Patents Issued in March 7, 2017
  • Patent number: 9589515
    Abstract: A display panel and a display device are provided. The display panel includes a substrate, multiple data line groups which are arranged on the substrate sequentially and adjacently, and multiple gate line groups which are arranged on the substrate sequentially and adjacently. The display panel further includes multiple pixel electrode array units which are arranged in an array on the substrate. The pixel electrodes in the pixel electrode array unit are electrically connected with the data lines and the gate lines via switch elements. Data driving signals received by any two adjacent pixel electrodes in a same column have opposite polarities. The pixel electrode array unit includes a first pixel electrode, a second pixel electrode, a third pixel electrode, and a fourth pixel electrode. Data driving signals received by any two adjacent pixel electrodes of a same type in the same row have opposite polarities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignees: SHANGHAI TIANMA MICRO-ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., TIANMA MICRO-ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kang Yang, Jun Ma, Tianyi Wu, Hao Chen
  • Patent number: 9589516
    Abstract: A method of driving a display panel, the method including outputting video data to a display panel during an N-th (N is a natural number) frame, outputting video data to the display panel during an (N+1)-th frame, comparing polarities of video data of the N-th frame and corresponding polarities of video data of the (N+1)-th frame, and controlling polarities of video data of an (N+2)-th frame, according to the result of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ki-Hyun Pyun, Seung-Woon Shin, Jong-Young Yun, Bong-Chool Jeon, Jun-Ho Hwang
  • Patent number: 9589517
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device for performing pause driving, occurrence of flicker is effectively suppressed while an increase in power consumption is suppressed. When an image change determination portion (11) detects an image change in a period from the previous refresh frame until generation of a predetermined number of times of pause frames, a reversal driving control portion (13) sets the next frame after a frame where an image change has been detected to a refresh frame where a reversal driving technique is a column-reversal driving. When the image change determination portion (11) does not detect an image change in the period from the previous refresh frame until generation of the predetermined number of times of pause frames, the reversal driving control portion (13) sets the next frame after the final pause frame to a refresh frame where a reversal driving technique is a dot-reversal driving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuhiko Suyama, Kouji Kumada, Norio Ohmura, Noriyuki Tanaka, Takuya Sone
  • Patent number: 9589518
    Abstract: A display device includes a display portion comprising pixels including a first pixel and a second pixel, a source driver for applying a pixel voltage to pixels through signal lines, and a control portion for controlling the source driver. The first and second pixels each include a first sub-pixel and a second sub-pixel. The first sub-pixel includes a light exit portion and a color filter for a first hue. The second sub-pixel includes a light exit portion and a color filter for a second hue. An area of the light exit portion of the first sub-pixel of the first pixel is smaller than that of the first sub-pixel of the second pixel. The control portion converts the video signal for the first sub-pixel into a brighter one. The source driver applies the pixel voltage to the first sub-pixel of the first pixel based on the video signal after conversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshiki Onishi
  • Patent number: 9589519
    Abstract: A display panel is provided. The display panel includes a display area comprising a gate line and a data line, and a gate driver connected to a terminal of the gate line. The gate driver includes a plurality of stages that are integrated on a substrate, and each stage comprises an inverter unit, an output unit, and a Q node stabilization unit. The output unit includes a first transistor and a first capacitor, wherein the first transistor includes an input terminal for receiving a clock signal, a control terminal connected to a node Q, and an output terminal connected to a gate voltage output terminal to output a gate voltage. A Vgs voltage of a transistor in the Q node stabilization unit has a value of equal to or less than 0 V when the output unit outputs a gate-on voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jung Hwan Hwang, Beom Jun Kim, Seong Yeol Syn, Bong-Jun Lee, You Mee Hyun
  • Patent number: 9589520
    Abstract: The present invention provides a self-compensating gate driving circuit, comprising: a plurality of GOA units which are cascade connected, and a Nth GOA unit controls charge to a Nth horizontal scanning line G(n) in a display area, and the Nth GOA unit controls charge to a Nth horizontal scanning line G(n) in a display area, and the Nth GOA unit comprises a pull-up controlling part, a pull-up part, a transmission part, a first pull-down part, a bootstrap capacitor part and a pull-down holding part; the pull-up part, the first pull-down part, the bootstrap capacitor part and the pull-down holding circuit are respectively coupled to a Nth gate signal point Q(N) and the Nth horizontal scanning line G(n), and the pull-up controlling part and the transmission part are respectively coupled to the Nth gate signal point Q(N), and the pull-down holding part is inputted with a first DC low voltage VSS1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Chao Dai
  • Patent number: 9589521
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus having a wire-on-array structure is disclosed. The liquid crystal display apparatus has a plurality of driving IC units, a plurality of first conductive-wire sets and second conductive-wire sets. The driving IC units are arranged at intervals in a peripheral circuit area around the active area of the liquid crystal display apparatus. The first conductive-wire sets and the second conductive-wire sets are connected alternately between every two of the plurality of driving IC units. Each first conductive-wire set has a conducting structure for connecting to a common electrode. The arrangement of the first conductive-wire sets and the second conductive-wire sets facilitates achievement of thin bezel design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shishuai Huang
  • Patent number: 9589522
    Abstract: A method of driving a display panel includes applying a gate signal to a gate line of a display panel to drive the gate line, and driving a data line of the display panel by applying a data signal to the data line, where the driving the data line of the display panel includes over-driving the data line based on a data load signal and a polarity control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yong-Jin Shin, Sung-In Kang, Tae-Gwang Jeong, Bong-Kyun Jo
  • Patent number: 9589523
    Abstract: A GOA circuit comprising GOA units and a liquid crystal display are disclosed. The N-staged GOA units charge the Nth-staged horizontal scanning line in the display region, and comprise N-staged pull-up control circuits, N-staged pull-up circuits, N-staged transfer circuits, N-staged pull-down circuits, and N-staged pull-down holding circuits. The N-staged pull-up circuits turn on when the Nth-staged gate signal point is at a high voltage level, receive a first clock signal and charge the N-staged horizontal scanning lines when the first clock signal is at a high voltage level. The N-staged transfer circuits receive a second clock signal when the Nth-staged gate signal point is at the high voltage level and output N-staged transfer signals to control the operation of the (N+1)-staged GOA units. The disclosure may ensure the scanning lines in the GOA circuit to be better charged for facilitating normal operation for each point in the circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Juncheng Xiao
  • Patent number: 9589524
    Abstract: A display device includes a source driver integrated circuit (IC) including an equalizer for boosting a data signal received through a pair of signal lines depending on an equalization (EQ) setting value and a clock recovery circuit recovering a clock of the data signal, and a timing controller, which is connected to the source driver IC through the signal line pair and transmits the data signal to the source driver IC. The source driver IC samples the data signal in conformity with a timing of an internal clock output when the clock recovery circuit is in a lock state. The source driver IC further includes an equalizer control circuit for initializing the equalizer when the clock recovery circuit is in an unlock state and the EQ setting value is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: LG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Daekyu Park
  • Patent number: 9589525
    Abstract: A method of driving a display panel is disclosed. In one aspect, the display panel includes a plurality of pixels arranged in odd and even rows and a plurality of odd and even gate lines respectively connected to the pixels of the corresponding odd and even rows. The method includes outputting odd gate signals to the odd numbered gate lines during two consecutive subframes and outputting even gate signals to the even numbered gate lines during two consecutive subframes. A frame is divided into two subframes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jung-Won Kim, Joon-Chul Goh, Hong-Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 9589526
    Abstract: A pixel for a display device includes a first pixel area, a second pixel area, and a switching transistor coupled between a data line and the first and second pixel areas. The first pixel area includes a first threshold compensation point and the second pixel area includes a second threshold compensation point. The first threshold compensation point has a turn-on period different from a turn-on period of the second threshold compensation point, and at least one of the first pixel area or the second pixel area includes an organic light emitting diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kwang-Sub Shin
  • Patent number: 9589527
    Abstract: A display device including a display panel, including a plurality of pixels, a driver circuit configured to display an image on the display panel in response to an image signal and a control signal, and a voltage generator configured to generate an analog driving voltage for an operation of the driver circuit in response to a voltage control signal. The driver circuit is configured to compare the image signal to ripple image patterns and is configured to output the voltage control signal to change a voltage level of the analog driving voltage, according to the result of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyun Seok Hong, Yeon-Sun Na, Dongin Kim, Kwan-Young Oh, Changgil Oh, Bum Lee, Jae-Won Jeong
  • Patent number: 9589528
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display device includes signal lines, scanning lines, pixel switching elements, a signal line driving circuit, a scanning line driving circuit and a display pixel, wherein the signal line driving circuit is configured to apply a voltage, which is identical to a voltage of the counter-electrode, to all the signal lines when a control signal, which is supplied from an outside of the insulative substrate, is at a first logic level, and the scanning line driving circuit is configured to turn on all the pixel switching elements when the control signal is at the first logic level, and to turn off the pixel switching elements at different timings when the control signal is at a second logic level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: JAPAN DISPLAY INC.
    Inventors: Masaki Miyatake, Akihiko Saitoh
  • Patent number: 9589529
    Abstract: A device enabling for a user to control a flexible display more convenient and precise and a controlling method therefor, are discussed. According to one embodiment disclosed for this, the device includes a flexible display, a length measuring unit configured to measure an expanded length of the flexible display expanded from the device, a speed measuring unit configured to measure a speed of which the flexible display expanded from the device and a processor configured to control the flexible display, the length measuring unit, and the speed measuring unit, wherein if the flexible display is expanded to a unit length, the processor displays an application execution screen corresponding to the unit length in the flexible display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Yongsin Kim
  • Patent number: 9589530
    Abstract: The patent application relates to a method of controlling a display device including display elements arranged in a matrix with n rows of display elements. The method includes: driving a first row of display elements, with a first output of a driving system being connected to the first row and disconnected from at least one further row of display elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Pavel Novoselov, Jozef Elisabeth Aubert
  • Patent number: 9589531
    Abstract: Video signals for a mobile terminal are converted to accommodate reproduction by an alternative display terminal. The video signal is processed to provide a converted video signal appropriate for an alternative display terminal that is separate from the mobile terminal. This converted video signal is then provided for the alternative display terminal to accommodate the corresponding video display on a screen provided by the alternative (e.g., external) display terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Virginia Innovation Sciences, Inc.
    Inventors: Tiejun Wang, William E. Halal, Tiehong Wang, Ximing Wang
  • Patent number: 9589532
    Abstract: A data driver includes buffers respectively outputting data voltages corresponding to pixel image data, bias units corresponding to the buffers in a one-to-one correspondence and driving the buffers, respectively, and a global setting part applying control level values to the bias units. Each of the bias units includes a bias signal generating unit that selects one control level value among the control level values based on a corresponding pixel image data among the pixel image data and generates a bias signal having a control level corresponding to the selected control level value and a current generating unit that generates a corresponding bias current in response to the bias signal and applies the corresponding bias current to a corresponding buffer among the buffers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Suhyeong Park, Hoyong Jung
  • Patent number: 9589533
    Abstract: A system displays graphics with an in-vehicle information system and a mobile electronic device. The in-vehicle information system receives encoded graphics data from the mobile electronic device and displays the encoded data with a graphical output device. The mobile electronic device executes program instructions to generate a series of graphics frames that are generated at a first frame rate and stored in an off-screen frame buffer in the mobile electronic device, generate encoded data corresponding to the series of graphics frames, and transmit the encoded data to the in-vehicle information system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Banski, Jens Faenger
  • Patent number: 9589534
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a system for converting RGB data to WRGB data, which includes: a color enhancement assembly, which is configured to conduct color enhancement for input RGB values in order to obtain color-enhanced RGB values; and a four color conversion assembly, which is configured for converting the color-enhanced RGB values into output WRGB values. The present invention also discloses a method for converting RGB data to WRGB data. The system and method for converting RGB data to WRGB data according to the present invention allows for improvement of transmittance of a display device while at the same time increasing saturation of a display image and providing an effect of color enhancement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Jinjun Wu
  • Patent number: 9589535
    Abstract: Disclosed is a social dress up game that may be a fun mobile app that may be played collaboratively with friends, using the photo capability of a mobile phone or smart mobile device. One player will separately take a picture of a friend, and then invite two friends to join. Each player will dress up one part or component of the whole body of the photo—head, body or legs. In the end, the three different parts will be merged into an interesting and unique image of their friend that they can also share with the game players. Since each game player would have worked on only that player's component, the resulting merged image will be a surprise to all players.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: PAYPAL, INC.
    Inventors: Amy Poon, Margaret Szeto, Konstantin Orlov, Varghese Mathai
  • Patent number: 9589536
    Abstract: A gate controlling unit, a gate controlling circuit, an array substrate and a display panel, where, the gate controlling unit includes: a gate driving subunit configured for driving a gate line; a first reset subunit configured for resetting the gate driving subunit after the gate driving subunit finishes driving the gate line; and a suspension and resumption subunit configured for controlling the gate driving subunit to suspend and resume the gate driving subunit. The gate controlling circuit, formed by cascaded gate controlling units connected in series, can be suspended and resumed several times within a frame. The display panel with the gate controlling circuit can perform scanning of the touch signal during the suspension time period, thereby ensuring the stability of the display system and both improved touch position reporting rate and better linearity of the touch system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignees: SHANGHAI AVIC OPTOELECTRONICS CO., LTD, TIANMA MICRO-ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Bo Liu, Kerui Xi
  • Patent number: 9589537
    Abstract: The present invention provides a shift register, a driving method, a gate driving apparatus and a display apparatus. Said shift register comprises a pull-up unit, a reset unit, a pull-down unit and a signal output; the pull-up unit is connected to said signal output and pulls up an output signal; the reset unit is connected to a control end of said pull-up unit and said signal output respectively and resets the potential of the control end of said pull-up unit after said output signal is at high level; the pull-down unit is connected to a control end of said pull-up unit and said signal output respectively and pulls down the potential of the control end of said pull-up unit and said output signal after said reset unit has reset the potential of the control end of said pull-up unit, so that said pull-up unit switches off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignees: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD., CHENGDU BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xiaojing Qi, Bo Wu, Wen Tan, Young Yik Ko
  • Patent number: 9589538
    Abstract: Controlling virtual objects displayed on a display device includes controlling display, on a display device, of multiple virtual objects, each of the multiple virtual objects being capable of movement based on a first type of input and being capable of alteration based on a second type of input that is different than the first type of input, the alteration being different from movement. A subset of the multiple virtual objects as candidates for restriction is identified, and based on identifying the subset of virtual objects as candidates for restriction, a responsiveness to the first type of input for the subset of virtual objects is restricted. The first type of input applied to a first virtual object included in the subset of virtual objects and a second virtual object included in the multiple virtual objects is detected, with the second virtual object being excluded from the subset of virtual objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: PERCEPTIVE PIXEL, INC.
    Inventors: Philip L. Davidson, Jefferson Y. Han
  • Patent number: 9589539
    Abstract: An electronic device according to an embodiment including: a sensor to detect a contact position of a touch operation on a screen of a display; a display controller to display, on the screen, first information indicative of a first process to be performed, and to display, on the screen, second information in place of the first information when a moving distance of a contact position of the touch operation exceeds a first value, the second information indicative of a second process to be performed; and a processor to perform the first process when the touch operation finishes while the first information is displayed on the screen and to perform the second process when the touch operation finishes while the second information is displayed on the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Yusam Huang
  • Patent number: 9589540
    Abstract: A battery operated device, having a display with two or more available refresh rates, has its refresh rate selected so as to match the video frame rate of video data played back on the display. This selection is made by coordinating the resources in the device that are used to process the video from its reception through to its display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Yongjun Wu, Shyam Sadhwani, Naveen Thumpudi, Stephen Estrop, Glenn Evans
  • Patent number: 9589541
    Abstract: A pixel history machine may receive a location for a portion of a screen. The pixel history machine may present a first screen with a first portion and store the first portion. The pixel history machine is configured to present a second screen with a second portion of the second screen. The pixel history machine is configured to receive a request that the first portion of the first screen be presented within the second screen. This request may take the form of a gesture being detected by the pixel history machine. In response to this request, the pixel history machine presents the first portion of the first screen within the second screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: eBay Inc.
    Inventor: Saumil Ashvin Gandhi
  • Patent number: 9589542
    Abstract: Provided is a mobile terminal including: a terminal body that has a first side and a second side; a first display that is located at the first side; a second display that is located at the second side; a sensor that is configured to detect rotation of the mobile terminal; and a controller that is configured to: cause the first display to display a first information; and cause the second display to display a second information when the sensor detects that the mobile terminal is rotated a threshold amount, such that a general direction that the first side faced prior to the rotating of the mobile terminal is generally the same as a general direction that the second side faces after the rotating of the mobile terminal, wherein the second information is related to the first information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Chulbae Lee, Jipyo Hong, Sungwon Shin, Hyolin Kim, Jiyeon Lee, Hyungtae Jang, Yoonchan Won, Yongjae Kim
  • Patent number: 9589543
    Abstract: One or more system, apparatus, method, and computer readable media is described for improving the quality of static image frames having a relatively long residence time in a frame buffer on a sink device. Where a compressed data channel links a source and sink, the source may encode additional frame data to improve the quality of a static frame presented by a sink display. A display source may encode frame data at a nominal quality and transmit a packetized stream of the compressed frame data. In the absence of a timely frame buffer update, the display source encodes additional information to improve the image quality of the representation of the now static frame. A display sink device presents a first representation of the frame at the nominal image quality, and presents a second representation of the frame at the improved image quality upon subsequently receiving the frame quality improvement data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Inventors: Sean J. Lawrence, Raghavendra Angadimani
  • Patent number: 9589544
    Abstract: A method of optimizing pixel signals for a liquid crystal display includes receiving the first, second and third pixel signals for the (n?1), (n) and (n+1)th frames. The first and second pixel signals are compared to determine if the second pixel signal requires overshooting or undershooting. The second and third pixel signals are compared to determine if the second pixel signal requires to be increased for pre-titling. The second pixel signal is compensated accordingly, thereby increasing liquid crystal response time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jang-Kun Song, Dong-Won Park
  • Patent number: 9589545
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a ligature providing secure contact between the reed and mouthpiece while at the same time allowing for faster adjustment of the reed location and contact point with respect to the mouthpiece cavity such that longer or shorter reed vibrations can be easily obtained if desired. The improved ligature is adaptable to fit a wide range of woodwind instrument mouthpieces. In addition, the ligature has limited points of contact with the mouthpiece, so as to eliminate or reduce abrasions to the mouthpiece assembly associated with the application of the ligature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: U.S. Band & Orchestra Supplies, Inc.
    Inventors: John Morrison, William Furman O'Dell, Christopher H. Converse
  • Patent number: 9589546
    Abstract: Drum pedal assemblies are disclosed which can include one or more adjustment feature and/or interlocking feature. Adjustment features which can be included in embodiments of the invention can include spring tension adjustment features, pedal incline adjustment features, lever length adjustment features, and/or beater stem angle adjustment features. Drum pedal assemblies are also disclosed which can include slot-and-tab connections between assembly pieces, which can reduce or eliminate certain undesired pedal movements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: DRUM WORKSHOP, INC.
    Inventor: Richard A. Sikra
  • Patent number: 9589547
    Abstract: This disclosure generally pertains to various end pieces for releasably securing to a coupling element. In at least one example, the end piece may be used for releasably securing a guitar strap to a coupling element on a guitar. In various examples, the end piece can include a body having a first surface opposite a body having a second surface, a first aperture defining a first aperture opening communicating between the body first and second surfaces, and a plurality of resiliently flexible projection elements extending radially inward and spaced apart relation from the first aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Hogjim, LLC
    Inventor: Kyle Douglas Koster
  • Patent number: 9589548
    Abstract: An electronic instrument comprising an elongated member, comprising a plurality of detectors aligned in the elongated member, each detector for detecting a finger-sized object in the vicinity thereof and for providing a corresponding signal; a processing unit operatively connected to the plurality of detectors, the processing unit for receiving the signals from the plurality of detectors and for generating a signal indicative of a sound to generate and a sound generating unit operatively connected to the processing unit, the sound generating unit for receiving the signal indicative of a sound to generate and for generating a sound accordingly and wherein the processing unit and the sound generating unit are located inside the elongated member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Digiauxine, Inc.
    Inventor: Hami Monsarrat-Chanon
  • Patent number: 9589549
    Abstract: The present invention is multi-expression control system designed to control the individual sound from one or more compact analog sound modulator systems, often called “pedals, effects or stomp boxes,” or collectively herein “effects pedals,” for guitars, basses and keyboards. It couples features that are proprietary with off-the shelf products resulting in a system that spans the distance between a third party foot pedal and third party effects pedals. The system gives a musician “hands free” control of any third party effects pedal that has manually controlled potentiometers during a live artistic performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Inventor: Buchanan M. McKay, II
  • Patent number: 9589550
    Abstract: Various embodiments relate to determining an energy level of one or more sound components from a sound mix. Based on at least one sound mix signal received from a mixing device and at least one component signal received from one or more sound components, at least one signal value of the sound mix signal and at least one signal value of the component signal may be computed. The component signal corresponds to each of the one or more sound components. An energy level of the one or more sound components may be determined based on the sound mix signal value and the component signal value which corresponds to each of the one or more sound components. The energy level of the one or more sound components may be output in order to determine the energy level of each component in the sound mix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: James Kirsch, Harsha Inna Kedage Rao
  • Patent number: 9589551
    Abstract: A system for remotely generating sound from a musical instrument. In one embodiment, the system includes an input configured to receive a signal representative of the sound of a first musical instrument, an exciter for converting the signal to mechanical vibrations, and a coupling interface for coupling the mechanical vibrations into a second musical instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Inventor: Eric Aaron Langberg
  • Patent number: 9589552
    Abstract: Provided is a percussion instrument capable of enhancing the expressiveness of performance. A struck surface plate that vibrates to produce a musical sound when struck is disposed on a case, and a sound emission hole is formed to penetrate the struck surface plate. A musical signal is generated by a sound source device according to detection results of percussion sensors that detect the vibration caused by the striking on the struck surface plate. A sounding body produces an electronic musical sound based on the musical signal generated by the sound source device. Because the sounding body is disposed in the case, the musical sound produced by the vibration of the case and the electronic musical sound can be produced from the one case. Accordingly, the expressiveness of the performance using the percussion instrument can be enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Roland Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Nishi
  • Patent number: 9589553
    Abstract: A passive noise reduction device may be used with an instrument having at least one electromagnetic pickup. The device may include a device coil wound so as to form at least one free-shaped ring, a first terminal for connection to the pickup coil, and a second terminal for connection to ground. The device coil is responsive to the one or more stimuli so as to produce a noise electrical signal component in the device coil. The pickup coil and the device coil are in substantially the same plane. The noise reduction device coil is wound such that the pickup noise electrical signal component is substantially 180° out of phase with respect to the device noise electrical signal component, and such that the device noise electrical signal component destructively interferes with the pickup noise electrical signal component so as to reduce noise in a resultant electrical signal into the output circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Inventor: David John Ulbrick
  • Patent number: 9589554
    Abstract: Electronic musical instruments as disclosed, include sensors to digitize and alter the sound using FSR sensors in the mouthpieces and other elements of the instrument to mimic the variations available in analog instruments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Sensitronics, LLC
    Inventor: Franklin N. Eventoff
  • Patent number: 9589555
    Abstract: A cabinet structure includes multiple cover members configured to spatially partition an inside from an outside of a cabinet, and a clearance communicating between the inside and the outside of the cabinet is left between two cover members, the two cover members being adjacent to each other, of the cover members, and a passage defined by the clearance and leading from the inside to the outside of the cabinet through the clearance has a shape with multiple bends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Naoki Matsuda, Masahiro Ishida
  • Patent number: 9589556
    Abstract: A method for cancelling/reducing acoustic echoes in speech/audio signal enhancement processing comprises using a received reference signal to excite an adaptive filter wherein the output of the adaptive filter forms a replica signal of acoustic echo; the replica signal of acoustic echo is reduced adaptively by multiplying a gain to get a gained replica signal of acoustic echo wherein the gain is smaller in speech area and/or double-talk area than non-speech area; the gained replica signal of acoustic echo is subtracted from a microphone input signal to suppress the acoustic echo in the microphone input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Inventor: Yang Gao
  • Patent number: 9589557
    Abstract: An active noise reduction (ANR) circuit includes a digital feed-forward ANR pathway coupled to a feed-forward microphone, to detect environmental sounds in an environment external to a casing, and to a first acoustic driver to output sounds within the casing. The digital feed-forward ANR pathway applies a plurality of filters using a first set of coefficients to convert signals from the feed-forward microphone to feed-forward anti-noise sounds to reduce environmental sounds within the casing. In response to a stimulus, the digital feed-forward ANR pathway applies the plurality of filters using a second set of coefficients, which reduce the degree of feed-forward ANR to enable human speech sounds in the environment external to the casing to be conveyed from the feed-forward microphone to the acoustic driver with less reduction than provided by the first plurality of filters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Ricardo F. Carreras, Marcel Joho
  • Patent number: 9589558
    Abstract: A device and method that is configured to control the operation of a motor vehicle cabin active sound management (ASM) system that uses an ASM controller to control operation of one or more sound transducers that transmit audio signals in the cabin so as to alter vehicle powertrain-related sounds in the cabin, wherein the motor vehicle further comprises a mobile telephone system that is configured to receive incoming mobile telephone calls and transmit outgoing mobile telephone calls. The device can include a controller that is configured to receive from the mobile telephone system an indication that a mobile telephone call is incoming or an outgoing call is being initiated. After receiving the indication, the subject controller commands the ASM controller to cause operation of one or more sound transducers such that the level of vehicle powertrain-related sounds in the cabin is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventor: Martin Amandus Weber
  • Patent number: 9589559
    Abstract: A wearable computing device can receive, via at least one input transducer, a first audio signal associated with ambient sound from an environment of the device. The device can then process the first audio signal so as to determine a second audio signal that is out of phase with the first audio signal and effective to substantially cancel at least a portion of the first audio signal. The device may then generate a noise-cancelling audio signal based on the second audio signal, based on a third audio signal, and based on one or more wearer-specific parameters, where the third audio signal is representative of a sound to be provided by the device. The device may then cause a bone conduction transducer (BCT) to vibrate so as to provide to an ear a noise-cancelling sound effective to substantially cancel at least a portion of the ambient sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Xuan Zhong, Jianchun Dong
  • Patent number: 9589560
    Abstract: Features are disclosed for estimating a false rejection rate in a detection system. The false rejection rate can be estimated by fitting a model to a distribution of detection confidence scores. An estimated false rejection rate can then be computed for confidence scores that fall below a threshold. The false rejection rate and model can be verified once the detection system has been deployed by obtaining additional data with confidence scores falling below the threshold. Adjustments to the model or other operational parameters can be implemented based on the verified false rejection rate, model, or additional data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Shiv Naga Prasad Vitaladevuni, Bjorn Hoffmeister, Rohit Prasad
  • Patent number: 9589561
    Abstract: A display apparatus which is capable of recognizing a voice and a method thereof are provided. The method includes receiving an uttered voice of a user, extracting a plurality of similar words which are similar to the uttered voice by extracting voice information from the uttered voice and measuring reliability of a plurality of words based on the extracted voice information, setting a word satisfying a predetermined condition from among the plurality of extracted similar words as a target word with respect to the uttered voice, and displaying at least one of the target word and a similar word list including similar words other than the target word. In this manner, a display apparatus may improve a recognition rate on an uttered voice of a user without changing an internal component related to voice recognition, such as, an acoustic model, a pronunciation dictionary, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chan-hee Choi, Kyung-mi Park, Jae-hyun Bae, Ki-hoon Shin
  • Patent number: 9589562
    Abstract: A new pronunciation learning system for dynamically learning new pronunciations assisted by user correction logs. The user correction logs provide a record of speech recognition events and subsequent user behavior that implicitly confirms or rejects the recognition result and/or shows the user's intended words by via subsequent input. The system analyzes the correction logs and distills them down to a set of words which lack acceptable pronunciations. Hypothetical pronunciations, constrained by spelling and other linguistic knowledge, are generated for each of the words. Offline recognition determines the hypothetical pronunciations with a good acoustical match to the audio data likely to contain the words. The matching pronunciations are aggregated and adjudicated to select new pronunciations for the words to improve general or personalized recognition models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas Kibre, Umut Ozertem, Sarangarajan Parthasarathy, Ziad Al Bawab
  • Patent number: 9589563
    Abstract: A method for speech recognition of partial proper names is described which includes natural language processing (NLP), partial name candidate generation, speech recognition and post processing. Natural language processing techniques including shallow and deep parsing are applied to long proper names to identify syntactic units (for example, noun phrases). The syntactic units form a basis for generating a candidate list of partial names for each original full name. A partial name is part of the original name, with some words omitted, or word order changed, or even word substitution. After candidate partial names are generated, their phonetic transcriptions are incorporated into a model for a speech recognizer to recognize the partial names in a speech recognition system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Lin Zhao, Zhe Feng, Kui Xu, Fuliang Weng
  • Patent number: 9589564
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for recognizing speech in an utterance. The methods, systems, and apparatus include actions of receiving an utterance and obtaining acoustic features from the utterance. Further actions include providing the acoustic features from the utterance to multiple speech locale-specific hotword classifiers. Each speech locale-specific hotword classifier (i) may be associated with a respective speech locale, and (ii) may be configured to classify audio features as corresponding to, or as not corresponding to, a respective predefined term. Additional actions may include selecting a speech locale for use in transcribing the utterance based on one or more results from the multiple speech locale-specific hotword classifiers in response to providing the acoustic features from the utterance to the multiple speech locale-specific hotword classifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Matthew Sharifi