Pseudo Quadrasonic Patents (Class 381/18)
  • Publication number: 20150063574
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for separating a multi-channel audio signal that separates a multi-channel audio signal into a plurality of sound source objects is disclosed, the apparatus including a multi-channel stereo transformer to transform a multi-channel audio signal into a plurality of stereo signals, and a stereo sound source separator to separate the plurality of stereo signals into a plurality of sound source objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Keunwoo CHOI, Tae Jin PARK, Jae Hyoun YOO, Jeong Il SEO, Dae Young JANG, Kyeong Ok KANG, Jin Woong KIM
  • Patent number: 8958584
    Abstract: An apparatus, method, and medium of removing crosstalk are provided. The apparatus for removing crosstalk in each of audio signals of a plurality of channels, includes: a position recognition unit recognizing the position of a listener; a calculation unit calculating a crosstalk removal function with respect to the recognized position; and a filtering unit removing the crosstalk by using the calculated result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Young-tae Kim, Sang-wook Kim, Jung-ho Kim, Sang-chul Ko
  • Patent number: 8942980
    Abstract: A method of navigating in a sound content wherein at least one key word is stored in association with at least two positions representative of said key word in the sound content, and wherein the method comprises: a step of displaying a representation of the sound content; during playback of the sound content, a step of detecting a current extract representative of a key word stored at a first position; a step of determining at least one second extract representative of said key word and a second position as a function of the stored positions; and a step of highlighting the position of the extracts in the representation of the sound content. The invention also relates to a system adapted to implement the navigation method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Orange
    Inventors: Pascal Le Mer, Delphine Charlet, Marc Denjean, Antoine Gonot
  • Patent number: 8934646
    Abstract: Six input channels, to which are allocated 5.1-channel surround signals from a plurality of input sources, are grouped into a surround channel group, and these six input channels are connected to corresponding ones of six surround buses in a one-to-one relationship. Thus, merely grouping the input channels into a surround channel group allows the signals of the individual input channels (5.1-channel surround signals) to be taken out via a plurality of output destinations (5.1-channel speakers) corresponding to the surround buses. Once an instruction is given for changing a value of a parameter, the parameter is controlled in a ganged fashion in all of the input channels of the surround channel group except for an LFE input channel of the surround channel group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Hagiwara, Hiroaki Fujita, Takamitsu Aoki
  • Publication number: 20140355766
    Abstract: A device comprising one or more processors is configured to obtain transformation information, the transformation information describing how a sound field was transformed to reduce a number of a plurality of hierarchical elements to a reduced plurality of hierarchical elements; and perform binaural audio rendering with respect to the reduced plurality of hierarchical elements based on the transformation information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Martin James Morrell, Dipanjan Sen, Nils Günther Peters
  • Patent number: 8903527
    Abstract: An acoustic apparatus and a method thereof in a mobile terminal are provided. More particularly, an apparatus and a method for establishing a multi-sound system that provides sounds of sense of reality by connecting with players existing in the neighborhood and reproducing channels of contents using a plurality of players when reproducing the contents including multi-sound channels are provided. The apparatus includes a control player, a server player, and a client player. The control player selects players that reproduce respective channels using information of the channels forming the multi-sound channel contents. The server player analyzes the contents to be reproduced by the players to provide the information regarding the channels to the control player. The client player reproduces the channels of the relevant contents under control of the control player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kyung-Hee Lee
  • Patent number: 8892432
    Abstract: Provided is a signal separation system including a rendering unit which receives a first and a second input signal and positions the first input signal according to rendering information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Shimada, Akihiko Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 8879754
    Abstract: A home use sound reproduction system for Hi-fi, with digital signal transfer from a playback unit via a control unit to one or more active loudspeakers, each including or arranged beside an amplifier unit. The control unit is arranged to control sound parameters and send both a digital sound information signal and a power signal for powering the amplifier units, and to superimpose the single ended or differential digital signal together with the power signal on at least one common lead in a cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Actiwave AB
    Inventor: Risberg par Gunnars
  • Patent number: 8873761
    Abstract: An audio signal processing device includes: head related transfer function convolution processing units convoluting head related transfer functions with audio signals of respective channels of plural channels, which allow the listener to listen to sound so that sound images are localized at assumed virtual sound image localization positions concerning respective channels of the plural channels of two or more channels when sound is reproduced by electro-acoustic transducer means; and 2-channel signal generation means for generating 2-channel audio signals to be supplied to the electro-acoustic transducer means from audio signals of plural channels from the head related transfer function convolution processing units, wherein, in the head related transfer function convolution processing units, at least a head related transfer function concerning direct waves from the assumed virtual image localization positions concerning a left channel and a right channel in the plural channels to both ears of the listener is n
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takao Fukui, Ayataka Nishio
  • Patent number: 8861739
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises a processor configured to receive a first audio signal and first location data, the first location data relating to a location of a source of the first audio signal; receive a second audio signal and second location data, the second location data relating to a location of a source of the second audio signal; receive selected location data relating to a selected location; and generate a multichannel signal in dependence on the first and second audio signals, the first and second location data and the selected location data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventor: Juha P. Ojanpera
  • Patent number: 8855320
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining a spatial output multi-channel audio signal based on an input audio signal and an input parameter. The apparatus includes a decomposer for decomposing the input audio signal based on the input parameter to obtain a first decomposed signal and a second decomposed signal different from each other. Furthermore, the apparatus includes a renderer for rendering the first decomposed signal to obtain a first rendered signal having a first semantic property and for rendering the second decomposed signal to obtain a second rendered signal having a second semantic property being different from the first semantic property. The apparatus comprises a processor for processing the first rendered signal and the second rendered signal to obtain the spatial output multi-channel audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V.
    Inventors: Sascha Disch, Ville Pulkki, Mikko-Ville Laitinen, Cumhur Erkut
  • Patent number: 8855322
    Abstract: An original loudness level of an audio signal is maintained for a mobile device while maintaining sound quality as good as possible and protecting the loudspeaker used in the mobile device. The loudness of an audio (e.g., speech) signal may be maximized while controlling the excursion of the diaphragm of the loudspeaker (in a mobile device) to stay within the allowed range. In an implementation, the peak excursion is predicted (e.g., estimated) using the input signal and an excursion transfer function. The signal may then be modified to limit the excursion and to maximize loudness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Sang-Uk Ryu, Jongwon Shin, Roy Silverstein, Andre Gustavo P. Schevciw, Pei Xiang
  • Patent number: 8837743
    Abstract: A surround sound system comprises a receiver (301) for receiving a multichannel spatial signal that comprises at least one surround channel. A directional ultrasound transducer (305) is used for emitting ultrasound towards a surface to reach a listening position (111) via a reflection of the surface. The ultrasound signal may specifically reach the listening position from the side, above or behind of a nominal listener. A first drive unit (303) generates a drive signal for the directional ultrasound transducer (301) from the surround channel. The use of an ultrasound transducer for providing the surround sound signal provides an improved spatial experience while allowing the speaker to be located e.g. to the front of the user. In particular, an ultrasound beam is much narrower and well defined than conventional audio beams and can accordingly better be directed to provide the desired reflections. In some scenarios, the ultrasound transducer (305) may be supplemented by an audio range loudspeaker (309).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Ronaldus Maria Aarts, Werner Paulus Josephus De Bruijn, William John Lamb, Aki Sakari Harma
  • Patent number: 8831934
    Abstract: A method of speech enhancement in a room (10) includes the steps of capturing audio signals from a speaker's voice by a microphone (12), estimating an ambient noise level in the room from the captured audio signals, processing the captured audio signals by an audio signal processing unit (20), estimating a reverberation level, determining the gain to be applied to the captured audio signals by the audio signal processing unit according to a comparison between the estimated ambient noise level and the estimated reverberation level, and generating sound according to the processed audio signals by a loudspeaker arrangement (24) located in the room, wherein the reverberation level is the level of reverberant components of the sound generated by the loudspeaker arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Phonak AG
    Inventor: Samuel Harsch
  • Patent number: 8831231
    Abstract: An audio signal processing device includes a processing unit for convoluting head-related transfer functions with audio signals of a plurality of channels, and the processing unit includes a storage unit for storing data of a double-normalized head-related transfer function by normalizing a normalized head-related transfer function obtained by normalizing a head-related transfer function in a state in which a dummy head or a person is present in a position of the listener with a transfer characteristic in a pristine state in which the dummy head or the person is not present, using a normalized head-related transfer function obtained by normalizing a head-related transfer function in the state in which the dummy head or the person is present with a transfer characteristic in the pristine state, and a convolution unit for reading the data from the storage unit and convoluting the data with the audio signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takao Fukui, Ayataka Nishio
  • Patent number: 8805561
    Abstract: An audio user interface is provided in which items are represented in an audio field by corresponding synthesized sound sources from where sounds related to the items appear to emanate. An audio cursor, in the form of a synthesised sound source from which a distinctive cursor sound emanates, is movable in the audio field under user control. Upon the cursor being moved close to an item-representing sound source, a related audible indication is generated by modifying the sounds emanating from at least one of that item-representing sound source and the cursor. In one embodiment, this audible indication also indicates the current distance between the cursor and item-representing sound source and also the direction of the latter from the cursor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company L.P.
    Inventors: Lawrence Wilcock, Alistair Coles
  • Patent number: 8804971
    Abstract: A method for encoding a multichannel audio input signal, including steps of generating a downmix of low frequency components of a subset of channels of the input signal, waveform coding each channel of the downmix, thereby generating waveform coded, downmixed data, performing parametric encoding on at least some higher frequency components of each channel of the input signal, thereby generating parametrically coded data, and generating an encoded audio signal (e.g., an E-AC-3 encoded signal) indicative of the waveform coded, downmixed data and the parametrically coded data. Other aspects are methods for decoding such an encoded signal, and systems configured to perform any embodiment of the inventive method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignees: Dolby International AB, Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Phillip A. Williams, Michael Schug, Robin Thesing
  • Patent number: 8798276
    Abstract: A method and apparatus which encode multi-channel audio signals and a method and apparatus which decode multi-channel audio signals. When encoding, a downmixed audio signal, first additional information for restoring multi-channel audio signals from the downmixed audio signal, and second additional information representing characteristics of a residual signal are multiplexed. When decoding, restored multi-channel audio signals having a predetermined phase difference are combined using the second additional information, and an audio signal of each channel is corrected, in order to improve quality of the restored audio signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Han-gil Moon, Chul-woo Lee
  • Patent number: 8792666
    Abstract: When a listener 10 changes the reclining angle of a backrest part 101a of a seat 101 and a head 10a of the listener 10 is thereby caused to be present outside an audible area 120a of a directional loudspeaker 120 or when the reclining angle of a front seat 100 is changed and the head 10a of the listener 10 is thereby caused to be present outside the audible area 120a of the directional loudspeaker 120, a distance L2 to an obstacle exceeds 1 m as an upper limit of a standard listening range and it is determined that the head 10a of the listener 10 is present beyond the standard listening range, and the audio output of the directional loudspeaker 120 is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Riichiroh Koike, Takeshi Hatakeyama
  • Patent number: 8781133
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating a multi-channel audio signal based on an input audio signal comprises a main signal upmixer, a section selector, a section signal upmixer and a combiner. The main signal upmixer is configured to provide a main multi-channel audio signal based on the input audio signal. The section selector is configured to select or not select a section of the input audio signal based on an analysis of the input audio signal. The selected section of the input audio signal, a processed selected section of the input audio signal or a reference signal associated with the selected section of the input audio signal is provided as section signal. The section signal upmixer is configured to provide a section upmix signal based on the section signal, and the combiner is configured to overlay the main multi-channel audio signal and the section upmix signal to obtain the multi-channel audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Andreas Walther, Oliver Hellmuth, Falko Ridderbusch, Christian Stoecklmeier
  • Patent number: 8774417
    Abstract: A method for performing a surround audio compatibility assessment on a plurality of original surround channels is described herein. A surround audio compatibility assessment system accepting original surround signals is also described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: XFRM Incorporated
    Inventors: Richard C. Cabot, Matthew Sammis Ashman
  • Patent number: 8774418
    Abstract: A down-mixing device is provided. 5.1-channel sounds are down-mixed into 4-channel sounds with high-quality multi-channel surrounding sound effect reappeared. A common-acoustic-pole and zero (CAPZ) model is used to rebuild frequency responses of original head-related transfer functions (HRTF). Direct sounds, reflection sounds and late reverberation in a spatial sound field are gathered. Thus, varieties of sounds become rich and 3-dimensional hearing experiences are enhanced with low cost for a 4-channel earphones system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: National Central University
    Inventors: Pao-Chi Chang, Tai-Ming Chang, Yi-Ming Shiu
  • Publication number: 20140185812
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for generating a surround-channel audio signal (Mout) from a mono/stereo audio signal (Min, Sin), comprising the steps of: a) generating a first multi-channel signal (M1) by surround panning the mono/stereo audio signal (Sin); b) generating a second multi-channel signal (M2) by effect processing the mono/stereo input signal (Min, Sin) so that the rear signals comprise at least reverberation of the mono/stereo audio signals; and c) mixing the corresponding signals of the first multi-channel signal (M1) and the second multi-channel signal (M2), thereby forming the surround-channel audio signal (Mout).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2012
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Inventors: Tom Van Achte, Franky Le Moine
  • Publication number: 20140177847
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure can include systems, methods, and apparatus for playback of three-dimensional audio sound. In one embodiment, a system can include at least one input module operable to receive a mono audio signal. The system can also include at least one processing module operable to convert the mono audio signal to a six channel signal, wherein the six channel signal is played back over a 3D-EA array of speakers, wherein the 3D-EA array of speakers facilitates a dome-shaped listening environment around a listener. In at least one embodiment, the at least one processing module is further operable to receive sonic spatial data, and based at least in part on the sonic spatial data, modify volume and/or delay associated with the six channel signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Strubwerks, LLC
    Inventor: Tyner Brentz Strub
  • Patent number: 8761419
    Abstract: A system is provided for configuring an audio system for a given space. The system may statistically analyze potential configurations of the audio system to configure the audio system. The potential configurations may include positions of the loudspeakers, numbers of loudspeakers, types of loudspeakers, listening positions, correction factors, or any combination thereof. The statistical analysis may indicate at least one metric of the potential configuration including indicating consistency of predicted transfer functions, flatness of the predicted transfer functions, differences in overall sound pressure level from seat to seat for the predicted transfer functions, efficiency of the predicted transfer functions, or the output of predicted transfer functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventors: Allan O. Devantier, Todd S. Welti
  • Patent number: 8755542
    Abstract: A system is provided for configuring an audio system for a given space. The system may statistically analyze potential configurations of the audio system to configure the audio system. The potential configurations may include positions of the loudspeakers, numbers of loudspeakers, types of loudspeakers, listening positions, correction factors, or any combination thereof. The statistical analysis may indicate at least one metric of the potential configuration including indicating consistency of predicted transfer functions, flatness of the predicted transfer functions, differences in overall sound pressure level from seat to seat for the predicted transfer functions, efficiency of the predicted transfer functions, or the output of predicted transfer functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventors: Allan O. Devantier, Todd S. Welti
  • Patent number: 8718537
    Abstract: A communication system has a controller for transmitting data to be played back by a plurality of playback devices corresponding to a plurality of channels, and a plurality of adapters required for executing playback by the playback devices. The controller has a setting unit which sets data to be played back by the playback devices and control information required to control playback of the data in time slots of a sync transmission frame, and a transmission unit which transmits the sync transmission frame the by the setting unit to the adapters. Each adapter has a reception unit which receives the transmitted sync transmission frame, and a playback control unit which extracts data corresponding to the channel to be played back by the adapter from the sync transmission frame, and controls the playback timing of the data based on control information corresponding to the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuguhide Sakata, Mitsuru Yamamoto, Ichiro Kato, Yasunori Ohora
  • Patent number: 8719303
    Abstract: This invention proposed a new algorithm. By multiply the proposed weight coefficients of this invention, CSP and CSS can be computed without computing for the mean(s) of the data. After the proposed weight coefficients of this invention undergo factorization, it can promote a new recursive and real time updatable computation method. To test the accuracy of the new invention, the StRD data were separately tested using SAS ver 9.0, SPSS ver15.0 and EXCEL 2007 for comparison. The results showed that the accuracy of the results of the proposed invention exceeds the level of accuracy of SAS ver9.0, SPSS ver15.0 and EXCEL 2007. Aside from an accurate computation, this new invented algorithm can also produce efficient computations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Inventors: Juei-Chao Chen, Kuo-Hung Lo, Tien-Lung Sun
  • Patent number: 8712061
    Abstract: A two-channel phase-amplitude stereo encoding and decoding scheme enabling flexible and spatially accurate interactive 3-D audio reproduction via standard audio-only two-channel transmission. The encoding scheme allows associating a 2-D or 3-D positional localization to each of a plurality of sound sources by use of frequency independent inter-channel phase and amplitude differences. The decoder is based on frequency-domain spatial analysis of 2-D or 3-D directional cues in a two-channel stereo signal and re-synthesis of these cues using any preferred spatialization technique, thereby allowing faithful reproduction of positional audio cues and reverberation or ambient cues over arbitrary multi-channel loudspeaker reproduction formats or over headphones, while preserving source separation despite the intermediate encoding over only two audio channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Creative Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Jean-Marc Jot, Martin Walsh, Edward Stein, Juha Oskari Merimaa, Michael M. Goodwin
  • Patent number: 8705749
    Abstract: This invention relates to reformatting a plurality of audio input signals from a first format to a second format by applying them to a dynamically-varying transformatting matrix. In particular, this invention obtains information attributable to the direction and intensity of one or more directional signal components, calculates the transformatting matrix based on the first and second rules, and applies the audio input signals to the transformatting matrix to produce output signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: David S McGrath, Glenn N Dickins
  • Patent number: 8705779
    Abstract: A surround sound virtualization apparatus and method. The surround sound virtualization apparatus may include an audio decoder to perform head-related transfer function (HRTF) filtering, and a time delay unit to provide a time delay to a plurality of output signals of the audio decoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kang Eun Lee, Do-Hyung Kim, Chang Yong Son
  • Patent number: 8705751
    Abstract: This application relates to a system for compression and mixing for hearing assistance devices by application of compression to individual sound sources before mixing, according to one example. Variations of the present system using surround sound provide separate signals from a surround sound synthesizer which are compressed prior to mixing of the signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Brent Edwards
  • Patent number: 8693697
    Abstract: An encoder and encoding method for use in a surround sound system wherein at least four audio input signals representing an original sound field are encoded into two channel signals and the encoded two channel signals are decoded into at least four audio output signals corresponding to the four audio input signals. The encoder includes matrix structure connected to receive the four audio input signals for encoding the four input signals into two channel output signals. The matrix structure is responsive to the four input signals for producing L and R output signals as follows: L=FL+kFR+jRL+jkRR R=FR+kFL?jRR?jkRL wherein k denotes a transformation or matrix constant having a value approximately 0.207 and j denotes a 90 degree phase shift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Reality IP Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Charlie Corneles Van Dongen
  • Patent number: 8687829
    Abstract: A parameter transformer generates level parameters, indicating an energy relation between a first and a second audio channel of a multi-channel audio signal associated to a multi-channel loudspeaker configuration. The level parameter are generated based on object parameters for a plurality of audio objects associated to a down-mix channel, which is generated using object audio signals associated to the audio objects. The object parameters have an energy parameter indicating an energy of the object audio signal. To derive the coherence and the level parameters, a parameter generator is used, which combines the energy parameter and object rendering parameters, which depend on a desired rendering configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignees: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V., Dolby Sweden AB, Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Johannes Hilpert, Karsten Linzmeier, Juergen Herre, Ralph Sperschneider, Andreas Hoelzer, Lars Villemoes, Jonas Engdegard, Heiko Purnhagen, Kristofer Kjoerling, Dirk Jeroen Breebaart, Werner Oomen
  • Publication number: 20140079223
    Abstract: A scheme for localizing a wireless user equipment (UE) device's relative position with respect to a spatial configuration based on audio signatures received via a multi-channel audio system, e.g., an audio system of a vehicle or home entertainment system. The wireless UE device is configured to capture the audio signatures masked within a background audio signal received from a head unit. The wireless UE device includes a persistent memory module having program instructions for processing the background audio signal including the masked signatures, which may comprise either channel-specific pseudo-random noise (PN) sequences or single-frequency tones, in order to compute time delays or power levels associated with the speaker channels. A localization module is configured to estimate the wireless UE device's relative position based on the time delays or power levels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2012
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Nam Nguyen, Sagar Dhakal
  • Publication number: 20140079224
    Abstract: A scheme for localizing a wireless user equipment (UE) device's relative position with respect to a spatial configuration based on audio signatures received via a multi-channel audio system, e.g., an audio system of a vehicle or home entertainment system. The wireless UE device is configured to capture the audio signatures received from a head unit that are placed in an out-of-hearing band of a captured signal. The wireless UE device includes a persistent memory module having program instructions for processing the captured signal including the out-of-band signatures, which may comprise either channel-specific pseudo-random noise (PN) sequences or single-frequency tones, in order to compute time delays or power levels associated with the speaker channels. A localization module is configured to estimate the wireless UE device's relative position based on the time delays or power levels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2012
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Nam Nguyen, Sagar Dhakal
  • Patent number: 8675880
    Abstract: A device (100) for processing data, the device (100) comprising a detection unit (110) adapted for detecting individual reproduction modes indicative of a manner of reproducing the data separately for each of a plurality of human users, and a processing unit (120) adapted for processing the data to thereby generate reproducible data separately for each of the plurality of human users in accordance with the detected individual reproduction modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Werner Paulus Josephus De Bruijn, Daniel Willem Elisabeth Schobben, Willem Franciscus Johannes Hoogenstraaten, Ronaldus Maria Aarts, Johannes Hermannus Streng
  • Patent number: 8675899
    Abstract: A front surround sound reproduction system which improves the performance of beam steering by using a speaker array arranged geometrically on two or more planes or on one curved surface, and a signal reproducing method of the system. The audio reproduction apparatus to reproduce a multi-channel audio signal by using a plurality of speakers includes a signal distribution unit to duplicate a multi-channel audio signal and to distribute the duplicated signals as one or more groups of multi-channel signals corresponding to one or more speaker array groups, a steering processing unit to form sound beams with steering angles predetermined in relation to each speaker array group, from the groups of multi-channel signals distributed by the signal distribution unit, and a speaker array unit having one or more speaker array groups to reproduce the sound beams of each group formed by the steering processing unit, in the speaker array group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chi-ho Jung
  • Patent number: 8670576
    Abstract: A method of processing an audio signal is disclosed. The present invention includes receiving a downmix signal including at least one object signal and object information extracted when the downmix signal is generated, receiving mix information including mode selection information, the mix information for controlling the object signal, bypassing the downmix signal or extracting a background object and at least one independent object from the downmix signal, based on the mode selection information, and if the downmix signal is bypassed, generating multi-channel information using the object information and the mix information, wherein the downmix signal corresponds to a mono signal and wherein the mode selection information includes information indicating which one of modes including a normal mode, a mode for controlling the background object, and a mode for controlling the at least one independent object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Hyen-O Oh, Yang Won Jung
  • Patent number: 8665321
    Abstract: An image display apparatus and a method for operating the same are disclosed. The method for operating an image display apparatus includes receiving a 3-dimensional (3D) image, detecting the depth of the 3D image, performing 3D processing on an audio signal received in synchronization with the 3D image in correspondence with the detected depth, and outputting the audio signal subjected to 3D processing. Thus, it is possible to output the audio signal in correspondence with the depth of the 3D image during 3D image display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Tacksung Choi, Sungyong Yoon, Hyunkook Lee, Junghwan Hwang, Dongseok Kim, Byeongmoon Jeon, Jaewon Sung
  • Patent number: 8666081
    Abstract: A method for processing a media signal, comprising: receiving, by an audio processing apparatus, an audio signal including a first channel signal and a second channel signal; estimating center sound by applying a band-pass filter to the first channel signal and the second channel signal; obtaining a first ambient sound by subtracting the center sound from the first channel signal; obtaining a second ambient sound by subtracting the center sound from the second channel signal; applying at least one of delay and reverberation filter to at least one of the first ambient sound and the second ambient sound to generate a processed ambient sound; and, generating pseudo surround signal using the center sound and the processed ambient sound is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Hyen-O Oh, Jong Ha Moon, Myung Hoon Lee
  • Patent number: 8660271
    Abstract: A stereo widening system and associated signal processing algorithms are described herein that can, in several embodiments, widen a stereo image with fewer processing resources than existing crosstalk cancellation systems. These system and algorithms can advantageously be implemented in a handheld device or other device with speakers placed close together, thereby improving the stereo effect produced with such devices at lower computational cost. However, the systems and algorithms described herein are not limited to handheld devices, but can more generally be implemented in any device with multiple speakers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: DTS LLC
    Inventors: Wen Wang, James Tracey, Robert C. Maling, III, Themis Katsianos
  • Patent number: 8654994
    Abstract: A method of processing an audio signal is disclosed. The present invention includes receiving a downmix signal including at least one object signal, and object information extracted when the downmix signal is generated, receiving mix information including mode selection information, the mix information for controlling the object signal, and generating a stereo output signal using the downmix signal or extracting a background object and at least one independent object from the downmix signal, based on the mode selection information, wherein the downmix signal corresponds to a mono signal, wherein the stereo output signal corresponds to a time-domain signal including a signal generated from decorrelating the downmix signal, and wherein the mode selection information includes information indicating which one of modes including a normal mode, a mode for controlling the background object, and a mode for controlling the at least one independent object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Hyen-O Oh, Yang Won Jung
  • Patent number: 8638946
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating spatialized sound, including the operations of determining a spatial point in a spherical coordinate system, and applying an impulse response filter corresponding to the spatial point to a first segment of the audio waveform to yield a spatialized waveform. The spatialized waveform emulates the audio characteristics of a non-spatialized waveform emanating from the chosen spatial point. That is, when the spatialized waveform is played from a pair of speakers, the played sound apparently emanates from the chosen spatial point instead of the speakers. A finite impulse response filter may be employed to spatialize the audio waveform. The finite impulse response filter may be derived from a head-related transfer function modeled in spherical coordinates, rather than a typical Cartesian coordinate system. The spatialized audio waveform ignores speaker cross-talk effects, and requires no specialized decoders, processors, or software logic to recreate the spatialized sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: GenAudio, Inc.
    Inventor: Jerry Mahabub
  • Patent number: 8634577
    Abstract: An audio decoder (100) comprising: effect means, decoding means, and rendering means. The effect means (500) generate modified down-mix audio signals from received down-mix audio signals. Said received down-mix audio signals comprise a down-mix of a plurality of audio objects. Said modified down-mix audio signals are obtained by applying effects to estimated audio signals corresponding to audio objects comprised in said received down-mix audio signals. Said estimated audio signals are derived from the received down-mix audio signals based on received parametric data. Said received parametric data comprise a plurality of object parameters for each of the plurality of audio objects. Said modified down-mix audio signals based on a type of the applied effect are decoded by decoding means or rendered by rendering means or combined with the output of rendering means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventor: Dirk Jeroen Breebaart
  • Patent number: 8625811
    Abstract: Provided are a method and apparatus for encoding and decoding a stereo signal or a multi-channel signal. According to the method and apparatus, a stereo signal or a multi-channel signal can be encoded and/or decoded by generating parameters based on a mono signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ki-hyun Choo, Eun-mi Oh, Jung-hoe Kim, Boris Kudryashov, Sergey Petrov
  • Patent number: 8619998
    Abstract: The present invention describes techniques that can be used to provide novel methods of spatial audio rendering using adapted M-S matrix shuffler topologies. Such techniques include headphone and loudspeaker-based binaural signal simulation and rendering, stereo expansion, multichannel upmix and pseudo multichannel surround rendering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Creative Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Martin Walsh, Jean Marc Jot, Edward Stein
  • Patent number: 8619996
    Abstract: Provided are a method and apparatus for transmitting digital multimedia broadcasting data, and a method and apparatus for receiving digital multimedia broadcasting data. A basic audio signal and a multichannel audio signal are encoded to generate a basic audio stream and a multichannel audio stream, and a first data stream describing property and position data of the basic audio stream and a second data stream describing property and position data of the multichannel audio stream are transmitted as independent streams. According to the performance of the receiving apparatus, an audio signal may be decoded by using just the first data stream only or both the first data stream and the second stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Han-gil Moon, Kyung-sun Cho, Hyun-wook Kim
  • Patent number: 8620012
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for providing a stereo effect when playing an audio file at a portable terminal are provided. The apparatus includes a component extractor for extracting a mono component and stereo components from an audio signal and a gain controller for determining a signal ratio of the stereo components to the mono component and for controlling a stereo gain according to the signal ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Gang-Youl Kim
  • Patent number: 8615088
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing an audio signal and method thereof are disclosed. The present invention includes an audio signal receiving unit receiving the audio signal including at least one object; a preset metadata receiving unit receiving preset metadata from preset information; a preset rendering data receiving unit obtaining preset matrix from the preset information; a display unit displaying the preset metadata; an input unit receiving command for selecting one of the preset metadata; and an object adjusting unit adjusting output level of the object according to the output channel by using the preset matrix corresponding to the selected preset metadata. Accordingly, without user's setting for each object, if preset metadata to be applied to an audio signal is selected with reference to preset metadata and preset matrix, levels of objects included in the audio signal can be easily adjusted using preset rendering data corresponding to the selected preset metadata.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Hyen O Oh, Yang Won Jung