By Combining Or Comparing Signals Patents (Class 367/124)
  • Patent number: 10089883
    Abstract: The invention relates to a monitoring system for monitoring a watercraft or several watercrafts, having an identification device and a first hydrophone, which is configured such that acoustic signals that are emitted by watercrafts are determined as underwater sound information therein, whereby the identification device has a first memory for storing the underwater sound information and a second memory for storing watercraft information, whereby the first and second memories are interconnected, characterized in that the first hydrophone is arranged in a stationary and fixed manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: ATLAS ELEKTRONIK GMBH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Dorsch, Rolf Müller, Heiko Schmidt
  • Patent number: 10084965
    Abstract: Omnidirectional high resolution tracking and recording apparatus and method are disclosed. The high resolution tracking and recording apparatus comprises a pan/tilt/zoom camera executable rotation and zoom-in; assistant cameras configured to have fisheye lens; microphones performable beam steering; and a processor configured to control to search a location of an important object in a recorded image by analyzing an image taken by the pan/tilt/zoom camera and the assistant cameras and a sound source recorded by the microphones, rotate the pan/tilt/zoom camera to the searched location, perform zoom-in of the pan/tilt/zoom camera, and amplify a sound occurred in a direction of a sound source by searching the direction of the sound source through preset algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: KOREA UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND BUSINESS FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Dong Suk Yook, Tae Woo Lee
  • Patent number: 10068446
    Abstract: An audio surveillance system includes a plurality of nodes and each node includes a microphone, a speaker, and a control unit. The microphone is configured to detect sound and the speaker is configured to provide sound. The control unit is configured to receive a plurality of inputs from the plurality of nodes and the plurality of inputs are based on a detected sound; determine a location of the source of the detected sound based on the plurality of inputs; classify the detected sound according to predefined alert conditions and based on the location of the source of the detected sound; provide an alert to a monitoring device regarding the detected sound based on the classification of the detected sound; and control at least one node from the plurality of nodes to provide an audio response to the detected sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Elwha LLC
    Inventors: Ehren J. Brav, Roderick A. Hyde, Yaroslav A. Urzhumov, Thomas A. Weaver, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10059547
    Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a controller configured to control an emitter to emit an ultrasonic wave toward a target sheet being fed along a sheet guide, control a measurer to measure a first reception intensity of a first component of the ultrasonic wave received by a receiver during a first period of time, control the measurer to measure a second reception intensity of a second component of the ultrasonic wave received by the receiver during a second period of time, and determine a feeding state of the target sheet in a detectable area between the emitter and the receiver within the sheet guide, based on the first reception intensity and the second reception intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayoshi Hayashi, Yuji Hori
  • Patent number: 10061013
    Abstract: A first computer is configured to receive, from at least one second computer in a first vehicle, data relating to a gunshot. The computer is configured to then determine a location of the gunshot from the data, and to transmit a message, including the gunshot location, to at least one third computer in a second vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Joseph Hermann, Robert Bruce Kleve, John Robert Van Wiemeersch, Patrick Kevin Holub, Michael Hrecznyj
  • Patent number: 10041808
    Abstract: A method for merging measurements of a flight parameter of an aircraft, from measurements (y1, y2, y3, y4) of this parameter supplied respectively by a plurality of sensors (C1, C2, C3, C4), comprising: for each sensor (C1; C2; C3; C4), computing a deviation (T1; T2; T3; T4), proportional to the absolute value of a difference between a measurement (y1, y2, y3; y4) supplied by this sensor, and an estimation of the parameter computed from the measurements supplied by the other sensors; comparing each deviation to a corresponding threshold (Td1; Td2; Td3; Td4); based on the comparisons, determining the presence or not of an anomaly on one of the sensors with a determined total probability of false alarm; and merging measurements to provide a final estimation of the parameter ({circumflex over (x)}).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Airbus Operations (S.A.S.)
    Inventors: Alain Guillet, Ahmed Taha Zaari Jabiri
  • Patent number: 9995647
    Abstract: An ultrasonic gas leak detector system for locating a source of ultrasonic airborne energy is described. An exemplary embodiment includes a plurality of spatially separated ultrasonic gas leak detectors, each configured to generate signals indicative of detected angles of arrival of received ultrasonic energy at the respective detectors. A locator processor receives the signals generated by the detectors, and is configured to process the signals to determine a location in three dimensions of the source of the ultrasonic energy received at the detectors and provide locator processor output signals indicative of the location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: General Monitors, Inc.
    Inventors: Javid J. Huseynov, Shankar B. Baliga
  • Patent number: 9995817
    Abstract: A tracking computer system may track a target using a single linear array. The system may receive first sensor measurements and one or more additional sensor measurements from the linear array. The system may determine whether a location of the target can be identified based on a cone intersection algorithm. When the target location can be identified based on the cone intersection algorithm, the first and the one or more additional sensor measurements may be applied to the cone intersection algorithm to identify the target location. When target location cannot be identified based on the cone intersection algorithm, the first and the one or more additional sensor measurements may be applied to an angular motion model to determine a best fit arc path corresponding to the target. A true target angle estimate and a target angular velocity may be determined based on the determined best fit arc path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: David M. Mittiga
  • Patent number: 9980075
    Abstract: An audio customization system operates to enhance a user's audio environment. A user may wear headphones and specify what portion the ambient audio and/or source audio will be transmitted to the headphones or the personal speaker system. The audio signal may be enhanced by application of a spatialized transformation using a spatialization engine such as head-related transfer functions so that at least a portion of the audio presented to the personal speaker system will appear to originate from a particular direction. The direction may be modified in response to movement of the personal speaker system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: STAGES LLC
    Inventor: Benjamin D. Benattar
  • Patent number: 9953226
    Abstract: The subject of the invention is a method for detecting and classifying events of a scene by means of a single-pupil imaging system equipped with a VisNIR detector in the 0.6 ?m-1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Thierry Midavaine, Olivier Garin
  • Patent number: 9947339
    Abstract: A method comprising: detect a first acoustic signal by using a microphone array; detecting a first angle associated with a first incident direction of the first acoustic signal; and storing, in a memory, a representation of the first acoustic signal and a representation of the first angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Beakkwon Son, Gangyoul Kim, Namil Lee, Hochul Hwang, Jongmo Kum, Minho Bae
  • Patent number: 9818279
    Abstract: A device includes an interface adapter configured to physically couple to a corresponding interface adapter of a mobile communication device. The device includes a blast sensor configured to generate blast data based on one or more measurements and to communicate the blast data to the mobile communication device via the interface adapter. The device further includes a housing at least partially enclosing the blast sensor and at least partially enclosing the mobile communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Roger D. Bernhardt
  • Patent number: 9811614
    Abstract: System and method for correcting the vertical structure of the ocean temperature and salinity based on velocity observations. Three relations that can be precomputed are exploited: (1) the relation between temperature and salinity throughout a water column, (2) the relation between temperature/salinity and geopotential, and (3) the relation between geopotential and velocity. The relations are stored in a form that allows efficient application through a cross-correlation matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Gregg Arthur Jacobs, Scott R. Smith, Robert W. Helber
  • Patent number: 9804255
    Abstract: A position estimation method for indoor positioning includes filtering an initial position estimate that includes a corresponding covariance that reflects the quality of the geometry of the reference points and a previous initial position estimate that includes a corresponding covariance that reflects the quality of the geometry of the reference points by a Kalman filter to generate an updated previous position estimate, analyzing the updated previous position estimate to determine if the value is outside of a range, and constraining the updated previous position estimate based on the value being outside of the range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Mohamed Farouk Mansour
  • Patent number: 9743219
    Abstract: Low-power wireless content communication techniques between devices are described. In one or more implementations, a method is described of controlling transfer of content to a wearable device from one or more computing devices over a lower power wireless communication connection. The method includes initiating a transfer of content to the wearable device over the lower power wireless communication connection to support playback of the content at the wearable device, in which the low power wireless communication connection does not support streaming of the content in an amount sufficient to support real time playback of the content at the wearable device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Aaron Arthur Weiss
  • Patent number: 9684086
    Abstract: A method for marine seismic surveying includes separating up-going and down-going wavefields from seismic energy emitted by at least one marine seismic energy source. The separated up-going and down-going wavefields are propagated from the at least one marine seismic energy source to at least one of a water surface and a common reference depth. One of the up-going and down-going wavefields is phase shifted 180 degrees. The propagated, phase shifted up-going and down-going wavefields are summed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: PGS Geophysical, A.S.
    Inventors: Stian Hegna, Gregory Ernest Parkes
  • Patent number: 9601022
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for providing conditional access for a drone for accessing a restricted area. Conditional access information associated with conditional access restrictions for the restricted area may be received by the drone. The drone may compare the received conditional access information to one or more access parameters for the drone. The drone may access the restricted area based on the comparison of the received conditional access information and the access parameter. A drone may take corrective action when the received conditional access information does not permit access to the restricted area based on the access parameter for the drone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Michael Franco Taveira
  • Patent number: 9594178
    Abstract: The technologies described herein include systems and methods for performing a first seismic survey and performing a second seismic survey after a predetermined amount of time has lapsed between the first seismic survey and the second seismic survey. The shot times and the shot positions of the second seismic survey may be substantially the same as the shot times and the shot positions of the first seismic survey. After performing the seismic surveys, seismic data generated by the first seismic survey may be processed to generate a first image, and seismic data generated by the second seismic survey may be processed to generate a second image. After generating the first and second images, a difference between the first image and the second image may be computed to generate a time lapse difference image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: WESTERNGECO L.L.C.
    Inventors: Johan O. A. Robertsson, Dirk-Jan Van Manen, David Fraser Halliday, Robert Montgomery Laws
  • Patent number: 9503202
    Abstract: An underwater communication system comprises a plurality of network nodes for sending and receiving ultrasonic energy through water. In accordance with one aspect, each of the network nodes includes an array of two ultrasonic transducers positioned so as to define a line segment. Each node also includes a transceiver adapted to generate a code element, generate a data element, generate a modulation element, and combine the code element, the data element and the modulation element into an analog waveform. The system is further adapted to transmit the analog waveform through each of the ultrasonic transducers and receive the analog waveform generated by at least one of the network nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Ceebus Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Dennis Cahalan, Ted Noonan, Michel Hendricks, Jeffrey Croghan
  • Patent number: 9495778
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information presenting apparatus receives each observed value from sensors, and maintains a track of each target by updating the track based on an observed value having a correlation with the track. A likelihood ratio for a tentative track, which has not yet been determined to be a track of a target, is computed and compared with an upper limit threshold. When the likelihood ratio is greater than or equal to the upper limit threshold, the tentative track is determined to be a track of a target. When the likelihood ratio is greater than or equal to a monitor threshold which is lower than the upper limit threshold, the tentative track is determined to be a monitor track. The information of the track and the monitor track are presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Hidetoshi Furukawa
  • Patent number: 9472086
    Abstract: Embodiments provide a system and method for noise detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Inventors: Luke Isaac Neese, Liang Ge
  • Patent number: 9423519
    Abstract: In the field of marine geophysical surveying, systems and methods for controlling the spatial distribution or orientation of a geophysical sensor streamer or an array of geophysical sensor streamers towed behind a survey vessel are provided. Various techniques for changing the spatial distribution or orientation of such geophysical sensor streamers in response to changing conditions are provided. For example, crosscurrent conditions may be determined based on configuration data received from positioning devices along the length of a streamer, and a new desired orientation for the streamer may be determined based on the crosscurrent conditions. The new desired orientation may include a new desired feather angle for the streamer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: PGS Geophysical AS
    Inventors: Øyvind Hillesund, Torbjørn Ursin, Toralf Lund
  • Patent number: 9423490
    Abstract: A noise source localization process that uses as few as four microphones in an antenna array. The process combines different averaging to the information from the various signals with non-linear (wavelet-based) filtering, cross-correlation and triangulation to more particularly locate a noise source relative to a target point. The process calculates a propagation time based on the distance from a target to each microphones, delays each of the signals according to the propagation time from the target, calculates a continuous wavelet transform for each of the signals to band-pass filter each of the signals according to a predetermined frequency of interest, determines the product of each pair of signals to produce correlation fringes, and locates the noise source based on the product of the pairs of signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Syracuse University
    Inventor: Jacques Lewalle
  • Patent number: 9417311
    Abstract: Location of underwater moving target device carrying a receiver configured to detect acoustic waves emitted at a known location is estimated such that to be consistent with detected velocity and orientation of the target device, and with a current phase of a signal corresponding to the acoustic waves detected at the target device. A stack including one or more boxes obtained by applying contractors to location boxes is output as the estimate of the location of the moving target device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: CGG SERVICES SA
    Inventors: Mohamed Saad Ibn Seddik, Luc Jaulin
  • Patent number: 9395947
    Abstract: An electronic device and a control method for configuring a multi-vision screen using a relative position between electronic devices are provided. The control method includes interacting with at least one other electronic device, capturing a first image and receiving, from the at least one other electronic device, a second image captured by the at least one other electronic device, determining relative positions of the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device by comparing the first image with the second image, and configuring a multi-vision screen using the display of the electronic device and the display of the at least one other electronic device based on the determined relative positions and controlling output of a content image on the multi-vision screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Ji-Young Kim, Mi-Sun Lee, Bo-Kun Choi, Jae-Chan Koh, Oh-Yong Kwon, Moon-Young Woo, Yoon-Jeong Choi
  • Patent number: 9383428
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a passive bearing detector is disclosed. The passive bearing detector comprises a plurality of hydrophones. The plurality of hydrophones is arranged in a three-dimensional geometry. The three-dimensional geometry exposes each of the plurality of hydrophones to an ambient aquatic acoustic environment. The passive bearing detector further comprises a processor electrically coupled to the plurality of hydrophones. The processor is configured to determine a direction of arrival of an unknown broadband acoustic signal received by the plurality of hydrophones based on the phase difference of the unknown broadband acoustic signal at each of the plurality of hydrophones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: TELEDYNE INSTRUMENTS, INC.
    Inventors: Maurice D. Green, Steven J. McManus
  • Patent number: 9379797
    Abstract: The invention relates to a multiantenna radio communications method wherein frequency subbands Bsk, for k=1, . . . , P, are allocated respectively to P user antennas s1, . . . , sp belonging to one or more users, from within a total frequency bandwidth BT, and wherein at least one of the user antennas communicates with the base station over its respective frequency subband Bsk by means of a signal that has been filtered by time reversal. According to the invention, for at least one pair of user antennas Si and Sj, where and i,j=1, . . . , P and i?j, the respective frequency subbands Bsi and Bsj overlap by ?Bsi,sj, said overlap ?Bsi,sj being a predetermined function of the correlation between the respective propagation channels of these two user antennas with said base station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Orange
    Inventors: Dinh Thuy Phan Huy, Matthieu Crussiere, Maryline Helard, Thierry Dubois
  • Patent number: 9293148
    Abstract: A method for reducing noise in a shared media session. An indication is received from one or more of the participants in the shared media session. If the received indication is a first indication that indicates a background noise is present in the shared media session, the following steps are performed: a first counter is incremented for each of the first indications received from one or more of the plurality of participants, it is determined whether a background noise is present in the shared media session if the first counter exceeds a first threshold, an the shared media session is selectively muted such that the background noise is reduced if the background noise is determined to be present in the shared media session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lorraine M. Herger, Neal M. Keller, Matthew A. McCarthy, Clifford A. Pickover
  • Patent number: 9292971
    Abstract: A feeder program is utilized for collecting and reading in and maintaining a time synchronization for combat fire solutions which may include threat containment regions. The threat containment regions are defined in terms of a probability of at least one threat being located therein. A three-dimensional viewer program displays bathometry information, an ownship relative position relative to said bathometry information, and determines what portions of said plurality of threat containment regions and said tracking and position information are to be displayed based on an angle of a view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Kenneth M. Lima, Richard R. Shell, Todd P. Drury, Douglas B. Maxwell
  • Patent number: 9202475
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a directional microphone array having (at least) two microphones mounted on opposite sides of a device generates forward and backward base signals from two (e.g., omnidirectional) microphone signals using diffraction filters and equalization filters. Each diffraction filter implements a (possibly different) transfer function representing the response of an audio signal traveling from a corresponding microphone around the device to the other microphone. A scale factor is applied to, for example, the backward base signal, and the resulting scaled backward base signal is combined with (e.g., subtracted from) the forward base signal to generate a first-order differential audio signal. After low-pass filtering, spatial noise suppression can be applied to the first-order differential audio signal. Microphone arrays having one (or more) additional microphones can be designed to generate second- (or higher-) order differential audio signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: MH Acoustics LLC
    Inventors: Gary W. Elko, Jens M. Meyer, Tomas F. Gaensler
  • Patent number: 9189108
    Abstract: An acoustic tracking system for determining a position of an object is provided that includes one or more receivers that detect an object based on an acoustic signal transmitted by one or more transmitters. The system also includes a processing component that determines a relative position of the detected object with respect to the one or more receivers and the one or more transmitters and selects at least three pairs of receivers and transmitters. Each selected pair includes a receiver from the one or more receivers and a transmitter from the one or more transmitters. The processing component also determines a position of the detected object using the selected at least three pairs of receivers and transmitters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Ren Li, Michael Leviant
  • Patent number: 9024788
    Abstract: A vehicle direction identification device includes: a frequency analysis unit which analyzes amplitude or phase of surrounding sound in each analysis section; a sound source direction identification unit which identifies a sound source direction included in the surrounding sound for each analysis section; a vehicle identification information storage unit which stores first vehicle identification information including a first threshold value; a first vehicle identification unit which calculates a rate of occurrence of each sound source direction and identifies the sound source direction whose rate of occurrence is equal to or exceeds the first threshold value; a second vehicle identification information calculation unit which calculates second vehicle identification information including a second threshold value smaller than the first threshold value; and a second vehicle identification unit which identifies the sound source direction whose rate of occurrence is equal to or exceeds the second threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mototaka Yoshioka, Shinichi Yoshizawa
  • Patent number: 9007871
    Abstract: Techniques and devices are disclosed for utilizing passively received audio signals to determine proximity of devices to other objects. In one embodiment, a method of passive proximity detection is provided that includes sensing a first sound wave using a first audio transducer and generating a first signal representative of the first sound wave. A second sound wave is also sensed and a second signal is generated. The method includes comparing characteristics of the first and second signals using a processor to determine if differences between the first and second signals indicate the first audio transducer is proximately located to another object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Joel Armstrong-Muntner
  • Patent number: 9001614
    Abstract: A system, processor and method of use for calibration processing is provided to calibrate acoustic vector sensor data collected at comparatively close range. Vector sensor data collected at close range includes data collected with source-to-receiver separations ranging from a one-tenth to approximately two acoustic wavelengths. The calculations substantially account for the acoustic impedance of a spherically diverging wave front, where the curvature is sufficiently pronounced to cause errors in resulting measurements in the calculations. The processing uses information contained within the vector sensor data to increase the accuracy of the vector sensor data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Steven E. Crocker
  • Patent number: 8995226
    Abstract: There is provided a method and associated apparatus for measurement. Specifically, a method for determining a distance travelled by a signal in a medium, or the time of flight of a signal travelled. The method comprises considering an unambiguous range wherein the unambiguous range greater than a distance to be travelled by a signal. A signal is then transmitted across the distance to be determined, the signal comprising at least two frequency components, the frequency components based on the unambiguous range and the speed of the signal in the medium. The distance travelled (or the time of flight) is determined by using the variance of the received phase characteristics, such as phase angle) of one frequency component of the received signal with the received phase characteristics of another frequency component of the received signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Bios Developments Limited
    Inventors: Laurie Linnett, Allison Mason
  • Patent number: 8982670
    Abstract: Systems and methods to determine and ascertain the occurrence of an event are provided. The event can manifest its presence through transient signatures that alter short or long term background sensor registered signals. The system can include multiple sensors, one or more data recorders and data reporting devices. Event data from each sensor is collected, recorded and reported. Data from the various sensors is correlated to triangulate or otherwise localize the occurrence of an event. The sensors can be incorporated on a single device or can be a distributed set of independent sensors on separate devices that share their information with the data collection system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Jason M. Pappafotis, Elan Moritz
  • Patent number: 8947978
    Abstract: A system and method for estimating the direction of arrival of sounds. One method including the steps of: forming a reference signal; detecting sound with two or more spatially separated, directional or spatially separated directional, microphones to produce two or more output signals; calculating the relationships between each of the two or more output signals and the reference signal; and estimating the direction of arrival based on differences between the relationships.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Hear IP Pty Ltd.
    Inventor: Jorge Mejia
  • Publication number: 20150023138
    Abstract: Described herein are an ultrasonic positioning system integrated in an electronic device, and a method using the same. The ultrasonic positioning system comprises an ultrasound generator, two or more ultrasound receivers, and a control unit. Said ultrasound generator is configured to generate an ultrasound wave. Said two or more ultrasound receivers are configured to receive a reflected ultrasound wave produced by reflection of the ultrasound wave by an object in a field. Said control unit is configured to determine a position and/or a speed of the object using a frequency shift or a delay or both of the reflected ultrasound wave relative to the ultrasound wave. The ultrasonic positioning system provides gesture recognition and non-contact control of the device based on the ultrasonic positioning function of the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Applicant: Suzhou Touchair Technology Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Guangsong Liu, Shiming Yuan
  • Patent number: 8867313
    Abstract: Methods of and systems for determining a location of a mobile device using transmitted audio signals is provided. In an embodiment, meta data included in the audio signals may also be used. In an embodiment, a characteristic, such as a received signal strength, may be measured to determine the location of the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Ehud Rivlin, Abhijit Ogale
  • Patent number: 8864686
    Abstract: A system and method is provided for resolving a pivot point via touchless interaction. It applies to situations where one end of a rigid object is inaccessible but remains stationary at a pivot point, while the other end is free to move and is accessible to an input pointing device. As an example, the rigid object can be a leg bone where the proximal end is at the hip joint and the distal end is at the knee. The system comprises a wand and a receiver that are spatially configurable to touchlessly locate the pivot point without contact. The receiver tracks a relative displacement of the wand and geometrically resolves the location of the pivot point by a spherical mapping. The system can use a combination of ultrasonic sensing and/or accelerometer measurements. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Orthosensor Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Roche, Marc Boillot, Jason McIntosh
  • Patent number: 8861310
    Abstract: The relative positions of two or more electronic devices can be determined utilizing ultrasonic beacons. Each device can have a unique signature that can be included in the beacon broadcast by that device. A device having an array of ultrasonic detectors can receive a beacon and correlate the beacon received at each detector. The time of arrival then can be used to determine the relative position of the source of the beacon. The signature in that beacon can also be used to determine the identity of the device that broadcast the beacon, in order to determine the identity of the device, or a user of that device, at the determined relative position. The devices can be configured to transmit signals over the air or through a specific transmission medium, such as propagating surface. Further, a dedicated detector array can be used for determining multiple relative positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth M. Karakotsios, Andrew D. Price
  • Patent number: 8842495
    Abstract: Movements of objects within a space are adaptively detected by emitting ultrasound waves into the space and detecting reflections of the ultrasound waves, determining locations of objects within the space based on the ultrasound reflections, and determining real-time movements of the objects based on, in certain embodiments, (i) amplitude differences between amplitudes of echoes in a current wave cycle and an average amplitude over a plurality of wave cycles and (ii) elapsed times of the ultrasound reflections associated with the amplitude differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Rethink Robotics, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Hersey
  • Patent number: 8842498
    Abstract: An underwater communication system comprises a plurality of location and messaging units for sending and receiving ultrasonic energy through water. In accordance with one aspect, each of the location and messaging units comprising an array of four ultrasonic transducers positioned such that they define a generally tetrahedral shape, a transceiver adapted to generate a code element, generate a data element, generate a modulation element, and combine the code element, the data element and the modulation element into an analog wave form. The system is further adapted to transmit the analog wave form through each of the four ultrasonic transducers and receive the analog wave-form generated by at least one of the location and messaging units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Ceebus Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Dennis Cahalan, Ted Noonan, Michel Hendricks, Jeffrey Croghan
  • Publication number: 20140269199
    Abstract: A gunshot detection system having one or more sensors detecting indoor shootings and reporting gunshot detection to a central monitoring system. Each sensor includes a microphone and comparison circuit for processing detected sounds and determining whether the sound is indicative of gunshot. If a gunshot is detected, the sensor reports the detection to nearby sensors and to the central system. The central system can interface with third party systems, such as law enforcement communication systems, to provide particularized information to assist first responding in dealing appropriately with situation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Supervene LLC
    Inventors: Mark Weldon, Adam Lilien
  • Patent number: 8824242
    Abstract: Systems, methods, articles of manufacture and apparatus are disclosed to calculate distance from audio sources. An example method disclosed herein includes receiving, at the reference audio collecting device, a first radio frequency (RF) signal from the portable audio collecting device, in response to receiving the RF signal, storing ambient audio to a memory as reference data samples, each of the reference data samples associated with an indication of a respective time of acquisition, and receiving a second RF signal containing portable data samples of the ambient audio, each of the portable data samples associated with an indication of a respective time of acquisition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: Morris Lee
  • Patent number: 8814810
    Abstract: A system and method of touchless interaction is provided for resolving a pivot point of an object where direct placement of a sensor at the pivot point is not practical. It applies to situations where the pivot point of a rigid object is inaccessible but remains stationary, while the other end is free to move and is accessible. The system maps the object's pivot point by way of an external sensor that detects constrained motion of the rigid object within a hemispherical banded boundary. It can also detect a geometric pattern and acceleration during the constrained motion to compensate for higher order rotations about the pivot point. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Orthosensor Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Roche, Marc Boillot, Jason McIntosh
  • Patent number: 8817577
    Abstract: A system for determining the origin and trajectory of a gunshot includes spaced sensor nodes and a base station. A method for determining the origin and trajectory of a gunshot includes the steps of, at the nodes, sensing acoustic signals, converting the acoustic signals into digital signals, separating the digital signals into segments, calculating a time of arrival of each segment, and extracting features from each segment, and then at the base station identifying each time of arrival as a main shock wave or a main muzzle blast time of arrival from the features, and computing the trajectory from the main shock wave times of arrival. The computed trajectory includes velocity and acceleration. The method also includes computing, at the base station, the origin from the main muzzle blast times of arrival.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Inventors: Mahmood R. Azimi-Sadjadi, SaravanaKumar Srinivasan
  • Patent number: 8760970
    Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting a plume of a first fluid in a second fluid using an acoustic wave are provided, where the first fluid has a different acoustic index of refraction than the second fluid. A horizontal array having a plurality of receiving elements receives an acoustic signal propagated through the second fluid and at least one refracted signal refracted by the first fluid. The acoustic signal and the at least one refracted signal form a received signal. An interference pattern is detected from the received signal over the plurality of receiving elements. The interference pattern is due to interference between the acoustic signal and the at least one refracted signal. A horizontal angle of refraction is determined between the acoustic signal and the at least one refracted signal from the interference pattern. The horizontal angle of refraction is indicative of a physical characteristic of the first fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: University of Delaware
    Inventors: Mohsen Badiey, Boris G. Katsnelson, James F. Lynch
  • Patent number: 8755546
    Abstract: A sound processing apparatus, a sound processing method and a hearing aid efficiently emphasize the sound of an utterer regardless of the distance between microphones. The sound processing apparatus outputs a first directivity signal in which the main axis of directivity is formed in the direction of the utterer and outputs a second directivity signal in which the dead zone of directivity is formed in the direction of the utterer. The sound processing apparatus calculates the level of the first directivity signal and the level of the second directivity signal, and determines the distance to the utterer based on the level of the first directivity signal and the level of the second directivity signal. The sound processing apparatus derives a gain to be given to the first directivity signal according to the result of the determination and controls the level of the first directivity signal by using the gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Pansonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Terada, Maki Yamada
  • Patent number: 8750076
    Abstract: To enable precise calculation of a propagation time of a direct wave which arrives the earliest from an ultrasonic emission source without being affected by a reflected wave. A plurality of ultrasonic signals generated based on a plurality of M sequences different from each other are propagated from a transmission side to a reception side, whereby the reception side executes processing of correlation between each model waveform of the plurality of M sequences and a waveform of each ultrasonic signal and detects a subsidiary peak of a correlation value appearing when both waveforms partly coincide with each other to, starting with the smallest one of subsidiary peaks detected by all the correlation processing, determine a plurality of corresponding M sequences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Junichi Miyamoto, Hiroshi Kajitani