Patents by Inventor Jonathan D. Sheaffer

Jonathan D. Sheaffer 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: 12368993
    Abstract: A multi-radius spherical microphone that includes an inner body defining an inner sphere having an inner radius from a center; a plurality of inner microphones coupled to the inner spherical body and defining an array of inner microphones; an outer body defining an dodecahedron, wherein the inner body and the outer body are concentric about the center; and a plurality of outer microphones coupled to the outer body at respective vertices of the dodecahedron and defining an array of outer microphones, wherein each of the plurality of outer microphones is positioned radially equidistant from the center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2025
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Abhaya Parthy, Dipanjan Sen, Bonnie W. Tom, Jonathan D. Sheaffer, Justin D. Crosby, Symeon Delikaris Manias, Emily A. Wigley
  • Patent number: 12356166
    Abstract: A method performed by a programmed processor, the method including receiving an input noise signal, generating, using a machine learning model that has an input based on the input noise signal, a mono audio signal that includes a sound and a spatial parameter for the mono audio signal, and generating spatial audio data by spatially encoding the mono audio signal according to the spatial parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Sheaffer, Yelena V. Menyaylenko
  • Publication number: 20250157443
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for voice over music recording are provided. A person may sing along with music being output into the physical environment of the person by a loudspeaker. One or more microphones may be used to record both the voice of the person singing, and the music output by the speaker. An electronic device may cancel the portion of the microphone signals containing the music output by the speaker, and remix the voice of the person with digital audio content corresponding to the music.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2024
    Publication date: May 15, 2025
    Inventors: Mehrez SOUDEN, Aaftab A. MUNSHI, Dogac BASARAN, Jonathan D. HOGG, Jonathan D. SHEAFFER, Joshua D. ATKINS, Matthias MAUCH, Tony S. VERMA, Troy D. SCHULTZ, Vijay SUNDARAM
  • Publication number: 20250133364
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for automatically transitioning between communication modes of wearable audio output devices based solely on acoustic analysis. The audio output devices may operate in one of three electroacoustic modes. In the transparency mode, an audio output device may pass through the speech signal of a nearby user. In the peer-to-peer mode, the audio output device may establish a direct low-latency radio frequency (RF) link to another audio output device. In the telephony mode, the audio output device may communicate with another audio output device using networked telephony. The disclosed methods and systems perform acoustic analysis of the near-field speech signal of a local wearer of the audio output device and the far-field speech signal of a remote talker to determine the best mode for the audio output device to use and to seamlessly transition between the modes as the acoustic environment between the wearers changes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2024
    Publication date: April 24, 2025
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Sheaffer, Martin E. Johnson, Andrew P. Bright
  • Patent number: 12283289
    Abstract: Processing of ambience and speech can include extracting from audio signals, ambience and speech signals. One or more spatial parameters can be generated that define spatial characteristics of ambience sound in the one or more ambience audio signals. The primary speech signal, the one or more ambience audio signals, and the spatial parameters can be encoded into one or more encoded data streams. Other aspects are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Sheaffer, Joshua D. Atkins, Mehrez Souden, Symeon Delikaris Manias, Sean A. Ramprashad
  • Patent number: 12264931
    Abstract: A method for providing navigation assistance using a head-worn device that has a camera, several microphones, and several speakers. The method captures sound in an environment as a plurality of microphone audio signals, captures, using the camera, a scene of the environment as a digital image, and processes the digital image to detect an object therein. The method selects, in response to the detection of the object, one of several navigation audio rendering modes. The several navigation audio rendering modes include a first mode that activates an acoustic transparency function to cause the speakers to reproduce the sound of the environment, a second mode that sonifies the object and activates the acoustic transparency function, and a third mode that sonifies the object, partially activates the acoustic transparency function, and an activates active noise cancellation function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Katherine S. Shigeoka, Jonathan D. Sheaffer, Andrew P. Bright
  • Patent number: 12256212
    Abstract: A plurality of microphone signals of a microphone array may be obtained. An environment change may be detected based on the microphone signals. In response, a reverberation time environment may be determined. The reverberation may be used to modify a playback audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Bernard, Prateek Murgai, Juha O. Merimaa, Jonathan D. Sheaffer, Soenke Pelzer
  • Publication number: 20250037709
    Abstract: A method for routing audio content through an electronic device that is to be worn by a user. The method obtains a communication and determines whether the communication is private. In response to determining that the communication is private, the method drives a bone conduction transducer of the electronic device with an audio signal associated with the communication. In response to determining that the communication is not private, however, the method drives a speaker of the electronic device with the audio signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2024
    Publication date: January 30, 2025
    Inventors: Robert D. Silfvast, Neal D. Evans, Nikolas T. Vitt, Jonathan D. Sheaffer
  • Patent number: 12175159
    Abstract: A method performed by a processor of a computer system including a headset that is to be worn on a head of a user. The method drives a speaker of the headset with an input audio signal to output sound into an environment. The method determines that the speaker is at least partially covered with a cupped hand. In response to determining that the speaker is at least partially covered with the cupped hand, applying a gain to the input audio signal to reduce an output sound level of the speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Nikolas T. Vitt, Jonathan D. Sheaffer, Neal D. Evans, Christopher T. Eubank, Jae Hwang Lee
  • Patent number: 12149919
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for automatically transitioning between communication modes of wearable audio output devices based solely on acoustic analysis. The audio output devices may operate in one of three electroacoustic modes. In the transparency mode, an audio output device may pass through the speech signal of a nearby user. In the peer-to-peer mode, the audio output device may establish a direct low-latency radio frequency (RF) link to another audio output device. In the telephony mode, the audio output device may communicate with another audio output device using networked telephony. The disclosed methods and systems perform acoustic analysis of the near-field speech signal of a local wearer of the audio output device and the far-field speech signal of a remote talker to determine the best mode for the audio output device to use and to seamlessly transition between the modes as the acoustic environment between the wearers changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Sheaffer, Martin E. Johnson, Andrew P. Bright
  • Publication number: 20240363094
    Abstract: A conversation detector processes microphone signals and other sensor signals of a headphone to declare a conversation and configures a filter block to activate a transparency audio signal. It then declares an end to the conversation based on processing one or more of the microphone signals and the other sensor signals, and in response deactivates the transparency audio signal. The conversation detector monitors an idle duration in which an OVAD and a TVAD are both or simultaneously indicating no activity and declares the end to the conversation in response to the idle duration being longer than an idle threshold. Other aspects are also described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2024
    Publication date: October 31, 2024
    Inventors: Ashok Masilamani, Prateek Murgai, John Woodruff, David M. Fischer, Jonathan D. Sheaffer, Jonathan Huang, Sorin V. Dusan, Andrew W. Malta, Erik D. Hornberger, Yichi Zhang, Miquel Espi Marques, Carlos M. Avendano
  • Publication number: 20240365040
    Abstract: A conversation detector processes microphone signals and other sensor signals of a headphone to declare a conversation and configures a filter block to activate a transparency audio signal. It then declares an end to the conversation based on processing one or more of the microphone signals and the other sensor signals, and in response deactivates the transparency audio signal. The conversation detector monitors an idle duration in which an OVAD and a TVAD are both or simultaneously indicating no activity and declares the end to the conversation in response to the idle duration being longer than an idle threshold. Other aspects are also described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2024
    Publication date: October 31, 2024
    Inventors: Ashok Masilamani, David M. Fischer, John Woodruff, Jonathan D. Sheaffer, Sanket S. Dave, Deepak Iyer, Andrew W. Malta, Erik D. Hornberger
  • Patent number: 12089032
    Abstract: Acoustic pickup beams (sound beams) can be formed in a physical environment from a plurality of microphone signals. Each of the sound beams can measure acoustic energy in a direction of the respective sound beam. Directional decay of the acoustic energy measured through each of the sound beams is determined. Room surface acoustic properties of the physical environment are determined based on mapping the directional decay of the acoustic energy to the physical environment. Other aspects are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Prateek Murgai, Jonathan D. Sheaffer
  • Patent number: 12080278
    Abstract: A method for routing audio content through an electronic device that is to be worn by a user. The method obtains a communication and determines whether the communication is private. In response to determining that the communication is private, the method drives a bone conduction transducer of the electronic device with an audio signal associated with the communication. In response to determining that the communication is not private, however, the method drives a speaker of the electronic device with the audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Robert D. Silfvast, Neal D. Evans, Nikolas T. Vitt, Jonathan D. Sheaffer
  • Patent number: 12069431
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology provide for joint processing of signals from acoustic microphones and signals from vibration sensors that directly or remotely sense vibrations of the source of the sound itself. The vibration sensors may include remote vibration sensors such as a light-based microphone, which may be implemented as an optical microphone. Joint processing of the signals may include detecting a sound from the source in the signals from the acoustic microphone by selecting a portion of the signals from the acoustic microphone based on the signals from the vibration sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan D. Sheaffer
  • Patent number: 12061278
    Abstract: Disclosed are techniques for a multimedia device with audio and video capturing capability to identify an audio device based on acoustic playback signal if the audio device cannot be identified from captured video. The multimedia device may assemble a list of candidate audio devices that are a possible match for the observed audio device from a database of previously recognized audio devices and may transmit commands to the candidate audio devices to play acoustic identification signals. The acoustic identification signals may be audible sound or ultrasonic tone sequences with embedded identification information unique to each audio device. The multimedia device may record and analyze the acoustic identification signals received from any of the candidate audio devices to construct metrics to select the most likely candidate for the observed audio device. The metrics may include time of flight, direction of arrival, received amplitude, direct-to-reverberant ratio (DRR) of the acoustic identification signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher T. Eubank, Martin E. Johnson, Daniel K. Boothe, Jonathan D. Sheaffer
  • Publication number: 20240267674
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to providing device-independent audio for electronic devices. In one or more implementations, microphone data captured by multiple microphones at an electronic device may be provided to a device-specific audio generalizer at the electronic device. The device-specific audio generalizer may utilize device specific information to generalize the microphone data to form device-independent audio data. The device-independent audio data may then be provided to a device-independent machine learning model at the electronic device or another electronic device for further processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2023
    Publication date: August 8, 2024
    Inventors: Mehrez SOUDEN, Jason WUNG, Jonathan D. SHEAFFER, Joshua D. ATKINS, Siyuan YUAN
  • Patent number: 12010494
    Abstract: An audio system and a method of using the audio system to determine one or more of a head-related transfer function (HRTF) or a headphone equalization (HpEQ) filter for a user, are described. The audio system can determine an acoustic transfer function that relates an output signal detected by a microphone of a headphone worn by the user to an in input signal played by a speaker of the headphone. The acoustic transfer function corresponds to sound reflecting from a pinna of the user between the speaker and the microphone, and accordingly, the acoustic transfer function is user-specific. The user-specific acoustic transfer function can be used to determine the HRTF or the HpEQ filter for the user. Other aspects are also described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Darius A. Satongar, Martin E. Johnson, Peter Victor Jupin, Jonathan D. Sheaffer, Gaƫtan R. Lorho
  • Patent number: 11997463
    Abstract: A method performed by a programmed processor, the method including receiving an input noise signal, generating, using a machine learning model that has an input based on the input noise signal, a mono audio signal that includes a sound and a spatial parameter for the mono audio signal, and generating spatial audio data by spatially encoding the mono audio signal according to the spatial parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Sheaffer, Yelena V. Menyaylenko
  • Publication number: 20240098447
    Abstract: Sound sources can be spatially rendered in a setting and shown through a display. In response to satisfaction of a threshold criterion that is satisfied based on relative distance between the sound sources and a position of a listener, the rendering of the sound sources can be adjusted to maintain spatial integrity of the sound sources. The adjustment can be performed to prevent one of the sound sources from arriving at the listener earlier than another of the sound sources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: Shai MESSINGHER LANG, Jonathan D. SHEAFFER