Patents by Inventor Mark William GERRARD

Mark William GERRARD 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: 11386913
    Abstract: Methods (700, 800, 900), systems (200, 300, 400, 500, 600) and computer program products are provided. Location metadata (620) associated with an audio object is received (801). The location metadata defines a position of the audio object in an audio scene. It is estimated (630, 802), based on the location metadata, whether the audio object includes dialog. A value representative of a result of the estimation is assigned (803) to an object type parameter (231). In some example embodiments, audio objects are selected (661, 662, 804) based on values of their respective of object type parameters. In some example embodiments, at least one of the selected audio objects is submitted to dialog enhancement (690, 807).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventor: Mark William Gerrard
  • Publication number: 20220059102
    Abstract: A method of encoding audio content comprises performing a content analysis of the audio content, generating classification information indicative of a content type of the audio content based on the content analysis, encoding the audio content and the classification information in a bitstream, and outputting the bitstream. A method of decoding audio content from a bitstream including audio content and classification information for the audio content, wherein the classification information is indicative of a content classification of the audio content, comprises receiving the bitstream, decoding the audio content and the classification information, and selecting, based on the classification information, a post processing mode for performing post processing of the decoded audio content. Selecting the post processing mode can involve calculating one or more control weights for post processing of the decoded audio content based on the classification information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Applicants: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION, DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Yanning Bai, Mark William Gerrard, Richard Han, Martin Wolters
  • Patent number: 11238883
    Abstract: A method and a system for dialogue enhancement of an audio signal, comprising receiving (step S1) the audio signal and a text content associated with dialogue occurring in the audio signal, generating (step S2) parameterized synthesized speech from the text content, and applying (step S3) dialogue enhancement to the audio signal based on the parameterized synthesized speech. With the invention text captions, subtitles, or other forms of text content included in an audio stream, can be used to significantly improve dialogue enhancement on the playback side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy Alan Port, Winston Chi Wai Ng, Mark William Gerrard
  • Patent number: 11128973
    Abstract: A method of pre-processing audio for playback through an audio greeting card having at a speaker array of two or more speakers and an audio control circuit, by defining one or more device parameters associated with the greeting card, measuring an audio response from the greeting card when playing an original audio file, deriving correction gains to correct magnitude response characteristics of the audio response, deriving compressor threshold values to minimize level distortion of the audio response, deriving a virtualization transfer function from the one or more device parameters, and applying the correction gains, compressor threshold values, and the virtualization transfer function to generate an output audio file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventor: Mark William Gerrard
  • Publication number: 20200381003
    Abstract: Methods (700, 800, 900), systems (200, 300, 400, 500, 600) and computer program products are provided. Location metadata (620) associated with an audio object is received (801). The location metadata defines a position of the audio object in an audio scene. It is estimated (630, 802), based on the location metadata, whether the audio object includes dialog. A value representative of a result of the estimation is assigned (803) to an object type parameter (231). In some example embodiments, audio objects are selected (661, 662, 804) based on values of their respective of object type parameters. In some example embodiments, at least one of the selected audio objects is submitted to dialog enhancement (690, 807).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventor: Mark William Gerrard
  • Publication number: 20200329327
    Abstract: A method of pre-processing audio for playback through an audio greeting card having at a speaker array of two or more speakers and an audio control circuit, by defining one or more device parameters associated with the greeting card, measuring an audio response from the greeting card when playing an original audio file, deriving correction gains to correct magnitude response characteristics of the audio response, deriving compressor threshold values to minimize level distortion of the audio response, deriving a virtualization transfer function from the one or more device parameters, and applying the correction gains, compressor threshold values, and the virtualization transfer function to generate an output audio file.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Publication date: October 15, 2020
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventor: Mark William Gerrard
  • Patent number: 10659880
    Abstract: A method of processing audio data for replay on a mobile device with a first speaker and a second speaker, wherein the audio data comprises a respective audio signal for each of the first and second speakers, includes: determining a device orientation of the mobile device; if the determined device orientation is vertical orientation, applying a first processing mode to the audio signals for the first and second speakers; and if the determined device orientation is horizontal orientation, applying a second processing mode to the audio signals for the first and second speakers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignees: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Dirk Jeroen Breebaart, Mark David de Burgh, Nicholas Luke Appleton, Heiko Purnhagen, Mark William Gerrard, David Matthew Cooper
  • Patent number: 10582327
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for providing an immersive listening area for one or more listeners. To improve the immersive experience a rear sound bar is placed behind the listeners and the input channels of the rear sound bar receive customized processing to create a virtual rear sound stage. The virtual rear sound stage and a front sound stage created by a front sound bar, combine to create an overall sound stage to encompass the listeners, providing the listeners with an immersive listening experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Mark William Gerrard, Michael William Mason
  • Publication number: 20190362732
    Abstract: A method and a system for dialogue enhancement of an audio signal, comprising receiving (step S1) the audio signal and a text content associated with dialogue occurring in the audio signal, generating (step S2) parameterized synthesized speech from the text content, and applying (step S3) dialogue enhancement to the audio signal based on the parameterized synthesized speech. With the invention text captions, subtitles, or other forms of text content included in an audio stream, can be used to significantly improve dialogue enhancement on the playback side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy Alan PORT, Winston Chi Wai NG, Mark William GERRARD
  • Publication number: 20190158957
    Abstract: A method of processing audio data for replay on a mobile device with a first speaker and a second speaker, wherein the audio data comprises a respective audio signal for each of the first and second speakers, includes: determining a device orientation of the mobile device; if the determined device orientation is vertical orientation, applying a first processing mode to the audio signals for the first and second speakers; and if the determined device orientation is horizontal orientation, applying a second processing mode to the audio signals for the first and second speakers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Applicants: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Dirk Jeroen Breebaart, Mark David de Burgh, Nicholas Luke Appleton, Heiko Purnhagen, Mark William Gerrard, David Matthew Cooper
  • Publication number: 20190116445
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for providing an immersive listening area for one or more listeners. To improve the immersive experience a rear sound bar is placed behind the listeners and the input channels of the rear sound bar receive customized processing to create a virtual rear sound stage. The virtual rear sound stage and a front sound stage created by a front sound bar, combine to create an overall sound stage to encompass the listeners, providing the listeners with an immersive listening experience.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2018
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mark William GERRARD, Michael William MASON