Patents by Inventor Gerhard Uwe Schmidt
Gerhard Uwe Schmidt 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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Patent number: 9992572Abstract: A system used in a loudspeaker-room-microphone environment includes a microphone signal partitioner that divides a signal from a microphone into one or more divided portions. A reverberation energy estimator estimates reverberation energy in some of the divided portions of the microphone signal based on a loudspeaker signal. The estimated reverberation energy is processed to generate a dereverberated output signal.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2007Date of Patent: June 5, 2018Assignee: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.Inventors: Markus Buck, Tim Haulick, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt
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Patent number: 9622003Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining phase shift information between the first and second microphone signals for a sound signal, and determining an angle of incidence of the sound in relation to the first and second positions of the first and second microphones from the phase shift information of a band-limited test signal received by the first and second microphones for a frequency range of interest.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2014Date of Patent: April 11, 2017Assignee: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.Inventors: Gerhard Uwe Schmidt, Tobias Wolff, Markus Buck, Olga Gonzalez Valbuena, Gunther Wirsching
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Patent number: 9580028Abstract: A speech processing device includes an automotive device that filters data that is sent and received across an in-vehicle bus. The device selectively acquires vehicle data related to a user settings or adjustments. An interface acquires the selected vehicle data from in-vehicle sensors in response to a user's articulation of a first code phrase. A memory stores the selected vehicle data with unique identifying data associated with the user and establishes a connection between the selected vehicle data and the user when a second code phrase is articulated. A data interface provides access to the selected vehicle data and stored relationship data and enables the processing of the data to customize the in-vehicle system. The data interface is responsive to the user's articulation of a third code phrase to process the selected vehicle data that enables the setting or adjustment of the in-vehicle system.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2008Date of Patent: February 28, 2017Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbHInventors: Markus Buck, Tim Haulick, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt
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Patent number: 9414159Abstract: Methods and apparatus to beamform a first plurality of microphone signals using at least one beamforming weight to obtain a first beamformed signal, beamform a second plurality of microphone signals using the at least one beamforming weight to obtain a second beamformed signal, and adjust the at least one beamforming weight so that the power density of at least one perturbation component present in the first or the second plurality of microphone signals is reduced.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 2014Date of Patent: August 9, 2016Assignee: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.Inventors: Tobias Wolff, Markus Buck, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt
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Patent number: 9338549Abstract: A system locates a speaker in a room containing a loudspeaker and a microphone array. The loudspeaker transmits a sound that is partly reflected by a speaker. The microphone array detects the reflected sound and converts the sound into a microphone array, the speaker's distance from the microphone array, or both, based on the characteristics of the microphone signals.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2012Date of Patent: May 10, 2016Assignee: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.Inventors: Tim Haulick, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt, Markus Buck, Tobias Wolff
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Patent number: 9280965Abstract: The invention provides a method for determining a noise reference signal for noise compensation and/or noise reduction. A first audio signal on a first signal path and a second audio signal on a second signal path are received. The first audio signal is filtered using a first adaptive filter to obtain a first filtered audio signal. The second audio signal is filtered using a second adaptive filter to obtain a second filtered audio signal. The first and the second filtered audio signal are combined to obtain the noise reference signal. The first and the second adaptive filter are adapted such as to minimize a wanted signal component in the noise reference signal.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2013Date of Patent: March 8, 2016Assignee: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.Inventors: Markus Buck, Tobias Wolff, Toby Christian Lawin-Ore, Samuel Ngouoko Mboungueng, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt
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Patent number: 9264805Abstract: Methods and apparatus for beamforming and performing echo compensation for the beamformed signal with an echo canceller including calculating a set of filter coefficients as an estimate for a new steering direction without a complete adaptation of the echo canceller.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2014Date of Patent: February 16, 2016Assignee: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.Inventors: Markus Buck, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt, Tobias Wolff
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Patent number: 9203972Abstract: A signal processing system enhances an audio signal. The audio signal is divided into audio sub-band signals. Some audio sub-band signals are excised. Other audio sub-band signals are processed to obtain enhanced audio sub-band signals. At least a portion of the excised audio sub-band signals are reconstructed. The reconstructed audio sub-band signals are synthesized with the enhanced audio sub-band signals to form an enhanced audio signal.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2012Date of Patent: December 1, 2015Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.Inventors: Gerhard Uwe Schmidt, Hans-Jörg Köpf, Günther Wirsching
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Patent number: 9129608Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention exploit redundancy of succeeding FFT spectra and use this redundancy for computing interpolated temporal supporting points. An analysis filter bank converts overlapped sequences of an audio (ex. loudspeaker) signal from a time domain to a frequency domain to obtain a time series of short-time loudspeaker spectra. An interpolator temporally interpolates this time series. The interpolation is fed to an echo canceller, which computes an estimated echo spectrum. A microphone analysis filter bank converts overlapped sequences of an audio microphone signal from the time domain to the frequency domain to obtain a time series of short-time microphone spectra. The estimated echo spectrum is subtracted from the microphone spectrum. Further signal enhancement (filtration) may be applied. A synthesis filter bank converts the filtered microphone spectra to the time domain to generate an echo compensated audio microphone signal.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2013Date of Patent: September 8, 2015Assignee: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.Inventors: Mohamed Krini, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt, Bernd Iser, Arthur Wolf
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Patent number: 9111544Abstract: A system and method for compensating audio signal components is disclosed. The method includes detecting, by a microphone, a sound signal. The sound signal comprises audio signal components resulting from reproducing an audio signal of an audio source and speech signal components corresponding to a speech signal from a person. The sound signal is filtered to whiten the sound signal. The audio signal components in the whitened sound signal are then compensated. The whitening of the compensated sound signal is removed. The filtering of the audio signal is performed using at least two filters in an alternating way, each filter using time-dependent filter coefficients.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2012Date of Patent: August 18, 2015Assignee: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.Inventors: Gerhard Uwe Schmidt, Tim Haulick, Harald Lenhardt
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Patent number: 9026438Abstract: A method for detecting barge-in in a speech dialog system comprising determining whether a speech prompt is output by the speech dialog system, and detecting whether speech activity is present in an input signal based on a time-varying sensitivity threshold of a speech activity detector and/or based on speaker information, where the sensitivity threshold is increased if output of a speech prompt is determined and decreased if no output of a speech prompt is determined. If speech activity is detected in the input signal, the speech prompt may be interrupted or faded out. A speech dialog system configured to detect barge-in is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2009Date of Patent: May 5, 2015Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.Inventors: Markus Buck, Franz Gerl, Tim Haulick, Tobias Herbig, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt, Matthias Schulz
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Patent number: 9002028Abstract: A communication system enhances communications in a noisy environment. Multiple input arrays convert a voiced or unvoiced signal into an analog signal. A converter receives the analog signal and generates digital signals. A digital signal processor determines temporal and spatial information from the digital signals. The processed signals are then converted to audible sound.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2014Date of Patent: April 7, 2015Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.Inventors: Tim Haulick, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt
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Publication number: 20140307883Abstract: Methods and apparatus for beamforming and performing echo compensation for the beamformed signal with an echo canceller including calculating a set of filter coefficients as an estimate for a new steering direction without a complete adaptation of the echo canceller.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2014Publication date: October 16, 2014Applicant: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.Inventors: Markus Buck, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt, Tobias Wolff
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Publication number: 20140247953Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining phase shift information between the first and second microphone signals for a sound signal, and determining an angle of incidence of the sound in relation to the first and second positions of the first and second microphones from the phase shift information of a band-limited test signal received by the first and second microphones for a frequency range of interest.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2014Publication date: September 4, 2014Applicant: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.Inventors: GERHARD UWE SCHMIDT, Tobias Wolff, Markus Buck, Olga Gonzalez Valbuena, Gunther Wirsching
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Publication number: 20140233757Abstract: A communication system enhances communications in a noisy environment. Multiple input arrays convert a voiced or unvoiced signal into an analog signal. A converter receives the analog signal and generates digital signals. A digital signal processor determines temporal and spatial information from the digital signals. The processed signals are then converted to audible sound.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 16, 2014Publication date: August 21, 2014Applicant: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.Inventors: Tim Haulick, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt
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Patent number: 8805453Abstract: The present invention relates to a signal processing system, comprising a number of microphones and loudspeakers, a hands-free set configured to receive a telephone signal from a remote party and to transmit a microphone signal supplied by at least one of the microphones to the remote party; an in-vehicle communication system configured to receive a microphone signal supplied by at least one of the microphones; receive the telephone signal; amplify the microphone signal to obtain at least one first output signal; output the at least one first output signal and/or a second output signal corresponding to the telephone signal to at least one of the loudspeakers; and wherein the signal processing systems is configured to detect speech activity in the telephone signal and to control the in-vehicle communication system to reduce amplification of the microphone signal by a damping factor, if it is detected that speech activity is present in the telephone signal.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2013Date of Patent: August 12, 2014Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.Inventors: Tim Haulick, Bernd Iser, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt, Arthur Wolf
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Publication number: 20140153740Abstract: Methods and apparatus to beamform a first plurality of microphone signals using at least one beamforming weight to obtain a first beamformed signal, beamform a second plurality of microphone signals using the at least one beamforming weight to obtain a second beamformed signal, and adjust the at least one beam forming weight so that the power density of at least one perturbation component present in the first or the second plurality of microphone signals is reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 10, 2014Publication date: June 5, 2014Applicant: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.Inventors: Tobias Wolff, Markus Buck, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt
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Patent number: 8724822Abstract: A communication system enhances communications in a noisy environment. Multiple input arrays convert a voiced or unvoiced signal into an analog signal. A converter receives the analog signal and generates digital signals. A digital signal processor determines temporal and spatial information from the digital signals. The processed signals are then converted to audible sound.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2007Date of Patent: May 13, 2014Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.Inventors: Tim Haulick, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt
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Patent number: 8706483Abstract: A system enhances the quality of a digital speech signal that may include noise. The system identifies vocal expressions that correspond to the digital speech signal. A signal-to-noise ratio of the digital speech signal is measured before a portion of the digital speech signal is synthesized. The selected portion of the digital speech signal may have a signal-to-noise ratio below a predetermined level and the synthesis of the digital speech signal may be based on speaker identification.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2008Date of Patent: April 22, 2014Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.Inventors: Franz Gerl, Tobias Herbig, Mohamed Krini, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt
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Patent number: 8688458Abstract: An approach for adjusting an adjustable element, such as a mirror, head rest, steering wheel, heating/air condition blower, associated with a vehicle by determining the position of a speaker in the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2006Date of Patent: April 1, 2014Assignees: Harman International Industries, Incorporated, Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbHInventors: Markus Buck, Gerhard Uwe Schmidt, Tim Haulick