Patents by Inventor Jeff BUTTERS

Jeff BUTTERS 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: 9824717
    Abstract: The respective occupancies of a set of audio buffers are controlled via a common target occupancy value common to all the buffers in the set. This common target may take non-integral values. For each buffer, the difference is taken between the occupancy value of the buffer and the common target occupancy value. A sample is dropped or repeated as the difference exceeds half a sample. A recursive sum is formed of the fractional parts of the difference measures from the set of buffers and the recursive sum is used to adjust the common target occupancy value, within a selected range of values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Snell Advanced Media Limited
    Inventor: Jeff Butters
  • Patent number: 9510092
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided for processing a switched audio signal output received from a crosspoint router having a plurality of inputs and a plurality of outputs, there being a control signal that defines which of the plurality of inputs is to be routed by the crosspoint router to which of the plurality of outputs. A control unit receives the control signal and serves to identify a route change in the control signal. An instantaneous value of the switched audio signal prior to the route change is stored. A signal processing unit then combines the stored value with values of the switched audio signal after the route change to form a processed audio signal that changes smoothly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Snell Limited
    Inventor: Jeff Butters
  • Patent number: 9397774
    Abstract: For re-timing sampled data, input data samples at an input data rate are stored in a FIFO buffer and output at an output data rate according to an output clock that is locked to the input data rate in dependence on a loop-filtered measure of the fill level of the said buffer. The frequency of the output clock is additionally controlled by an estimate of the input data rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Snell Limited
    Inventor: Jeff Butters
  • Publication number: 20150161145
    Abstract: The respective occupancies of a set of audio buffers are controlled via a common target occupancy value common to all the buffers in the set. This common target may take non-integral values. For each buffer, the difference is taken between the occupancy value of the buffer and the common target occupancy value. A sample is dropped or repeated as the difference exceeds half a sample. A recursive sum is formed of the fractional parts of the difference measures from the set of buffers and the recursive sum is used to adjust the common target occupancy value, within a selected range of values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Publication date: June 11, 2015
    Inventor: Jeff Butters
  • Publication number: 20150131815
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided for processing a switched audio signal output received from a crosspoint router having a plurality of inputs and a plurality of outputs, there being a control signal that defines which of the plurality of inputs is to be routed by the crosspoint router to which of the plurality of outputs. A control unit receives the control signal and serves to identify a route change in the control signal. An instantaneous value of the switched audio signal prior to the route change is stored. A signal processing unit then combines the stored value with values of the switched audio signal after the route change to form a processed audio signal that changes smoothly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventor: Jeff Butters
  • Publication number: 20140359175
    Abstract: For re-timing sampled data, input data samples at an input data rate are stored in a FIFO buffer and output at an output data rate according to an output clock that is locked to the input data rate in dependence on a loop-filtered measure of the fill level of the said buffer. The frequency of the output clock is additionally controlled by an estimate of the input data rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventor: Jeff Butters
  • Patent number: 8825186
    Abstract: The invention concerns digital audio processing and in particular the detection of periods where samples can be deleted or repeated unobtrusively so as to change the average sample-rate or to provide time delay modification. Differences between succeeding sample values are evaluated and compared with a threshold and samples are deleted or repeated where two or more consecutive sample value differences are less than the said threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Snell Limited
    Inventors: Jeff Butters, Tim Addy
  • Publication number: 20090048696
    Abstract: The invention concerns digital audio processing and in particular the detection of periods where samples can be deleted or repeated unobtrusively so as to change the average sample-rate or to provide time delay modification. Differences between succeeding sample values are evaluated and compared with a threshold and samples are deleted or repeated where two or more consecutive sample value differences are less than the said threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Inventors: Jeff BUTTERS, Tim Addy