Patents by Inventor Richard Van Hoesel

Richard Van Hoesel 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: 10347269
    Abstract: Noise reduction methods and systems for reducing unwanted sounds in signals received from an arrangement of microphones are disclosed, the method including the steps of: sensing sound sources distributed around a specified target direction by way of an arrangement of microphones to produce left and right microphone output signals; determining the magnitude or power of the left and right microphone signals; attenuating the signals based on the difference of the magnitudes or powers or values derived from the magnitudes or powers of the left and right microphone signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: HEAR IP PTY LTD
    Inventors: Richard Van Hoesel, Jorge Mejia
  • Patent number: 9396717
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing unwanted sounds in signals received from an arrangement of microphones including: sensing sound sources distributed around a specified target direction by way of an arrangement of microphones to produce left and right microphone output signals; determining the power of the left and right microphone signals; determining the minimum of the two microphone power measures; and, attenuating the signals based on a comparison of the left and right microphone power measures with the minimum power measure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: HEAR IP Pty Ltd.
    Inventors: Richard Van Hoesel, Jorge Mejia
  • Publication number: 20160005417
    Abstract: Noise reduction methods and systems for reducing unwanted sounds in signals received from an arrangement of microphones are disclosed, the method including the steps of: sensing sound sources distributed around a specified target direction by way of an arrangement of microphones to produce left and right microphone output signals; determining the magnitude or power of the left and right microphone signals; attenuating the signals based on the difference of the magnitudes or powers or values derived from the magnitudes or powers of the left and right microphone signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Inventors: Richard Van Hoesel, Jorge Mejia
  • Patent number: 9084893
    Abstract: There is disclosed a system (20) for processing sound signals for use in a hearing prosthesis, the system comprising a transducer (1) for converting a sound signal into an electrical signal (30). A first. processor (4) for processing said electrical signal (30) into a plurality of frequency channel signals, each channel signal having an amplitude envelope to define at least one set of channel outputs (40, 41). A second processor (5) for obtaining information relating to a fundamental frequency of the electrical Signal (30). A third processor (6) for obtaining information relating to the harmonic nature of the electrical signal (30). A modulator (7) for modulating the at least one set of channel outputs (40, 41) received from the first processor (4) in accordance with the in formation relating to the fundamental frequency and the harmonic nature of, the electrical signal so as to generate at least one modified set of channel outputs (70, 71).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: HEARWORKS PTY LTD
    Inventors: Andrew Vandali, Richard Van Hoesel
  • Patent number: 8842853
    Abstract: Sound processing processes and sound processing units are disclosed. The processes and units have particular application to auditory prostheses. In an embodiment, after input sound signals are processed into channels, an algorithm is applied to selectively increase the modulation depth of the envelope signals. In another embodiment, a sound processing unit includes a filter bank configured to process a sound signal to generate envelope signals in each of a plurality of spaced frequency channels. The speech processing unit also includes a broadband envelope detector configured to measure the envelope of at least one broadband signal, and a channel modulation module configured to use the at least one broadband envelope signal to modulate the channel envelope signals to generate modulated envelope signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Andrew Vandali, Richard Van Hoesel, Peter Seligman
  • Publication number: 20130223644
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing unwanted sounds in signals received from an arrangement of microphones including: sensing sound sources distributed around a specified target direction by way of an arrangement of microphones to produce left and right microphone output signals; determining the power of the left and right microphone signals; determining the minimum of the two microphone power measures; and, attenuating the signals based on a comparison of the left and right microphone power measures with the minimum power measure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: HEAR IP Pty Ltd.
    Inventors: Richard Van Hoesel, Jorge Mejia
  • Publication number: 20120008809
    Abstract: A sound processing process is disclosed, with particular application to auditory prostheses. After input sound signals are processed into channels, an algorithm is applied to selectively increase the modulation depth of the envelope signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Inventors: Andrew VANDALI, Richard VAN HOESEL, Peter SELIGMAN
  • Publication number: 20110286618
    Abstract: There is disclosed a system (20) for processing sound signals for use in a hearing prosthesis, the system comprising a transducer (1) for converting a sound signal into an electrical signal (30). A first, processor (4) for processing said electrical signal (30) into a plurality of frequency channel signals, each channel signal having an amplitude envelope to define al least one set of channel outputs (40, 41). A second processor (5) for obtaining information relating to a fundamental frequency of the electrical Signal (30). A third processor (6) for obtaining information relating to the harmonic nature of the electrical signal (30). A modulator (7) for modulating the at least one set of channel outputs (40, 41) received from the first processor (4) in accordance with the in formation relating to the fundamental frequency and the harmonic nature of, the electrical signal so as to generate at least one modified set of channel outputs (70, 71).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2010
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: Hearworks Pty Ltd University of Melbourne
    Inventors: Andrew Vandali, Richard Van Hoesel
  • Patent number: 8023673
    Abstract: A sound processing process, device and software are disclosed which seek to improve pitch perception, with particular application to auditory prostheses. After input sound signals are processed into channels, an algorithm is applied to selectively increase the modulation depth of the envelope signals. In certain embodiments, the channelized signals are adjusted in timing so as to align the phase of modulated envelope signals in different channels. This results in provision of synchronous (phase aligned) modulation periodicity across channels and hence less pitch ambiguity for listeners to the processed signal, or for application of the signal to hearing prostheses such as cochlear implants. In some embodiments, a broadband envelope signal is used to modulate the level of the narrow band channel signals, so that voicing frequency modulation information in the broadband envelope signal is provided in all narrow band channel signals and the phase of modulated signals in the channels are aligned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Hearworks Pty. Limited
    Inventors: Andrew Vandali, Richard Van Hoesel, Peter Seligman
  • Patent number: 7561709
    Abstract: A sound processing process is disclosed, with particular application to auditory prostheses. After input sound signals are processed into channels, an algorithm is applied to selectively increase the modulation depth of the envelope signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Hearworks PTY Limited
    Inventors: Andrew Vandali, Richard Van Hoesel
  • Patent number: 7310558
    Abstract: A binaural cochlear implant system, including two intracochlear implants adapted for implantation in the cochleas of a user, each cochlear implant utilising a speech processing strategy wherein the electrical stimuli are matched to the relative timing of the relevant audio signals as detected at each ear, such that the interaural time delays between the audio signals at each ear are substantially preserved in electrical stimuli at each ear. The processing strategy comprises band pass filtering the audio signal, determining the peaks in, and intensity of, each band, prioritising and placing each peak in a buffer in time slots corresponding to the relative timing of each peak. The buffer output forms the basis for stimulus instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Hearworks PTY, Limited
    Inventor: Richard Van Hoesel
  • Publication number: 20060080087
    Abstract: A sound processing process, device and software are disclosed which seek to improve pitch perception, with particular application to auditory prostheses. After input sound signals are processed into channels, an algorithm is applied to selectively increase the modulation depth of the envelope signals. In certain embodiments, the channelized signals are adjusted in timing so as to align the phase of modulated envelope signals in different channels. This results in provision of synchronous (phase aligned) modulation periodicity across channels and hence less pitch ambiguity for listeners to the processed signal, or for application of the signal to hearing prostheses such as cochlear implants. In some embodiments, a broadband envelope signal is used to modulate the level of the narrow band channel signals, so that voicing frequency modulation information in the broadband envelope signal is provided in all narrow band channel signals and the phase of modulated signals in the channels are aligned.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2005
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Applicant: Hearworks Pty. Limited
    Inventors: Andrew Vandali, Richard Van Hoesel, Peter Seligman
  • Publication number: 20040172101
    Abstract: A binaural cochlear implant system, including two intracochlear implants adapted for implantation in the cochleas of a user, each cochlear implant utilising a speech processing strategy wherein the electrical stimuli are matched to the relative timing of the relevant audio signals as detected at each ear, such that the interaural time delays between the audio signals at each ear are substantially preserved in electrical stimuli at each ear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2004
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Inventor: Richard Van Hoesel