Patents by Inventor Stephen E. Pinto

Stephen E. Pinto 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: 12267666
    Abstract: A device can receive an audio signal and determine a measure of correlation between the audio signal and a microphone signal. The audio signal can be attenuated based on the measure of correlation. The audio signal can be used to drive one or more speakers of the device. Other aspects are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen E. Pinto, Chad Himeda
  • Publication number: 20250085132
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for spatial audio navigation that may, for example, be implemented by mobile multipurpose devices. A spatial audio navigation system provides navigational information in audio form to direct users to target locations. The system uses directionality of audio played through a binaural audio device to provide navigational cues to the user. A current location, target location, and map information may be input to pathfinding algorithms to determine a real world path between the user's current location and the target location. The system may then use directional audio played through a headset to guide the user on the path from the current location to the target location. The system may implement one or more of several different spatial audio navigation methods to direct a user when following a path using spatial audio-based cues.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2024
    Publication date: March 13, 2025
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bruno M. Sommer, Avi Bar-Zeev, Frank Angermann, Stephen E. Pinto, Lilli Ing-Marie Jonsson, Rahul Nair
  • Publication number: 20250028546
    Abstract: Remote user interface (UI) rendering effects provide increased privacy and efficiency in computer user input systems. In an aspect, an application specifies remote UI effects to be managed and rendered on UI elements separately from the application, such as by an effects component running outside of the application's operating system process. When user input indicates a preliminary interaction with a UI element, the remote UI effect can be rendered without the application's knowledge of the preliminary interaction, hence preserving a user's privacy from the application of preliminary UI interactions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2024
    Publication date: January 23, 2025
    Inventors: Stephen E. PINTO, Andrew T. FINKE, Abhinay ASHUTOSH, Cedric BRAY, Peter L. HAJAS, Andrew P. RICHARDSON, Yidi ZHU, James T. TURNER
  • Patent number: 12188777
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for spatial audio navigation that may, for example, be implemented by mobile multipurpose devices. A spatial audio navigation system provides navigational information in audio form to direct users to target locations. The system uses directionality of audio played through a binaural audio device to provide navigational cues to the user. A current location, target location, and map information may be input to pathfinding algorithms to determine a real world path between the user's current location and the target location. The system may then use directional audio played through a headset to guide the user on the path from the current location to the target location. The system may implement one or more of several different spatial audio navigation methods to direct a user when following a path using spatial audio-based cues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bruno M. Sommer, Avi Bar-Zeev, Frank Angermann, Stephen E. Pinto, Lilli Ing-Marie Jonsson, Rahul Nair
  • Publication number: 20240406662
    Abstract: In one implementation, a method of playing audio is performed by a device located in a physical environment, coupled to two or more speakers, and including one or more processors and non-transitory memory. The method includes executing an operating system and an application. The method includes receiving, by the operating system from the application via an application programming interface, audio session parameters including a spatial experience value providing instructions for the spatial playback of audio associated with the application. The method includes receiving, by the operating system from the application, instructions to play audio data. The method includes adjusting, by the operating system, the audio data based on the spatial experience value. The method includes sending, by the operating system to the two or more speakers, the adjusted audio data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2024
    Publication date: December 5, 2024
    Inventors: Stephen E. Pinto, Akshatha Nagesh, Deepak Iyer, Eric J. Johnson, Madhur Ahuja, Sanket S. Dave, Shai Messingher Lang
  • Patent number: 12143801
    Abstract: An audio asset library containing audio assets formatted in accordance with a file format for spatial audio includes asset metadata that enables simulated reality (SR) application developers to compose sounds for use in SR applications. The audio assets are formatted to include audio data encoding a sound capable of being composed into a SR application along with asset metadata describing not only how the sound was encoded, but also how a listener in SR environment experiences the sound. A SR developer platform is configured so that developers can compose sound for SR objects using audio assets stored in the audio library, including editing the asset metadata to include transformation parameters that support dynamic transformation of the asset metadata in the SR environment to alter how the SR listener experiences the composed sound. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew S. Connolly, Christopher T. Eubank, Stephen E. Pinto, Tomlinson Holman
  • Patent number: 11924317
    Abstract: A method performed by a first electronic device. The method generates, at the first electronic device that is sharing a global clock with a second electronic device, a first timebase information that includes a first timebase that defines a relationship between the shared clock and an internal clock of the first electronic device, the first timebase information for synchronizing playback of a first piece of media content associated with a first application between the first and second electronic devices. The method receives, from a second application, a second timebase information that includes a second timebase that defines a relationship between the first timebase and a second piece of media content, generates a third timebase information that includes the first timebase and the second timebase, and transmits the third timebase information to the second electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen E. Pinto, Yasser Rihan
  • Patent number: 11832086
    Abstract: Channels of audio data in a spatial audio object are associated with any one or more of a direction and a location of one or more recorded sounds, which channels are to be reproduced as spatial sound. A visualized spatial sound object represents a snapshot/thumbnail of the spatial sound. To preview the spatial sound (by experiencing its snapshot or thumbnail), a user manipulates the orientation of the visualized spatial sound object, and a weighted downmix of the channels is rendered for output as a spatial preview sound, e.g., a single output audio signal is provided to a spatial audio renderer; one or more of the channels that are oriented toward the user are emphasized in the preview sound, more than channels that are oriented away from the user. Other aspects are also described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher T. Eubank, Matthew S. Connolly, Stephen E. Pinto
  • Patent number: 11805381
    Abstract: A device can receive an audio signal and determine a measure of correlation between the audio signal and a microphone signal. The audio signal can be attenuated based on the measure of correlation. The audio signal can be used to drive one or more speakers of the device. Other aspects are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen E. Pinto, Chad Himeda
  • Publication number: 20230332914
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for spatial audio navigation that may, for example, be implemented by mobile multipurpose devices. A spatial audio navigation system provides navigational information in audio form to direct users to target locations. The system uses directionality of audio played through a binaural audio device to provide navigational cues to the user. A current location, target location, and map information may be input to pathfinding algorithms to determine a real world path between the user’s current location and the target location. The system may then use directional audio played through a headset to guide the user on the path from the current location to the target location. The system may implement one or more of several different spatial audio navigation methods to direct a user when following a path using spatial audio-based cues.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2023
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bruno M. Sommer, Avi Bar-Zeev, Frank Angermann, Stephen E. Pinto, Lilli Ing-Marie Jonsson, Rahul Nair
  • Publication number: 20230274756
    Abstract: An object can represent computer applications that play audio. Audio parameters associated with the audio can be determined based on size of the object so that when the object is large, the audio sounds like it originates from a large sound source or sources. When the object is small, the audio parameters are determined so that the audio sounds like it originates from a small sound source. Other aspects are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: Shai MESSINGHER LANG, Christopher T. EUBANK, Stephen E. PINTO, Kacper KOSIKOWSKI, James BEAN, Matthew S. CONNOLLY, David E. ROMBLOM
  • Patent number: 11709068
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for spatial audio navigation that may, for example, be implemented by mobile multipurpose devices. A spatial audio navigation system provides navigational information in audio form to direct users to target locations. The system uses directionality of audio played through a binaural audio device to provide navigational cues to the user. A current location, target location, and map information may be input to pathfinding algorithms to determine a real world path between the user's current location and the target location. The system may then use directional audio played through a headset to guide the user on the path from the current location to the target location. The system may implement one or more of several different spatial audio navigation methods to direct a user when following a path using spatial audio-based cues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Bruno M. Sommer, Avi Bar-Zeev, Frank Angermann, Stephen E. Pinto, Lilli Ing-Marie Jonsson, Rahul Nair
  • Publication number: 20230144903
    Abstract: Channels of audio data in a spatial audio object are associated with any one or more of a direction and a location of one or more recorded sounds, which channels are to be reproduced as spatial sound. A visualized spatial sound object represents a snapshot/thumbnail of the spatial sound. To preview the spatial sound (by experiencing its snapshot or thumbnail), a user manipulates the orientation of the visualized spatial sound object, and a weighted downmix of the channels is rendered for output as a spatial preview sound, e.g., a single output audio signal is provided to a spatial audio renderer; one or more of the channels that are oriented toward the user are emphasized in the preview sound, more than channels that are oriented away from the user. Other aspects are also described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2022
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Inventors: Christopher T. Eubank, Matthew S. Connolly, Stephen E. Pinto
  • Patent number: 11540081
    Abstract: Channels of audio data in a spatial audio object are associated with any one or more of a direction and a location of one or more recorded sounds, which channels are to be reproduced as spatial sound. A visualized spatial sound object represents a snapshot/thumbnail of the spatial sound. To preview the spatial sound (by experiencing its snapshot or thumbnail), a user manipulates the orientation of the visualized spatial sound object, and a weighted downmix of the channels is rendered for output as a spatial preview sound, e.g., a single output audio signal is provided to a spatial audio renderer; one or more of the channels that are oriented toward the user are emphasized in the preview sound, more than channels that are oriented away from the user. Other aspects are also described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Christopher T. Eubank, Matthew S. Connolly, Stephen E. Pinto
  • Publication number: 20220167107
    Abstract: An audio asset library containing audio assets formatted in accordance with a file format for spatial audio includes asset metadata that enables simulated reality (SR) application developers to compose sounds for use in SR applications. The audio assets are formatted to include audio data encoding a sound capable of being composed into a SR application along with asset metadata describing not only how the sound was encoded, but also how a listener in SR environment experiences the sound. A SR developer platform is configured so that developers can compose sound for SR objects using audio assets stored in the audio library, including editing the asset metadata to include transformation parameters that support dynamic transformation of the asset metadata in the SR environment to alter how the SR listener experiences the composed sound. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Inventors: Matthew S. Connolly, Christopher T. Eubank, Stephen E. Pinto, Tomlinson Holman
  • Patent number: 11272308
    Abstract: An audio asset library containing audio assets formatted in accordance with a file format for spatial audio includes asset metadata that enables simulated reality (SR) application developers to compose sounds for use in SR applications. The audio assets are formatted to include audio data encoding a sound capable of being composed into a SR application along with asset metadata describing not only how the sound was encoded, but also how a listener in SR environment experiences the sound. A SR developer platform is configured so that developers can compose sound for SR objects using audio assets stored in the audio library, including editing the asset metadata to include transformation parameters that support dynamic transformation of the asset metadata in the SR environment to alter how the SR listener experiences the composed sound. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew S. Connolly, Christopher T. Eubank, Stephen E. Pinto, Tomlinson Holman
  • Publication number: 20220038841
    Abstract: Channels of audio data in a spatial audio object are associated with any one or more of a direction and a location of one or more recorded sounds, which channels are to be reproduced as spatial sound. A visualized spatial sound object represents a snapshot/thumbnail of the spatial sound. To preview the spatial sound (by experiencing its snapshot or thumbnail), a user manipulates the orientation of the visualized spatial sound object, and a weighted downmix of the channels is rendered for output as a spatial preview sound, e.g., a single output audio signal is provided to a spatial audio renderer; one or more of the channels that are oriented toward the user are emphasized in the preview sound, more than channels that are oriented away from the user. Other aspects are also described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Christopher T. Eubank, Matthew S. Connolly, Stephen E. Pinto
  • Publication number: 20220022001
    Abstract: A device can receive an audio signal and determine a measure of correlation between the audio signal and a microphone signal. The audio signal can be attenuated based on the measure of correlation. The audio signal can be used to drive one or more speakers of the device. Other aspects are described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Inventors: Stephen E. Pinto, Chad Himeda
  • Patent number: 11157739
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to providing a multi-user computer generated reality (“CGR”) session. In some embodiments, a first electronic device displays a CGR environment, wherein the CGR environment is responsive to input from the first electronic device and a second electronic device, wherein the second device is external to the first device. While displaying the CGR environment, the device obtains a first scene graph from a process executing on the first device, wherein the first scene graph includes information for rendering a first entity, and obtains a second scene graph from a process executing on the second device, wherein the second scene graph includes information for rendering a second entity. The first electronic device updates the displayed CGR environment based on the first scene graph and the second scene graph, wherein the displayed CGR environment includes a visual representation of the first and a visual representation of the second entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Edwin Iskandar, Igor L. Gorelik, Charles Magahern, Stephen E. Pinto
  • Patent number: 11146909
    Abstract: A device can receive an audio signal and determine a measure of correlation between the audio signal and a microphone signal. The audio signal can be attenuated based on the measure of correlation. The audio signal can be used to drive one or more speakers of the device. Other aspects are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Stephen E. Pinto, Chad Himeda