Patents by Inventor John Usher
John Usher 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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Publication number: 20260189872Abstract: A system is described that includes a display configured to visually display a mixed visual signal and audio signal, which includes a camera, a first microphone, a second microphone, two speakers, memory, a processor, that displays a mixed visual signal and the speakers emit a mixed audio signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2025Publication date: July 2, 2026Applicant: ST VRTech, LLCInventors: Bruce Walker, John Usher, John P. Keady
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Publication number: 20260189843Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a communication device that includes a microphone configured to detect an acoustic signal from an acoustic environment, and a processor, configured to detect an acoustical dampening between the acoustic environment and the microphone, based on a change in a characteristic of the acoustic signal and, responsive to the acoustical dampening, apply a compensation filter to the acoustic signal to form a compensated acoustic signal that is reproduced. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2025Publication date: July 2, 2026Applicant: ST DetectTech, LLCInventors: John Usher, Steve Goldstein, John P. Keady
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Publication number: 20260172768Abstract: A device to test the seal quality of an earpiece. Audio processing circuitry produces an audio signal for driving a speaker. Output from the microphone while the speaker is being driven by the audio signal is used to determine the seal. The device or method further includes control circuitry to evaluate a seal quality of the device. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 20, 2023Publication date: June 18, 2026Applicant: ST FamTech, LLCInventors: John Usher, John P. Keady
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Patent number: 12634653Abstract: A system is described that includes a display configured to visually display a mixed visual signal and audio signal, which includes a camera, a first microphone, a second microphone, two speakers, memory, a processor, that displays a mixed visual signal and the speakers emit a mixed audio signal.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2024Date of Patent: May 19, 2026Assignee: ST VRTech, LLCInventors: Bruce Walker, John Usher, John P. Keady
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Publication number: 20260133748Abstract: An analysis system has at least one monitoring assembly that includes at least one microphone to monitor an acoustic field proximate the monitoring assembly. The at least one microphone produces at least one microphone signal responsive to the acoustic field. The analysis system further includes a data storage device configured to buffer the at least one microphone signal and an audio analysis system configured to analyze a content of the data storage device where the audio analysis system is configured to analyze the content of the buffer to process at least a sound into a response or action.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2025Publication date: May 14, 2026Applicant: ST FamTech, LLCInventors: Steven Wayne Goldstein, John Usher
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Patent number: 12626683Abstract: Earpieces and methods for acute sound detection and reproduction are provided. A method can include measuring an external ambient sound level (xASL), monitoring a change in the xASL for detecting an acute sound, estimating a proximity of the acute sound, and upon detecting the acute sound and its proximity, reproducing the acute sound within an ear canal, where the ear canal is at least partially occluded by an earpiece. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2021Date of Patent: May 12, 2026Assignee: ST FamTech, LLCInventors: Steven Wayne Goldstein, John Usher, Marc Andre Boillot
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Patent number: 12621598Abstract: At least one embodiment is directed to a method for automatically activating ambient sound pass-through in an earphone in response to a detected keyword in the ambient sound field of the earphone user, the steps of the method comprising at least receiving at least one ambient sound microphone (ASM) signal; receiving at least one audio content (AC) signal; and comparing the ASM signal to a keyword and if the ASM signal matches a keyword then an AC gain is created.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2022Date of Patent: May 5, 2026Assignee: ST FamTech, LLCInventor: John Usher
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Patent number: 12621596Abstract: The invention relates to an ear worn device (1), particularly a wireless headphone or a hearing aid, comprising a first module (10) configured to be inserted at least partially into an ear canal (2a) of a user, wherein the first module (10) comprises a loudspeaker (11) configured to emit sound into the ear canal (2a) of the user, and wherein the first module (10) comprises at least one microphone (12, 13) configured to pick up sound, and a second module (20) configured to be arranged outside of the concha cava (2b) adjacent to said ear canal (2a) of the user when the first module (10) is inserted into said ear canal (2a), wherein the second module (20) comprises at least one electronic component (21) which is operatively coupled to the loudspeaker (11) and/or the at least one microphone (12, 13) of the first module, wherein the first ambient microphone (12) is configured to be arranged behind the tragus (2c) of the ear (2) of the user adjacent to the ear canal (2a) and faces away from the ear canal (2a).Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2021Date of Patent: May 5, 2026Assignee: Bose CorporationInventors: Pauline O'Callaghan, John Usher
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Publication number: 20260120557Abstract: A control device configurable to couple to one or more devices having different control functions and a method of facilitating remote control of at least one device having different control functions includes a processor that receives an instruction for at least one of the control functions and additional information from the at least one device, the processor including a plurality of processing algorithms, the additional information received from the at least one device including at least a locally transmitted data signal. The processor selectably processes the additional information using at least one of the processing algorithms and controls a touch sensitive display reconfigurable for the different control functions, such that the at least one control function and the selectably processed additional information are presented on the touch sensitive display. The processor also generates at least one control signal responsive to receiving the locally transmitted data signal. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 27, 2024Publication date: April 30, 2026Inventors: Steven Wayne Goldstein, John Usher
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Patent number: 12597513Abstract: An earpiece, with two ambient sound microphones and an ear canal microphone detects whether the user is speaking and if so then detects an event, saving audio to memory.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2023Date of Patent: April 7, 2026Assignee: ST FamTech, LLCInventors: Steven W. Goldstein, John Usher, Marc Andre Boillot
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Patent number: 12591407Abstract: An electronic device or method for adjusting a gain on a voice operated control system can include one or more processors and a memory having computer instructions. The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the operations of receiving a first microphone signal, receiving a second microphone signal, updating a slow time weighted ratio of the filtered first and second signals, and updating a fast time weighted ratio of the filtered first and second signals. The one or more processors can further perform the operations of calculating an absolute difference between the fast time weighted ratio and the slow time weighted ratio, comparing the absolute difference with a threshold, and increasing the gain when the absolute difference is greater than the threshold. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2023Date of Patent: March 31, 2026Assignee: ST R&DTech, LLCInventor: John Usher
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Patent number: 12586680Abstract: An accident detector includes a processor, one or more sensors operatively coupled to the processor where the one or more sensors acquire at the ear, on the ear or within an ear canal, one or more of acceleration, blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure or heart-rate, and the one or more sensors configured to monitor a biological state or a physical motion or both for an event. The accident detection can be a detection of a discrepancy when compared with a set of reference data by the one or more sensors.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2022Date of Patent: March 24, 2026Assignee: ST FamTech, LLCInventors: Steven W. Goldstein, John Usher, Marc Andre Boillot
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Publication number: 20260080855Abstract: A method can include measuring an external ambient sound level (xASL), monitoring a change in the xASL for detecting an acute sound, estimating a proximity of the acute sound, and upon detecting the acute sound and its proximity, reproducing the acute sound within an ear canal, where the ear canal is at least partially occluded by an earpiece. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 5, 2025Publication date: March 19, 2026Applicant: STAwareTech,LLCInventors: Steven Wayne Goldstein, John Usher, Marc Andre Boillot
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Patent number: 12581233Abstract: Methods and devices for processing and voice operated control are provided and mixing ambient and internal signals. The method can include performing a non-difference comparison between a first received sound and a second received sound, determining if speech exists based on the comparison, and transmitting or providing a decision that the speech is present to at least one among the device, a cell phone, a media player, or a portable computing device. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2022Date of Patent: March 17, 2026Assignee: ST Case 1 Tech, LLCInventors: John Usher, Steven Goldstein, Marc Boillot
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Patent number: 12574675Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a communication device that includes a microphone configured to detect an acoustic signal from an acoustic environment, and a processor, configured to detect an acoustical dampening between the acoustic environment and the microphone, based on a change in a characteristic of the acoustic signal and, responsive to the acoustical dampening, apply a compensation filter to the acoustic signal to form a compensated acoustic signal that is reproduced. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2023Date of Patent: March 10, 2026Assignee: ST R&DTech, LLCInventors: John Usher, Steve Goldstein, John P. Keady
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Publication number: 20260038527Abstract: A method and device for automatically increasing the spectral bandwidth of an audio signal including generating a “mapping” (or “prediction”) matrix based on the analysis of a reference wideband signal and a reference narrowband signal, the mapping matrix being a transformation matrix to predict high frequency energy from a low frequency energy envelope, generating an energy envelope analysis of an input narrowband audio signal, generating a resynthesized noise signal by processing a random noise signal with the mapping matrix and the envelope analysis, high-pass filtering the resynthesized noise signal, and summing the high-pass filtered resynthesized noise signal with the original an input narrowband audio signal. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2025Publication date: February 5, 2026Applicant: ST R&DTech, LLCInventors: John Usher, Dan Ellis
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Publication number: 20260011337Abstract: This disclosure provides methods, devices, and systems for audio signal mixing. The present implementations more specifically relate to mixing audio signals from a microphone array by performing fixed beamforming to generate beams, reducing noise on the beams, and mixing the beams to generate a final audio signal for playback. In some aspects, an audio mixing system includes a fixed beamformer to generate beams from audio signals from a microphone array and noise reduction units (NRUs) to reduce a noise component of each audio beam. The system also includes logic to calculate a signal characteristic of each reduced noise audio beam to determine, based on the signal characteristics, the reduced noise audio beams that include a speech component. The logic also generates a gain for each audio beam based on the selection, with the gains used in beam mixing. In some aspects, the NRU includes a neural network noise reduction unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 2, 2024Publication date: January 8, 2026Applicant: Synaptics IncorporatedInventors: John Usher, Tim Trini, Dirk Posselt
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Publication number: 20250321705Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a method of earphone feature control by using a graphic user interface on a device linked to the earphone. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 15, 2025Publication date: October 16, 2025Inventors: John Usher, John P. Keady
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Patent number: 12424235Abstract: A method and device for automatically increasing the spectral bandwidth of an audio signal including generating a “mapping” (or “prediction”) matrix based on the analysis of a reference wideband signal and a reference narrowband signal, the mapping matrix being a transformation matrix to predict high frequency energy from a low frequency energy envelope, generating an energy envelope analysis of an input narrowband audio signal, generating a resynthesized noise signal by processing a random noise signal with the mapping matrix and the envelope analysis, high-pass filtering the resynthesized noise signal, and summing the high-pass filtered resynthesized noise signal with the original an input narrowband audio signal. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2023Date of Patent: September 23, 2025Assignee: ST R&DTech, LLCInventors: John Usher, Dan Ellis
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Publication number: 20250221665Abstract: At least one embodiment is directed to a wearable that can be controlled by a user's gesture.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2025Publication date: July 10, 2025Applicant: ST BioTech, LLCInventors: Steven Wayne Goldstein, John Patrick Keady, John Usher