Patents by Inventor Kurt S. Fienberg

Kurt S. Fienberg 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: 11134341
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing audio signals. One system includes a communication device including a transceiver configured to send and receive audio data, and a microphone configured to convert sound waves to a first audio signal. A speaker is configured to convert received electrical signals to an acoustic output and is configured to convert sound waves to a second audio signal. An electronic processor connected to the microphone and the speaker is configured to receive the first audio signal from the microphone, receive the second audio signal from the speaker, determine a correlation value between the first audio signal and the second audio signal, and compare the correlation value to a correlation threshold. In response to the correlation value being below the correlation threshold, the electronic processor generates an output signal based on the first audio signal and the second audio signal, and transmits the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Kar Meng Tang, Kurt S. Fienberg, Geng Xiang Lee, Lian Kooi Ng, Thean Hai Ooi
  • Publication number: 20210021927
    Abstract: Systems and methods for beamforming audio signals received from a microphone array. One example embodiment provides an electronic device. The electronic device includes a microphone array and an electronic processor communicatively coupled to the microphone array. The electronic processor is configured to estimate an ambient noise level. The electronic processor is configured to compare the ambient noise level to a first threshold and a second threshold, the second threshold being lower than the first threshold. The electronic processor is configured to determine a beam pattern for the microphone array based on the comparison of the ambient noise level to the first threshold and the second threshold. The electronic processor is configured to apply the beam pattern to an audio signal received by the microphone array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: Charles B. Harmke, Kurt S. Fienberg, Daniel Grobe Sachs
  • Patent number: 10887685
    Abstract: Systems and methods for beamforming audio signals received from a microphone array. One example embodiment provides an electronic device. The electronic device includes a microphone array and an electronic processor communicatively coupled to the microphone array. The electronic processor is configured to estimate an ambient noise level. The electronic processor is configured to compare the ambient noise level to a first threshold and a second threshold, the second threshold being lower than the first threshold. The electronic processor is configured to determine a beam pattern for the microphone array based on the comparison of the ambient noise level to the first threshold and the second threshold. The electronic processor is configured to apply the beam pattern to an audio signal received by the microphone array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Charles B. Harmke, Kurt S. Fienberg, Daniel Grobe Sachs
  • Patent number: 10530936
    Abstract: Systems and methods for acoustic feedback cancellation. One method includes transmitting, with a transceiver, a known full-band sequence at a first time. The method includes receiving, via a microphone, a received audio signal including a received copy of the known full-band sequence. The method includes filtering the received audio signal to generate a filtered audio signal, and detecting, based on the filtered audio signal, a second portable communication device in proximity to the portable communication device. The method includes, in response to detecting the second portable communication device, determining, based on the first time and filtered audio signal, an estimated loop delay. The method includes initializing an adaptive feedback cancellation filter based on the estimated loop delay and the plurality of estimated filter coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Vahid Khanagha, Kurt S. Fienberg
  • Patent number: 10405115
    Abstract: Reliable detection of a microphone failure along with corrective action are provided for a portable communication device having multiple microphones. The faulty microphone detection uses a correlation based metric between three (3) or more microphones. The approach is based on full cross correlation, including phase as well as magnitude, between unique microphone pairs for isolating a faulty microphone condition. The approach allows for the determination of precisely which microphone has failed and minimizes false triggers under windy conditions within a microphone array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Daniel Landron, Kurt S. Fienberg
  • Patent number: 10341839
    Abstract: A portable communication system (100) maintains mission critical functionality. An accessory (120) and a handset (130) are tethered and interoperate such that the accessory operates as the primary controlling device and the handset operates as a secondary device. The accessory (120) contains a main applications processor (102) that handles non-mission critical functions. The accessory further contains a mission critical processor (104) for handling mission critical functions of transmit and receive audio as well as PTT and emergency. In response to a failure of the mission critical processor (104), the mission critical functions are maintained by handing over the mission critical functions to the non-controlling device in a manner transparent to the user. The handover is triggered in response to status changes of the mission critical processor or as a result of battery depletion. Audio paths are re-routed through backup paths (146b, 148) negating reliance on processors of the accessory (120).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Javier Alfaro, Kurt S. Fienberg, Daniel Landron, Kevin D. Elliott, David Corvino, Hua Li
  • Patent number: 10339950
    Abstract: Systems and methods for beamforming audio signals received from a microphone array. One method includes receiving, with an electronic processor communicatively coupled to the microphone array, a plurality of audio signals from the microphone array. The method includes generating a plurality of beams based on the plurality of audio signals. The method includes detecting that an electronic device is in a body-worn position. The method includes, in response to the device being in the body-worn position, determining at least one restricted direction based on the body-worn position. The method includes generating, for each of the plurality of beams, a likelihood statistic. The method includes, for each of the beams, assigning a weight to the likelihood statistic based on the at least one restricted direction to generate a weighted likelihood statistic. The method includes generating an output audio stream from the plurality of beams based on the weighted likelihood statistic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Kurt S. Fienberg, David Yeager
  • Publication number: 20190141508
    Abstract: A portable communication system (100) maintains mission critical functionality. An accessory (120) and a handset (130) are tethered and interoperate such that the accessory operates as the primary controlling device and the handset operates as a secondary device. The accessory (120) contains a main applications processor (102) that handles non-mission critical functions. The accessory further contains a mission critical processor (104) for handling mission critical functions of transmit and receive audio as well as PTT and emergency. In response to a failure of the mission critical processor (104), the mission critical functions are maintained by handing over the mission critical functions to the non-controlling device in a manner transparent to the user. The handover is triggered in response to status changes of the mission critical processor or as a result of battery depletion. Audio paths are re-routed through backup paths (146b, 148) negating reliance on processors of the accessory (120).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Inventors: Javier Alfaro, Kurt S. Fienberg, Daniel Landron, Kevin D. Elliott, David Corvino, Hua Li
  • Publication number: 20180374495
    Abstract: Systems and methods for beamforming audio signals received from a microphone array. One method includes receiving, with an electronic processor communicatively coupled to the microphone array, a plurality of audio signals from the microphone array. The method includes generating a plurality of beams based on the plurality of audio signals. The method includes detecting that an electronic device is in a body-worn position. The method includes, in response to the device being in the body-worn position, determining at least one restricted direction based on the body-worn position. The method includes generating, for each of the plurality of beams, a likelihood statistic. The method includes, for each of the beams, assigning a weight to the likelihood statistic based on the at least one restricted direction to generate a weighted likelihood statistic. The method includes generating an output audio stream from the plurality of beams based on the weighted likelihood statistic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Kurt S. Fienberg, David Yeager
  • Patent number: 10015658
    Abstract: A portable communication system (100) maintains mission critical functionality. An accessory (120) and a handset (130) are tethered and interoperate such that the accessory operates as the primary controlling device and the handset operates as a secondary device. The accessory (120) contains a main applications processor (102) that handles non-mission critical functions. The accessory further contains a mission critical processor (104) for handling mission critical functions of transmit and receive audio as well as PTT and emergency. In response to a failure of the mission critical processor (104), the mission critical functions are maintained by handing over the mission critical functions to the non-controlling device in a manner transparent to the user. The handover is triggered in response to status changes of the mission critical processor or as a result of battery depletion. Audio paths are re-routed through backup paths (146b,148) negating reliance on processors of the accessory (120).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Javier Alfaro, Kurt S. Fienberg, Daniel Landron, Kevin D. Elliott, David Corvino, Hua Li
  • Patent number: 9807498
    Abstract: System and method for beamforming audio signals received from a microphone array. The method includes receiving at least one audio signal from the microphone array. The method includes determining a plurality of beams based on the at least one audio signal. The method includes receiving from a vibration microphone at least one vibration signal, and filtering the at least one vibration signal to generate at least one filtered vibration signal. The method includes filtering the plurality of beams to generate a plurality of filtered beams. The method includes determining a plurality of correlation values, each of the plurality of correlation values based on one of the plurality of filtered beams and the at least one filtered vibration signal. The method includes determining a peak correlation value based on the plurality of correlation values, and selecting one of the plurality of beams based on the peak correlation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles B. Harmke, Kurt S. Fienberg