Patents by Inventor Phillip Hetherington

Phillip Hetherington 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).

  • Publication number: 20110311068
    Abstract: A voice enhancement logic improves the perceptual quality of a processed voice. The voice enhancement system includes a passing tire hiss noise detector and a passing tire hiss noise attenuator. The passing tire hiss noise detector detects a passing tire hiss noise by modeling the passing tire hiss. The passing tire hiss noise attenuator dampens the passing tire hiss noise to improve the intelligibility of a speech signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Inventors: Phillip A. Hetherington, Shreyas A. Paranjpe
  • Patent number: 8078461
    Abstract: An enhancement system improves the estimate of noise from a received signal. The system includes a spectrum monitor that divides a portion of the signal at more than one frequency resolution. Adaptation logic derives a noise adaptation factor of the received signal. A plurality of devices tracks the characteristics of an estimated noise in the received signal and modifies multiple noise adaptation rates. Weighting logic applies the modified noise adaptation rates derived from the signal divided at a first frequency resolution to the signal divided at a second frequency resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.
    Inventor: Phillip A. Hetherington
  • Patent number: 8073689
    Abstract: A system improves the perceptual quality of a speech signal by dampening undesired repetitive transient noises. The system includes a repetitive transient noise detector adapted to detect repetitive transient noise in a received signal. The received signal may include a harmonic and a noise spectrum. The system further includes a repetitive transient noise attenuator that substantially removes or dampens repetitive transient noises from the received signal. The method of dampening the repetitive transient noises includes modeling characteristics of repetitive transient noises; detecting characteristics in the received signal that correspond to the modeled characteristics of the repetitive transient noises; and substantially removing components of the repetitive transient noises from the received signal that correspond to some or all of the modeled characteristics of the repetitive transient noises.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.
    Inventors: Phillip A. Hetherington, Shreyas A. Paranjpe
  • Publication number: 20110282660
    Abstract: A voice enhancement logic improves the perceptual quality of a processed signal. The voice enhancement system includes a noise detector and a noise attenuator. The noise detector detects and models the noise associated with rain. The noise attenuator dampens or reduces the rain noise from a signal to improve the intelligibility of an unvoiced, a fully voiced, or a mixed voice segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Inventors: Phillip A. Hetherington, Adrian R. Groves
  • Publication number: 20110276324
    Abstract: An enhancement system extracts pitch from a processed speech signal. The system estimates the pitch of voiced speech by deriving filter coefficients of an adaptive filter and using the obtained filter coefficients to derive pitch. The pitch estimation may be enhanced by using various techniques to condition the input speech signal, such as spectral modification of the background noise and the speech signal, and/or reduction of the tonal noise from the speech signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2011
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Inventors: Rajeev Nongpiur, Phillip A. Hetherington
  • Patent number: 8036879
    Abstract: A speech enhancement system improves the perceptual quality of an aural signal. A receiver detects and receives an unvoiced signal, a fully voiced signal, or a mixed voice remote signal. A coherence processor identifies the similarities or differences between a local signal and the remote signal. A cancellation processor or controller dampens reflected signals that may be part of the local signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.
    Inventors: Phillip A. Hetherington, Shreyas A. Paranjpe
  • Patent number: 8027833
    Abstract: A voice enhancement logic improves the perceptual quality of a processed voice. The voice enhancement system includes a passing tire hiss noise detector and a passing tire hiss noise attenuator. The passing tire hiss noise detector detects a passing tire hiss noise by modeling the passing tire hiss. The passing tire hiss noise attenuator dampens the passing tire hiss noise to improve the intelligibility of a speech signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.
    Inventors: Phillip A. Hetherington, Shreyas A. Paranjpe
  • Publication number: 20110231195
    Abstract: A system extends the high-frequency spectrum of a narrowband audio signal in the time domain. The system extends the harmonics of vowels by introducing a non linearity in a narrow band signal. Extended consonants are generated by a random-noise generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Inventors: Rajeev Nongpiur, Phillip A. Hetherington
  • Patent number: 8015002
    Abstract: A speech enhancement system improves the speech quality and intelligibility of a speech signal. The system includes a time-to-frequency converter that converts segments of a speech signal into frequency bands. A signal detector measures the signal power of the frequency bands of each speech segment. A background noise estimator measures a background noise detected in the speech signal. A dynamic noise reduction controller dynamically models the background noise in the speech signal. The speech enhancement renders a speech signal perceptually pleasing to a listener by dynamically attenuating a portion of the noise that occurs in a portion of the spectrum of the speech signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.
    Inventors: Xueman Li, Rajeev Nongpiur, Phillip A. Hetherington
  • Publication number: 20110194700
    Abstract: A system enhances spatialization in an audio signal at a receiving location. The system applies a phase difference analysis to signals received from an array of spaced apart input devices that convert sound into electrical signals. The system derives spatial or directional information about the relative locations of the sound sources. The converted signals may be mixed using weights derived from the spatial information to generate a multichannel output signal that, when processed by a remote or local audio system, generates a representation of the relative locations of the sound sources at the originating location at the receiving location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Inventors: Phillip A. Hetherington, Mark Fallat
  • Publication number: 20110194704
    Abstract: A system enhances spatialization in which spatial information about sound sources at an originating location is represented in an audio signal. The system applies a phase difference analysis to the signals received from an array of spaced apart input devices or microphones to derive spatial or directional information about the relative directions of one or more satellite input devices or microphones. The signals from the satellite input devices or microphones are mixed by a function of their respective directions to generate a multichannel output signal. When processed by a remote or local system, the output signal provides a representation of the relative directions of the sound sources at the originating location at a receiving location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Inventors: Phillip A. Hetherington, Mark Fallat
  • Patent number: 7949522
    Abstract: A voice enhancement logic improves the perceptual quality of a processed signal. The voice enhancement system includes a noise detector and a noise attenuator. The noise detector detects and models the noise associated with rain. The noise attenuator dampens or reduces the rain noise from a signal to improve the intelligibility of an unvoiced, a fully voiced, or a mixed voice segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.
    Inventors: Phillip A. Hetherington, Adrian R. Groves
  • Patent number: 7949520
    Abstract: An enhancement system extracts pitch from a processed speech signal. The system estimates the pitch of voiced speech by deriving filter coefficients of an adaptive filter and using the obtained filter coefficients to derive pitch. The pitch estimation may be enhanced by using various techniques to condition the input speech signal, such as spectral modification of the background noise and the speech signal, and/or reduction of the tonal noise from the speech signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: QNX Software Sytems Co.
    Inventors: Rajeev Nongpiur, Phillip A. Hetherington
  • Patent number: 7912729
    Abstract: A system extends the high-frequency spectrum of a narrow band audio signal in the time domain. The system extends the harmonics of vowels by introducing a non linearity in a narrow band signal. Extended consonants are generated by a random-noise generator. The system differentiates the vowels from the consonants by exploiting predetermined features of a speech signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.
    Inventors: Rajeev Nongpiur, Phillip A. Hetherington
  • Publication number: 20110066430
    Abstract: An enhancement system improves the estimate of noise from a received signal. The system includes a spectrum monitor that divides a portion of the signal at more than one frequency resolution. Adaptation logic derives a noise adaptation factor of the received signal. A plurality of devices tracks the characteristics of an estimated noise in the received signal and modifies multiple noise adaptation rates. Weighting logic applies the modified noise adaptation rates derived from the signal divided at a first frequency resolution to the signal divided at a second frequency resolution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Inventor: Phillip A. Hetherington
  • Patent number: 7895036
    Abstract: A voice enhancement logic improves the perceptual quality of a processed voice. The voice enhancement system includes a noise detector and a noise attenuator. The noise detector detects a wind buffet and a continuous noise by modeling the wind buffet. The noise attenuator dampens the wind buffet to improve the intelligibility of an unvoiced, a fully voiced, or a mixed voice segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.
    Inventors: Phillip A. Hetherington, Xueman Li, Pierre Zakarauskas
  • Publication number: 20110026734
    Abstract: A voice enhancement logic improves the perceptual quality of a processed voice. The voice enhancement system includes a noise detector and a noise attenuator. The noise detector detects a wind buffet and a continuous noise by modeling the wind buffet. The noise attenuator dampens the wind buffet to improve the intelligibility of an unvoiced, a fully voiced, or a mixed voice segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Inventors: Phillip A. Hetherington, Xueman Li, Pierre Zakarauskas
  • Patent number: 7869994
    Abstract: A transient noise removal system removes or dampens undesired transients from speech. When the transient noise removal system receives a speech frame, the system performs a wavelet transform analysis. The speech frame may be represented by one or more wavelet coefficients across one or more wavelet levels. For a given wavelet level, the transient noise-removal system may determine a wavelet threshold. The transient noise removal system may compare the threshold corresponding to a wavelet level to the wavelet coefficients within that level. The transient noise removal system may attenuate each wavelet coefficient based on a comparison to a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.
    Inventors: Rajeev Nongpiur, Shreyas A. Paranjpe, Phillip A. Hetherington
  • Patent number: 7844453
    Abstract: An enhancement system improves the estimate of noise from a received signal. The system includes a spectrum monitor that divides a portion of the signal at more than one frequency resolution. Adaptation logic derives a noise adaptation factor of the received signal. A plurality of devices tracks the characteristics of an estimated noise in the received signal and modifies multiple noise adaptation rates. Weighting logic applies the modified noise adaptation rates derived from the signal divided at a first frequency resolution to the signal divided at a second frequency resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems Co.
    Inventor: Phillip A. Hetherington
  • Patent number: 7813931
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for improving the quality and intelligibility of speech signals. The system and method apply frequency compression to the higher frequency components of speech signals while leaving lower frequency components substantially unchanged. This preserves higher frequency information related to consonants which is typically lost to filtering and bandpass constraints. This information is preserved without significantly altering the fundamental pitch of the speech signal so that when the speech signal is reproduced its overall tone qualities are preserved. The system and method further apply frequency expansion to speech signals. Like the compression, only the upper frequencies of a received speech signal are expanded. When the frequency expansion is applied to a speech signal that has been compressed according to the invention, the speech signal is substantially returned to its pre-compressed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: QNX Software Systems, Co.
    Inventors: Phillip Hetherington, Xueman Li