Abstract: Disclosed is a mobile communication device and a method including a first housing including a first side and a second side, a display coupled to the first side of the first housing and a second housing movably coupled to the first housing, the second housing being coupled against the second side of the first housing when the second housing is in a closed position and extending the first side of the first housing when the second housing is in an open position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a computer for coordinating an electronic qualification form between a consumer and a plurality of financial service providers and wholesale investors. After receiving qualification form data, a special processing computer applies a filter to the data. The filter comprises selection criteria provided by financial service providers and wholesale investors which allows these organizations to filter out qualification forms that they do not want. After the data is filtered, the qualification form can be transmitted to those organizations who match the data in the qualification form based on the filtration. According to one exemplary aspect, a financial coordinator who runs a computer matching engine can be a single point of contact for a consumer with respect to several wholesale investors of the financial coordinator who may offer the consumer financial products or services.

Abstract: Disclosed are passive acoustic structures, portable audio devices configured for use with the passive acoustic structures and methods for enhancing the frequency output of a speaker of a portable device configured for use with a disclosed passive acoustic structure. The disclosed portable audio device may include an opening proximal a speaker cavity of the device, a shutter or door to open and close the opening so that the device interoperates with a docking station of a passive acoustic structure including a labyrinth or a transmission line system that may increase the frequency range of the system. For an end user to experience the music and multimedia features of a portable audio device, and in particular a mobile communication device, the above-described passive acoustic structure may provide a bass enhancement for the typically small loudspeaker of a portable audio device with no additional loudspeaker and therefore no additional circuitry.

Abstract: Disclosed is a portable audio device and a quick-disconnect passive acoustic cover. The portable audio device includes a housing and a speaker supported by the housing that have a first system frequency response. The speaker of the portable audio device has a first side and a second side associated with a first audio port and a second audio port, associated with a first acoustic load and a second acoustic load respectively. The housing is configured to removably receive the cover which is configured to redefine at least one of the first acoustic load and the second acoustic load to replace the first system frequency response with a second system frequency response. The cover provides one or more additional surrounding structures, which replace the inherent frequency response with an improved frequency response. Different embodiments of the disclosed cover provide a plurality of sound quality enhancement options to a user.

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for separating speech signal from a noisy acoustic environment. The separation process may include directional filtering, blind source separation, and dual input spectral subtraction noise suppressor. The input channels may include two omnidirectional microphones whose output is processed using phase delay filtering to form speech and noise beamforms. Further, the beamforms may be frequency corrected. The omnidirectional microphones generate one channel that is substantially only noise, and another channel that is a combination of noise and speech. A blind source separation algorithm augments the directional separation through statistical techniques. The noise signal and speech signal are then used to set process characteristics at a dual input noise spectral subtraction suppressor (DINS) to efficiently reduce or eliminate the noise component. In this way, the noise is effectively removed from the combination signal to generate a good qualify speech signal.

Abstract: A method (200) of cancelling echo in a duplex communication device (100). The method can include detecting a level of noise present on an uplink signal path (104), generating a noise classifier (194) based on the detected level of noise, detecting whether uplink audio is present on the uplink signal path (104) and detecting whether downlink audio is present on a downlink signal path (102). The method further can include generating a double talk flag (136) based at least on the noise classifier, whether uplink audio is present on the uplink signal path, and whether downlink audio is present on the downlink signal path. In addition, the double talk flag, the noise classifier and an uplink signal can be processed to generate an output signal (120) having reduced echo.

Abstract: An echo canceller (106) can include a first multi-band filter (152) which receives a first input signal (108) and generates a first plurality of sub-band signals (110, 111, 112), and a second multi-band filter (154) which receives a second input signal (122) and generates a second plurality of sub-band signals (156, 157, 158). The echo canceller also can include a plurality of double talk detectors (168, 169, 170) that each generate a double talk flag (182, 183, 184) based on at least a respective one of the first sub-band signals and a respective one of the second sub-band signals.

Abstract: An intelligent noise reduction system (100) is provided. The system can include a gradient microphone (110) to produce a gradient speech signal, a correction unit (116) to de-emphasize a high frequency gain imparted by the gradient microphone, a Voice Activity Detector 120 (VAD) to determine portions of speech activity (701) and portions of noise activity (702) in the gradient speech signal, an Automatic Gain Control 130 (AGC) unit to adapt a speech gain (740) of the gradient speech signal to minimize variations in speech signal levels, and a controller (140) to control the speech gain applied by the AGC to the portions of noise activity to preserve a speech to noise level ratio between speech activity and noise activity in the gradient speech signal.

Abstract: A noise suppression circuit for use in an audio signal processing circuit is provided. The noise suppression circuit includes a plurality of different types of noise activity detectors, which are each adapted for detecting the presence of a different type of noise in a received signal. The noise suppression circuit further includes a plurality of different types of noise reduction circuits, which are each adapted for removing a different type of detected noise, where each noise reduction circuit respectively corresponds to one of the plurality of noise activity detectors. The respective noise reduction circuit is then selectively activated to condition the received signal to reduce the amount of the detected types of noise, when each one of the plurality of noise activity detectors detects the presence of a corresponding type of noise in the received signal.

Abstract: Disclosed is a mobile communication device and a method including a first housing including a first side and a second side, a display coupled to the first side of the first housing and a second housing movably coupled to the first housing, the second housing being coupled against the second side of the first housing when the second housing is in a closed position and extending the first side of the first housing when the second housing is in an open position.

Abstract: An audio accessory (100) and corresponding method for operating the audio accessory are provided. The audio accessory includes a first speaker, a second speaker, a microphone, and a multiplexer circuit for multiplexing the second speaker with the microphone. The audio accessory is suitable for use with an electronic device (200), capable of playing an audio file and/or receiving an audio input from the audio accessory.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for configuring a wireless communication module (220) for optimal performance with a portable communication handset (210). When coupling of a portable electronic handset (210) and a wireless communication module (220) is detected (602, 702) the portable electronic handset (210) uploads configuration information (604, 606, 608, 610) to the wireless communication module (220). The wireless communication module (220) receives the configuration information (704, 706, 708, 710) from the portable communication device (210) and configures the operational parameters of the wireless communication module (220) in response to the configuration information (714, 716, 718, 720).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for modular authentication of a wireless communication device (120) including a portable communication device (210) and a wireless communication module (220) coupleable thereto is disclosed. When the wireless communication module (220) receives information (706) from the portable communication device (210), it determines whether the information received is authentic information (710) and operates together with the portable communication device (210) as a wireless communication device (120) in a communication system (100) in response to the information received being authentic information (720). In addition, a method and apparatus is disclosed for checking subsidy lock in a wireless communication device (120) capable of operating in a communication system (100), the wireless communication device comprising a first module (210), a second module (220) and a subscriber identity module (230) coupled to the first and second modules (210, 220).

Abstract: A communication device 100 includes a first audio output 105; a second audio output 110; an audio transducer 115 for dual mode use; a shuttered acoustic path 120 coupled between the audio transducer 115 and the first audio output 105; and an attenuated acoustic path 125 coupled between the audio transducer 115 and the second audio output 110.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a computer for coordinating an electronic qualification form between a consumer and a plurality of financial service providers and wholesale investors. After receiving qualification form data, a special processing computer applies a filter to the data. The filter comprises selection criteria provided by financial service providers and wholesale investors which allows these organizations to filter out qualification forms that they do not want. After the data is filtered, the qualification form can be transmitted to those organizations who match the data in the qualification form based on the filtration. According to one exemplary aspect, a financial coordinator who runs a computer matching engine can be a single point of contact for a consumer with respect to several wholesale investors of the financial coordinator who may offer the consumer financial products or services.

Abstract: A portable electronic device, such as a portable radiotelephone (100), with a speaker assembly is described. The portable radiotelephone (100) has a housing, which includes an upper housing (102) and a lower housing (108), configured to carry at least one of a receiver and a transmitter. A speaker (342) has a front side acoustically coupled to a first air space in front of an ear placement region (120) of the upper housing (102). The speaker (342) has a rear side acoustically coupled to a second air space. At least a first passage acoustically couples the first air space to a third air space that is substantially separated from the second air space.

Abstract: An apparatus for transporting various volumes of fluids having different viscosities into and out of a slide assembly includes a database storing data for fluids, including duration of slide assembly filling, duration of slide assembly purging and duration of slide assembly rinsing, and a controller responsive to an input which corresponds to a fluid sample selected from body fluids and having an aspiration mode, wherein the controller monitors filling of the slide assembly, a purging mode, wherein the controller monitors purging of the slide assembly and a rinsing mode, wherein the controller monitors rinsing of the slide assembly over respective durations determined by the database.

Abstract: A speaker (302) is arranged in an enclosure formed by a front housing portion (200) and a rear housing portion (202), so that an air-gap is between a diaphragm (314) of the speaker and ports (114) formed in the front housing that face the diaphragm. The air-gap provides an acoustic leak into the enclosure, which makes the frequency response of the speaker relatively independent of the seal formed by a human ear and the front housing portion. Sound-absorbing material (304,300) disposed on either side of the speaker, ports that extend beyond the circumference of the speaker, and a filter (600) can be added to further enhance the audio quality of the speaker.