Abstract: A de-pop controller and method thereof are provided. The controller includes an amplifier and a comparator. The amplifier receives and amplifies an audio input signal, and then outputs an audio output signal. The comparator, coupled to the amplifier, receives a transient indication signal. The comparator compares the transient indication signal with a reference voltage, and the comparison result is then applied to control the driving ability of the amplifier for de-popping.

Abstract: An exemplary personal listening device includes thermo-sensitive elements in its transducers. Each thermo-sensitive element senses temperature change of a corresponding transducer and changes a current flowing through the transducer according to temperature change of the transducer, to reflect the amount of time for which the personal listening device has been working.

Abstract: A method for driving a condenser microphone is provided. The condenser microphone comprises a membrane and an electrode constituting a capacity. A polarization voltage is applied between the membrane and the electrode. According to the method, an electrical signal generated by the condenser microphone based on a received acoustic signal causing a deflection of the membrane) is detected, and the polarization voltage is varied in response to the detected electrical signal.

Abstract: A speaker with a built-in filter used for a digital amplifier is provided. The speaker with the built-in filter includes an inductor wound on an outer circumferential surface of a pillar passing through a magnet. The speaker in accordance with the present invention may be directly connected to the digital amplifier without an additional low pass filter interposed therebetween, enabling a smaller and lighter digital amplifier.

Abstract: An amplifier (50) for voice or audio signals, and particularly for headset applications, uses a low gm amplifier (54) for initially charging an output node (OUT) at the beginning of a power-on phase. After charging the output node, a main amplifier (56) is enabled to amplify the voice or audio signal. At power-down, a sample-and-hold circuit (58) drives an output transistor to discharge an AC coupling capacitor (20). Thus, spikes at the output node are eliminated and an external filtering capacitor is not needed.

Abstract: A method of attenuating an input signal to obtain an output signal is described. The method comprises receiving the input signal, attenuating the input signal with a gain factor to obtain the output signal, applying a filter having a frequency response with a frequency-dependent filter gain to at least one of a copy of the input signal and a copy of the output signal to obtain a filtered signal, the frequency-dependent filter gain being arranged to emphasize frequencies within a number N of predetermined frequency ranges, N>1; wherein the filter comprises a sequence of N sub-filters, each one of the N sub-filters having a frequency response adapted to emphasize frequencies within a corresponding one of the N predetermined frequency ranges; determining a signal strength of the filtered signal, and determining the gain factor from at least the signal strength.

Abstract: Example methods and devices are provided related to bone conduction. A bone conducting transceiver (BCT) is provided. The BCT includes a metal spring, an anvil, a base, and at least one sensor. The metal spring has two ends. The anvil is mounted on an upper surface of the metal spring and is configured to move in conjunction with the metal spring based on an input signal. The base contacts a lower surface of the metal spring and supports at least one end of the two ends of the metal spring. The at least one sensor is configured to generate data regarding at least one characteristic of the BCT.

Abstract: The invention is directed to echo cancellation for a microphone system. An exemplary microphone system comprises a first transistor, wherein a gate terminal of the first transistor is connected to a ground terminal via a microphone electret element, the microphone electret element being associated with a capacitance and a voltage, the microphone electret element reverse biasing the first transistor; and a second transistor in parallel with the first transistor, wherein a gate terminal of the second transistor is connected to the ground terminal via a capacitor, the capacitance of the capacitor being selected to suppress at least a portion of a common mode signal, and wherein the gate terminal of the second transistor is not connected to the microphone electret element. The common mode signal comprises the echo, which may be the output of a speaker system that is received as input to the microphone system.

Abstract: Left and right stereo channels L and R are provided to a first set of two or more speakers of a speaker array. A bass signal B is applied to a second set of one or more speakers of the speaker array. The level of L and R applied to the first set of speakers is increased as the first set of speakers is rotated to become more horizontally aligned. The level of B applied to the first set of speakers is decreased as the first set of speakers is rotated to become more horizontally aligned.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a signal processing method, system and apparatus for 3-dimensional (3D) audio conferencing. The implementation is: a server obtains at least one audio stream relative to one terminal; the server allocates identifiers for the obtained at least one audio stream relative to the terminal; and the server combines the obtained at least one audio stream and the identifiers of the at least one audio stream and sends the combination to the terminal. With the technical solution of the present invention, the issue of excessive transmission channels required in the prior art is resolved and the terminal is capable of determining the sound image positions of other terminals freely.

Abstract: A hearing assistance system for delivering sounds to a listener provides for programming of a hearing assistance device, such as a hearing aid, using a communication link with a secondary device such as a smartphone. An example hearing assistance system may compensate for a patient's hearing deficit in a gradually progressing fashion over a configured period of absolute time, device operation time, or a combination of absolute and operation time. The hearing assistance device may be programmed by an application operating on the secondary device to successively select a parameter set that defines an operating characteristic of the signal processing circuit from a group of such parameter sets over a period of time or in response to a listener or physician input. The physician input may be received by the secondary device over a network. The defined sequence may end in a parameter set that optimally compensates the patient's hearing.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a new hearing aid profile generating instruction, generating a new hearing aid profile corresponding to each of a plurality of hearing aid users in response to receiving the new hearing aid profile, and providing the new hearing aid profile to a computing device associated with the hearing aid users.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a hearing aid comprising a receiver and signal processor circuitry operatively connected hereto. The signal processor circuitry comprises amplifying means (e.g., a Class D amplifier) adapted to generate a switched output voltage for driving the receiver of the hearing aid. Moreover, a power supply unit is included and is adapted to generate a DC output voltage from the switched output voltage. The present invention further relates to an associated method for generating a DC output voltage.

Abstract: Sound processor housings, sound processors and systems including sound processors are disclosed.

Abstract: Sound processors with light transmissive seals and systems including such sound processors are disclosed. A seal, formed in part from substantially translucent material and having at least a portion of the substantially translucent material associated with the housing exterior of the sound processor, transmits light from a light emitter carried within the housing to indicate an operational aspect of the sound processor.

Abstract: An implantable bone-conduction hearing actuator based on a piezoelectric element, such as a unimorph or bimorph cantilever bender, is described. Unlike other implantable bone conduction hearing actuators, the device is subcutaneous and once implanted is entirely invisible. The device excites bending in bone through a local bending moment rather than the application of a point force as with conventional bone-anchored hearing aids.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a kit for making a personalized display includes a blank foldable to form a cavity according to score lines to form a display with a cavity, a print medium to receive a user selected-image and to adhere to the blank, and a bending wave generation unit attachable to a display element to receive a signal from a signal generator and produce bending waves within the display element that cause the display element to vibrate and generate audible acoustic waves in accordance with the signal. In another embodiment, a personalized display includes a blank with extensions folded to form a cavity, a print medium adhered to the blank and with a user-selected image printed via a digital printer, and a bending wave generation unit attached to a display element and positioned within the cavity.

Abstract: An audio source system may be built into a garment to provide wiring from an audio source to earplugs. The wiring is brought from a point of connection to the audio source such as at a pocket and is then brought to the garment opening by tubes such as may be sewn with normal seams in construction of the garment such as side seams, sleeves seams and shoulder seams, and then into a channel at the opening, which may be a simple neck opening or a collared opening or a hood (in which the channel extends around the hood opening). An auxiliary wiring may be connected to allow a second hearing device such as ear buds or earphones. Wiring may be equipped with spring biased coils to allow stretching.

Abstract: A rotary reciprocating acoustic transducer for producing sound in response to an applied electrical signal has a ported tubular housing having a generally cylindrical chamber with an interior lumen which is generally symmetrical about a central axis and opposing first and second linear reciprocating electrodynamic motors mounted over the tubular housing member's first and second open end, with a reciprocating rotatable transducer vane assembly with first and second rotating vanes projecting radially away from a central, axially aligned shaft driven by the first and second linear reciprocating motors.

Abstract: A micro-speaker box includes a cabinet with a cavity room, a speaker unit, an amount of adsorbents located in the inside of the cabinet, and a porous layer arranged in the cavity room and dividing the cavity room of the cabinet into two parts, one part for accommodating the speaker unit, the other part filled with the adsorbents. The porous layer defines an acoustical airflow resistance no more than 150 MKS Rayls, and includes billions of stomas. The stomas in the porous layer have diameters in the range of 1 um to 500 um.

Abstract: Some embodiments herein include at least one of systems, methods, and devices for remote audio capture using a hand-held device. In some embodiments, the device captures, stores, and transmits audio to another device via wireless technologies. In some embodiments, the device may be used either as a hand-held microphone or as a lavaliere microphone.

Abstract: A packaged microphone has a lid structure with an inner surface having a concavity, and a microphone die secured within the concavity. The packaged microphone also has a substrate coupled with the lid structure to form a package having an interior volume containing the microphone die. The substrate is electrically connected with the microphone die. In addition, the packaged microphone also has aperture formed through the package, and a seal proximate to the microphone die. The seal acoustically seals the microphone and the aperture to form a front volume and a back volume within the interior volume. The aperture is in acoustic communication with the front volume.

Abstract: A speaker comprises a support structure having a circumferentially extending rim, a vibration member configured to be displaced relative to the support structure during operation of the speaker, and a suspension member suspending the vibration member relative to the support structure. The suspension member includes a radially outer portion attached to the rim of the support structure, a radially inner platform portion attached to the vibration member, and a plurality of beams. Each beam of the plurality of beams may extend from the radially outer portion to the radially inner platform portion. The plurality of beams is configured such that a resonant frequency of the vibration member attached to the radially inner platform portion of the suspension member scales linearly with a beam width of the beams of the plurality of beams.

Abstract: A headphone includes a housing having a storage space in the interior thereof and a driver unit provided within the storage space movably with respect to the housing.

Abstract: Seamless earbud structures and methods for making the same are disclosed. Seamless earbud structures can be constructed using an insert molding construction method, which overmolds a cosmetic material over two sub-enclosures that are mated together. The two sub-enclosures form a housing that can encompass a driver assembly (e.g., woofer and tweeter), a conductor bundle, and provide one or more acoustic volumes. The housing has a non-occluding member and a neck member, and has a seamless or nearly seamless construction. The cosmetic material is insert molded around the housing to provide a smooth and seamless surface disposed around the periphery of the housing.

Abstract: The earphone of the Present Disclosure includes a driver for converting electric signals into sound waves, a cord connected to the driver, an elastic holder, a housing and an earpiece. The elastic holder integrally possesses a cylindrical driver housing portion for inserting the driver, and a cord housing portion for housing the end portion of the cord. The housing possesses a cylindrical main body for inserting at least the driver housing portion of the elastic holder, and a sound conduit provided in the end portion of the main body. The earpiece is fitted into the ear canal.

Abstract: An audio source system may be built into a garment such as a hooded garment in such a way that safety concerns such as with a hooded garment for children are taken into account so that the audio system wiring cannot be made loose causing a danger of strangulation nor can the hood be cinched. This is done by putting speakers into the hood between a lining and an outer layer and passing the wires into the space between them and then into a tube that is open to the hood inner space and down the tube to a pocket in the body of the garment. Also securing tabs are used to prevent cinching action upon pulling the wire.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for acoustic optimization. An example playback device includes a first transducer to at least one of output sound waves and receive sound waves, a second transducer to at least one of output sound waves and receive sound waves, and an acoustic grille positioned in relation to the first transducer, where the acoustic grille is to reflect sound waves received at a first angle of incidence.

Abstract: [Problems] To provide a multifunction vibration actuator which has flat rising and falling frequency characteristic at the time of generation of bodily sensation vibration and which is stable for an input signal. [Means for Solving Problems] Flat frequency characteristics can be obtained by using a two-fold rotational symmetry frame type suspension, and miniaturization of the whole multifunction vibration actuator can be made by the user of the frame type suspension. With regard to the frame type suspension, use of protruded configuration of corner parts ensures the effect of absorption of deflection of the suspension.

Abstract: A thin speaker structure comprises: a long support frame; a magnetic circuit member; a voice coil; a membrane; wherein the magnetic circuit member and voice coil are rounded and the membrane includes an elliptic surrounding and an elliptic body with a center portion and a peripheral portion; the peripheral portion is fixed to a bottom edge of an inner surface of the surrounding and the center portion corresponding to the peripheral portion defines a rigid strengthened region in a longer elliptic shape; the center portion has a length of a long side longer than a diameter of the voice coil at a predetermined distance; whereby the elliptic body is combined with the circular voice coil to form a vibrating structure in order to increase the rigidity of the membrane.

Abstract: A secure server may be utilized to support watermark embedding in multimedia system-on-chips, by generating an encrypted and signed watermarking signal for use in each particular system-on-chip. The encrypted and signed watermarking signal is generated based on a unique per-chip ID associated with the particular system-on-chip. The watermarking signal may be signed by the secure server utilizing a random number generated in and/or provided by the particular system-on-chip. The watermarking signal may be encrypted by the secure server based on a secret encryption key associated with the particular system-on-chip. The secret encryption key may be determined based on the unique per-chip ID associated with the particular system-on-chip. The secure server may store information, received from various system-on-chips, for use during generation of watermarking signals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining a vehicle operator's visual input of an object in the operator's surroundings, which method comprises receiving an object position signal indicative of the position of at least one object, receiving an operator motion input signal indicative of operator physiological data comprising information relating to body motion of the operator, estimating an operator eye-gaze direction, and determining a visual input quality value representative of level of visual input of the at least one object received by the operator, based on the object position signal and the estimated operator eye-gaze direction.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting hidden messages and information in digital files are described. In an embodiment, a method of detecting steganography in a compressed digital image includes extracting neighboring joint density features from the image under scrutiny. Steganography in the image may be detected based on differences in a neighboring joint density feature of the image.

Abstract: A system and method for client-side watermarking of digital content using hybrid Intra-Frames (I-Frames) are provided. In general, a content source provides a compressed video stream and a hybrid I-Frame stream to a client device via a network. The hybrid I-Frame stream includes a number of low-loss I-Frames corresponding to select ones of the I-Frames in the compressed video stream to be used for client-side watermarking. The client device watermarks the I-Frames in the hybrid I-Frame stream, optionally compresses the watermarked I-Frames, and replaces the select ones of the I-Frames in the compressed video stream with the watermarked and optionally compressed I-Frames to provide a watermarked version of the compressed video stream.

Abstract: A system, computer-implemented method and computer-readable medium for correcting existing coordinates of an image. The image is provided to the client device, the image associated with a first geographic coordinate. A second geographic coordinate is received from the client device representing a location of the client device and an indication that the image resembles surroundings of the client device at the second geographic coordinate, where the second geographic coordinate is different from the first second geographic coordinate. A determination is made as to whether the received second geographic coordinate more accurately represents a location of a camera that took the image than the first geographic coordinate. When the received second coordinate is determined to be more accurate than the first coordinate, updating the first geographic coordinate associated with the image according to the received second geographic coordinate.

Abstract: Images uploaded by users of a social networking system are analyzed to determine signatures of cameras used to capture the images. A camera signature comprises features extracted from images that characterize the camera used for capturing the image, for example, faulty pixel positions in the camera and metadata available in files storing the images. Associations between users and cameras are inferred based on actions relating users with the cameras, for example, users uploading images, users being tagged in images captured with a camera, and the like. Associations between users of the social networking system related via cameras are inferred. These associations are used beneficially for the social networking system, for example, for recommending potential connections to a user, recommending events and groups to users, identifying multiple user accounts created by the same user, detecting fraudulent accounts, and determining affinity between users.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the measurement of human activities through video, particularly in retail environments. A method for measuring retail display effectiveness in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: detecting a moving object in a field of view of an imaging device, the imaging device obtaining image data of a product display; tracking the object in the field of view of the imaging device to obtain a track; and obtaining statistics for the track with regard to the product display.

Abstract: A method of detecting an object in an image at a client device is described. This method comprises the steps of: receiving from a server a two dimensional image of a scene, the scene being captured by a camera and the image comprising an object located within the scene, receiving from the server position data, the position data being indicative of the position of the object within the image; receiving from the server an outline representation of the object at that position, the outline representation defining for pixel positions in a segment of the image at that position whether the pixel position represents the object; and on the basis of said outline, detecting the object in the image.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for detecting objects. Members of a general class of objects are searched for in a number of images. Members of a specific class of objects are searched for in a number of regions in the number of images where the number of regions contains at least a portion of the members of the general class. A member in the members of the specific class is a potential threat to a rotorcraft.

Abstract: An apparatus including a processor configured to move automatically a sub-set of pixels defining a target captured image within a larger set of available pixels in a direction of an edge of the target captured image when a defined area of interest within the target captured image approaches the edge of the target captured image and configured to provide a pre-emptive user output when the sub-set of pixels approaches an edge of the set of available pixels.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and manufacture for smiling face detection is provided. For each frame, a list of new smiling faces for the frame is generated by performing smiling face detection employing an object classifier that trained is to distinguish between smiling faces and all objects in the frame that are not smiling faces. For the first frame, the list of new smiling faces is employed as an input smiling face list for the next frame. For each frame after the first frame, a list of tracked smiles for the frame is generated by tracking smiling faces in the frame from the input smiling list for the frame. Further, a list of new smiling faces is generated for the next frame by combining the list of new smiling faces for the frame with the list of tracked smiles for the frame.

Abstract: Among other disclosed subject matter, a computer-implemented method for performing selective viewing of a scene includes acquiring an image of a real scene using a camera. The method includes identifying, in the acquired image, a first object in the real scene located on a first side of a virtual plane defined for the real scene and a second object located on a second side of the virtual plane. The method includes modifying the acquired image by removing image content corresponding to the identified first object, wherein image content corresponding to the identified second object is not removed based on the second object being located on the second side. The method includes displaying the modified acquired image for a person to view the real scene.

Abstract: Methods and systems for motion detection can be used with groups of elements, such as groups of people. Motion detecting includes acquiring a series of images including a current image and a previous image, and determining multiple optical flow vectors. The optical flow vectors each represent movement of one of several visual elements from a first location in the older image to a second location in the current image. Average velocities are determined and stored for the optical flow vectors for different time points. A motion index is calculated using the average velocities. The average velocities can be positive or negative. Filters can be applied to exclude selected images from the motion detection field.

Abstract: An object recognition unit recognizes, from real-space video data, a body included in the video data. A function setting unit retains function information in which is prescribed a function configured from a pair of operation and processing that can be set for each type of body. In addition, the function setting unit sets, to each body recognized by the object recognition unit, a function that can be set, based on the type of each body. A selection determination unit determines a selected body selected by a user as the body to be operated among the respective bodies recognized by the object recognition unit. An operation determination unit determines the operation that the user has performed on the selected body. A processing determination unit 1107 determines the processing for the operation that has been determined by the operation determination unit among the operations configuring the function set by the function setting unit.

Abstract: A behavior analysis device has an object extraction portion that processes a frame image of an imaging area being imaged by an imaging device and extracts an object being imaged, a position detection portion that detects a position in the imaging area, for each object extracted by the object extraction portion, a posture estimation portion that estimates an posture of the object, for each object extracted by the object extraction portion, and a behavior determination portion that determines a behavior of the object, for each object extracted by the object extraction portion, based on the position in the imaging area that is detected by the position detection portion and the posture estimated by the posture estimation portion.

Abstract: A method for providing hand detection may include receiving feature transformed image data for a series of image frames, determining asymmetric difference data indicative of differences between feature transformed image data of a plurality of frames of the series of image frames and a reference frame, and determining a target area based on an intersection of the asymmetric difference data. An apparatus and computer program product corresponding to the method are also provided.

Abstract: A target recognition system and a target recognition method to recognize one or more recognition targets, operatively connected to an imaging device to capture an image of an area ahead of the target recognition system, each of which includes a recognition area detector to detect multiple recognition areas from the captured image; a recognition weighting unit to set recognition weight indicating existence probability of images of the recognition targets to the respective recognition areas detected by the recognition area detector; and a target recognition processor to recognize the one or more recognition targets in a specified recognition area based on the recognition weight set in the respective recognition area.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and system for remotely determining an absolute azimuth of a target point (B) by ground means, via the creation of an image bank georeferenced in the absolute azimuth only from a first point (P1) and the use of this image bank as an azimuth reference from a second point (P2) having a visual environment at least in part the same as the visual environment of the first point (P1).

Abstract: A method executed by a computer system for detecting edges comprises receiving an image comprising a plurality of pixels, determining a phase congruency value for a pixel, where the phase congruency value comprises a plurality of phase congruency components, and determining if the phase congruency value satisfies a phase congruency criteria. If the phase congruency value satisfies the phase congruency criteria, the computer system categorizes the pixel as an edge pixel. If the phase congruency value does not satisfy the phase congruency criteria, the computer system compares a first phase congruency component of the plurality of phase congruency components to a phase congruency component criteria. If the first phase congruency component satisfies the phase congruency component criteria, the computer system categorizes the pixel as an edge pixel, and if the first phase congruency component does not satisfy the phase congruency component criteria, categorizes the pixel as a non-edge pixel.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a system for the calibration of at least one parameter of a laser engraver, the laser engraver comprising on one hand an engraving system with a focusing lens positioned at a distance of the surface of an substrate intended to be engraved and on the other hand a vision system for at least the positioning and the verification of the engraving, the vision system including a camera associated with an appropriate illumination and, wherein the engraving device of the laser is arranged in such way that the engraving device works to engrave a substrate with specific engraved layout corresponding to variation of at least one parameter and wherein the vision system is connected to a comparison device of at least one measured engraved parameter with the template value of at least one stored data in a memorization device connected to a engraving correction device.