a voice microphone. The headset shares the use of the ear microphones for improving signal-to-noise ratio on both the transmit path and the receive path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Andre Gustavo Pucci Schevciw, Erik Visser, Dinesh Ramakrishnan, Ian Ernan Liu, Ren Li, Brian Momeyer, Hyun Jin Park, Louis D. Oliveira
  • Publication number: 20110264447
    Abstract: Implementations and applications are disclosed for detection of a transition in a voice activity state of an audio signal, based on a change in energy that is consistent in time across a range of frequencies of the signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2011
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Erik Visser, Ian Ernan Liu, Jongwon Shin
  • Patent number: 7983907
    Abstract: A headset is constructed to generate an acoustically distinct speech signal in a noisy acoustic environment. The headset positions a pair of spaced-apart microphones near a user's mouth. The microphones each receive the user's speech, and also receive acoustic environmental noise. The microphone signals, which have both a noise and information component, are received into a separation process. The separation process generates a speech signal that has a substantial reduced noise component. The speech signal is then processed for transmission. In one example, the transmission process includes sending the speech signal to a local control module using a Bluetooth radio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignees: Softmax, Inc., The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Erik Visser, Jeremy Toman, Tom Davis, Brian Momeyer
  • Publication number: 20110058676
    Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media for dereverberation of a multimicrophone signal combine use of a directionally selective processing operation (e.g., beamforming) with an inverse filter trained on a separated reverberation estimate that is obtained using a decorrelation operation (e.g., a blind source separation operation).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2010
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Erik Visser
  • Publication number: 20110038489
    Abstract: Based on phase differences between corresponding frequency components of different channels of a multichannel signal, a measure of directional coherency is calculated. Application of such a measure to voice activity detection and noise reduction are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Erik Visser, Ian Ernan Liu