Abstract: A sensor network includes a sensor management server which is mutually connected with many sensor terminals. The sensor management server includes: a key delivery module for transmitting a key update message to the respective sensor terminals; a communication volume detection module for detecting a communication volume used for transmitting the key update message; and a multiplicity determination module for specifying a numerical value as a multiplicity, which represents the lower limit number of key update messages transmitted to the respective sensor terminals, according to the detected communication volume. The multiplicity determination module specifies the multiplicity such that the communication volume for transmitting or retransmitting the key update message takes the minimum value, and the key delivery module transmits the key update message by using the minimum communication volume that corresponds to the specified multiplicity.

Abstract: An example approach for navigation is provided with an apparatus comprising: a navigation processor configured to generate at least one navigation command; and an audio processor configured to determine at least one directional audio parameter so as to provide a direction, the at least one directional audio parameter being based on the navigation command and further configured to process at least one audio signal based on the at least one directional audio parameter such that a virtual sound image of a navigation routing is generated based on the processed at least one audio signal.

Abstract: Disclosed is a binaural rendering method and apparatus for decoding a multichannel audio signal. The binaural rendering method may include: extracting an early reflection component and a late reverberation component from a binaural filter; generating a stereo audio signal by performing binaural rendering of a multichannel audio signal base on the early reflection component; and applying the late reverberation component to the generated stereo audio signal.

Abstract: The processing efficiency of a process used to decode frames of an enhanced AC-3 bit stream is improved by processing each audio block in a frame only once. Audio blocks of encoded data are decoded in block order rather than in channel order. Exemplary decoding processes for enhanced bit stream coding features such as adaptive hybrid transform processing and spectral extension are disclosed.

Abstract: A method for operating a binaural hearing system including first and second hearing devices, each including an input transducer, a signal processing unit, an output transducer and a link unit for exchanging information between the devices. Operating the first hearing device according to a first processing scheme, operating the second hearing device according to a second processing scheme, monitoring an acoustic situation by the hearing devices, generating a request for coordinating the two hearing devices if one hearing device detects an acoustic situation asking for coordinating the two processing schemes of the hearing devices, the hearing device detecting such an acoustic situation being an ipsi-lateral hearing device the other being a contra-lateral hearing device, activating a link between the devices for transmitting the request to the contra-lateral hearing device, and changing the processing scheme in at least one of the devices in accordance with the request.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for receiving by a first electronic device audio content, determining audio quality of the received audio content, which includes measuring and/or estimating quality related parameters associated with the received audio content, and communicating the quality related parameters to a second electronic device, from which the audio content was transmitted. The quality related parameters may be used to control audio related functions in the second electronic device. The audio related functions may comprise noise reduction, noise suppression, cancellation, distortion reduction, equalization, compression, enhancement and/or audio rate conversion. Determining the audio quality of the received audio content may be based on one or more noise related thresholds. The quality related parameters may be communicated to the second electronic device over a dedicated control channel setup between the devices.

Abstract: The disclosed apparatus, systems, and methods provide a calibration technique for calibrating a set of microphones. The disclosed calibration technique is configured to calibrate the microphones with respect to a reference microphone and can be used in actual operation rather than a testing environment. The disclosed calibration technique can estimate both the magnitude calibration factor for compensating magnitude sensitivity variations and the relative phase error for compensating phase delay variations. In addition, the disclosed calibration technique can be used even when multiple acoustic sources are present. The disclosed technique is particularly well suited to calibrating a set of microphones that are omnidirectional and sufficiently close to one another.

Abstract: Systems and methods for enhancing the audio experience on a consumer electronic device are disclosed. More particularly systems and methods for optimizing the audio performance of individual consumer electronic devices as part of a manufacturing process and/or retail experience are disclosed. A system for enhancing the audio performance of a consumer electronic device including a parametrically configurable processing block is disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosed apparatus, systems, and methods provide a calibration technique for calibrating a set of microphones. The disclosed calibration technique is configured to calibrate the microphones with respect to a reference microphone and can be used in actual operation rather than a testing environment. The disclosed calibration technique can estimate both the magnitude calibration factor for compensating magnitude sensitivity variations and the relative phase error for compensating phase delay variations. In addition, the disclosed calibration technique can be used even when multiple acoustic sources are present. The disclosed technique is particularly well suited to calibrating a set of microphones that are omnidirectional and sufficiently close to one another.

Abstract: A method of detecting enclosure leakage of an electrodynamic loudspeaker mounted in an enclosure or box may include applying an audio signal to a voice coil of the electrodynamic loudspeaker through an output amplifier and detecting a voice coil current flowing into the voice coil. A voltage across the voice coil may be detected and an impedance or admittance of the loudspeaker across a predetermined audio frequency range may be detected based on the detected voice coil current and voice coil voltage. A fundamental resonance frequency of the loudspeaker may be determined based on the detected impedance or admittance and compared with a nominal fundamental resonance frequency of the loudspeaker representing a sealed state of the enclosure. Acoustic leakage of the enclosure may be detected based on a deviation between the determined the fundamental resonance frequency and the nominal fundamental resonance frequency of the electrodynamic loudspeaker.

Abstract: Technology for dynamic characterization of a communication device is disclosed. One method comprises sending an acoustic characterization excitation signal to be output by an acoustic transducer in the communication device. A received acoustic coupling signal that is received by a microphone of the communication device in response to the output of the acoustic transducer is measured. An acoustic signal conditioning algorithm is applied to at least one of the microphone or the acoustic transducer to reduce an amplitude of the acoustic signal or the received acoustic coupling signal to a level below a selected threshold.

Abstract: A method of controlling sound reproduction may include applying an audio signal to a voice coil of the electrodynamic loudspeaker to produce sound, detecting one of an impedance and admittance of the loudspeaker across a predetermined audio frequency range based on a detected voice coil current and voice coil voltage and determining a fundamental resonance frequency of the loudspeaker based on the detected impedance or admittance. The fundamental resonance frequency of the loudspeaker may be compared with a nominal fundamental resonance frequency of the loudspeaker representing a nominal acoustic operating condition of the loudspeaker. A change of operating condition of the loudspeaker may be detected based on a frequency deviation between the determined fundamental resonance frequency and a nominal fundamental resonance frequency of the loudspeaker. The level of the audio signal may be attenuated in response to the frequency deviation meets a predetermined frequency error criterion.

Abstract: A hearing assistance system for delivering sounds to a listener provides for subjective, listener-driven programming of a hearing assistance device, such as a hearing aid, using a perceptual model. The system produces a distribution of presets using a perceptual model selected for the listener and allows the listener to navigate through the distribution to adjust parameters of a signal processing algorithm for processing the sounds. The use of the perceptual model increases the potential of fine tuning of the hearing assistance device available to the listener.

Abstract: Provided is an acoustic signal processing device for producing an output sound meeting listener's preferences by adjusting attack sound, reverberation, and noise component.

Abstract: In an audio system having acoustic echo, incoming audio signals are decorrelated by applying both phase modulation and amplitude modulation. The resulting decorrelated signals are rendered by loudspeakers, and co-located microphones generate outgoing audio signals that include echo signals caused by the existence of acoustic echo paths from the loudspeakers to the microphones. Acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) is applied to the outgoing audio signals to reduce the amount of echo in those signals. Decorrelating the incoming audios signals using amplitude modulation in addition to phase modulation can increase the effectiveness of the AEC processing. In a frequency-domain implementation, the amount of amplitude modulation can be different for different frequency bands (e.g., greater amplitude modulation for lower frequencies corresponding to human speech and/or no amplitude modulation for higher frequencies).

Abstract: A headphone or earphone is provided which includes a housing with an open end and at least one defined dominant acoustic opening, an acoustically sealing earpad arranged at the open end of the housing, and at least one microphone arranged adjacent to common ear or in the vicinity of the dominant acoustical opening for detecting noise. The dominant acoustic opening is arranged within a radius of 2 cm around a midpoint of the at least one microphone. The headphone or earphone also includes an active-noise-compensation unit for performing an active noise compensation based on the output of the microphone and for generating a compensation signal. The headphone or earphone also includes an electro-acoustical transducer inside the housing for reproducing the compensation signal.

Abstract: A microphone array device includes a first sound reception unit configured to obtain a first sound signal that is input from a first microphone, a second sound reception unit configured to obtain a second sound signal that is input from a second microphone, a noise state evaluation unit configured to compare the first sound signal and the second sound signal and to obtain an evaluation parameter to evaluate an influence of a non-target sound included in the second sound signal on a target sound included in the first sound signal according to a result of the comparison, a subtraction adjustment unit configured to set a suppression amount for the second sound signal based on the evaluation parameter and to generate a third sound signal; and a subtraction unit configured to generate a signal to be output based on the third sound signal and the first sound signal.

Abstract: Road noise masking for a vehicle includes determining, by a computer processor, an expected interior sound associated with the vehicle. The expected interior sound is defined by a design of the vehicle in conjunction with road conditions encountered by the vehicle. The road noise masking also includes monitoring, via the computer processor, information sources of the vehicle during a driving event. Upon determining a current road surface from the monitoring, the road noise masking includes calculating a masking noise shape commensurate with the expected interior sound, and transmitting instructions including the masking noise shape to an audio system in the vehicle. The audio system produces masking noise from a tuner of the audio system that approximates the masking noise shape.

Abstract: An earphone including an earphone body, a photosensitive switch, a power supplier and a light emitter is provided. The photosensitive switch, the power supplier and the light emitter are disposed on the earphone body. The light emitter is electrically connected to power supplier through the photosensitive switch.

Abstract: An audio output circuit applied in an electronic device includes a filter capacitor and a transistor. A base of the transistor is connected to an audio processing unit, an emitter of the transistor is connected to a voltage port, a processor and an earphone detecting unit of the electronic device is electrically connected to a collector of the transistor. The filter capacitor is connected between the base of the transistor and the ground. The filter capacitor filters the audio signals generated by the audio processing unit, to ensure that and the transistor is always turned on.

Abstract: A loudspeaker system for a motor vehicle has a loudspeaker, which is arranged adjacent to at least one wall of the motor vehicle. At least one pipeline originates from the loudspeaker and runs through the wall. A shut-off device for the at least approximately sound-tight closure of the pipeline is arranged in the pipeline.

Abstract: For preserving phase shift in spatial filtering is disclosed, an electronic device includes a microphone array. A filtering module spatially filters a plurality of received audio signals from the microphone array to increase the signal-to-noise ratio in one or more corresponding output audio signals. A phase module preserves a phase shift of at least one received audio signal in the corresponding output audio signal.

Abstract: A method, an apparatus, and logic to post-process raw gains determined by input processing to generate post-processed gains, comprising using one or both of delta gain smoothing and decision-directed gain smoothing. The delta gain smoothing comprises applying a smoothing filter to the raw gain with a smoothing factor that depends on the gain delta: the absolute value of the difference between the raw gain for the current frame and the post-processed gain for a previous frame. The decision-directed gain smoothing comprises converting the raw gain to a signal-to-noise ratio, applying a smoothing filter with a smoothing factor to the signal-to-noise ratio to calculate a smoothed signal-to-noise ratio, and converting the smoothed signal-to-noise ratio to determine the second smoothed gain, with smoothing factor possibly dependent on the gain delta.

Abstract: A device includes a HPF 702 that modifies frequency characteristics of a target signal; a phase correcting unit 701 that corrects the phase characteristics of the target signal to make the phase characteristics nearly equal to phase characteristics of the HPF 702; a first multiplier 705 that adjusts the gain of the signal output from the phase correcting unit 701; a second multiplier 706 that adjusts the gain of the signal output from the HPF 702; a coefficient determining unit that determines the gain coefficients of the first and second multipliers 705 and 706 in such a manner that the sum of the gain coefficient of the first multiplier 705 and the gain coefficient of the second multiplier 706 becomes a fixed value; and an adder 713 that adds the two signals output from the first multiplier 705 and second multiplier 706.

Abstract: In order to realize a correction for changes in the reproduction loudness at low frequencies in a downmix-arrangement, a mixing arrangement is proposed for mixing at least two audio signals, which mixing arrangement is provided with a first unit (104) for deriving a first power signal, which is a measure for the power of the first audio signal, a second unit (105) for deriving a second power signal, which is a measure for the power of the second audio signal, a cross-correlation unit (103) for deriving a cross-correlation signal, which is a measure for a cross-correlation between the first and the second audio signal, a unit (106) for deriving multiplication parameters from the first and second power signals and the cross-correlation signal, and a multiplication and combination unit (107) for carrying out a signal processing on the first and second audio signals and combining them.

Abstract: Audio amplification may be improved by controlling an audio amplifier based on the audio signal being amplified. For example, when the audio signal level increases or decreases, a boost voltage provided to an audio amplifier by a boost converter may also be increased or decreased. In another example, when the audio signal level decrease below a certain level, the audio amplifier may be switched from amplifying the audio signal with a boost converter input to amplifying the audio signal with a low voltage input. Control of the audio amplifier may be implemented in a digital boost converter controller coupled to the boost converter and/or the audio amplifier.

Abstract: An audio amplifier is provided with: an amplifier circuit; a power supply circuit that generates a plurality of power supply voltages; a power supply relay that selects one of the power supply voltages as the power supply voltage supplied to the amplifier circuit; a switching condition determiner that determines whether the switching condition of the power supply relay is satisfied; a silent section detector that detects a silent section of the audio signal which is equal to or greater than the operation time of the power supply relay; and a switching instruction unit for providing the power supply relay with an instruction for switching the power supply voltage during the silent section when the switching condition is satisfied and the silent section is detected.

Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some multisensory implementations, a patient-lifting-device is controlled by voice recognition, keyboard text input, synaptic control and/or tongue tactile input commands.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bone conduction speaker and its compound vibration device. The compound vibration device comprises a vibration conductive plate and a vibration board, the vibration conductive plate is set to be the first torus, where at least two first rods inside it converge to its center; the vibration board is set as the second torus, where at least two second rods inside it converge to its center. The vibration conductive plate is fixed with the vibration board; the first torus is fixed on a magnetic system, and the second torus comprises a fixed voice coil, which is driven by the magnetic system. The bone conduction speaker in the present invention and its compound vibration device adopt the fixed vibration conductive plate and vibration board, making the technique simpler with a lower cost; because the two adjustable parts in the compound vibration device can adjust both low frequency and high frequency area, the frequency response obtained is flatter and the sound is broader.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus, devices, and methods for converting electrical signals into sound using an acoustic transducer. The inventive acoustic transducer utilizes the motion of an airfoil shaped element to generate a sound wave, with the airfoil element being driven in response to an electrical signal input to a suitable driving element. In some embodiments, the airfoil element or elements act to mechanically couple the motion of an armature attached to the driver to the surrounding air, producing sound waves in a more efficient manner than typical acoustic transducer devices. Embodiments of the invention may be used in the design of loudspeakers, earpieces, headphones, and other devices for which a high efficiency transducer is desired.

Abstract: Provided is an electronic device including: a piezoelectric element; a vibration plate to which the piezoelectric element is joined for vibration; and a housing to which the vibration plate is joined. Vibration sound, which is transmitted by vibrating a part of a human body, is generated by the vibration plate. The vibration plate includes, in a plan view thereof, a first area including a joining portion with the piezoelectric element and a second area located further away from the joining portion than the first area is, and rigidity in a first area is lower than rigidity in the second area. With the above configuration, sound leakage or the like is reduced, and usability of the electronic device is improved.

Abstract: The content of sound leakage from a vibrating plate that vibrates due to a piezoelectric element is made difficult to recognize. An electronic device (1) according to the present invention includes a piezoelectric element (30) and a vibrating plate (10) that vibrates due to the piezoelectric element (30), the electronic device (1) causing the vibrating plate (10) to generate air-conducted sound and vibration sound that is transmitted by vibrating a part of a human body. The electronic device (1) also includes an air-conducted sound reducing unit that makes a portion or all of the air-conducted sound difficult to hear.

Abstract: A hearing assistance device, such as a hearing aid, includes an antenna for wireless communication. The antenna has one or more conductor dimensions that are approximately optimized for minimizing effects of head loading, which vary among users. In one embodiment, a conductor dimension of the antenna is identified for substantially affecting an effect of head loading on the antenna when the hearing assistance device is worn by a user. Performance of the wireless communication using the antenna is evaluated based on one or more performance criteria. The conductor dimension is approximately minimized while the performance of the wireless communication satisfies the one or more performance criteria.

Abstract: A method for operating a hearing device worn by a hearing device user. The method includes picking up an audio signal (a) by an input transducer of the hearing device. The audio signal (a) includes a source signal (s) of a sound source (SS) and a disturbing signal (d) of a disturbing source (DS). The method also includes receiving a transmission signal (d_AIS) via an interface unit of the hearing device. The transmission signal (d_AIS) includes the disturbing signal (d) or at least characteristic features of the disturbing signal (d). The method also includes at least partially eliminating the disturbing signal (d) from the audio signal (a) by using the disturbing signal (d) transmitted by the transmission signal (d_AIS) or by using the characteristic features of the disturbing signal (d) transmitted by the transmission signal (d_AIS) for obtaining an adjusted audio signal (a*), and processing the adjusted audio signal (a*).

Abstract: This document provides a hearing assistance device for playing processed sound inside a wearer's ear canal, the hearing assistance device comprising a first housing, signal processing electronics disposed at least partially within the first housing, a first microphone connected to the first housing, the first microphone adapted for reception of sound, a second microphone configured to receive sound from inside the wearer's ear canal when the hearing assistance device is worn and in use and microphone mixing electronics in communication with the signal processing electronics and in communication with the first microphone and the second microphone, the microphone mixing electronics adapted to combine low frequency information from the first microphone and high frequency information from the second microphone to produce a composite audio signal.

Abstract: A circumaural earphone and a decorating strap thereof are provided. The circumaural earphone includes two earphone cups, a main strap, a decorating strap, a photosensitive switch, a power supplier and a light emitter. Two ends of the main strap are connected with the two earphone cups. Two ends of the decorating strap are detachably connected with the two earphone cups or the main strap. The photosensitive switch is disposed in one of the two earphone cups, the main strap or the decorating strap. The power supplier is disposed in one of the two earphone cups, the main strap or the decorating strap. The light emitter is disposed in the decorating strap and electrically connected with the power supplier through the photosensitive switch.

Abstract: An earbud adapter or in-ear monitor includes an Ear Interface that fits the human ear and further permits the wearer of these devices to adjust parameters of the fit. In additional aspects, the Ear Interface portion of these devices permits the user to adjust the transmission of ambient sound. The Ear Interface portion also allows the user to change ornamentation.

Abstract: An in-ear headphone with sound pick-up capability is disclosed. The in-ear headphone includes a pair of ear pieces. Each of the ear pieces includes an ear tip, an audio receiver and an acoustic-to-electric transducer. The ear tip is capable of being inserted into an ear canal. The audio receiver is configured for recovering sound signals from audio electrical signals and transmitting the sounds signals to the ear canal via the ear tip. The acoustic-to-electric transducer is disposed on the ear tip, and configured for sensing vibration of an inner wall of the ear canal and generating an electrical signal in accordance with the vibration.

Abstract: An in-ear earphone featuring a housing, an audio output device carried in the housing, a hollow elongated stem formed integral with the housing and a toroidal-shaped ear dome. The stem having a first output end extending therefrom and being audibly coupled at a second input end to the output device. The ear dome integrally formed on the output end of the stem.

Abstract: A device (400) includes a device hook receiver (503). The device hook receiver defines a port (707) to an acoustic chamber (1103) disposed within the device. An ear hook (403) includes a device hook (502). The device hook attaches to the device hook receiver and at least partially visibly obscures the port. The device hook also provides separation between an outer surface (1303) of the device hook and the port.

Abstract: A vibration sounder includes an enclosure having a receiving space, a stator received in the receiving space and a conductive terminal. The stator includes a magnetic yoke formed with a through hole. The mover locates above the stator. The conductive terminal includes an insulative portion received in the through hole and a conductive portion connecting with the insulative portion. The vibration sounder of the present disclosure has a small volume and a simple structure.

Abstract: An electro-dynamic loudspeaker transducer's motor structure includes a magnetic circuit having a pole with minimal reluctance that allows the use of larger magnets and thicker front plates, thus generating higher flux density in the voice coil gap. The lower reluctance is achieved by increasing the pole piece's outside diameter at all points outside of the voice coil gap and the area swept out by the voice coil at maximal inward excursion. Increasing the pole's diameter over a substantial amount of the pole's distally projecting length (but not extending into the magnetic gap), provides an increased cross sectional area and a reduced magnetic circuit reluctance.

Abstract: Methods, devices, systems and computer program products improve the detection of watermarks that are embedded in a host content by providing information indicative of a ranking of watermark payloads to watermark extractors. A watermark extractor device obtains information indicative of a ranking of a plurality of watermark payload values, where such information designates each watermark payload value within a first subset of the plurality of watermark payload values as having an associated rank value. Based at least in-part on the information indicative of the ranking, the watermark extractor device is configured to prioritize resource allocation for extraction of payload values that are designated as belonging to the first subset over payload values that are not designated as belonging to the first subset. The watermark extractor then extracts a payload value, designated as belonging to the first subset, from one or more watermarks embedded in the host content.

Abstract: The present disclosures relates generally to digital watermarking and data hiding. One claim recites a method comprising: obtaining data representing captured imagery, the captured imagery depicting packaging including digital watermarking, the digital watermarking including an orientation signal that is detectable in a transform domain; generating a n-dimensional feature set of the data representing captured imagery, the n-dimensional feature set representing the captured imagery in a spatial domain, where n is an integer great than 13; using a trained classifier to predict the presence of the orientation signal in a transform domain from the feature set in the spatial domain. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided too.

Abstract: A method is provided for an intelligent video processing system based on object detection. The method includes receiving an input video sequence corresponding to a video program, obtaining a plurality of frames of the input video sequence, and obtaining a computational constraint and a temporal rate constraint. The method also includes determining one or more regions of interest (ROIs) of the plurality of frames based on the computational constraint and temporal rate constraint, and selecting a desired set of frames from the plurality of frames based on the ROIs such that the desired set of frames substantially represent a view path of the plurality of frames. Further, the method includes detecting object occurrences from the desired set of frames based on the selected desired set of frames such that a computational cost and a number of frames for detecting the object occurrences are under the computational constraint and temporal rate constraint.

Abstract: Provided are a fire detecting apparatus and a method thereof for detecting a fire, the method includes operations of extracting a feature of at least one object in an input image by using a value of a brightness difference between pixels of the input image or by using an RGB value of the input image; converting the extracted feature of the at least one object into an N dimensional feature; and performing Support Vector Machine (SVM) machine learning on the N dimensional feature of the at least one object.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for analyzing an image including event information for determining a pattern of at least one pixel group corresponding to event information included in an input image, and analyzes at least one of an appearance of an object and a motion of the object, based on the at least one pattern.

Abstract: The present invention provides a human body security inspection method and system. The method comprises: retrieving in real-time scanning row or column image data of a personal to be inspected; transmitting in real-time the image data to an algorithm processing module and processing these image data by the module; automatically recognizing a suspicious matter by a suspicious matter automatic target recognition technique, after retrieving an image data of an entire scanning image of the personal; any of the following three inspection modes is selected, so as to perform a further processing on basis of the recognition result of the suspicious matter, (1) in a manner of automatic target recognition technique, (2) in a combination manner of the automatic target recognition technique and a privacy protection image; and (3) a combination manner of the automatic target recognition technique, a privacy protection image and human intervention.

Abstract: A feature tracking technique for detecting and tracking feature points with primary colors. An energy value may be computed for each color channel of a feature. If the energy of all the channels is above a threshold, then the feature may be tracked according to a feature tracking method using all channels. Otherwise, if the energy of all of the channels is below the threshold, then the feature is not tracked. If the energy of at least one (but not all) of the channels is below the threshold, then the feature is considered to have primary color, and the feature may be tracked according to the feature tracking method using only the one or more channels with energy above the threshold. The feature tracking techniques may, for example, be used to establish point trajectories in an image sequence for various Structure from Motion (SFM) techniques.

Abstract: Technologies are generally described for methods and systems effective to adjust a position of a mirror in a vehicle. In an example, a method for adjusting a position of a mirror in a vehicle may include a processor effective to receive an image of an operator of a vehicle. The processor may identify a reference point in the image and depth data. The processor may generate a mirror adjustment signal based on the depth data and the reference point. The processor may further send the mirror adjustment signal to the mirror to adjust a position of the mirror.