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).

  • Patent number: 12634653
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignee: ST VRTech, LLC
    Inventors: Bruce Walker, John Usher, John P. Keady
  • Publication number: 20260133748
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2025
    Publication date: May 14, 2026
    Applicant: ST FamTech, LLC
    Inventors: Steven Wayne Goldstein, John Usher
  • Patent number: 12626683
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2026
    Assignee: ST FamTech, LLC
    Inventors: Steven Wayne Goldstein, John Usher, Marc Andre Boillot
  • Patent number: 12621598
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2026
    Assignee: ST FamTech, LLC
    Inventor: John Usher
  • Patent number: 12621596
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2026
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Pauline O'Callaghan, John Usher
  • Publication number: 20260120557
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2024
    Publication date: April 30, 2026
    Inventors: Steven Wayne Goldstein, John Usher
  • Patent number: 12597513
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2026
    Assignee: ST FamTech, LLC
    Inventors: Steven W. Goldstein, John Usher, Marc Andre Boillot
  • Patent number: 12591407
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2026
    Assignee: ST R&DTech, LLC
    Inventor: John Usher
  • Patent number: 12586680
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2026
    Assignee: ST FamTech, LLC
    Inventors: Steven W. Goldstein, John Usher, Marc Andre Boillot
  • Publication number: 20260080855
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2025
    Publication date: March 19, 2026
    Applicant: STAwareTech,LLC
    Inventors: Steven Wayne Goldstein, John Usher, Marc Andre Boillot
  • Patent number: 12581233
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2026
    Assignee: ST Case 1 Tech, LLC
    Inventors: John Usher, Steven Goldstein, Marc Boillot
  • Patent number: 12574675
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2026
    Assignee: ST R&DTech, LLC
    Inventors: John Usher, Steve Goldstein, John P. Keady
  • Publication number: 20260038527
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2025
    Publication date: February 5, 2026
    Applicant: ST R&DTech, LLC
    Inventors: John Usher, Dan Ellis
  • Publication number: 20260011337
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2024
    Publication date: January 8, 2026
    Applicant: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: John Usher, Tim Trini, Dirk Posselt
  • Publication number: 20250321705
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2025
    Publication date: October 16, 2025
    Inventors: John Usher, John P. Keady
  • Patent number: 12424235
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2025
    Assignee: ST R&DTech, LLC
    Inventors: John Usher, Dan Ellis
  • Publication number: 20250221665
    Abstract: At least one embodiment is directed to a wearable that can be controlled by a user's gesture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2025
    Publication date: July 10, 2025
    Applicant: ST BioTech, LLC
    Inventors: Steven Wayne Goldstein, John Patrick Keady, John Usher
  • Publication number: 20250159398
    Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a method of determining hearing loss using audio cues whose spectrum is orthogonal to each other to identify a wearer's hearing loss and using the information to adjust audio to normal listening levels. Other aspects are also described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2025
    Publication date: May 15, 2025
    Inventors: John Patrick Keady, John Usher
  • Publication number: 20250124942
    Abstract: A watch for detecting a voice command which includes a touchscreen, a microphone, a speaker, a memory, and a processor that is wirelessly connected to an earphone that includes an earphone microphone where at least one of the microphones are used to determine voice command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2024
    Publication date: April 17, 2025
    Applicant: ST R&DTECH, LLC
    Inventors: John Usher, Dan Ellis
  • Publication number: 20250119499
    Abstract: A method of generating a suppression signal using an adaptive filter, using an ear canal microphone signal from an earphone and an audio content signal and combining the suppression signal with others signals to generate a mixed signal that is sent to a speaker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2024
    Publication date: April 10, 2025
    Applicant: ST R&DTECH, LLC
    Inventors: Jason McIntosh, Marc Boillot, John Usher, Steven Goldstein