Patents by Inventor Sua Hong Neo

Sua Hong Neo 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: 11653171
    Abstract: A method that generates binaural headphone playback signals given multiple audio source signals with an associated metadata and binaural room impulse response (BRIR) database, wherein the audio source signals are channel-based, object-based, or a mixture of both channel-based and object-based signals. The method includes parameterizing BRIR to be used for rendering, dividing each audio source signal to be rendered into a number of blocks and frames, and averaging the parameterized BRIR sequences. The method also includes downmixing the divided audio source signals using the diffuse blocks of BRIRs, and performing late reverberation processing on the downmixed version of the previous blocks of the audio source signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ehara, Kai Wu, Sua Hong Neo
  • Publication number: 20220248163
    Abstract: A method that generates binaural headphone playback signals given multiple audio source signals with an associated metadata and binaural room impulse response (BRIR) database, wherein the audio source signals are channel-based, object-based, or a mixture of both channel-based and object-based signals. The method includes parameterizing BRIR to be used for rendering, dividing each audio source signal to be rendered into a number of blocks and frames, and averaging the parameterized BRIR sequences. The method also includes downmixing the divided audio source signals using the diffuse blocks of BRIRs, and performing late reverberation processing on the downmixed version of the previous blocks of the audio source signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki EHARA, Kai WU, Sua Hong NEO
  • Patent number: 11337026
    Abstract: A method generates binaural headphone playback signals given multiple audio source signals with associated metadata and a binaural room impulse response (BRIR) database, where the audio source signals can be channel-based, object-based, or a mixture of both signals. The method groups the audio source signals according to positions of the audio sources, divides BRIR into blocks and frames, where the BRIR is divided into a direct block and diffuse blocks, and divides each audio source signal into blocks and frames, wherein the source signal is divided into a current block and previous blocks, and the current block is further divided into the frames. The method further averages, for each of previous frames of the source signals, the divided BRIR identified with the grouping result by downmixing the previous frames of the source signals according to the grouping result, and performs a convolution with the downmixed previous frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ehara, Kai Wu, Sua Hong Neo
  • Patent number: 11145316
    Abstract: An inter-channel correlation calculation unit calculates an inter-channel correlation between a left channel and a right channel by using a left channel signal and a right channel signal that constitute a stereo signal. A DMA stereo encoding unit and a DM stereo encoding unit encode the left channel signal and the right channel signal by using a common coding mode when the inter-channel correlation is greater than a threshold value, and individually encode the left channel signal and the right channel signal by using a coding mode determined for each of the left channel signal and the right channel signal when the inter-channel correlation is less than or equal to the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Srikanth Nagisetty, Sua Hong Neo, Hiroyuki Ehara
  • Publication number: 20210067897
    Abstract: A method generates binaural headphone playback signals given multiple audio source signals with associated metadata and a binaural room impulse response (BRIR) database, where the audio source signals can be channel-based, object-based, or a mixture of both signals. The method groups the audio source signals according to positions of the audio sources, divides BRIR into blocks and frames, where the BRIR is divided into a direct block and diffuse blocks, and divides each audio source signal into blocks and frames, wherein the source signal is divided into a current block and previous blocks, and the current block is further divided into the frames. The method further averages, for each of previous frames of the source signals, the divided BRIR identified with the grouping result by downmixing the previous frames of the source signals according to the grouping result, and performs a convolution with the downmixed previous frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki EHARA, Kai WU, Sua Hong NEO
  • Patent number: 10873826
    Abstract: A method of generating binaural headphone playback signals given multiple audio source signals with an associated metadata and binaural room impulse response (BRIR) database is provided, wherein the audio source signals can be channel-based, object-based, or a mixture of both signals. The method includes grouping the audio source signals according to positions of the audio sources, parameterizing BRIR to be used for rendering, and dividing each audio source signal to be rendered into a number of blocks and frames. The method also includes averaging the parameterized BRIR sequences, downmixing the divided audio source signals using the diffuse blocks of BRIRs, and performing late reverberation processing on the downmixed version of the previous blocks of the audio source signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ehara, Kai Wu, Sua Hong Neo
  • Publication number: 20200329332
    Abstract: A method of generating binaural headphone playback signals given multiple audio source signals with an associated metadata and binaural room impulse response (BRIR) database is provided, wherein the audio source signals can be channel-based, object-based, or a mixture of both signals. The method includes grouping the audio source signals according to positions of the audio sources, parameterizing BRIR to be used for rendering, and dividing each audio source signal to be rendered into a number of blocks and frames. The method also includes averaging the parameterized BRIR sequences, downmixing the divided audio source signals using the diffuse blocks of BRIRs, and performing late reverberation processing on the downmixed version of the previous blocks of the audio source signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Publication date: October 15, 2020
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki EHARA, Kai WU, Sua Hong NEO
  • Publication number: 20200294512
    Abstract: A sound source estimation unit (101) estimates, in a space as a target of sparse sound field decomposition, an area where a sound source is present at second granularity that is coarser than first granularity of a position where a sound source is assumed to be present in the sparse sound field decomposition. A sparse sound field decomposition unit (102) decomposes an acoustic signal observed by a microphone array into a sound source signal and an ambient noise signal by performing a sparse sound field decomposition process at the first granularity for the acoustic signal in the area at the second granularity where the sound source is estimated to be present in the space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventors: HIROYUKI EHARA, AKIHISA KAWAMURA, KAI WU, SRIKANTH NAGISETTY, SUA HONG NEO
  • Patent number: 10777209
    Abstract: A sound source estimation unit (101) estimates, in a space as a target of sparse sound field decomposition, an area where a sound source is present at second granularity that is coarser than first granularity of a position where a sound source is assumed to be present in the sparse sound field decomposition. A sparse sound field decomposition unit (102) decomposes an acoustic signal observed by a microphone array into a sound source signal and an ambient noise signal by performing a sparse sound field decomposition process at the first granularity for the acoustic signal in the area at the second granularity where the sound source is estimated to be present in the space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ehara, Akihisa Kawamura, Kai Wu, Srikanth Nagisetty, Sua Hong Neo
  • Patent number: 10735886
    Abstract: A method of generating binaural headphone playback signals given multiple audio source signals with an associated metadata and binaural room impulse response (BRIR) database, wherein the multiple audio source signals can be channel-based, object-based, or a mixture of both signals. The method includes grouping the multiple audio source signals according to positions of the audio sources in a hierarchical manner, and parameterizing BRIR to be used for rendering. The method also includes dividing each audio source signal to be rendered into a number of blocks and frames, averaging the parameterized BRIR sequences identified with a hierarchically grouping result, and downmixing the divided audio source signals identified with the hierarchically grouping result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ehara, Kai Wu, Sua Hong Neo
  • Publication number: 20200168232
    Abstract: An inter-channel correlation calculation unit (102) calculates an inter-channel correlation between a left channel and a right channel by using a left channel signal and a right channel signal that constitute a stereo signal. A DMA stereo encoding unit (104) and a DM stereo encoding unit (105) encode the left channel signal and the right channel signal by using a common coding mode if the inter-channel correlation is greater than a threshold value and individually encode the left channel signal and the right channel signal by using a coding mode determined for each of the left channel signal and the right channel signal if the inter-channel correlation is less than or equal to the threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: SRIKANTH NAGISETTY, SUA HONG NEO, HIROYUKI EHARA
  • Publication number: 20200128351
    Abstract: A method of generating binaural headphone playback signals given multiple audio source signals with an associated metadata and binaural room impulse response (BRIR) database, wherein the multiple audio source signals can be channel-based, object-based, or a mixture of both signals. The method includes grouping the multiple audio source signals according to positions of the audio sources in a hierarchical manner, and parameterizing BRIR to be used for rendering. The method also includes dividing each audio source signal to be rendered into a number of blocks and frames, averaging the parameterized BRIR sequences identified with a hierarchically grouping result, and downmixing the divided audio source signals identified with the hierarchically grouping result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki EHARA, Kai WU, Sua Hong NEO
  • Patent number: 10555107
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the design of a fast binaural rendering for multiple moving audio sources. This disclosure takes the audio source signals which can be object-based, channel-based or a mixture of both, associated metadata, user head tracking data and binaural room impulse response (BRIR) database to generate the headphone playback signals. The present disclosure applies a frame-by-frame binaural rendering module which takes parameterized components of BRIRs for rendering moving sources. In addition, the present disclosure applies hierarchical source clustering and downmixing in the rendering process to reduce computational complexity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ehara, Kai Wu, Sua Hong Neo
  • Publication number: 20190246236
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the design of a fast binaural rendering for multiple moving audio sources. This disclosure takes the audio source signals which can be object-based, channel-based or a mixture of both, associated metadata, user head tracking data and binaural room impulse response (BRIR) database to generate the headphone playback signals. The present disclosure applies a frame-by-frame binaural rendering module which takes parameterized components of BRIRs for rendering moving sources. In addition, the present disclosure applies hierarchical source clustering and downmixing in the rendering process to reduce computational complexity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Publication date: August 8, 2019
    Inventors: HIROYUKI EHARA, KAI WU, SUA HONG NEO
  • Patent number: 8457319
    Abstract: There is disclosed a stereo encoding device capable of accurately encoding a stereo signal at a low bit rate and suppressing delay in audio communication. The device performs monaural encoding in its first layer (110). In a second layer (120), a filtering unit (103) generates an LPC (Linear Predictive Coding) coefficient and generates a left channel drive sound source signal. A time region evaluation unit (104) and a frequency region evaluation unit (105) perform signal evaluation and prediction in both of their regions. A residual encoding unit (106) encodes a residual signal. A bit distribution control unit (107) adaptively distributes bits to the time region evaluation unit (104), the frequency region evaluation unit (105), and the residual encoding unit (106) according to a condition of the audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Chun Woei Teo, Sua Hong Neo, Koji Yoshida, Michiyo Goto
  • Patent number: 8296134
    Abstract: A spectrum modifying method and the like wherein the efficiencies of the signal estimation and prediction can be improved and the spectrum can be more efficiently encoded. According to this method, the pitch period is calculated from an original signal, which serves as a reference signal, and then a basic pitch frequency (f0) is calculated. Thereafter, the spectrum of a target signal, which is a target of spectrum modification, is divided into a plurality of partitions. It is specified here that the width of each partition be the basic pitch frequency. Then, the spectra of bands are interleaved such that a plurality of peaks having similar amplitudes are unified into a group. The basic pitch frequency is used as an interleave pitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Chun Woei Teo, Sua Hong Neo, Koji Yoshida, Michiyo Goto
  • Patent number: 8193436
    Abstract: A method (100) and apparatus (200) are disclosed for transcribing a humming signal into a sequence of musical notes. The method begins by grouping (305) the signal into frames of data samples. Each frame is then processed to derive (320) a frequency distribution for each frames. The frequency distributions are processed to derive (410) a Harmonic Product Energy (HPE) distribution over the frames. The HPE distribution is then segmented (115, 120) to obtain boundaries of musical notes. The frequency distributions of the frames are also processed to derive (412) a fundamental frequency distribution. A pitch for each note is determined (125) from the fundamental frequency distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong Hwee Sim, Chun Woei Teo, Sua Hong Neo, Kok Seng Chong
  • Patent number: 8024187
    Abstract: A pulse allocating method capable of coding stereophonic voice signals efficiently. In the fixed code note retrievals of this pulse allocating method, for individual subframes, the stereophonic voice signals are compared to judge similarity between channels, and are judged on their characteristics. On the basis of the similarity between the channels and the characteristics of the stereophonic signals, the pulse numbers to be allocated to the individual channels are determined. Pulse retrievals are executed to determine the pulse positions for the individual channels, so that the pulses determined are coded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Chun Woei Teo, Sua Hong Neo, Koji Yoshida, Michiyo Goto
  • Patent number: 8019087
    Abstract: A stereo signal generating apparatus capable of obtaining stereo signals that exhibit a low bit rate and an excellent reproducibility. In this stereo signal generating apparatus (90), an FT part (901) converts a monaural signal (M?t) of time domain to a monaural signal (M?) of frequency domain. A power spectrum calculating part (902) determines a power spectrum (PM?). A scaling ratio calculating part (904a) determines a scaling ratio (SL) for a left channel, while a scaling ratio calculating part (904b) determines a scaling ratio (SR) for a right channel. A multiplying part (905a) multiplies the monaural signal (M?) of frequency domain by the scaling ratio (SL) to produce a left channel signal (L?) of a stereo signal, while a multiplying part (905b) multiplies the monaural signal (M?) of frequency domain by the scaling ratio (SR) to produce a right channel signal (R?) of the stereo signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Michiyo Goto, Chun Woei Teo, Sua Hong Neo, Koji Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7941319
    Abstract: An energy corrector (105) for correcting a target energy for high-frequency components and a corrective coefficient calculator (106) for calculating an energy corrective coefficient from low-frequency subband signals are newly provided. These processors perform a process for correcting a target energy that is required when a band expanding process is performed on a real number only. Thus, a real subband combining filter and a real band expander which require a smaller amount of calculations can be used instead of a complex subband combining filter and a complex band expander, while maintaining a high sound-quality level, and the required amount of calculations and the apparatus scale can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignees: NEC Corporation, Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Nomura, Yuichiro Takamizawa, Masahiro Serizawa, Naoya Tanaka, Mineo Tsushima, Takeshi Norimatsu, Kok Seng Chong, Kim Hann Kuah, Sua Hong Neo, Osamu Shimada