Patents by Inventor Meik Pfeffinger

Meik Pfeffinger 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: 11950067
    Abstract: An In-Car Communication (ICC) system supports the communication paths within a car by receiving the speech signals of a speaking passenger and playing it back for one or more listening passengers. Signal processing tasks are split into a microphone related part and into a loudspeaker related part. A sound processing system suitable for use in a vehicle having multiple acoustic zones includes a plurality of microphone In-Car Communication (Mic-ICC) instances coupled and a plurality of loudspeaker In-Car Communication (Ls-ICC) instances. The system further includes a dynamic audio routing matrix with a controller and coupled to the Mic-ICC instances, a mixer coupled to the plurality of Mic-ICC instances and a distributor coupled to the Ls-ICC instances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Cerence Operating Company
    Inventors: Tobias Herbig, Markus Buck, Meik Pfeffinger
  • Patent number: 11798576
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a communication system having microphones and loudspeakers to determine a noise and speech level estimate for a transformed signal, determine a SNR from the noise and speech level estimates, and determine a gain for the transformed signal to achieve a selected SNR range at a given position. In one embodiment, the gain is determined by adapting an actual gain to follow a target gain, wherein the target gain is adjusted to achieve the selected SNR range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Cerence Operating Company
    Inventors: Tobias Herbig, Meik Pfeffinger, Bernd Iser
  • Publication number: 20230209260
    Abstract: An In-Car Communication (ICC) system supports the communication paths within a car by receiving the speech signals of a speaking passenger and playing it back for one or more listening passengers. Signal processing tasks are split into a microphone related part and into a loudspeaker related part. A sound processing system suitable for use in a vehicle having multiple acoustic zones includes a plurality of microphone In-Car Communication (Mic-ICC) instances coupled and a plurality of loudspeaker In-Car Communication (Ls-ICC) instances. The system further includes a dynamic audio routing matrix with a controller and coupled to the Mic-ICC instances, a mixer coupled to the plurality of Mic-ICC instances and a distributor coupled to the Ls-ICC instances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2023
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: Tobias Herbig, Markus Buck, Meik Pfeffinger
  • Publication number: 20230178077
    Abstract: A system for detection of at least one designated wake-up word for at least one speech-enabled application. The system comprises at least one microphone; and at least one computer hardware processor configured to perform: receiving an acoustic signal generated by the at least one microphone at least in part as a result of receiving an utterance spoken by a speaker; obtaining information indicative of the speaker's identity; interpreting the acoustic signal at least in part by determining, using the information indicative of the speaker's identity and automated speech recognition, whether the utterance spoken by the speaker includes the at least one designated wake-up word; and interacting with the speaker based, at least in part, on results of the interpreting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2023
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Applicant: CERENCE OPERATING COMPANY
    Inventors: Meik PFEFFINGER, Timo MATHEJA, Tobias HERBIG, Tim HAULICK
  • Patent number: 11600269
    Abstract: A system for detection of at least one designated wake-up word for at least one speech-enabled application. The system comprises at least one microphone; and at least one computer hardware processor configured to perform: receiving an acoustic signal generated by the at least one microphone at least in part as a result of receiving an utterance spoken by a speaker; obtaining information indicative of the speaker's identity; interpreting the acoustic signal at least in part by determining, using the information indicative of the speaker's identity and automated speech recognition, whether the utterance spoken by the speaker includes the at least one designated wake-up word; and interacting with the speaker based, at least in part, on results of the interpreting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Cerence Operating Company
    Inventors: Meik Pfeffinger, Timo Matheja, Tobias Herbig, Tim Haulick
  • Patent number: 11575990
    Abstract: An communication system supports communication paths within an environment by receiving speech signals of a speaker and playing it back for one or more listeners. Signal processing tasks are split into a microphone related part and into a loudspeaker related part. A sound processing system suitable for use in an environment having multiple acoustic zones includes a plurality of microphone communication instances coupled and a plurality of loudspeaker instances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Cerence Operating Company
    Inventors: Tobias Herbig, Markus Buck, Meik Pfeffinger
  • Publication number: 20200176012
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a communication system having microphones and loudspeakers to determine a noise and speech level estimate for a transformed signal, determine a SNR from the noise and speech level estimates, and determine a gain for the transformed signal to achieve a selected SNR range at a given position. In one embodiment, the gain is determined by adapting an actual gain to follow a target gain, wherein the target gain is adjusted to achieve the selected SNR range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Applicant: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Tobias HERBIG, Meik PFEFFINGER, Bernd ISER
  • Publication number: 20190311715
    Abstract: A system for detection of at least one designated wake-up word for at least one speech-enabled application. The system comprises at least one microphone; and at least one computer hardware processor configured to perform: receiving an acoustic signal generated by the at least one microphone at least in part as a result of receiving an utterance spoken by a speaker; obtaining information indicative of the speaker's identity; interpreting the acoustic signal at least in part by determining, using the information indicative of the speaker's identity and automated speech recognition, whether the utterance spoken by the speaker includes the at least one designated wake-up word; and interacting with the speaker based, at least in part, on results of the interpreting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Applicant: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Meik Pfeffinger, Timo Matheja, Tobias Herbig, Tim Haulick
  • Publication number: 20170251304
    Abstract: An communication system supports communication paths within an environment by receiving speech signals of a speaker and playing it back for one or more listeners. Signal processing tasks are split into a microphone related part and into a loudspeaker related part. A sound processing system suitable for use in an environment having multiple acoustic zones includes a plurality of microphone communication instances coupled and a plurality of loudspeaker instances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Applicant: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Tobias Herbig, Markus Buck, Meik Pfeffinger
  • Patent number: 9641934
    Abstract: An In-Car Communication (ICC) system supports the communication paths within a car by receiving the speech signals of a speaking passenger and playing it back for one or more listening passengers. Signal processing tasks are split into a microphone related part and into a loudspeaker related part. A sound processing system suitable for use in a vehicle having multiple acoustic zones includes a plurality of microphone In-Car Communication (Mic-ICC) instances coupled and a plurality of loudspeaker In-Car Communication (Ls-ICC) instances. The system further includes a dynamic audio routing matrix with a controller and coupled to the Mic-ICC instances, a mixer coupled to the plurality of Mic-ICC instances and a distributor coupled to the Ls-ICC instances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Tobias Herbig, Markus Buck, Meik Pfeffinger
  • Patent number: 9549250
    Abstract: An in-car communication (ICC) system has multiple acoustic zones having varying acoustic environments. At least one input microphone within at least one acoustic zone develops a corresponding microphone signal from one or more system users. At least one loudspeaker within at least one acoustic zone provides acoustic audio to the system users. A wind noise module makes a determination of when wind noise is present in the microphone signal and modifies the microphone signal based on the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Tobias Herbig, Markus Buck, Meik Pfeffinger
  • Publication number: 20170011753
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a communication system having microphones and loudspeakers to determine a noise and speech level estimate for a transformed signal, determine a SNR from the noise and speech level estimates, and determine a gain for the transformed signal to achieve a selected SNR range at a given position. In one embodiment, the gain is determined by adapting an actual gain to follow a target gain, wherein the target gain is adjusted to achieve the selected SNR range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Applicant: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Tobias Herbig, Meik Pfeffinger, Bernd Iser
  • Patent number: 9502050
    Abstract: A speech communication system includes a speech service compartment for holding one or more system users. The speech service compartment includes a plurality of acoustic zones having varying acoustic environments. At least one input microphone is located within the speech service compartment, for developing microphone input signals from the one or more system users. At least one loudspeaker is located within the service compartment. An in-car communication (ICC) system receives and processes the microphone input signals, forming loudspeaker output signals that are provided to one or more of the at least one output loudspeakers. The ICC system includes at least one of a speaker dedicated signal processing module and a listener specific signal processing module, that controls the processing of the microphone input signal and/or forming of the loudspeaker output signal based, at least in part, on at least one of an associated acoustic environment(s) and resulting psychoacoustic effect(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Markus Buck, Tobias Herbig, Meik Pfeffinger
  • Publication number: 20150156587
    Abstract: An in-car communication (ICC) system has multiple acoustic zones having varying acoustic environments. At least one input microphone within at least one acoustic zone develops a corresponding microphone signal from one or more system users. At least one loudspeaker within at least one acoustic zone provides acoustic audio to the system users. A wind noise module makes a determination of when wind noise is present in the microphone signal and modifies the microphone signal based on the determination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Publication date: June 4, 2015
    Applicant: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Tobias Herbig, Markus Buck, Meik Pfeffinger
  • Publication number: 20150127351
    Abstract: A speech communication system includes a speech service compartment for holding one or more system users. The speech service compartment includes a plurality of acoustic zones having varying acoustic environments. At least one input microphone is located within the speech service compartment, for developing microphone input signals from the one or more system users. At least one loudspeaker is located within the service compartment. An in-car communication (ICC) system receives and processes the microphone input signals, forming loudspeaker output signals that are provided to one or more of the at least one output loudspeakers. The ICC system includes at least one of a speaker dedicated signal processing module and a listener specific signal processing module, that controls the processing of the microphone input signal and/or forming of the loudspeaker output signal based, at least in part, on at least one of an associated acoustic environment(s) and resulting psychoacoustic effect(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Markus Buck, Tobias Herbig, Meik Pfeffinger
  • Publication number: 20130179163
    Abstract: An In-Car Communication (ICC) system supports the communication paths within a car by receiving the speech signals of a speaking passenger and playing it back for one or more listening passengers. Signal processing tasks are split into a microphone related part and into a loudspeaker related part. A sound processing system suitable for use in a vehicle having multiple acoustic zones includes a plurality of microphone In-Car Communication (Mic-ICC) instances coupled and a plurality of loudspeaker In-Car Communication (Ls-ICC) instances. The system further includes a dynamic audio routing matrix with a controller and coupled to the Mic-ICC instances, a mixer coupled to the plurality of Mic-ICC instances and a distributor coupled to the Ls-ICC instances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2012
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Inventors: Tobias Herbig, Markus Buck, Meik Pfeffinger