Patents by Inventor Francis Rumsey

Francis Rumsey 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: 8259957
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to communication devices which monitor an audio environment at a remote location and convey to a user a representation of that audio environment. The “representation” may be an abstraction of the audio environment at the remote location or may be a measure of decibels or some other quality or parameter of the audio environment. In some embodiments, the communication devices are two-way devices which allow users at remote locations to share an audio environment. In some embodiments, the communication devices are one way devices. In some embodiments, the communication devices may have the form of a window and be arranged to present sound in a manner that mimics sound received through a window. In such embodiments, the more open the window is, the more sound is relayed by the communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: David Frohlich, Lorna Brown, Abigail Durrant, Sian Lindley, Gerard Oleksik, Dominic Robson, Francis Rumsey, Abigail Sellen, John Williamson
  • Patent number: 8238582
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to sound playback and editing apparatus. The editing apparatus uses user interaction to allow the user to instinctively modify recorded sound. This can be achieved by converting a quality of the user's physical interactions with the editing apparatus into instructions for processing the sound. For example, in one embodiment the user can mix sound files by ‘mixing’, i.e. shaking, physical representations of those sound files (such as the recording medium on which the files are stored) alone or together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Lorna Brown, Abigail Durrant, David Frohlich, Sian Lindley, Gerard Oleksik, Dominic Robson, Francis Rumsey, Abigail Sellen, John Williamson
  • Patent number: 8238563
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and corresponding system for predicting the perceived spatial quality of sound processing and reproducing equipment. According to the invention a device to be tested, a so-called device under test (DUT), is subjected to one or more test signals and the response of the device under test is provided to one or more means for deriving metrics, i.e. a higher-level representation of the raw data obtained from the device under test. The derived one or more metrics is/are provided to suitable predictor means that “translates” the objective measure provided by the one or more metrics to a predicted perceived spatial quality. To this end said predictor means is calibrated using listening tests carried out on real listeners. By means of the invention there is thus provided an “instrument” that can replace expensive and time consuming listening tests for instance during development of various audio processing or reproduction systems or methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: University of Surrey-H4
    Inventors: Francis Rumsey, Slawomir Zielinski, Philip Jackson, Martin Dewhirst, Robert Conetta, Sunish George, Søren Bech, David Meares, Benjamin Supper
  • Patent number: 7671737
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to monitoring and notification apparatus capable of monitoring events at various locations. The apparatus includes a sound receiving unit which receives audio content from various locations. A user can select which of the location is monitored at any one time. In one embodiment, this selection is made depending on the orientation of the sound receiving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Abigail Sellen, Lorna Brown, Abigail Durrant, David Frohlich, Sian Lindley, Gerard Oleksik, Dominic Robson, Francis Rumsey, John Williamson
  • Publication number: 20090238371
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and corresponding system for predicting the perceived spatial quality of sound processing and reproducing equipment. According to the invention a device to be tested, a so-called device under test (DUT), is subjected to one or more test signals and the response of the device under test is provided to one or more means for deriving metrics, i.e. a higher-level representation of the raw data obtained from the device under test. The derived one or more metrics is/are provided to suitable predictor means that “translates” the objective measure provided by the one or more metrics to a predicted perceived spatial quality. To this end said predictor means is calibrated using listening tests carried out on real listeners. By means of the invention there is thus provided an “instrument” that can replace expensive and time consuming listening tests for instance during development of various audio processing or reproduction systems or methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Inventors: Francis RUMSEY, Slawomir Zielinski, Philip Jackson, Martin Dewhirst, Robert Conetta, Sunish George, Soren Bech, David Meares, Benjamin Supper
  • Publication number: 20090238370
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and corresponding system for predicting the perceived spatial quality of sound processing and reproducing equipment. According to the invention a device to be tested, a so-called device under test (DUT), is subjected to one or more test signals and the response of the device under test is provided to one or more means for deriving metrics, i.e. a higher-level representation of the raw data obtained from the device under test. The derived one or more metrics is/are provided to suitable predictor means that “translates” the objective measure provided by the one or more metrics to a predicted perceived spatial quality. To this end said predictor means is calibrated using listening tests carried out on real listeners. By means of the invention there is thus provided an “instrument” that can replace expensive and time consuming listening tests for instance during development of various audio processing or reproduction systems or methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Inventors: Francis Rumsey, Slawomir Zielinski, Philip Jackson, Martin Dewhirst, Robert Conetta, Sunish George, Soren Bech, David Meares, Benjamin Supper
  • Publication number: 20090180623
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to communication devices which monitor an audio environment at a remote location and convey to a user a representation of that audio environment. The “representation” may be an abstraction of the audio environment at the remote location or may be a measure of decibels or some other quality or parameter of the audio environment. In some embodiments, the communication devices are two-way devices which allow users at remote locations to share an audio environment. In some embodiments, the communication devices are one way devices. In some embodiments, the communication devices may have the form of a window and be arranged to present sound in a manner that mimics sound received through a window. In such embodiments, the more open the window is, the more sound is relayed by the communication device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: David Frohlich, Lorna Brown, Abigail Durrant, Sian Lindley, Gerard Oleksik, Dominic Robson, Francis Rumsey, Abigail Sellen, John Williamson
  • Publication number: 20090183074
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to presenting sound. In some embodiments, this is a visual presentation. One embodiment provides a presentation of sound built over time, which may be displayed in layers similar to strata in a sedimentary rock formation. In another embodiment, the visual presentation is an animated presentation which reflects a characteristic, for example the volume, of the sound at that instant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Sian Lindley, Lorna Brown, Abigail Durrant, David Frohlich, Gerard Oleksik, Dominic Robson, Francis Rumsey, Abigail Sellen, John Williamson
  • Publication number: 20090146803
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to monitoring and notification apparatus capable of monitoring events at various locations. The apparatus includes a sound receiving unit which receives audio content from various locations. A user can select which of the location is monitored at any one time. In one embodiment, this selection is made depending on the orientation of the sound receiving unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Abigail Sellen, Lorna Brown, Abigail Durrant, David Frohlich, Sian Lindley, Gerard Oleksik, Dominic Robson, Francis Rumsey, John Williamson
  • Publication number: 20090147649
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to sound playback and editing apparatus. The editing apparatus uses user interaction to allow the user to instinctively modify recorded sound. This can be achieved by converting a quality of the user's physical interactions with the editing apparatus into instructions for processing the sound. For example, in one embodiment the user can mix sound files by ‘mixing’, i.e. shaking, physical representations of those sound files (such as the recording medium on which the files are stored) alone or together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Lorna Brown, Abigail Durrant, David Frohlich, Sian Lindley, Gerard Oleksik, Dominic Robson, Francis Rumsey, Abigail Sellen, John Williamson