Abstract: An audio processor for converting a multi-channel audio input signal, such as a B-format sound field signal, into a set of audio output signals, such as a set of two or more audio output signals arranged for headphone reproduction or for playback over an array of loudspeakers. A filter bank splits each of the input channels into frequency bands. The input signal is decomposed into plane waves to determine one or two dominant sound source directions. The(se) are used to determine a set of virtual loudspeaker positions selected such that the dominant direction(s) coincide(s) with virtual loudspeaker positions. The input signal is decoded into virtual loudspeaker signals corresponding to each of the virtual loudspeaker positions, and the virtual loudspeaker signals are processed with transfer functions suitable to create the illusion of sound emanating from the directions of the virtual loudspeakers.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments include systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable mediums for compensating one or more signals and/or one or more parameters for time delays in one or more signal processing paths.

Abstract: A portable electronic device includes an audio file playing unit and a surge protector device connected to the audio file playing unit. The surge protector device includes a protector module connected to an audio file playing unit and a processor module connected to the protector module and the audio file playing unit. The processor module detects electric surges in the audio file playing unit and controls the protector module to filter the detected electric surges when the audio file playing unit plays audio files.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and a computer program are provided. The apparatus is configured to process an electrical output signal from a loudspeaker to detect a user input signal.

Abstract: An audio information processing apparatus and method include dividing an audio signal, determining a time period having a power change ratio of an audio signal larger than a first threshold value as an attack candidate, searching the time period of the attack candidate and a time period immediately before the time period of the attack candidate for an attack starting point, correcting a power of an audio signal included in the time period, and determining whether a power change ratio of the audio signal included in the time period is larger than a second threshold value for attack detection which is larger than the first threshold value.

Abstract: An ambient noise compensation system having an automatic gain control to adjust the volume of a desired sound in a listening area. A sound pick-up may be placed in the listening area to capture the sound level, including both the desired sound and ambient noise. A measured value is then determined based on the sound level received by the sound pick-up. The measured value may then be compared to a predictive value to determine an acceptable range. The gain control automatically adjusts the volume of the desired sound to maintain the measured sound within the acceptable range.

Abstract: A reverberation suppressing apparatus separating sound source signals based on input signals output from microphones collecting the plurality of sound source signals, includes a sound signal output unit generating sound signals and outputting the generated sound signals, a sound acquiring unit acquiring the input signals from microphones, a first evaluation function calculation unit calculating a separation matrix, the input signals, and the sound source signals, and calculating a first evaluation function, a reverberation component suppressing unit calculating an optimal separation matrix, and suppressing a reverberation component by separating the sound source signals other than the generated sound signals, and a separation matrix updating unit dividing a step-size function, approximating each segment to a linear function, calculating step sizes based on the approximated linear functions, and repeatedly updating the separation matrix so that the degree of separation of the sound source signals exceeds the p

Abstract: An apparatus, method and computer program where the apparatus comprises: a filter configured to filter an electrical input signal and provide a filtered electrical input signal to an audio output device; an audio output device configured to convert the filtered electrical input signal to an acoustic output signal; a microphone configured to detect an acoustic signal and provide an electrical output signal corresponding to the detected acoustic signal; and a detector configured to receive the filtered electrical input signal provided to the audio output device as a first input and the electrical output signal provided by the microphone as a second input; wherein the detector is configured to detect a change in the signal power of the electrical output signal provided by the microphone relative to the filtered electrical input signal provided to the audio output device and, in response to the detection of the change in the signal power, provide a control signal to the filter to control the filter to compensate

Abstract: To provide a howling suppression device which can reduce quality deterioration of processed sound involved in howling suppression in an acoustic feedback loop environment.

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present technology provide a sound attenuator for reducing high level sounds within the ear canal while maintaining high audibility for lower level sounds. The sound attenuator comprises a housing with a passageway for passing external sound, a damping member to restore resonance within a plugged ear, and a disc interposed across the passageway. The disc comprises a cavity, at least one hole through said disc and a flexible diaphragm positioned across the cavity. At a sound pressure level less than that of a predetermined value the flexible diaphragm expands upon an increase in the external sound pressure level maintaining a near constant level of attenuation. For sound pressure levels at or greater than that of the predetermined value the diaphragm contacts the interior surface of the cavity, thereby limiting the flexibility of the diaphragm and increasing the level of attenuation provided by the attenuator.

Abstract: A tunable, sound enhancing air induction system for an internal combustion engine includes an air supply duct extending between an air cleaner and a throttle body, and an acoustic amplifier mounted to the air supply duct at an anti-node of a desirable engine induction sound. The acoustic amplifier furnishes the desired sound to the passenger compartment of the vehicle, either through a duct, or by a directional horn.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for providing a personalized driving sound by using an active sound design. The system includes a sound design tool, a memory card, and an audio system. The sound design tool enables a user to create the driving sound. The memory card receives and stores the created driving sound from the sound design tool. The audio system outputs the driving sound stored in the memory card.

Abstract: A sensor system being is located in an environment composed of a first medium, where waves propagate with a first phase velocity, the sensor system including at least one main enclosure and a sensor array with at least two sensors, said sensor array being arranged inside the main enclosure, wherein the space inside the main enclosure between the sensor array and the inner surface of the main enclosure is filled with a second medium, in which waves propagate with a second phase velocity, the second phase velocity being different from the first velocity.

Abstract: A sound source localization apparatus for localizing a sound source using an eigenvector, includes, a sound signal input unit inputting a sound signal, a correlation matrix calculation unit calculating a correlation matrix of the input sound signal, and an eigenvector calculation unit calculating an eigenvalue of the correlation matrix using the calculated correlation matrix, wherein the eigenvector calculation unit calculates the eigenvector using the correlation matrix of the input sound signal and one or more predetermined correlation matrices.

Abstract: A loudspeaker system with an endfire array of three or more loudspeakers (Zn, n=3, 4, . . . N) arranged on a line. The system has a set of filters (Fn, n=3, 4, . . . N), each loudspeaker (Zn) being connected to one corresponding filter (Fn). The filters (Fn) are super resolution beamforming filters such as to provide the endfire array with a pre-designed directivity index (DI) and a pre-designed noise sensitivity (NS).

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an acoustic correction apparatus includes: a signal obtaining module configured to obtain an acoustic signal from a target space including an object and an external space; a signal output module configured to output to the target space a measurement signal; a coefficient identifying module configured to identify, on the basis of a response acoustic signal, a correction coefficient of a correction filter that reduces a resonance frequency component of a resonance in the object; a filtering module configured to use the correction filter, and filter the signal provided to the object; a noise cancelling module configured to remove, on the basis of the acoustic signal, a noise component comprised in the acoustic signal from the filtered signal; and an output module configured to output the acoustic signal, from which the noise component is removed by the noise cancelling module, to the object.

Abstract: An audio DAC includes a delta/sigma modulator (DSM), a pulse width modulator (PWM) and an output unit. The DSM delta-sigma modulates an over-sampled digital signal to generate a multi-bit quantization signal. The PWM pulse width modulates the multi-bit quantization signal to generate a single-bit pulse width modulation signal. The output unit includes an analog filter that low-pass filters the single-bit pulse width modulation signal to generate an analog output signal.

Abstract: Diaphragms of a plurality of capacitor microphone units are arranged in the same plane and the capacitor microphone units are connected in series to make an output from an impedance converter connected to one capacitor microphone unit drives a ground side of another capacitor microphone unit connected to the impedance converter.

Abstract: An audio system comprises a first enclosure for housing a first audio component and a second enclosure for housing a second audio component. The first enclosure includes a surface having a plurality of first structures, the first structures comprising one selected from a group consisting of a plurality of protrusions and a plurality of receptacles. The second enclosure includes a surface having a plurality of second structures, the second structures comprising the other one from the group consisting of the plurality of protrusions and the plurality of receptacles. The protrusions are configured to be inserted into the receptacles along a first direction such that the first enclosure is maintained in a first position relative to the second enclosure in the presence of a shear force that is applied in a direction that is perpendicular to the first direction.

Abstract: To provide a bone conduction speaker that enables a wearer to hear a bone-conducted sound and an air-conducted sound caused by the bone-conducted sound to improve the quality and depth of the sound and allows the wearer to hear external sounds to improve the safety in outdoor use, and a hearing device using the same. When a bone conduction speaker is fitted in an auricle, a part 4, 5 or 6 of a main body 1 of the bone conduction speaker abuts against the entrance and/or the periphery of the entrance of the external auditory meatus to conduct a vibration of the entrance and/or the periphery of the entrance of the external auditory meatus, and a sound pressure caused by the vibration of the entrance and/or the periphery of the entrance of the external auditory meatus conducted by the abutting part is transmitted to the tympanic membrane through the external auditory meatus.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an oscillator, particularly for or in a flat loudspeaker, particularly for use in the aerospace field, comprising an oscillating part carrier, a coupling ring for coupling the oscillator to a sound converter of a loudspeaker, wherein the oscillating part carrier and the coupling ring are connected to each other via a detachable quick-release closure, comprising first closing elements for a locked, secure connection in relation to vibrations and second closing elements that are separate from the first closing elements, for a secure connection between the oscillating part carrier and the coupling ring. The invention further relates to a flat loudspeaker comprising such an oscillator and to a vehicle comprising such a flat loudspeaker.

Abstract: Described herein is a preamplifier circuit for a capacitive acoustic transducer provided with a MEMS detection structure that generates a capacitive variation as a function of an acoustic signal to be detected, starting from a capacitance at rest; the preamplifier circuit is provided with an amplification stage that generates a differential output signal correlated to the capacitive variation. In particular, the amplification stage is an input stage of the preamplifier circuit and has a fully differential amplifier having a first differential input (INP) directly connected to the MEMS detection structure and a second differential input (INN) connected to a reference capacitive element, which has a value of capacitance equal to the capacitance at rest of the MEMS detection structure and fixed with respect to the acoustic signal to be detected; the fully differential amplifier amplifies the capacitive variation and generates the differential output signal.

Abstract: An active sound management system for a vehicle includes a plurality of zones defined in the vehicle, each zone including at least one speaker and at least one microphone associated therewith, and a control unit operatively connected to the plurality of zones, the control unit having an input line for receiving an input signal from the at least one microphone of each of the plurality of zones and an output line for sending an output signal to the at least one speaker of each of the plurality of zones.

Abstract: A system and method for performing efficient directed sound and/or data to a user utilizing position information. Various aspects may, for example, comprise determining position associated with one or more recipients of audio signals, determining one or more audio signal parameters based, at least in part, on such determined position information, and generating audio signals based on such determined audio signal parameters. For example, direction, timing, phasing and/or magnitude of such audio signals may be adapted based on a dynamic recipient positional environment.

Abstract: An audio device is arranged to present a plurality of test audio signals to a user where each test audio signal comprises a signal component and a noise component. A user preference processor (109) receives user preference feedback for the test audio signals and generates a personalization parameter for the user in response to the user preference feedback and a noise parameter for the noise component of at least one of the test audio signals. An audio processor (113) then processes an audio signal in response to the personalization parameter and the resulting signal is presented to the user. The invention may allow improved characterization of a user thereby resulting in improved adaptation of the processing and thus an improved personalization of the presented signal. The invention may e.g. be beneficial for hearing aids for hearing impaired users.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for transmitting amplified audio signals to a user, wherein the system comprises a receiver unit, a transmitter unit and a base unit, wherein the receiver unit is adapted to receive audio signals wirelessly from at least one of the transmitter unit and the base unit and from one or more external devices, and where the receiver unit is adapted to be worn by the user; the transmitter unit is adapted to transmit audio signals wirelessly to the receiver unit; and the base unit is adapted to communicate with one or more external devices and adapted to communicate wirelessly with the receiver unit.

Abstract: A method for reducing noise in an input signal (110) of a hearing device comprising a transfer function (H) as well as a hearing device is disclosed.

Abstract: A hearing apparatus and an associated method for suppressing feedback include a microphone emitting a microphone signal and a receiver picking up a receiver signal by subtracting a compensation signal from the microphone signal. The hearing apparatus includes a number of preset static first compensation filters for forming first compensation signals from the receiver signal and a first selection unit, which selects a first compensation signal in such a way that a feedback signal caused by the feedback is minimal in the receiver signal. An advantage thereof is that adaptation artifacts cannot occur.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of providing an apparatus, the apparatus including: a loudspeaker configured to convert an electrical input signal into an acoustic output signal; and carbon nanohorn material wherein the carbon nanohorn material is positioned so as to be exposed to the acoustic output signal.

Abstract: An electro-acoustic transducer has an electro-magnetically driven moving dome and a phase plug having a body and a dome-interface surface, with a compression cavity formed between the dome and the dome-interface surface. The phase plug includes at least first and second annular slots beginning at the dome-interface surface and extending a first depth into the body of the phase plug. The first and second slots are separated by a bridge element at the dome-interface surface and joined by a first bridge passage at the first depth beneath the dome-interface surface. The phase plug also includes an exit slot coupling the bridge passage to a throat at a second depth in the body of the phase plug.

Abstract: Apparatus includes a housing, the housing including a first body part and a second body part, the first body part being moveable relative to the second body part, wherein the housing has a first configuration when the first body part is in a first position relative to the second body part between and a second configuration when the first body part is in a second position relative to the second body part; and a speaker arrangement, wherein the speaker arrangement comprises a transducer, a front cavity coupled to a first side of the transducer, and an opening. The opening connects the front cavity to an exterior of the housing. A rear cavity is coupled to a second side of the transducer, the second side of the transducer being on an opposite side of the transducer to the first side of the transducer.

Abstract: This is a novel speaker design which introduces its own internal bass-reflex. This design improves over existing designs in that it leads to acoustics that are more natural and of higher quality and, that it also leads to much improved cooling for the speaker's voice coil.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of providing an apparatus, the apparatus including a loudspeaker configured to convert an electrical input signal into an acoustic output signal; and carbon nanohorn material wherein the carbon nanohorn material is positioned so as to be exposed to the acoustic output signal.

Abstract: An audio source device may be used with a garment such as a hooded garment by passing the audio wires into a channel in the hood and having them exit the hood inside hollow lanyards with earbuds at the ends. A means to fix the wires and the lanyards to each other inside the hood is shown; and a means is shown to prevent lateral movement inside the hood.

Abstract: The present invention provides a wired control of an earphone. The wired control includes a turn plate and a body. The turn plate defines an elastic material structure and a plurality of rails. The body defines at least one protrusion which is mounted with a plurality of circuit boards, wherein each circuit board is electrically mounted with a switch thereon; the turn plate is rotatably mounted on the body; and each switch is operable in response either to the elastic material structure being pressed or to the rails of the turn plate being rotated. When one of the switches is activated by the movement of the turn plate, the circuit board corresponding to the activated switch generates a trigger signal.

Abstract: A bobbin is a hollow tubular structure formed of a carbon nanotube composite structure. A loudspeaker includes a magnetic circuit; a bobbin; a voice coil; and a diaphragm. The magnetic circuit defines a magnetic gap. The bobbin is located in the magnetic gap. The voice coil is wounded on the bobbin. The diaphragm includes an inner rim fixed to the bobbin. The bobbin is a hollow tubular structure formed of a carbon nanotube composite structure.

Abstract: A bobbin for a loudspeaker includes at least one base and at least one carbon nanotube structure. The at least one carbon nanotube structure is positioned on at least one surface of the base. A loudspeaker includes a magnetic circuit, a bobbin; a voice coil, and a diaphragm. The magnetic circuit defines a magnetic gap. The bobbin is located in the magnetic gap and includes at least one carbon nanotube structure. The voice coil is wounded on the bobbin. The diaphragm includes an inner rim fixed to the bobbin.

Abstract: A voice coil is disclosed. The voice coil includes a housing and a wire wrapped around the housing. The housing defines a connecting member and a combining member connected to the connecting member. The wire wraps around the combing member. The connecting member defines an outer surface, an inner surface opposed to the outer surface, and a top surface connecting the outer and inner surfaces. The housing further includes a through hole extending from the outer surface to the inner surface.

Abstract: Systems, devices, features, and methods for detecting geographic features in images, such as, for example, to develop a navigation database are disclosed. For example, a method of detecting text from collected images includes collecting a plurality of images of geographic areas along a road or path. An image of the plurality of images is selected. Components that represent a feature about the road or path in the selected image are determined. In one embodiment, the components are independent or invariant to scale of the feature. The determined components are compared to reference components in a data library. If the determined components substantially match with the reference components, the feature in the selected image is identified to be a text character (e.g., of a road sign) corresponding to at least some of the reference components in the data library.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a storage module configured to store a plurality of pieces of comment data; an analyzing module configured to analyze an expression of a person contained in image data; a generating module configured to select a target comment data from among the comment data stored in the storage module based on the expression of the person analyzed by the analyzing module, and to generate voice data using the target comment data; and an output module configured to output reproduction data to be used for displaying the image data together with the voice data generated by the generating module.

Abstract: A method of linking a content object with a network resource presents a content object to a reader, discerns an identifier associated with the content object, transfers the identifier to an indexing system, and in response receives an internet address corresponding to the content object. To enhance the response of the indexing system, it includes multiple routers, which it selects based on location relative to the reader. For example, the method sends user location data to a master system, and in response, receives an address of an indexing system close to the user location.

Abstract: A paper sheet identification apparatus capable of identifying an authenticity of a watermark area formed on a paper sheet is provided without increasing the cost. The paper sheet identification apparatus includes: a light receiving part 81a receiving reflected light from a watermarked image formed on a paper sheet to be conveyed, a converter (232) converting the reflected light from the watermarked image received by the light receiving part (81a) for each pixel as a unit of a predetermined size including color information having brightness; and an identification processing part (235) identifying the authenticity of the watermarked image based on a correlation coefficient, which is calculated from a density value for each pixel converted by the converter (2329 and a density value for each pixel by the transmitted light from the watermarked image of the bill serving as a reference.

Abstract: Systems, devices, features, and methods for detecting geographic features in images, such as, for example, to develop a navigation database are disclosed. For example, a method of detecting a path marking from collected images includes collecting a plurality of images of geographic areas along a path. An image of the plurality of images is selected. Components that represent an object on the path in the selected image are determined. In one embodiment, the determined components are independent or invariant to scale of the object. The determined components are compared to reference components in a data library. If the determined components substantially meet a matching threshold with the reference components, the object in the selected image is identified to be a path marking corresponding to the reference components in the data library.

Abstract: A method and a system for gesture recognition are provided for recognizing a gesture performed by a user in front of an electronic product having a video camera. In the present method, an image containing the upper body of the user is captured and a hand area in the image is obtained. The hand area is fully scanned by a first couple of concentric circles. During the scanning, a proportion of a number of skin color pixels on an inner circumference of the first couple of concentric circles and a proportion of a number of skin color pixels on an outer circumference of the first couple of concentric circles are used to determine a number of fingertips in the hand area. The gesture is recognized by the number of fingertips and an operation function of the electronic product is executed according to an operating instruction corresponding to the recognized gesture.

Abstract: In a method for displaying on a display device the surroundings of a vehicle, the surroundings are detected by at least one detection sensor as an image of the surroundings while the vehicle is traveling or at a standstill. A surroundings image from a given surrounding area is ascertained by the detection sensor in different vehicle positions, and/or at least one surroundings image from the given surrounding area is ascertained by each of at least two detection sensors situated at a distance from one another, and in each case a composite surroundings image is obtained from the surroundings images and displayed by the display device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method can effectively detect both hands and hand shape of a user from images input through cameras. A skin image detecting skin regions from one of the input images and a stereoscopic distance image are used. For hand detection, background and noise are eliminated from a combined image of the skin image and the distance image and regions corresponding to actual both hands are detected from effective images having a high probability of hands. For hand shape detection, a non-skin region is eliminated from the skin image based on the stereoscopic distance information, hand shape candidate regions are detected from the remaining region after elimination, and finally a hand shape is determined.

Abstract: There is provided a method for real-time target detection comprising detecting a preprocessed pixel as a target and/or a background, based on a library, and refining the library by extracting a sample from the target or the background.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining a position on the basis of a camera image from a camera includes a Hough transformer, a positional description establisher and a database comparator. The Hough transformer is formed to identify circular arcs or elliptical arcs in the camera image or in a preprocessed version of the camera image derived therefrom, and to identify a plurality of straight stretches passing in various directions through the camera image or through the preprocessed version. The positional description establisher is formed to obtain a positional description describing the identified circular arcs or elliptical arcs and the identified straight stretches by parameters, on the basis of the identified circular arcs or elliptical arcs and on the identified straight stretches. The database comparator further is formed to compare the positional description with a plurality of comparative positional descriptions and to obtain information on a position as a result of the comparison.

Abstract: A method for determining if an object of a scan generated by a movable scanner has moved by comparing images generated at a plurality of orientations of the movable scanner and information related to such images. The object is scanned at a first orientation of the movable scanner, and scanned a second time at the first orientation of the movable scanner. A first brightness quantity is generated based on scanning the object at the first orientation, and a second brightness quantity is generated based on scanning the object the second time at the first orientation. The method also includes determining a motion factor based on the first brightness quantity, the second brightness quantity, and first and second images generated at the first orientations of the movable scanner.

Abstract: A method is provided for use in optimizing ethanol yield from agricultural products. The method includes imaging agricultural products to determine predicted ethanol yields for the agricultural products and assigning characterizations to the imaged agricultural products based on their predicted ethanol yields. An apparatus is provided for collecting, retaining, and/or transporting bulk quantities of agricultural products. The apparatus includes an analyzer configured to image the agricultural products for use in determining the predicted ethanol yields. And, a system is provided for tracking and/or monitoring agricultural products.