Patents by Inventor Thomas Sporer

Thomas Sporer 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: 8107667
    Abstract: A loudspeaker diaphragm includes a tapering edge region. Thus, it is possible to prevent or considerably reduce wave reflection and uncontrolled wave propagation caused thereby in a cheap and effective manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Daniel Beer, Heinz Gensicke, Sandra Brix, Thomas Sporer, Martin Kuster
  • Publication number: 20120008812
    Abstract: A loudspeaker includes a two-dimensional array of non-housed individual speakers having flat shapes. The non-housed individual speakers are accommodated within a flat housing, the depth of the housing being smaller than 5 cm, for example. Non-housed individual speakers used are advantageously headphone capsules and/or miniature loudspeakers having diaphragm diameters of less than 5 cm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2011
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Applicant: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Thomas SPORER, Daniel BEER, Stephan MAUER
  • Publication number: 20110272884
    Abstract: A basic idea of the present application is that in case of determining a position of the object on the surface, it is possible to also use transport mechanisms for the transport of the object on the surface which leads to less reproducible transport movements as the regulation may be executed directly on the basis of the observed movement as compared to the desired movement. Embodiments using compressed air, magnetism and/or bending waves are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2011
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Stefan KRAEGELOH, Harald POPP, Josef BERNHARD, Harald FUCHS, Marc GAYER, Manfred LUTZKY, Thomas SPORER, Sandra BRIX
  • Publication number: 20110188342
    Abstract: A device for acoustic display of a position of an object in a reproduction space, a plurality of loudspeakers being arranged in the reproduction space at spatially different positions such that different spatial positions may be represented acoustically by differently driving the loudspeakers, includes a signal associater and a loudspeaker driver. The signal associater is configured to associate an acoustic signal to the object. The loudspeaker driver is configured to establish one or several loudspeaker signals for the plurality of loudspeakers, wherein the one or several loudspeaker signals by which the position of the object is displayed are based on the acoustic signal associated to the object by the signal associater. The one or several loudspeaker signals may be established such that, when reproducing the one or several loudspeaker signals, the position of the object in the reproduction space is displayed acoustically.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventor: Thomas Sporer
  • Patent number: 7948557
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating a control signal for a film event system is described for synchronizing film events with an image reproduction, wherein a film comprises film information applied in a time sequence, and the apparatus comprises a means for storing the film information, wherein a time scale is associated to the stored film information, a means for receiving a section read from the film, a means for comparing the read section to the stored film information and a means for determining the control signal based on the comparison and the time scale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Sporer, Michael Beckinger
  • Publication number: 20110110531
    Abstract: An apparatus for localizing a sound source includes at least two rotatably arranged microphones, a drive formed to set the microphones into rotation, and an evaluator. The evaluator is formed to receive microphone signals of the at least two microphones, while the at least two microphones are moving, and to obtain information on a direction from which sound arrives from the sound source or information on a position of the sound source, using the microphone signals obtained during the movement of the microphones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Applicant: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Frank KLEFENZ, Thomas SPORER
  • Patent number: 7917564
    Abstract: When processing a signal having a sequence of discrete values, wherein there is a first frequency range, in which the signal has a high energy, and wherein there is a second frequency range, in which the signal has a low energy, the sequence of discrete values is first manipulated to obtain a sequence of manipulated values, so that at least one of the manipulated values is non-integer. Then the sequence of manipulated values is rounded to obtain a sequence of manipulated values. The rounding is formed to effect a spectral shaping of a generated rounding error so that a spectrally shaped rounding error has a higher energy in the first frequency range than in the second frequency range. By spectrally shaping the rounding error so that the rounding error does not have any energy either in the storage areas where there is no signal energy, an especially efficient coding is obtained particularly in connection with a lossless coding context.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V.
    Inventors: Ralf Geiger, Gerald Schuller, Thomas Sporer
  • Patent number: 7881485
    Abstract: The apparatus for determining an impulse response in an environment in which a speaker and a microphone are placed works using an audio signal. Means for spectrally coloring a test signal, which preferably is a pseudonoise signal, works using a psychoacoustic masking threshold of the audio signal to obtain a colored test signal, which is embedded in the audio signal to obtain a measuring signal, which can be fed to the speaker. Means for determining the impulse response preferably performs a cross-correlation of a reaction signal received via the microphone from the environment and the test signal or the colored test signal. With this, an impulse response of an environment may also be determined during the presentation of an audio piece to provide an optimal description of environment for a wave-field synthesis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e. V.
    Inventors: Thomas Sporer, Christian Neubauer
  • Patent number: 7873227
    Abstract: For the reduction of the rounding error, a first and a second non-integer input value are provided and combined, for example by addition, in non-integer state to obtain a non-integer result value which is rounded and added to a third input value. Thus, the rounding error may be reduced at an interface between two rotations divided into lifting steps or between a first rotation divided into lifting steps and a first lifting step of a subsequent multi-dimensional lifting sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V.
    Inventors: Ralf Geiger, Gerald Schuller, Thomas Sporer
  • Publication number: 20100208905
    Abstract: A device for determining a component signal for a WFS system includes a provider for providing WFS parameters, a WFS parameter interpolator, and an audio signal processor. The provider provides WFS parameters for a component signal while using a source position and while using the loudspeaker position at a parameter sampling frequency smaller than the audio sampling frequency. The WFS parameter interpolator interpolates the WFS parameters so as to produce interpolated WFS parameters which are present at a parameter interpolation frequency that is higher than the parameter sampling frequency, the interpolated WFS parameters having interpolated fractions which have a higher level of accuracy than is specified by the audio sampling frequency. The audio signal processor is configured to apply the interpolated fractional values to the audio signal such that the component signal is obtained in a state of having been processed at the higher level of accuracy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2008
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Andreas Franck, Sandra Brix, Thomas Sporer
  • Patent number: 7751915
    Abstract: For a level correction in a wave field synthesis system having a wave field synthesis module and an array of loudspeakers for providing sound to a presentation region, a correction value which is based on a set amplitude state in a presentation region is determined, the set amplitude state depending on a position of the virtual source or a type of the virtual source, and the actual amplitude state in the presentation region depending on the component signals for the loudspeakers due to the virtual source. The correction value determined is fed to a manipulator manipulating the audio signal associated to the virtual source before feeding to the wave field synthesis module, or the component signals for the individual loudspeakers due to the virtual source are manipulated to reduce a deviation between a set amplitude state and an actual amplitude state at one point or several in the presentation region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Roeder, Thomas Sporer
  • Publication number: 20100158475
    Abstract: An apparatus for performing a correlation between a test sound signal replayable at variable speed and a reference sound signal, which is a digitally stored version of the test sound signal, has a determinator for determining a measure for the replay speed of a test sound signal; a variator for varying a test sound signal sampling rate, to generate a modified test sound signal depending on the measure for the replay speed, or for varying a reference sound signal sampling rate, to generate a modified reference sound signal depending on the measure for the replay speed, the variator being formed to vary the test or reference sampling rate so that a deviation between a test or modified test sound signal replay speed and a reference or modified reference sound signal replay speed is reduced; and a comparator for comparing the test or modified test sound signal and the reference or modified reference sound signal to obtain a correlation result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2006
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Sporer, Michael Beckinger
  • Patent number: 7734362
    Abstract: For reducing Doppler artifacts in the wave-field synthesis due to delay changes from one time to a second time, first, the delay for the first time and the delay for the second time are determined. Then, a value of an audio signal delayed by the first delay for the current time and the value for the audio signal delayed by the second delay for the current time are determined. Then, the first value is weighted by a first weighting factor and a second value is averaged with a second weighting factor, whereupon the two weighted values are added up to obtain a discrete value for the current time of the component in a loudspeaker signal for a loudspeaker based on a virtual source. Thus, by knowing a delay present at a later time, panning is obtained from a delay to a subsequent delay, which reduces undesired Doppler artifacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Roeder, Thomas Sporer, Sandra Brix
  • Patent number: 7706544
    Abstract: An audio reproduction system is divided into a central wave-field synthesis module and a plurality of loudspeaker modules disposed in a distributed way, wherein synthesis signals for the individual loudspeakers as well as corresponding channel information associated to the synthesis signals are calculated in the central wave-field synthesis module. The synthesis signals for a loudspeaker as well as associated channel information will then be transmitted to respective loudspeaker modules via a transmission path, wherein every loudspeaker module obtains the synthesis signals and associated channel information intended for the loudspeaker associated to the loudspeaker module. A distributed audio rendering and digital/analog converting takes place in the loudspeaker module to generate the actually analog loudspeaker signals in a distributed way in spatial proximity to every loudspeaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Geselleschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V.
    Inventors: Frank Melchior, Thomas Röder, Michael Beckinger, Sandra Brix, Thomas Sporer, Haymo Kutschbach, Berthold Schlenker, Carsten Land
  • Patent number: 7684578
    Abstract: In a wave field synthesis apparatus for driving an array of loudspeakers with drive signals, the loudspeakers being arranged at different defined positions, a drive signal for a loudspeaker being based on an audio signal associated with a virtual source having a virtual position with reference to the loudspeaker array and on the defined position of the loudspeaker, at first relevant loudspeakers of the loudspeaker array are determined on the basis of the position of the virtual source, a predefined listener position, and the defined positions of the loudspeakers, so that artifacts due to loudspeaker signals moving opposite to a direction from the virtual source to the predefined listener position are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Roeder, Thomas Sporer, Sandra Brix
  • Publication number: 20100049657
    Abstract: In a method of providing a virtual product to third parties, the virtual product being present in an original version in a digital form having a predetermined quality, a reduced version of the virtual product, along with information relating to a distributor of the virtual product, is initially provided. The reduced version's quality is inferior to the quality of the original version, and the information relating to the distributor are associated with this reduced version. On the basis of the information associated with the reduced version, further information may be created. This further information indicates that the reduced version has been passed on to the third party by the content provider. The further information is created if the third party has acquired rights to the virtual product after having obtained the reduced version of same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.,
    Inventors: Patrick AICHROTH, Jens HASSELBACH, Stefan PUCHTA, Thomas SPORER
  • Patent number: 7627129
    Abstract: An apparatus for suppressing feedback in an environment where a microphone and a loudspeaker are located, comprises a means for embedding a test signal into a loudspeaker signal, a microphone signal or a modified microphone signal, preferably by using a psychoacoustic masking threshold by using a pseudo-noise test signal, a means for determining a characteristic of a transmission channel in the environment between the loudspeaker and the microphone by using the embedded test signal and the microphone signal, a filter for filtering the loudspeaker signal to obtain a filtered loudspeaker signal, wherein the filter is adaptable to be adapted with regard to its filter characteristic to the characteristic of the transmission channel by the means for determining, as well as a means for subtracting the filtered loudspeaker signal from the microphone signal to obtain the modified microphone signal, in which the feedback is reduced due to the loudspeaker signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Sporer, Christian Neubauer
  • Patent number: 7548630
    Abstract: A loudspeaker system including a plurality of sonic converters fixed in or to the rear of sound passage openings of a carrier plate is disclosed. The carrier plate is configured in the form of a wall plate for interior spaces or outside facades of buildings and the sonic converters are integrated into the carrier plate. The loudspeaker system or loudspeaker wall plate, respectively, permit the realization of an optimum acoustic irradiation of a space without aesthetically annoying loudspeaker boxes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der angewandten Forshcung e.V.
    Inventors: Berthold Schlenker, Thomas Sporer, Karlheinz Brandenburg
  • Patent number: 7512539
    Abstract: An integer transform, which provides integer output values, carries out the TDAC function of a MDCT in the time domain before the forward transform. In overlapping windows, this results in a Givens rotation which may be represented by lifting matrices, wherein time-discrete sampled values of an audio signal may at first be summed up on a pair-wise basis to build a vector so as to be sequentially provided with a lifting matrix. After each multiplication of a vector by a lifting matrix, a rounding step is carried out such that, on the output-side, only integers will result. By transforming the windowed integer sampled value with an integer transform, a spectral representation with integer spectral values may be obtained. The inverse mapping with an inverse rotation matrix and corresponding inverse lifting matrices results in an exact reconstruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Ralf Geiger, Thomas Sporer, Karlheinz Brandenburg, Jürgen Herre, Jürgen Koller
  • Patent number: 7391879
    Abstract: An inventive loudspeaker includes a diaphragm, a first excitation means for generating structure-borne sound in the diaphragm, and a second excitation means, different from the first one, for setting the diaphragm into a longitudinal vibrational motion in a direction perpendicular to the extension of the diaphragm. In accordance with the invention, the problem of insufficient bass reproduction and/or of the magnitude conflicting with invisible integration or installation is solved in that a second exciter system is introduced, which uniformly moves the diaphragm, or the plate serving as the diaphragm, forward and backward in addition to the bending waves of the structure-borne sound. The sound reproduction therefore is possible across the entire audio-frequency range without impeding the goal of invisible integration or installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Daniel Beer, Berthold Schlenker, Sandra Brix, Thomas Sporer