Patents by Inventor Shien-Neng Lai

Shien-Neng Lai 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: 9191736
    Abstract: A microphone array disposed on a two-piece computer is provided. The two-piece computer has a first piece with a keyboard disposed thereon and a second piece with a display screen disposed thereon. The microphone array has two microphones, which are both disposed on the first piece, wherein a connecting line of the two microphones is not vertical to a normal line of the display screen of the second piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: FORTEMEDIA, INC.
    Inventors: Yan-Chen Lu, Shien-Neng Lai, Tsan Hung Tsai, Chun-Ming Hsu
  • Publication number: 20140254824
    Abstract: A microphone array disposed on a two-piece computer is provided. The two-piece computer has a first piece with a keyboard disposed thereon and a second piece with a display screen disposed thereon. The microphone array has two microphones, which are both disposed on the first piece, wherein a connecting line of the two microphones is not vertical to a normal line of the display screen of the second piece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: FORTEMEDIA, INC.
    Inventors: Yan-Chen LU, Shien-Neng LAI, Tsan Hung TSAI, Chun-Ming HSU
  • Patent number: 8208656
    Abstract: An array microphone system includes a first omni-directional microphone, a second omni-directional microphone, a gain control, and a beam former. The first omni-directional microphone faces a first direction. The second omni-directional microphone faces a second direction opposing the first direction. When receiving sound, the first omni-directional microphone and the second omni-directional microphone respectively generate a first signal and a second signal. The gain control amplifies the second signal to transform into a third signal, wherein strength of the third signal is equal to that of the first signal when the sound comes from the first direction. The beam former separates an in-beam sound signal and an out-beam sound signal from the first signal and the third signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Fortemedia, Inc.
    Inventors: Yu-Chun Feng, Shien-Neng Lai, Yu-Hsi Lan, Ying-Te Chu
  • Patent number: 8077899
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a housing, a uni-directional microphone, and a cover. The housing has a first acoustic opening and a second acoustic opening. The uni-directional microphone is disposed in the housing to receive external sound via the first acoustic opening and the second acoustic opening. The cover is disposed in the housing to cover the first acoustic opening, the second acoustic opening, and the unidirectional microphone. A process for mounting a microphone includes providing a first acoustic opening and a second acoustic opening on a housing, fixing a uni-directional microphone in the housing beside the first acoustic opening, and covering the first acoustic opening, the second acoustic opening, and the uni-directional microphone with a cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Fortemedia, Inc.
    Inventors: Yu-Hsi Lan, Shien-Neng Lai
  • Publication number: 20100322436
    Abstract: An array microphone system includes a first omni-directional microphone, a second omni-directional microphone, a gain control, and a beam former. The first omni-directional microphone faces a first direction. The second omni-directional microphone faces a second direction opposing the first direction. When receiving sound, the first omni-directional microphone and the second omni-directional microphone respectively generate a first signal and a second signal. The gain control amplifies the second signal to transform into a third signal, wherein strength of the third signal is equal to that of the first signal when the sound comes from the first direction. The beam former separates an in-beam sound signal and an out-beam sound signal from the first signal and the third signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2009
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: FORTEMEDIA, INC.
    Inventors: Yu-Chun Feng, Shien-Neng Lai, Yu-Hsi Lan, Ying-Te Chu
  • Publication number: 20090003586
    Abstract: The invention provides a signal processor installed in a communication device. In one embodiment, the signal processor comprises a voice activity detector, a nonlinear echo processor, and a speaker attenuation module. The voice activity detector generates a control signal indicating whether both a far-end talker at a far end and a near-end talker at a near end are speaking or only the far-end talker is speaking. The nonlinear echo processor, controlled by the control signal, cancels more nonlinear echo from the near-end signal in time domain while only the far-end talker is speaking and cancels less nonlinear echo from the near-end signal in time domain while both the far-end talker and the near-end talker are speaking. The speaker attenuation module, controlled by the control signal, attenuates the far-end signal while both the far-end talker and the near-end talker are speaking.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: FORTEMEDIA, INC.
    Inventors: Shien-Neng Lai, Cong-Zhou Liu
  • Publication number: 20080159558
    Abstract: A microphone module includes a microphone and a boot. The microphone has a front surface and a rear surface. The boot includes an internal storage space with the microphone disposed therein, an acoustic passage connected to the internal storage space, and an opening also connected to the internal storage space. The acoustic passage runs substantially parallel to the front surface of the microphone, and the opening exposes the rear surface of the microphone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: FORTEMEDIA, INC.
    Inventors: Yu-Hsi Lan, Shien-Neng Lai
  • Publication number: 20080107279
    Abstract: The invention provides a sound-processing device with automatic howl cancellation. The sound-processing device includes an array microphone, a digital signal processor, a power amplifier, and a loudspeaker. The array microphone includes a plurality of microphones, receiving a sound wave at different locations and converting the sound wave to a plurality of audio signals, wherein the audio signals carry howl induced by a sound wave feedback. The digital signal processor includes a beam forming module and an acoustic echo cancellation module. The beam forming module derives a beam signal from the audio signals to suppress out-of-beam howl, and the acoustic echo cancellation module estimates and eliminates howl carried by the beam signal. The power amplifier then amplifies the beam signal subsequent to eliminating howl. Finally, the loudspeaker converts the amplified beam signal to an amplified sound wave.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2007
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Applicant: FORTEMEDIA, INC.
    Inventors: Shien-Neng Lai, Ming-Ching Lin
  • Publication number: 20080075312
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a housing, a uni-directional microphone, and a cover. The housing has a first acoustic opening and a second acoustic opening. The uni-directional microphone is disposed in the housing to receive external sound via the first acoustic opening and the second acoustic opening. The cover is disposed in the housing to cover the first acoustic opening, the second acoustic opening, and the unidirectional microphone. A process for mounting a microphone includes providing a first acoustic opening and a second acoustic opening on a housing, fixing a uni-directional microphone in the housing beside the first acoustic opening, and covering the first acoustic opening, the second acoustic opening, and the uni-directional microphone with a cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Applicant: FORTEMEDIA, INC.
    Inventors: Yu-Hsi Lan, Shien-Neng Lai
  • Publication number: 20080013748
    Abstract: An electronic device comprises a body, a first microphone, and a second microphone. The first microphone is disposed in the body. The second microphone is detachably connected to the body. The first and second microphones constitute a microphone array to receive sound from a predetermined direction when the second microphone is connected to the body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2007
    Publication date: January 17, 2008
    Applicant: FORTEMEDIA, INC.
    Inventors: Sung-Kai Yang, Yu-Hsi Lan, Shien-Neng Lai