Within Cabin Or Compartment Of Vehicle Patents (Class 381/71.4)
  • Patent number: 10475466
    Abstract: This disclosure generally relates to a system, apparatus, and method for achieving an adaptive vehicle state-based hands free noise reduction feature. A noise reduction tool is provided for adaptively applying a noise reduction strategy on a sound input that uses feedback speech quality measures and machine learning to develop future noise reduction strategies, where the noise reduction strategies include analyzing vehicle operational state information and external information that are predicted to contribute to cabin noise and selecting noise reducing pre-filter options based on the analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Francois Charette, Anthony Dwayne Cooprider, Paul J Joseph Nicastri, Yuksel Gur, Scott Andrew Amman, Gintaras Vincent Puskorius
  • Patent number: 10425734
    Abstract: Disclosed is a noise control apparatus which reduces noise at a position away from a head of a passenger in a seat in a room under a noisy environment created by a noise source. The apparatus includes: a weight sensor, and control speakers installed in the seat; a noise detector which detects the noise from the noise source, and outputs a noise signal; a control circuit which obtains the noise signal, and outputs a control signal for reducing the noise to the speakers; and a memory which stores control coefficients each used to generate the control signal for reducing the noise at a position which becomes higher from the seat as the corresponding weight becomes heavier. The circuit reads a coefficient corresponding to a detected weight or a correlation value from the coefficients, and outputs the control signal generated using the noise signal and the read coefficient to the speakers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kano
  • Patent number: 10406905
    Abstract: In the case that an all-cylinder operational state is detected by an ENG vibration pattern determining function, an ACM-ECU executes an amplitude variable—phase fixed control. Further, in the case that a cylinder paused operational state is detected by the ENG vibration pattern determining function, the ACM-ECU executes an amplitude variable—phase variable control exhibiting a large vibration damping effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Yamaguchi, Tatsuhiro Yone
  • Patent number: 10403299
    Abstract: A digital speech enhancement system that performs a specific chain of digital signal processing operations upon multi-channel sound pick up, to result in a single, enhanced speech signal. The operations are designed to be computationally less complex yet as a whole yield an enhanced speech signal that produces accurate voice trigger detection and low word error rates by an automatic speech recognizer. The constituent operations or components of the system have been chosen so that the overall system is robust to changing acoustic conditions, and can deliver the enhanced speech signal with low enough latency so that the system can be used online (enabling real-time, voice trigger detection and streaming ASR.) Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Wung, Joshua D. Atkins, Ramin Pishehvar, Mehrez Souden
  • Patent number: 10391935
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle approach notification device that can easily output a warning sound in which a discomfort feeling brought to an occupant is reduced while ensuring a necessary sound pressure. A vehicle approach notification device includes: a sound source; first and second amplifiers; a first speaker system including a first speaker and a second speaker that outputs a sound having an opposite phase to a sound output from the first speaker; and a second speaker system including a third speaker that outputs a sound having a same phase as the sound output from the first speaker and a fourth speaker that outputs a sound having an opposite phase to the sound output from the third speaker, wherein the first speaker system and the second speaker system are disposed so that the first speaker and the third speaker are located closer to a longitudinal center plane of the vehicle than the second speaker and the fourth speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fumiyasu Konno, Shinnosuke Nagasawa, Ichiro Ohno, Koichi Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 10380988
    Abstract: A noise cancellation system for a vehicle includes an excitation device mountable to a vehicle body component. The excitation device is operable to produce a low frequency response of the vehicle body component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Frank C. Valeri, Scott M. Reilly, Eric J. Defenderfer
  • Patent number: 10360893
    Abstract: An active vibration and noise control device robust against outside disturbances, and an active vibration and noise control circuit are provided. An adaptive control circuit of this active vibration and noise control device has a cross-correlation value calculation unit which calculates the cross-correlation value of error signals, and a canceling output limiting unit which determines whether or not the cross-correlation value is less than a cross-correlation threshold value, and limits increases in the cancelling output if it is determined that the cross-correlation value is less than the cross-correlation threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Osamu Terashima, Toshio Inoue
  • Patent number: 10272840
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a two-way communication device for vehicles to communicate with an external environment of the vehicle. The communication device comprises a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device is adapted to be mounted on an interior of the vehicle. The first communication device comprises at least one interior speaker, microphone and a display. The second communication device adapted to be mounted on an exterior surface of the vehicle. The second communication device comprises at least one interior audio speaker, a microphone and a camera lens. The first communication device and second communication device are communicated via a signal processing circuit. The signal processing circuit is configured to broadcast audio, and videos of the external environment via first communication device within the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Inventors: Karen Schmahl, Robert L Hart
  • Patent number: 10224018
    Abstract: A loudspeaker arrangement comprises a first loudspeaker configured to radiate an acoustical signal, and a first microphone that is acoustically coupled to the first loudspeaker via a secondary path and that is electrically coupled to the first loudspeaker via an active noise control processing unit. During the use of the loudspeaker arrangement, the first loudspeaker is arranged at a first distance from a first active noise control target position, wherein the first active noise control target position is a position at which noise is to be suppressed, and wherein the first distance is a length of the shortest path between the first loudspeaker and the first active noise control target position through free air. The first microphone is arranged at a second distance from the first loudspeaker that equals the first distance, and the position of the first microphone differs from the first active noise target position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Genaro Woelfl, Matthias Kronlachner
  • Patent number: 10182944
    Abstract: In one aspect, the invention is a sleep device. The sleep-aide device includes a soft housing adapted to be disposed over a user's head, a microphone positioned on the housing to receive an ambient sound signal, a suppression circuit that receives the ambient sound signal and produces a suppression sound signal, and a set of transducers, arranged in the soft housing, which receive the suppression sound signal. The suppression sound signal has a magnitude and phase to substantially cancel the ambient sound signal at the user's ear. In another aspect, the sleep-aide device includes a microphone to receive an ambient sound signal, a suppression circuitry, which receives the ambient sound signal and transmits a suppression sound signal based on the ambient sound signal, and a transducer which receives the suppression sound signal, which has a magnitude and phase to substantially cancel the ambient sound signal at the user's ear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Kurzweil Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Raymond C. Kurzweil, Sonya Kurzweil
  • Patent number: 10174652
    Abstract: An emission signature modification device for modifying an acoustic signature of an exhaust gas stream, including an exhaust gas guiding device that guides the exhaust gas stream in the flow direction thereof from an inlet area to an outlet area. An active acoustic emission modification device modifies the acoustic emission of the exhaust gas stream in predetermined operating states. If an actuator system of the active acoustic emission modification device is designed such that in a circumferential direction, the actuator system is surrounded by more than 30% of the guided exhaust gas stream, the actuating system can be protected against harmful influences from the environment by way of the exhaust gas guiding device on the one hand, and on the other hand, the required space signifier can be reduced as compared to a lateral, external arrangement of the actuating system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: MTU FRIEDRICHSHAFEN GMBH
    Inventors: Arndt Von Drathen, Hubert Ohmayer, Hennig Böhle
  • Patent number: 10170096
    Abstract: A Fourier Transform (FT) module configured to determine amplitudes of acceleration at predetermined orders, respectively, by performing a FT on a plurality of values of acceleration associated with a wheel. An order module is configured to identify one of the predetermined orders where one of the amplitudes is greater than a predetermined value and to, based on the one of the amplitudes and a rotational speed of the wheel, determine an order of a frequency corresponding to the rotational speed of the wheel. A sound control module is configured to set characteristics for outputting sound at the order of the frequency corresponding to the rotational speed of the wheel. An audio driver module is configured to, based on the characteristics, apply power to a speaker within a passenger cabin of the vehicle at the order of the frequency corresponding to the rotational speed of the wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Frank C. Valeri, Christopher A. Stirlen, Scott M. Reilly
  • Patent number: 10156637
    Abstract: A noise control apparatus for vehicles includes a noise extractor for removing an output sound from an indoor sound to extract a noise, a transmitter for transmitting the noise and vehicle information, a receiver for receiving a cancellation sound corresponding to the noise and the vehicle information and a mixer for simultaneously outputting the cancellation sound and the output sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Hyun Joo Kim
  • Patent number: 10049686
    Abstract: Audio systems and methods for providing intelligible audio content within a vehicle cabin. In one example, the audio system includes a first speaker to provide first audio content to a first seating position based on an audio signal received from an audio signal source, a second speaker to provide second audio content to a second seating position, a first microphone assembly positioned to detect speech content originating at the second seating position, leaked second audio content from the second speaker, and road noise, and audio signal processing circuitry configured to determine a perturbing signal based at least in part on a combination of the first speech content, the leaked second audio content, and the road noise, and adjust the audio signal to the first speaker to compensate for an effect of the perturbing signal on the first audio content at the first seating position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: BOSE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Cristian M. Hera, Jeffery R. Vautin, Elie Bou Daher, Paraskevas Argyropoulos, Vigneish Kathavarayan
  • Patent number: 10009689
    Abstract: A vehicle information presentation device that includes: an acquisition section configured to acquire information about the surroundings of an ego vehicle; a sound pick-up section configured to pick up sound heard by an occupant; a plurality of sound sources configured to emit sound toward the occupant; and a presentation section that, in a case in which another vehicle has been detected from the surroundings information acquired by the acquisition section, presents the occupant with information related to the other vehicle using sound emitted from at least one of the plurality of sound sources by attenuating, from among sound heard by the occupant, sound directed from the other vehicle toward the ego vehicle, based on audio pick-up information on sound picked up by the sound pick-up section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshinori Yamada, Masaya Watanabe, Chikashi Takeichi, Satoshi Arikura
  • Patent number: 9997170
    Abstract: Provided are an electronic device and a reverberation removal method therefor. The reverberation removal method for an electronic device comprises: a plurality of microphone units for receiving a user's voice; a reverberation removal unit removing a reverberation component of the user's voice received from the plurality of microphone units so as to acquire an original component of the user's voice; a reverberation information acquisition unit for acquiring information on the intensity of the reverberation component of the user's voice; and a post-processing unit for additionally removing a reverberation component from the original component acquired from the reverberation removal unit on the basis of the information on the intensity of the reverberation component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignees: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., Bar-Llan Research & Development Company Ltd.
    Inventors: Sharon Gannot, Emanuel A. P. Habets, Ofer Shvarts, Nam-gook Cho
  • Patent number: 9978399
    Abstract: A system includes a head and torso simulation (HATS) system configured to play back pre-recorded audio commands while simulating a driver head location as an output location. The system also includes a vehicle speaker system and a processor configured to engage a vehicle heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system. The processor is also configured to play back audio commands through the HATS system while playing back pre-recorded vehicle environment noises through the speaker system. The processor is further configured to determine if the audio command, recorded by a vehicle microphone, is recognizable in the presence of the environment noises and HVAC noises. Also, the processor is configured to repeat the engagement, playback of commands and noises, and determination, recording the results of the determination for each command in a set of commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Scott Andrew Amman, Brigitte Frances Mora Richardson, Allan Miramonti, John Edward Huber, Francois Charette, Gintaras Vincent Puskorius
  • Patent number: 9975459
    Abstract: To make it possible to provide an acoustic device in a headrest device such that a standard of a shock is satisfied and the performance of the acoustic device can be efficiently exhibited. In the headrest device, a shock resistant surface is formed in a core material of a headrest main body, an opening is formed in the shock resistant surface, and a non-contact type acoustic microphone is disposed on the inner side of the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignees: CLARION CO., LTD., TACHI-S CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Takada, Fumiaki Nakashima, Takao Ishikawa, Takahiko Nagasawa, Yasuyuki Ito, Junpei Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 9928027
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for dynamic sound enhancement for a mobile platform. The system comprises a memory for storing a plurality of unique sound profiles, and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory. The processor receives an identification (ID) for the mobile platform, a driving mode, and references the memory using the ID and driving mode to select a sound profile. The processor also receives sail status data and engine status data for the engine, which indicates whether the engine is in sail mode or not, and the progression of the mobile platform within sail mode. Responsive to the sail status and engine status data, and in accordance with the selected sound profile, the processor generates commands for an audio system coupled to the mobile platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Frank C. Valeri, Scott M. Reilly, Roger C. Barlow, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9851938
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are microphone arrays for directional reception, along with related system, devices, and techniques. For example, a four-microphone array for directional signal reception may include first, second, and third microphones arranged such that projections of the first, second, and third microphones in a plane provide corners of a triangle in the plane. In some embodiments, a fourth microphone may be arranged such that a projection of the fourth microphone in the plane is disposed in an interior of the triangle. In other embodiments, the fourth microphone may be arranged such that the projection of the fourth microphone in the plane is disposed outside the interior of the triangle, and a distance between the first microphone and the second microphone is different from a distance between the first microphone and the third microphone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: ANALOG DEVICES, INC.
    Inventor: Martin Kessler
  • Patent number: 9845223
    Abstract: The invention relates to a transporting apparatus for transporting people, characterized by at least one structure-borne-sound-transmission region, which is acted on directly or indirectly by a structure-borne-sound transducer which is intended to generate vibrations which, when the structure-borne-sound-transmission region is touched by a person, are transmitted as structure-borne sound via the person's body and are audible to the person.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: ThyssenKrupp Elevator AG
    Inventors: Reinhardt Krämer, Julius Schlattmann
  • Patent number: 9817631
    Abstract: A computing device for a vehicle interior sound control system is described. The device includes one or more processors for controlling operation of the computing device, and a memory for storing data and program instructions usable by the one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to operate, responsive to a location of the vehicle, at least one portion of the vehicle so as to control a sound level in an interior of the vehicle produced by the at least one portion of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey E. Pierfelice
  • Patent number: 9773495
    Abstract: Embodiments include a vehicle comprising an audio system configured to create a plurality of audio zones within a vehicle cabin, and at least one display communicatively coupled to the audio system. The display is configured to display a separate user interface for each audio zone. Each user interface comprises an engine sound control and a cabin noise control for adjusting an audio output provided to the corresponding audio zone. Embodiments also include a method of providing user-controlled sound isolation in a plurality of audio zones within a vehicle. The method comprises presenting, for each audio zone, a user interface including an engine sound control and a cabin noise control, and generating an audio output for each audio zone based on a first value received from the engine sound control and a second value received from the cabin noise control of the corresponding user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Perry Robinson MacNeille, James Andrew Miloser, Jorge Acosta, Eric Marsman
  • Patent number: 9706295
    Abstract: An anti-noise system for influencing exhaust noises propagating through a multi-flow exhaust system includes a controller 80 and at least one actuator. The at least one actuator is disposed in a sound generator 20; 21; 23; 25; 27, connected to the controller 80 for receiving control signals, and adapted to generate sound inside the sound generator 20; 21; 23; 25; 27. The sound generator 20; 21; 23; 25; 27 is connectable to at least two exhaust tracts 60, 61 of the multi-flow exhaust system of the vehicle simultaneously. The controller 80 is configured to generate a control signal that prompts the at least one actuator disposed in the sound generator 20; 21; 23; 25; 27 to cancel sound inside the at least two exhaust tracts 60, 61 of the vehicle's multi-flow exhaust system at least in part and preferably completely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Eberspächer Exhaust Technology GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Michael Pommerer, Juergen Kobe, Ralf Hoelsch, Peter Wink
  • Patent number: 9679552
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing harmonic noise caused by two or more noise sources by causing one or more loudspeakers to produce sounds that are at about the same frequencies as the noise and of substantially opposite phase. There is a noise canceller associated with each noise source. Each noise canceller includes a harmonic sine wave generator that generates an output sine wave. Each noise canceller also has an adaptive filter that uses a sine wave to create a noise reduction signal that is used to drive one or more transducers with their outputs directed to reduce noise caused by the noise sources. There is an overlap detector that compares the harmonic frequencies and, based on their proximity, alters the operation of one or more adaptive filters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Alaganandan Ganeshkumar, Dennis D. Klug
  • Patent number: 9672803
    Abstract: A number of variations may include a method including obtaining data indicating a driver intent from a vehicle and using an ANC system to cancel noise in an appropriately reactive manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Brad A. Saxman, Scott M. Reilly, Frank C. Valeri
  • Patent number: 9666175
    Abstract: Techniques for noise cancelation include an automated method having the steps of: receiving signals from a plurality of microphones positioned within a microphone array outside a target area; identifying, from the received signals, a noise and position information for a source for the noise external to the target area before the noise reaches the target area; before the noise reaches the target area, determining a cancelation sound for the noise based on the noise and the position information; and playing the cancelation sound as the noise reaches the target area so as to significantly cancel the noise within the target area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: zPillow, Inc.
    Inventor: Chidananda Khatua
  • Patent number: 9656552
    Abstract: Systems, apparatus and methods for cancelling a noise voltage at a vehicle are presented. An noise cancellation system (NCS) can be configured to null an earth-to-body voltage at the vehicle to prevent its interference with a receiver system. An (NCS) can include a noise sensor (NSSR) configured to sense a noise voltage, and a noise-nulling device (NNDV) configured to provide an anti-noise output. An anti-noise injector (ANI) can be configured to drive the anti-noise output at an anti-noise injection site In an example embodiment, an anti-noise output can be provided directly to the receiver system by cable. Alternatively, an anti-noise signal can be inductively or capacitively coupled to a vehicle structure or component that is not part of the receiver system. A noise cancellation system can be arranged in a feedback or feed-forward arrangement. Radio frequency noise and non-radio frequency noise can be cancelled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Richard William Kautz
  • Patent number: 9648418
    Abstract: Provided is an active noise cancellation apparatus capable of reliably reducing road noise by reducing vibration of a vehicle component part which generates road noise by using a vibration generator. A plurality of reference signal detectors are placed respectively on right and left knuckles for respectively supporting right and left wheels. A vibration generator and an error signal detector are placed on a vehicle component part. A controller performs respective adaptive controls based on each of reference signals and an error signal so as to reduce the error signal, and controls the vibration generator based on a sum of respective output values of the adaptive controls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RIKO COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiroshi Iwamoto, Kouichi Hasegawa, Mitsuyoshi Kondo, Naoya Oue
  • Patent number: 9628928
    Abstract: A speaker control device in one embodiment includes a time to digital converter connected to a drive power source in series with a drive circuit for driving a plurality of coils of a speaker, the converter outputting a digital data in accordance with a voltage of the drive power source, and a monitor circuit detecting a state of the plurality of coils of the speaker based on digital data output by the time to digital converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Trigence Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Yasuda, Jun-ichi Okamura
  • Patent number: 9601102
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing or entirely canceling background or ambient noise from a voice transmission from a communications device. A communications device, such as a mobile telephone, is configured with an ambient noise compensation signal generator that is connected between a first microphone and a mixer. A second microphone is employed to detect ambient noise. An original output of the first microphone and a compensation signal generated by the ambient noise compensation signal generator are mixed together prior to being passed to a transmitter. A buffer is provided between the microphone and the mixer to help synchronize the timing of the signals to be mixed and an output of the mixer is provided to an antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Shannon M. Short, William A. Hartselle, Vernon Meadows
  • Patent number: 9583091
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for masking noise originating from rotary equipment in a vehicle engine. The method may include checking if engine input conditions fulfill engine input condition threshold values. If the engine input conditions fulfill the engine input conditions threshold values, the method may include outputting a first masking noise from a speaker. The first masking noise may include a first central frequency, a first predetermined bandwidth and a first amplitude, where the first central frequency and the first amplitude are determined by the input conditions. The disclosure also relates to a system for masking noise originating from rotary equipment in a vehicle engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation
    Inventor: David Lennstrom
  • Patent number: 9521484
    Abstract: A multi-beam sound system includes a fixed beamforming section which steers the input signal inputted from the microphone array to an intended direction, a blocking matrix which receives the input signal and acquires a noise reference signal from the input signal, a variable beamforming section which acquires an adaptive noise signal from the noise reference signal outputted from the blocking matrix, and a generalized sidelobe canceller (GSC) which includes canceling means for outputting an object signal from the input signal outputted from the fixed beamforming section by removing the adaptive noise signal from the input signal. The fixed beamforming section steers the input signal in at least two directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: MIGHTYWORKS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Se Ung Kim
  • Patent number: 9520122
    Abstract: An audio apparatus and method are provided. The method includes receiving, by a controller, first audio data and second audio data and processing the first audio data and the second audio data to generate first audio signals and second audio signals. Further, reverse phase signals of the first audio signals are generated by the controller. A first group of the plurality of audio outputting units output the first audio signals and a second group of the plurality of audio outputting units output the second audio signals and the reverse phase signals of the first audio signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Hyo Sup Kang, Jin Ook Yoo
  • Patent number: 9500467
    Abstract: For managing a sound system, a method is disclosed that includes identifying a location for measuring sound, directing light from a light emitter to the location, determining a speckle pattern at the location based on data received from an optical interferometer, and adjusting a sound producer based on the determined speckle pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) PTE. LTD.
    Inventor: Mark Charles Davis
  • Patent number: 9502050
    Abstract: A speech communication system includes a speech service compartment for holding one or more system users. The speech service compartment includes a plurality of acoustic zones having varying acoustic environments. At least one input microphone is located within the speech service compartment, for developing microphone input signals from the one or more system users. At least one loudspeaker is located within the service compartment. An in-car communication (ICC) system receives and processes the microphone input signals, forming loudspeaker output signals that are provided to one or more of the at least one output loudspeakers. The ICC system includes at least one of a speaker dedicated signal processing module and a listener specific signal processing module, that controls the processing of the microphone input signal and/or forming of the loudspeaker output signal based, at least in part, on at least one of an associated acoustic environment(s) and resulting psychoacoustic effect(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Markus Buck, Tobias Herbig, Meik Pfeffinger
  • Patent number: 9487060
    Abstract: An air conditioning control apparatus for a vehicle includes a call monitor that monitors a phone call in the vehicle; a timer that counts a preset time; a driver that adjusts an air volume of an air conditioning apparatus in the vehicle; and a controller that controls the driver to set the air volume of the air conditioning apparatus as a reference value if the call monitor recognizes the occurrence of a phone call, and control the driver to increase the air volume of the air conditioning apparatus up to a user setting value in order from a low level to a high level if the phone call is maintained during the preset time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Hyunwoo Choi
  • Patent number: 9478209
    Abstract: An active noise control system and method for tuning an acoustic noise signal at a listening position are disclosed in which a first weighting element is connected in the filter coefficient copy path and/or a second weighting element is connected in the microphone path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Michael Wurm
  • Patent number: 9446770
    Abstract: A vehicle including a passenger compartment having a rear seating area is described. A method for monitoring the rear seating area of the passenger compartment includes monitoring a vehicle operating state comprising one of a key-on state and a key-off state and monitoring the rear seating area. A presence or absence of a passenger in the rear seating area is detected based upon the monitoring, and a control routine is executed based upon the vehicle operating state and the presence or absence of a passenger in the rear seating area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Frank C. Valeri, Scott M. Reilly, Eli Tzirkel-Hancock, Gaurav Talwar, John L. Holdren, Xufang Zhao
  • Patent number: 9420391
    Abstract: A microphone or a microphone sensor system operates with a sensor interface that receives a supply voltage at a supply terminal. The sensor interface detects a command at the supply terminal based on a change in the supply voltage and communicates the command or data related to the command to a component of the sensor system. The supply terminal is a bidirectional terminal that further communicates data related to the sensor system via the supply terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Andreas Wiesbauer, Christian Jenkner, Johannes Hohl, Ernesto Romani, Christian Ebner, Joseph Hufschmitt
  • Patent number: 9388776
    Abstract: A control system for a vehicle having a fixed gear transmission and an engine that outputs an actual RPM signal is provided. The control system includes a vehicle bus, a shifting module, a simulated RPM module, and an engine sound enhancement (“ESE”) module. The vehicle bus transmits a signal indicating a plurality of operating conditions of the vehicle. The shifting module receives the signal from the vehicle bus to determine if the operating parameters of the vehicle indicate that a gear shift by the fixed gear transmission is imminent within a predetermined amount of time. The simulated RPM module is in communication with the shifting module for generating a simulated RPM signal if the gear shift is imminent. The simulated RPM signal has a greater increase in engine RPM with respect to time prior to the gear shift compared to the actual RPM signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Frank C. Valeri, Scott M. Reilly
  • Patent number: 9357293
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for source localization and separation by sampling a large scale microphone array asynchronously to simulate a smaller size but moving microphone array. Signals that arrive from different angles at the array are shifted differently in their frequency content. The sources are separated by evaluating correlated and even equal frequency content. Compressive sampling enables the utilization of extremely large scale microphone arrays by reducing the computational effort orders of magnitude in comparison to standard synchronous sampling approaches. Processor based systems to perform the source separation methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Heiko Claussen
  • Patent number: 9344796
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing harmonic noise caused by two or more noise sources by causing one or more loudspeakers to produce sounds that are at about the same frequencies as the noise and of substantially opposite phase. There is a noise canceller associated with each noise source. Each noise canceller includes a harmonic sine wave generator that generates an output sine wave. Each noise canceller also has an adaptive filter that uses a sine wave to create a noise reduction signal that is used to drive one or more transducers with their outputs directed to reduce noise caused by the noise sources. There is an overlap detector that compares the harmonic frequencies and, based on their proximity, alters the operation of one or more adaptive filters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Alaganandan Ganeshkumar, Dennis D. Klug
  • Patent number: 9319784
    Abstract: A personal audio device includes an adaptive noise canceling (ANC) circuit that adaptively generates an anti-noise signal from a reference microphone signal and injects the anti-noise signal into the speaker or other transducer output to cause cancellation of ambient audio sounds. An error microphone is also provided proximate the speaker to provide an error signal indicative of the effectiveness of the noise cancellation. A secondary path estimating adaptive filter is used to estimate the electro-acoustical path from the noise canceling circuit through the transducer so that source audio can be removed from the error signal. Noise is injected so that the adaptation of the secondary path estimating adaptive filter can be maintained, irrespective of the presence and amplitude of the source audio. The noise is shaped by a noise shaping filter that has a response controlled in conformity with at least one parameter of the secondary path response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: CIRRUS LOGIC, INC.
    Inventors: Yang Lu, Dayong Zhou, Ning Li
  • Patent number: 9286880
    Abstract: A masking sound outputting device includes: an inputting unit which receives a picked-up sound signal relating to a picked-up sound; an extracting unit which extracts an acoustic feature amount of the picked-up sound signal; an instruction receiving unit which receives instructions for starting an output of a masking sound; and an outputting unit which, in the case where the instruction receiving unit receives the instructions for starting an output, outputs a masking sound corresponding to the acoustic feature amount extracted by the extracting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki Koga, Eiko Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9251779
    Abstract: A noise reduction apparatus includes a noise reduction amount calculator. The noise reduction amount calculator includes a difference calculator that obtains a difference between a level of the noise detected by a first noise detecting microphone and a level of the noise detected by a second noise detecting microphone when control sound is not output, a storage unit that stores the difference, an estimated noise value calculator that estimates a noise level that is to be detected by the second noise detecting microphone when the control sound is output, based on the level of the noise detected by the first noise detecting microphone when the control sound is output and the difference, and a reduction amount calculator that calculates a noise reduction amount on the noise reduction target position, based on the estimated noise value and the level of the noise detected by the second noise detecting microphone when the control sound is output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Asao, Tsuyoshi Maeda
  • Patent number: 9245519
    Abstract: Systems and methods to cancel noise in a vehicle are disclosed. A first speaker is positioned forward of a steering wheel of a vehicle. The first speaker generates a first signal configured to acoustically cancel noise produced by operation of the vehicle. A second speaker is positioned forward of the steering wheel. The second speaker generates a second signal to acoustically cancel the noise produced by the operation of the vehicle. The first and the second speakers are capable of generating the first and the second signals independently of one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: BOSE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dennis Klug, James May, Davis Pan
  • Patent number: 9191739
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing noise caused by two or more rotating devices by taking in input signals with frequencies that are related to the rotation rates of the rotating devices, and causing one or more loudspeakers to produce sounds that are at about the same frequencies as the noise and of substantially opposite phase. There is a noise canceller associated with each rotating device. Each noise canceller includes a harmonic frequency computer that computes a harmonic frequency and provides the harmonic frequency to a harmonic sine wave generator that generates an output sine wave. Each nose canceller also has an adaptive filter that uses a sine wave to create a noise reduction signal that is used to drive one or more transducers with their outputs directed to reduce noise caused by the rotating devices. There is an overlap detector that compares the harmonic frequencies and, based on their proximity, alters the operation of one or more adaptive filters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Alaganandan Ganeshkumar, Dennis D. Klug
  • Patent number: 9190071
    Abstract: A noise-suppression assembly of a mechanical drive system having a rotational frequency includes an audio filter unit configured to receive a first audio signal and a timing signal of the mechanical drive system. The audio filter unit generates a noise-cancellation signal based on a frequency of the timing signal to suppress a noise generated by the mechanical drive system and to apply the noise-cancellation signal to the first audio signal to produce a filtered first audio signal. The frequency of the timing signal is based on the rotational frequency of the mechanical drive system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Donald J. Butts, William A. Welsh, Thomas A. Millott, Stuart K. Drost
  • Patent number: 9183825
    Abstract: The noise reduction apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of loudspeakers, control sound signal generating units, and a plurality of error microphones. Each of the control sound signal generating units generates control sound signal based on the error sound detected by a corresponding error microphone of the plurality of error microphones. The noise reduction apparatus further including an input switching unit that, when a level of the noise at a predetermined position is higher than the predetermined threshold value, feeds an error audio signal at a predetermined control point of the plurality of control points or a control point that is newly set based on the plurality of control points into each of the control sound signal generating units, the number of the newly set control point being less than the number of the plurality of control points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Maeda