Abstract: An ear-mountable listening device includes an adaptive phased array of microphones, a speaker, and electronics. The microphones are physically arranged into a ring pattern to capture sounds emanating from an environment. Each of the microphones is configured to output one of a plurality of first audio signals that is representative of the sounds captured by a respective one of the microphones. The speaker is arranged to emit audio into an ear. The electronics are coupled to the adaptive phased array and the speaker and include logic that when executed causes the ear-mountable listening device receive a user input identifying a first sound for cancelling or amplifying, steer a null or a lobe of the adaptive phased array based upon the user input, and generate a second audio signal that drives the speaker based upon a combination of one or more of the first audio signals.

Abstract: An ear-mountable listening device includes an adaptive phased array of microphones, a speaker, and electronics. The microphones are physically arranged into a ring pattern to capture sounds emanating from an environment. Each of the microphones is configured to output one of a plurality of first audio signals that is representative of the sounds captured by a respective one of the microphones. The speaker is arranged to emit audio into an ear. The electronics are coupled to the adaptive phased array and the speaker and include logic that when executed causes the ear-mountable listening device receive a user input identifying a first sound for cancelling or amplifying, steer a null or a lobe of the adaptive phased array based upon the user input, and generate a second audio signal that drives the speaker based upon a combination of one or more of the first audio signals.

Abstract: An ear-mountable listening device includes an adaptive phased array of microphones, a speaker, and electronics. The microphones are physically arranged into a ring pattern to capture sounds emanating from an environment. Each of the microphones is configured to output one of a plurality of first audio signals that is representative of the sounds captured by a respective one of the microphones. The speaker is arranged to emit audio into an ear. The electronics are coupled to the adaptive phased array and the speaker and include logic that when executed causes the ear-mountable listening device receive a user input identifying a first sound for cancelling or amplifying, steer a null or a lobe of the adaptive phased array based upon the user input, and generate a second audio signal that drives the speaker based upon a combination of one or more of the first audio signals.

Abstract: Provided is a dual-band resonator which can be downsized further than conventional ones. A dual-band resonator is provided with a first conductor and a second conductor. The first conductor is configured to be folded at a first folding part at the center so that both extensions are in a prescribed direction and adjacent to one another with a prescribed space therebetween, wherein a conductor part closer to one end side than the first folding part and a conductor part closer to the other end side than the first folding part are further folded at second folding parts between the one end and the first folding part and between the other end and the first folding part, respectively, in a direction in which the one end and the other end are apart from each other. The second conductor extends in a prescribed direction contiguously to the first folding part of the first conductor. The first conductor constitutes a half-wavelength resonator, and odd-mode resonance occurs in the first conductor.

Abstract: An system and method for instantaneously adjusting input speech level of back-end ASR to the target level. The technology as disclosed and claimed herein is an AGC that can more rapidly adjust to the input speech level loudness to improve the performance of the back-end ASR engine without causing modulation or other artifacts in the speech signal.

Abstract: Provided is a dual-band resonator which can be downsized further than conventional ones. A dual-band resonator is provided with a first conductor and a second conductor. The first conductor is configured to be folded at a first folding part at the center so that both extensions are in a prescribed direction and adjacent to one another with a prescribed space therebetween, wherein a conductor part closer to one end side than the first folding part and a conductor part closer to the other end side than the first folding part are further folded at second folding parts between the one end and the first folding part and between the other end and the first folding part, respectively, in a direction in which the one end and the other end are apart from each other. The second conductor extends in a prescribed direction contiguously to the first folding part of the first conductor. The first conductor constitutes a half-wavelength resonator, and odd-mode resonance occurs in the first conductor.

Abstract: The present invention is adapted to assist in optimizing the performance of a hearing aid by detecting conditions which result in sub-optimal performance and assisting a user or health care professional to correct those conditions. The present invention is adapted to optimize the performance of a hearing aid by generating a reference signal which, when broadcast, creates a feedback signal. The feedback signal is then measured, or its characteristics identified, to determine whether the hearing aid system is optimized and, if not, what components or characteristics are not optimized and how to optimize the hearing aid system performance or that of its components.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems and methods for reducing feedback in a hearing aid that includes a transducer configured to detect sound, a sound processor configured to process signals from the transducer, a receiver configured to receive signals outputted from the sound processor, and an acoustic feedback reduction system. The acoustic feedback reduction system is configured to provide signals to the sound processor to produce a null targeting signal steerable toward a source of feedback.

Abstract: This method of controlling machine tool for machining a workpiece by moving a tool and the workpiece relatively to each other comprises: displaying an image of the machine tool on a display unit, pre-storing a motion of the machine tool corresponding to an operation by an operator with respect to the image of the machine tool; obtaining a content of the operation by the operator with respect to the image of the machine tool; generating an operation command for causing the machine tool to operate according to the operation content; and activating the machine tool on the basis of the operation command.

Abstract: A method of environmental noise compensation a speech audio signal is provided that includes estimating a fast audio energy level and a slow audio energy level in an audio environment, wherein the speech audio signal is not part of the audio environment, and applying a gain to the speech audio signal to generate an environment compensated speech audio signal, wherein the gain is updated based on the estimated slow audio energy level when the estimated fast audio energy level is not indicative of an audio event in the audio environment and the estimated gain is not updated when the estimated fast audio energy level is indicative an audio event in the audio environment.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems and methods for reducing feedback in a hearing aid that includes a transducer configured to detect sound, a sound processor configured to process signals from the transducer, a receiver configured to receive signals outputted from the sound processor, and an acoustic feedback reduction system. The acoustic feedback reduction system is configured to provide signals to the sound processor to produce a null targeting signal steerable toward a source of feedback.

Abstract: At least one signal is received that represents speech and noise. In response to the at least one signal, frequency bands are generated of an output channel that represents the speech while attenuating at least some of the noise from the at least one signal. Within a kth frequency band of the at least one signal: a first ratio is determined of a clean version of the speech for a preceding time frame to the noise for the preceding time frame; and a second ratio is determined of a noisy version of the speech for the time frame n to the noise for the time frame n. In response to the first and second ratios, a gain is determined for the kth frequency band of the output channel for the time frame n.

Abstract: In response to a signal failing to exceed an estimated level of noise by more than a predetermined amount for more than a predetermined continuous duration, the estimated level of noise is adjusted according to a first time constant in response to the signal rising and a second time constant in response to the signal falling, so that the estimated level of noise falls more quickly than it rises. In response to the signal exceeding the estimated level of noise by more than the predetermined amount for more than the predetermined continuous duration, a speed of adjusting the estimated level of noise is accelerated.

Abstract: A sputtering target is provided which contains MgO as a main component, can be used for DC sputtering, and allows a thin film having the same crystal structure as that of MgO to be deposited on a substrate by sputtering. It contains MgO which is a non-conductive oxide and TiO which is a conductive oxide. By causing the TiO content to be within a range of 20 to 60 mol %, the sputtering target is arranged to have conductivity as a whole.

Abstract: In response to a first envelope within a kth frequency band of a first channel, a speech level within the kth frequency band of the first channel is estimated. In response to a second envelope within the kth frequency band of a second channel, a noise level within the kth frequency band of the second channel is estimated. A noise suppression gain for a time frame n is computed in response to the estimated speech level for a preceding time frame, the estimated noise level for the preceding time frame, the estimated speech level for the time frame n, and the estimated noise level for the time frame n. An output channel is generated in response to multiplying the noise suppression gain for the time frame n and the first channel.

Abstract: In response to a signal failing to exceed an estimated level of noise by more than a predetermined amount for more than a predetermined continuous duration, the estimated level of noise is adjusted according to a first time constant in response to the signal rising and a second time constant in response to the signal falling, so that the estimated level of noise falls more quickly than it rises. In response to the signal exceeding the estimated level of noise by more than the predetermined amount for more than the predetermined continuous duration, a speed of adjusting the estimated level of noise is accelerated.

Abstract: A first signal is received that represents speech and the noise. The noise includes directional noise and diffused noise. A second signal is received that represents the noise and leakage of the speech. In response to the first and second signals: a first channel is generated that represents the speech and the diffused noise while attenuating most of the directional noise from the first signal; and a second channel is generated that represents the noise while attenuating most of the speech from the second signal. In response to the first and second channels, an output channel is generated that represents the speech while attenuating most of the noise from the first channel.

Abstract: At least one signal is received that represents speech and noise. In response to the at least one signal, frequency bands are generated of an output channel that represents the speech while attenuating at least some of the noise from the at least one signal. Within a kth frequency band of the at least one signal: a first ratio is determined of a clean version of the speech for a preceding time frame to the noise for the preceding time frame; and a second ratio is determined of a noisy version of the speech for the time frame n to the noise for the time frame n. In response to the first and second ratios, a gain is determined for the kth frequency band of the output channel for the time frame n.

Abstract: In response to a first envelope within a kth frequency band of a first channel, a speech level within the kth frequency band of the first channel is estimated. In response to a second envelope within the kth frequency band of a second channel, a noise level within the kth frequency band of the second channel is estimated. A noise suppression gain for a time frame n is computed in response to the estimated speech level for a preceding time frame, the estimated noise level for the preceding time frame, the estimated speech level for the time frame n, and the estimated noise level for the time frame n. An output channel is generated in response to multiplying the noise suppression gain for the time frame n and the first channel.

Abstract: Acoustic echo control for hands-free phone has acoustic echo cancellation and echo suppression with a voice activity detection for the echo suppression based on near-end input power together with an estimate for acoustic echo cancellation gain.