Abstract: The present invention relates to a device to enhance an ear bud including a headband coupled to one or more ear pads. The ear pad being formed of a material for providing dampening of ambient sound and physiologic compression. For example, the pad can be formed of a visco-elastic foam having a thickness to provide noise reduction and sufficient comfort by avoiding excessive compression on any one part of the ear. The headband and the ear pad provide a force for compressing the tragus and antitragus to partially isolate the ear bud in the external auditory canal.

Abstract: A wireless monophonic headset device has one ear piece, a control box, and a cable in between. The ear piece comprises a speaker and a battery. The control box includes circuitry including a short-range radio transceiver and a codec. The ear piece battery is connected to supply power to the control box circuitry by means of the cable.

Abstract: There is provided a loudspeaker unit, in particular a ceiling loudspeaker unit, which has a housing (50) having a front housing portion (60). Arranged in the front housing portion (60) are a woofer unit (10), a baffle panel (70) and a tweeter unit (30) in a 2-way coaxial system. The tweeter unit (30) has a tweeter horn having a plurality of legs (33) and a plurality of openings (31) at the edge of the tweeter horn (30).

Abstract: A dual omnidirectional microphone array noise suppression is described. Compared to conventional arrays and algorithms, which seek to reduce noise by nulling out noise sources, the array of an embodiment is used to form two distinct virtual directional microphones which are configured to have very similar noise responses and very dissimilar speech responses. The only null formed is one used to remove the speech of the user from V2. The two virtual microphones may be paired with an adaptive filter algorithm and VAD algorithm to significantly reduce the noise without distorting the speech, significantly improving the SNR of the desired speech over conventional noise suppression systems.

Abstract: A dual omnidirectional microphone array noise suppression is described. Compared to conventional arrays and algorithms, which seek to reduce noise by nulling out noise sources, the array of an embodiment is used to form two distinct virtual directional microphones which are configured to have very similar noise responses and very dissimilar speech responses. The only null formed is one used to remove the speech of the user from V2. The two virtual microphones may be paired with an adaptive filter algorithm and VAD algorithm to significantly reduce the noise without distorting the speech, significantly improving the SNR of the desired speech over conventional noise suppression systems.

Abstract: A system and method for sensing acoustic sounds is provided having at least one directional sensor, each directional sensor including at least two compliant membranes for moving in reaction to an excitation acoustic signal and at least one compliant bridge. Each bridge is coupled to at least a respective first and second membrane of the at least two membranes for moving in response to movement of the membranes it is coupled to for causing movement of the first membrane to be related to movement of the second membrane when either of the first and second membranes moves in response to excitation by the excitation signal. The directional sensor is controllably rotated to locate a source of the excitation signal, including determining a turning angle based on a linear relationship between the directionality information and sound source position described in experimentally calibrated data.

Abstract: The perceptual sound quality of desired audio signals (e.g., human voice) captured by an electronic device (e.g., cell phone) are improved by reducing ambient noise according to an algorithm that acts upon audio signals captured from a front and rear direction. More particularly, audio signals captured by two directional microphones pointing in opposite directions (e.g., a front microphone which receives audio signals from a forward direction and a rear microphone which receives audio signals from a rear direction) are classified and subsequently enhanced (e.g., unwanted signals are suppressed) according to a probability of their source (e.g., front, rear, or noise) thereby providing an improved perceptual sound recording than each microphone individually. The resultant signals provide decreased noise since the contribution of the front and rear microphones are taken into consideration and the signal from the more relevant (e.g., in the direction from which sound is coming) microphone is utilized.

Abstract: A digital offset is combined with an audio signal in the digital domain to cancel an output offset caused by one or more analog components processing the same audio signal. In this manner, the offset at the output of the audio signal path (e.g., at a power amplifier output) is reduced or eliminated. Consequently, audible artifacts, such as click-and-pop artifacts, can be reduced or eliminated. In audio devices operating in ground-referenced capless mode, power consumption is reduced because of reduced or eliminated direct current (DC) leakage current through speakers or headsets of such audio devices. In some circumstances, the digital offset in the digital domain may be applied at substantially all times of operation of the audio signal path.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus such as an audio apparatus, television signal receiver, or other apparatus provides an equalizer interface that enables equalizer settings to be adjusted via acoustic user feedback. According to an exemplary embodiment, the electronic apparatus includes a sound generator for generating a first tone for a first frequency band. A processor enables a user to adjust a first volume level of the first tone. A memory stores the first volume level for the first frequency band. A volume controller applies the first volume level to output signals in the first frequency band.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a pickup signal processing apparatus includes microphones, a sound determining unit, a signal level calculating unit, a setting unit, and a calculating unit. The sound determining unit determines whether pickup signals picked up by the microphones are signals from a neighboring sound source or a background noise signal. The signal level calculating unit calculates the signal levels for the microphones. The setting unit sets a gain value of at least one microphone and reduces a difference between the signal levels for the microphones on the basis of the signal levels for the microphones, when determined that the pickup signal is the background noise signal. The calculating unit multiplies the pickup signal of the at least one microphone by the gain value set by the setting unit.

Abstract: Signal of a channel selected in accordance with a cue instruction is supplied to a cue bus. Cue signal processing section provided in the cue bus can perform one or more signal processing operations, selected from among a predetermined plurality of different signal processing operations, such as “Delay”, “Insert” and “Equalizer”. For each of a plurality of channel types, a set of setting information is stored which contains information for setting ON or OFF of individual ones of the plurality of different signal processing operations. The set of setting information corresponding to the type of the channel selected via the cue instruction is referenced, and one or more signal processing operations is determined in such a manner that each signal processing operation set in an ON state in the setting file in correspondence with the type of the selected channel is performed on the signal supplied to the cue bus.

Abstract: A plate, a transducer, a method for making a transducer, and a method for operating a transducer are disclosed. An embodiment comprises a plate comprising a first material layer comprising a first stress, a second material layer arranged beneath the first material layer, the second material layer comprising a second stress, an opening arranged in the first material layer and the second material layer, and an extension extending into opening, wherein the extension comprises a portion of the first material layer and a portion of the second material layer, and wherein the extension is curved away from a top surface of the plate based on a difference in the first stress and the second stress.

Abstract: A piezoelectric speaker includes: a chassis having a wall surface including an opening; a plurality of diaphragms including at least a first piezoelectric diaphragm and second piezoelectric diaphragms which vibrate in phases opposite to each other when a voltage is applied; and a joint member which connects the first and second piezoelectric diaphragms in a positional relationship such that the diaphragms are located at positions different from each other in a thickness direction. One of the diaphragms is provided, in the opening of the chassis, to have one surface facing an outside of the chassis and another surface facing an inside of the chassis. The diaphragm functions as a radiation plate which radiates a sound wave by vibrating at an amplitude generated by synthesizing amplitudes of the first and second piezoelectric diaphragms.

Abstract: A microphone having an optical component for converting the sound-induced motion of the diaphragm into an electronic signal using a diffraction grating. The microphone with inter-digitated fingers is fabricated on a silicon substrate using a combination of surface and bulk micromachining techniques. A 1 mm×2 mm microphone diaphragm, made of polysilicon, has stiffeners and hinge supports to ensure that it responds like a rigid body on flexible hinges. The diaphragm is designed to respond to pressure gradients, giving it a first order directional response to incident sound. This mechanical structure is integrated with a compact optoelectronic readout system that displays results based on optical interferometry.

Abstract: An electret diaphragm and a speaker using the same are provided. The electret diaphragm includes an electret layer, a bonding layer adhered to a surface of the electret layer, and an aluminum (Al) electrode layer adhered on the bonding layer. The electret layer at least includes ethylene group polymer. A material of the bonding layer is ethylene-ethyl-acrylate (EEA) or ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA).

Abstract: Systems, structures, and methods are provided to fit, program, or upgrade a hearing aid system to a patient. One embodiment includes the use of a mobile device to interact with the hearing aid system through a short-range network. The mobile device is also adapted to communicate with a server through a long-range wireless network. The server may reside on the Internet.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for allowing a recipient of a hearing aid device, and in one aspect, a bilateral hearing aid system, to locate the source of a sound signal about the recipient. The method uses localization cues in the sound signal and modifies these to provide useable localization cues to generate a stimulating signal for application to the recipient. In one example, a detected localization cue such as an interaural level difference (ILD) is transposed to a lower frequency.

Abstract: The invention relates to a hearing aid system comprising an input transducer, a forward path, an output transducer and an electrical feedback path, the forward path comprising a signal processing unit for modifying an electrical input signal to a specific hearing profile over a predefined frequency range, wherein the predefined frequency range comprises a number of frequency bands, for which maximum forward gain values IGmax for each band can be stored in a memory, the electrical feedback path comprising an adaptive filter for estimating acoustical feedback from the output to the input transducer. The invention further relates to a method of adapting a hearing aid system to varying acoustical input signals. The object of the present invention is to provide an alternative acoustic feedback compensation scheme.

Abstract: The hearing device comprises a battery door (20); a connector (2) having N?1 electrical contacts (6); and a user control (8). The user control (8) consists of a) an elastic actuation member (14); and operationally connected thereto b) a contact changing member (12), which can be different from or identical with the elastic actuation member (14); and operationally connected thereto c) at least one of the N electrical contacts (6). At least a portion of the elastic actuation member (14) forms at least a portion of the battery door (20). The connector (2) is a connector for providing a communication connection to the hearing device. The user control(8) can be a pushbutton switch. The elastic actuation member (14) comprises a body substantially made of elastomeric material and can hold the contact changing member (12). The contact changing member (12) is provided for changing the state of contacting of said at least one electrical contact (6), e.g., to establish or interrupt an electrical connection.

Abstract: An embodiment provides a seal for retaining a hearing device within the ear canal comprising a curved shell having an opening at a shell apex portion. The shell defines a cavity for retention of a device component. An interior surface of a shell wall has a scalloped shape configured to distribute compressive forces applied to the shell perimeter such that when the shell is positioned in the canal, the shell wall conforms to the shape of the canal to maintain an acoustical seal between a shell exterior surface and the canal walls. The scalloped shape can be configured to produce a substantially constant amount of inward deformation of a shell wall independent of a force application point on a shell perimeter. The shell can include a coating to retain the seal in the canal and/or to promote asparagine growth into the coating to fastenly retain the seal in the canal.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods to detect signals connected to a direct audio input port of a hearing assistance device are provided. According to one embodiment, a hearing assistance device includes a processor and a direct audio input (DAI) port including a signal line connected to the processor. The DAI port is configured to connect to an external device, and the processor is programmed to detect audio signals of interest on the signal line and to process the audio signals of interest when detected as programmed.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a housing. A waveguide is located within the housing. The waveguide includes a first subsection that bends around a first axis and has a first cross-sectional area with an aspect ratio that is substantially different from unity. A second subsection bends around a second axis that is non-parallel to the first axis and includes a second cross-sectional area with an aspect ratio that is substantially different from unity. A third subsection acoustically couples the first subsection to the second subsection. The third subsection includes a third cross-sectional area with an aspect ratio that varies between the first aspect ratio and the second aspect ratio.

Abstract: A sound delivery device is provided which includes a headband having a first end and a second end, and an earpiece and a speaker are mounted adjacent the first end of the headband. The earpiece is constructed and arranged to be rotatable with respect to the speaker to optimize comfort, fit, and performance. The earpiece can include a cylindrical section constructed and arranged to cooperate with a spherical section of a joint, and arranged to be rotatable with respect to the joint.

Abstract: A hat mounted music system includes a semi-rigid hatband and a flexible crown and hat bill mounted to the hatband. A retaining pocket is mounted to the hatband and is sized and shaped to hold a portable music player. First and second headphone mounts are located to align with the ears of a user. The mounts have first and second hinges. First portions of the hinges are attached to the hatband and second portions of the hinges are attached to the mounts. The hinges permit movement of the mounts from a first, open position to a second, listening position. First and second headphone modules are adapted to fit the headphone mounts. Connection wires connect the player to the headphone modules. The headphone mounts are spring-loaded and are retained in the second position by a latching mechanism. A release device allows the headphone mounts to return to the first, open position.

Abstract: A method (300) and apparatus (110) that determines blood oxygenation using a mobile communication device is disclosed. The method can include capturing (320) a plurality of images of skin using an array of pixels in a camera on a portable electronic device. The method can include comparing (330) image characteristics corresponding to the plurality of captured images at a first wavelength with image characteristics corresponding to the plurality of captured images at a second wavelength, the second wavelength being substantially distinct from the first wavelength. The method can include determining (340) blood oxygen level based on comparing the image characteristics.

Abstract: The task of providing a device which makes it possible for the natural visual faculty of a partially vision-impaired person to be restored or supported as realistically as possible by means of a visual aid or visual prosthesis is achieved with the visual aid according to the invention in that, beyond the pure acquisition of a two-dimensional image, additional information is included in the image processing. For this purpose, a visual aid system is proposed which, during the reproduction of the processed image, visualizes additional information regarding the spatial position and/or specific attributes of objects in the acquired image which is associated with objects in the acquired image.

Abstract: Embodiments for correcting a dropout in a strain image in an ultrasound system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processing unit sets a first window on each of pre-compression ultrasound frame data and post-compression second ultrasound frame data, move the first window in a predetermined direction and compute a correlation between the pre-compression ultrasound frame data and the post-compression ultrasound frame data within the first window to obtain a displacement corresponding to a value of each pixel of target ultrasound frame data. The processing unit sets one of pixels of the target ultrasound frame data as a reference pixel, sets a second window to encompass predetermined numbers of pixels positioned around the reference pixel, checks whether a displacement computation error corresponding to a dropout occur based on the pixel values within the second window and resets, when the dropout occurs, the value of the reference pixel.

Abstract: Script detection service techniques are described. In an implementation, values representing individual text characters in a string of one or more text characters are identified to determine which human writing system is associated with the individual text characters. The values are compared to a table that associates subsets of values with individual human writing systems. The values are determined to be within a particular subset of values in the table that correspond to a particular human writing system. A particular human writing system is designated as associated with the string based on the values associated with the individual text characters in the string being within the particular subset of values that corresponds with the particular human writing system.

Abstract: A multimedia device includes input ports dedicated to receiving a real-time media signal and a processor system dedicated to capturing the real-time media signal. The processor system defines an embedded environment. The input ports and the processor system are integrated into the multimedia capture device. The input ports include an audio input port and at least one of a visual-capture input port or a digital-image input port.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for analyzing image attachments to email messages and reliably determines whether the image includes spam, so that the message can be blocked. A method for processing email messages comprises processing an image included in or attached to an email message to determine whether the image includes features that indicate whether the image is spam and determining whether the image is spam based on the included features that indicate whether the image is spam.

Abstract: Users of an online system are authenticated based on signatures of cameras that were used to capture images uploaded to the online system. Users of an online system upload photos taken from their cameras. The online system extracts characteristic information about the camera that captured the photos. This information includes a mapping of faulty pixels, metadata included with the photos, a naming convention, and the like. The online system stores an association between the user and the camera. This association is used for authentication of the user. For authentication, the user is asked to upload new photos taken from the camera that the user used previously. The information extracted from the newly uploaded photos is matched against stored information of cameras used previously by the user. The user is successfully authenticated if the camera used for the newly uploaded photos matches a previously stored camera.

Abstract: The invention relates to an article-processing device comprising a conveyor (2) for moving articles (1) in series and on edge, a camera (3) for taking a digital image (4) of each article (1), a data processor unit for performing processing on the pixels of the digital image (4), and means for inspecting/monitoring the quality of the digital images (4), said article-processing device being characterized in that: said conveyor has a back wall (9) of a dark color; said camera (3) takes a digital image (4) within which the article (1) lies against a background (7) corresponding to said back wall (9); and said inspection/monitoring means scan rows of pixels in order to extract, for each scanned row, a pixel having a light intensity extremum, and detect contrast indicative of degradation of the quality of the digital images (4). The invention also relates to a sorting machine including such a device, and to an inspection/monitoring method.

Abstract: Techniques for human body pose estimation are disclosed herein. Depth map images from a depth camera may be processed to calculate a probability that each pixel of the depth map is associated with one or more segments or body parts of a body. Body parts may then be constructed of the pixels and processed to define joints or nodes of those body parts. The nodes or joints may be provided to a system which may construct a model of the body from the various nodes or joints.

Abstract: An image judgment device stores element characteristic information for each element of a characteristic part of a sample object and first and second positional information defining a position of each element, selects the first or the second positional information, and acquires image characteristic information for a partial image in an image frame considered as an element specified by the first positional information based on a first axis. The image judgment device also extracts image characteristic information for a partial image in an image frame considered as an element specified by the second positional information based on a second axis (which is acquired by rotating the first axis), specifies element characteristic information for an element corresponding to a position of the partial image, and judges whether the characteristic part appears in the image frame with use of the specified element characteristic information and the extracted image characteristic information.

Abstract: A mobile multimedia device may be operable to initiate capture of a series of image samples of a scene, where the scene may comprise one or more objects that may be identifiable by the mobile multimedia device. An image for the scene may be determined by the mobile multimedia device utilizing the captured image samples based on motion associated with the identifiable objects. As soon as the image for the scene has been determined, the capture of the series of image samples may be terminated. The image may be determined when the amount of motion associated with the identifiable objects is below a particular threshold value. The identifiable objects may comprise one or more faces. The motion may be due to a gesture such as a wink or a smile received from one or more of the faces. The image may be determined when the gesture is detected.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store an attribute of each pixel existing inside a tracking target area set on an image and an attribute of a pixel existing adjacent to the pixel, an allocation unit configured to allocate an evaluation value to a pixel to be evaluated according to a result of comparison between an attribute of the pixel to be evaluated and an attribute of a pixel existing inside the tracking target area and a result of comparison between an attribute of a pixel existing adjacent to the pixel to be evaluated and an attribute of a pixel existing adjacent to the pixel existing inside the tracking target area, and a changing unit configured to change the tracking target area based on the allocated evaluation value.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a vehicle tracking system and method, and the tracking method comprises the steps of capturing a bright object from an image by the bright object segmentation; labeling the bright object by a connected component labeling method and forming a connected component object; identifying, analyzing and combining the characteristics of the connected component object to form a lamp object by the bright object recognition; tracking the trajectory of the lamp object by a multi-vehicle tracking method; and identifying the type of a vehicle having the lamp object by the vehicle detection/recognition and counting the number of various vehicles.

Abstract: An edge extracting unit of a contour image generator generates an edge image of an input image using an edge extraction filter, etc. A foreground processing unit extracts the foreground from the input image using a background image and expands the foreground to generate an expanded foreground image. The foreground processing unit further generates a foreground boundary image constructed of the boundary of the expanded foreground region. A mask unit masks the edge image using the expanded foreground image to eliminate edges in the background. A synthesis unit synthesizes the masked edge image and the foreground boundary image to generate a contour image.

Abstract: A monitoring camera terminal has an imaging portion for imaging a monitoring target area allocated to an own-terminal, an object extraction portion for processing a frame image imaged by the imaging portion to extract an imaged object, an ID addition portion for adding an ID to the object extracted by the object extraction portion, an object map creation portion for creating, for each object extracted by the object extraction portion, an object map associating the ID added to the object with a coordinate position in the frame image, and a tracing portion for tracing an object in the monitoring target area allocated to the own-terminal using the object maps created by the object map creation portion.

Abstract: To provide a road marking image processing device which performs highly accurate road marking recognition by creating a high-quality synthesized bird's-eye image that has no influence from the camera parameter error and noise such as the reflection light from the road surface, lens extraneous matter, shadow of the own vehicle, and the like. A new synthesized range identifying module creates a bird's-eye image of only an area not contained in a synthesized bird's-eye image created based on the road images up to the one captured previously from the current road image. An image synthesizing module synthesizes the bird's-eye image and the synthesized bird's-eye image created based on the road images up to the one captured previously to create a new synthesized bird's-eye image.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus: detects an object position included within an overlapping region of a first image corresponding to a vehicles's traveling direction and a second image corresponding to a direction crossing the traveling direction; assigns the first image a first value when the object is in a first position, and a second value smaller than the first value when the object is in a second position more distant from a traveling direction axis of the vehicle than the first position, and assigns the second image a third value when the object is in the first position, and a fourth value larger than the third value when the object is in the second position; and determines a boundary so that the object is included within an image having a larger value than the other; and joins the first and second images.

Abstract: A navigation system comprises an image sensor operable to obtain range data for a first scene, and a processing unit coupled to the image sensor. The processing unit is operable to identify one or more plane features, based on the range data, using each of a plurality of scales. The processing unit is further operable to combine each of the one or more plane features with a corresponding plane feature from each of the plurality of scales and to project the one or more combined plane features to a reference orientation.

Abstract: A sign language recognition method includes a depth-sensing camera capturing an image of a gesture of a signer and gathering data about distances between a number of points on the signer and the depth-sensing camera, building a three dimension (3D) model of the gesture, comparing the 3D model of the gesture with a number of 3D models of different gestures to find out the representations of the 3D model of the gesture, and displaying or vocalizing the representations of the 3D model of the gesture.

Abstract: An image generating device and a method thereof are disclosed in the present invention. The image generating device and method may find out true motion for static text strings. The image generating device and method detect static text angles from consecutive frames and use a 3D-static text filter to recover correct motion vector fields. After our Static Text Detector fixing, the static text strings like subtitles can get more accurate motion vector and improve video quality.

Abstract: Systems and methods of measuring an amount of show-through in a printed document are disclosed. The systems and methods include an imaging device that scans a back side of the printed document and scans a front side of the printed document with a blank document disposed thereon. The imaging device produces bitmaps related to the scans and calculates bit depths associated with the bitmaps. A difference array is calculated based on the differences between the bitmaps of the back side and front side scans, and the average value and standard deviation of the difference array is calculated. The amount of show-through of the document is measured based on a formula with the calculated average and standard deviation.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a depth-of-relationship value calculation unit that regards a person, who appears in any of a plurality of contents, as a specific person, and calculates a depth-of-relationship value, which indicates the degree of depth of the relationship between the specific person and a second person, on the basis of an appearance frequency of the second person or a third person other than the second person in contents in which the specific person appears, and the appearance frequencies of the second person and the third person in contents in which the specific person does not appear; and a priority determination unit that determines a priority, which is assigned to the second person relating to the specific person among the persons appearing in the plurality of contents, on the basis of the calculated depth-of-relationship value.

Abstract: A registering device, a registering method, an authentication device and an authentication method that can perform authentication with high speed while reducing an increase in the storage capacity are proposed. From a living-body image for authentication, a feature area included in the living-body image is detected. Further, a part having the same shape and the same size as those of the feature area is cut out from each of a plurality of living-body information items that are stored in a storage means based on position information associated with the living-body information item.

Abstract: The visual line estimating apparatus 200 comprises: an image inputting section 201 operable to take an image of a human; a visual line measurement section 202 operable to measure a direction of a visual line on the basis of the taken image; a visual line measuring result storing section 211 operable to store therein visual line measuring results previously measured; a representative value extracting section 212 operable to extract a previous representative value; and a visual line determining section 213 operable to judge whether or not a difference between the representative value and the visual line measuring result is lower than a predetermined threshold to determine a visual line estimating result from the representative value and the visual line measuring result.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a face direction estimating section that estimates a direction and a degree of swing of a face in a target image including a face image when a front direction of the face is used as a reference, and an image correcting section that transforms a correction target area to be corrected, which includes at least a part of the face image, in accordance with the degree of swing.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and methods for using contextual features to improve face recognition in digital images are described. A face recognition system may semi-automatically label faces and/or search for faces in images. Faces may be detected in the images and visual and non-visual features may be determined for each face. The determined features may be facial and/or contextual features. Features may also be determined from labels assigned to the faces. Pair-wise comparisons of the faces, using the determined features, may determine distances between pairs of faces. Some features may be used to determine the relevance of other features. Dependent on the calculated distances, similar faces may be grouped and suggested labels for faces may be provided. The system may be scalable, processing faces in groups to limit the use of system resources to a certain amount, regardless of the size of a digital image collection.