Vehicle Patents (Class 381/86)
  • Patent number: 11956604
    Abstract: A right seat processing unit includes, assuming that a voice of a user in a right front seat is a right front seat voice, a filter HR that converts the right front seat voice being output from a left front seat microphone disposed on a headrest of a left front seat into the right front seat voice collected by a right seat virtual microphone that is a virtual microphone located on a left side of a headrest of the right front seat, a delay unit Z-TR that delays and outputs an output from a right front seat microphone located on a right side of the headrest of the right front seat, a filter WRA that extracts the right front seat voice being output from the filter HR, a filter WRB that extracts the right front seat voice being output from the delay unit Z-TR, and a right adder that adds outputs of the filter WRA and the filter WRB and outputs an added output as a right front seat speech voice signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryosuke Tachi, Hiroyuki Taguchi
  • Patent number: 11950035
    Abstract: A sound generating apparatus for vehicles may include a sound generating device to be covered by a vehicle interior material of a vehicle. The sound generating device may be configured to vibrate the vehicle interior material. A vehicle including the sound generating apparatus for vehicles may include a vehicle interior material, covering a vehicle structure, and at least one sound generating apparatus disposed at the vehicle interior material. The vehicle interior material may vibrate according to a vibration of the sound generating apparatus to output a sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: LG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sungtae Lee, KwanHo Park, YeongRak Choi, Sungsu Ham, Joongsup Han
  • Patent number: 11950067
    Abstract: An In-Car Communication (ICC) system supports the communication paths within a car by receiving the speech signals of a speaking passenger and playing it back for one or more listening passengers. Signal processing tasks are split into a microphone related part and into a loudspeaker related part. A sound processing system suitable for use in a vehicle having multiple acoustic zones includes a plurality of microphone In-Car Communication (Mic-ICC) instances coupled and a plurality of loudspeaker In-Car Communication (Ls-ICC) instances. The system further includes a dynamic audio routing matrix with a controller and coupled to the Mic-ICC instances, a mixer coupled to the plurality of Mic-ICC instances and a distributor coupled to the Ls-ICC instances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Cerence Operating Company
    Inventors: Tobias Herbig, Markus Buck, Meik Pfeffinger
  • Patent number: 11943597
    Abstract: A receiver is provided in the present invention. The receiver includes: a housing having a hollow inner cavity; a diaphragm mechanism disposed in the hollow inner cavity, partitioning the hollow inner cavity into a first cavity and a second cavity, and including a vibration plate; and an electromagnetic driving mechanism disposed in the hollow inner cavity and including a coil assembly and at least one magnetic field generation member. Each magnetic field generation member is disposed in the first cavity or the second cavity, and the magnetic field generation member is close to a free end of the vibration plate. The coil assembly is disposed in the second cavity and includes a coil and a magnetic core. The coil and the vibration plate are placed in the same direction. The magnetic core is inserted in a hollow inner hole of the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: SUZHOU SENSORFUN ELECTRONICS CO., LTD
    Inventor: Jianguang Wen
  • Patent number: 11934737
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for applying a volume gain to change the playback volume of a device by calculating a smoothed noise estimate. The smoothed noise estimate may calculated using an exponential smoothing method. The exponential smoothing method may include applying a weight factor to both a background noise estimate and a historical smoothed noise estimate. The weight factor may place more emphasis on either the background noise estimate or the historical smoothed noise estimate depending on the value of the weight factor. The value of the weight factor may change based on the type of environment the device is in, the speed of the background noise transitions, and/or historical data. The calculated smoothed noise estimate may be used to calculate a volume gain. The volume gain may be applied over a period of time such that the playback volume of the device changes smoothly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Jae Lee, Manas Maheshwari
  • Patent number: 11922920
    Abstract: A roof module for a motor vehicle having a roof skin and a roof substructure as well as a means for autonomous driving or semi-autonomous driving of the motor vehicle. The means having at least one sensor module having at least one environmental sensor for detecting a vehicle environment, the sensor module being covered by the roof skin, having a means for generating sound which are covered by the roof skin and means for recording sound which are covered by the roof skin. The environmental sensor and the means for generating sound and the means for recording sound are connected to a controller which is part of the means for autonomous driving or semi-autonomous driving of the motor vehicle. The means for generating sound and the means for recording sound are part of the means for autonomous driving or semi-autonomous driving of the motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: WEBASTO SE
    Inventors: Michael Huelsen, Oliver Heisel
  • Patent number: 11919446
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for generating a sound of an electric vehicle are provided. The apparatus determines whether a current condition may be a regenerative braking condition, generates a regenerative braking sound based on an amount of change in motor torque in the regenerative braking condition, and outputs the generated regenerative braking sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Ki Chang Kim, Dong Chul Park
  • Patent number: 11912194
    Abstract: A sound output apparatus of a vehicle may include a sensor sensing a driving speed of the vehicle and a number of revolutions of a driving motor, a storage storing opposed-phase sound sources of a noise according to the number of revolutions of the driving motor, and a controller allowing an opposed-phase sound source corresponding to the number of revolutions of the driving motor, from among the opposed-phase sound sources stored in the storage to be output when the driving speed of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventor: Keun Jin Kim
  • Patent number: 11904836
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an eco-friendly vehicle in which powertrain noise may be controlled such that voice command recognition of the vehicle control system may be improved and also audio guidance therefrom may be better recognized by a driver, and a method for supporting audio input/output for the same. A method of supporting audio input/output for an eco-friendly vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes determining whether a first condition for audio input/output function and a second condition for inside noise level are satisfied; and performing a noise reduction control by changing an operating point of a driving power source based on a current drive mode, in case where the first and the second conditions are satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventor: Jin Kyeom Cho
  • Patent number: 11904772
    Abstract: The invention discloses a method and system for providing an acoustic sound design for an electrified vehicle Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS). The method minimizes annoyance from sound leaking into a vehicle compartment. Road and other functional vehicle made sounds (tread noise, fans, wind noise etc.) are used to create an alert sound that mimics these existing vehicle sounds and can be potentially masked, interiorly, by those same sounds. The sounds are recorded and thereafter shaped, amplified and broadcast by speaker(s) placed outside the interior cabin, i.e., one in an engine compartment and another at a rear of the vehicle, so that vulnerable road users can hear the approaching hybrid/electric vehicle. The sound meets jurisdictional requirements in accord with specified frequencies and sound levels. The result is an alert sound perceived as non-irritating and pleasant outside the vehicle, and unobtrusive and background inside the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Aleksandra Pyzik, Pontus Larsson
  • Patent number: 11907613
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to audio routing in a wireless communication system. A method by which a first device performs audio routing in a wireless communication system, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, comprises the steps of: transmitting audio routing basic information to a second device; receiving an audio routing modification request from the second device; and transmitting, to the second device, audio-routing-related information modified on the basis of the audio routing modification request, wherein the audio routing basic information may comprise at least one of available audio routing device information, set audio routing device information, and audio routing content type information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: INTELLECTUAL DISCOVERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jea Ho Lee
  • Patent number: 11893972
    Abstract: A vehicle system includes a controller that is configured to (a) store a plurality of passenger profiles regarding passengers of a vehicle where each of the plurality of passenger profiles include pre-stored characteristics of a respective passenger associated therewith, (b) acquire passenger identifying data regarding a present passenger in the vehicle, (c) identify a respective passenger profile associated with the present passenger from the plurality of passenger profiles based on the passenger identifying data, and (d) control a speaker positioned within the vehicle based at least in part on the respective passenger profile to emit noise-canceling sound waves to generate a noise suppression zone to suppress sound waves perceived by the present passenger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Oshkosh Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel R. Seffernick, Peter D. Vande Hey
  • Patent number: 11894013
    Abstract: Provided is a sound pickup loudspeaker apparatus that has a mechanism for detecting situations in which sound amplification should not be performed and stopping sound amplification from a speaker. The sound pickup loudspeaker apparatus is installed in a vehicle. At least a sound pickup position and a sound amplification position are assumed to be present in the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazunori Kobayashi, Shoichiro Saito
  • Patent number: 11871195
    Abstract: An acoustic system can include an acoustic processor that is configured to analyze and output acoustic signals to each of first and second loudspeakers corresponding to each of first and second acoustic zones of a shared acoustic space. The system can determine a first measure of loudness associated with a first acoustic signal. The system can be configured to output the first acoustic signal as sound on the first loudspeaker in the first acoustic zone. The system can determine a second measure of loudness associated with a second acoustic signal. The system can be configured to output the second acoustic signal as sound on the second loudspeaker in the second acoustic zone. The system can also modify the second acoustic signal based on the first acoustic signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Francesto Villamizar
  • Patent number: 11858418
    Abstract: A pseudo driving sound playback system includes a server and an in-vehicle device. The server includes a database of pseudo sound data sets in which sound elements of engine sound are associated with each of a plurality of predefined driving states for each of a plurality of passenger gasoline vehicle models. The in-vehicle device determines one of a plurality of vehicle models based on received input of a user, downloads a pseudo sound data set of the vehicle model from the server, selects a sound element according to the detected driving state from the pseudo sound data set, and sequentially outputs the sound element as sound from a speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: CRAFTS & MEISTER CO., LTD
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Sudo, Yoshinori Matsumoto, Taklam Li
  • Patent number: 11854526
    Abstract: Provided is an active acoustic control program that can reduce noise in a vehicle interior irrespective of the vehicle type, due to being installed in a device that is easily available to anyone. This active acoustic control program is downloaded using a communicator that transmits and receives data to and from a server, and this program causes a computation process device to execute a process for generating a control signal that causes a canceling sound to be outputted from a speaker provided in an interior of a vehicle in order to reduce noise in the vehicle interior. Said program is provided with an adaptive notch filter that processes a reference signal as an adaptive signal to generate a control signal, and a control filter coefficient update unit that continuously updates a filter coefficient of the adaptive notch filter so that an error signal is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Inoue, Hiroyuki Yamada, Hiroshi Tokimoto
  • Patent number: 11854524
    Abstract: Adjustment of active noise cancellation (ANC) systems can include determining a noise within a vehicle; detecting a movement of a head of a listener; adjusting one or more parameters of the ANC system based at least on the noise and the movement of the head of the listener; determining an anti-noise based at least on the adjusted one or more parameters; and outputting the anti-noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventor: Kevin J. Bastyr
  • Patent number: 11854546
    Abstract: A speech-controlled vanity mirror is provided, which includes a vanity mirror body, a first microphone, a second microphone and a speech recognition control device provided on the vanity mirror body. The speech recognition control device includes a music control device and a speech control device. The first microphone is connected to the music control device, and transmits the audio signal acquired from a loudspeaker to the music control device. A filter in the music control device filters the audio signal to eliminate the interference of the audio played by the loudspeaker in speech instructions of the user. The second microphone is connected to the speech control device, and transmits the speech instructions of the user to the speech control device. The speech control device adjusts and controls a multifunctional device on the vanity mirror body according to the speech instructions. It is convenient for users to operate, and the recognition rate and accuracy of the speech instruction are high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: ShenZhen XinHai ChuangDa Technology Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Xing Wang
  • Patent number: 11836416
    Abstract: An example system is provided for playing media content with a media playback device in a vehicle The example system can obtain vehicle movement data indicative of movement of the vehicle and sound data indicative of sound in the vehicle. The example system can also determine that the vehicle movement data and the sound data are at a given level, and switch the media playback device to a low power consumption mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Spotify AB
    Inventors: Jimmy Wahlberg, Thorbiörn Fritzon
  • Patent number: 11816936
    Abstract: A fleet management server is configured to receive, via a wireless transceiver, driver and vehicle information from a plurality of vehicles relating to a plurality of drivers. The server computes, based on the received driver and vehicle information, occurrence rates for predetermined vehicle events and predetermined vehicle error codes that are associated with possible vehicle tampering, and then compares, based on the received driver and vehicle information, an occurrence rate for the predetermined vehicle events and predetermined vehicle error codes of a first driver to occurrence rates for the predetermined vehicle events and predetermined vehicle error codes of one or more of the other plurality of drivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Andre Tokman, Shaun M. Howard, Andreas U. Kuehnle
  • Patent number: 11818538
    Abstract: Systems and methods for managing content of a vehicle infotainment system are presented. In one example, one or more servers may activate and deactivate hardware components and software modules for vehicle infotainment systems to scale functionality and performance of the vehicle infotainment systems. The servers may receive upgrade and downgrade requests via a plurality of sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Chris Ludwig, Riley Winton
  • Patent number: 11817114
    Abstract: Some implementations involve receiving a content stream that includes audio data, determining a content type corresponding to the content stream and determining, based at least in part on the content type, a noise compensation method. Some examples involve performing the noise compensation method on the audio data to produce noise-compensated audio data, rendering the noise-compensated audio data for reproduction via a set of audio reproduction transducers of the audio environment, to produce rendered audio signals, and providing the rendered audio signals to at least some audio reproduction transducers of the audio environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy Alan Port, Daniel Steven Templeton, Jack Gregory Hays
  • Patent number: 11805361
    Abstract: Method for automatably or automated tuning at least one operational parameter of an engine-order-cancellation (“EOC”) apparatus, the EOC apparatus being operable on the basis of a number of operational parameters, comprising the steps of: providing a defined tuning rule for automatably or automated tuning at least one operational parameter of an EOC apparatus, and automatably or automated tuning the at least one operational parameter of the EOC apparatus on basis of the provided tuning rule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: ASK Industries GmbH
    Inventor: Victor Kalinichenko
  • Patent number: 11798573
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for denoising voice data, an electronic device, and a computer readable storage medium. The present disclosure relates to the technical field of artificial intelligence, such as Internet of Vehicles, smart cockpit, smart voice, and voice recognition. A specific embodiment of the method includes: receiving an input to-be-played first piece of voice data; and invoking, in response to not detecting a synthetic voice interruption signal in a process of playing the first piece of voice data, a preset first denoising algorithm to filter out noise data except for the first piece of voice data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: APOLLO INTELLIGENT CONNECTIVITY (BEIJING) TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Rong Liu
  • Patent number: 11792567
    Abstract: A system for capturing a user's voice, including a plurality of microphones disposed about a vehicle cabin, each of the plurality of microphones generating a microphone signal, wherein the vehicle cabin defines a plurality of seating positions; a voice-activity detector configured to detect when, at least, a user seated in a target seat of the plurality of seating positions is speaking; and an adaptive beamformer configured to receive the microphone signals from the plurality of microphones and to generate, based on the microphone signals and a noise coherence matrix, an estimate of the acoustic signal at the target seating position, according to an adaptive beamforming algorithm, wherein the noise coherence matrix ceases to be updated when, according to the voice-activity detector, the user seated in the target seating position is speaking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Elie Bou Daher, Cristian M. Hera
  • Patent number: 11778370
    Abstract: Audio content is controllably directed to or from an aircraft occupant, such as the pilot or a passenger using a microphone array of at least two transducers, positioned onboard an aircraft to pick up utterances of the aircraft occupant. An electronically steerable transducer array coupled to an onboard an aircraft audio system, such as an avionics communication system or in-flight entertainment system supplies audio content to the aircraft occupant. A signal processor coupled to the microphone array processes utterances sensed by the transducers using a time of arrival algorithm to determine an utterance originating direction. A controller circuit then supplies a pointing direction control signal to the steerable beamforming speaker array or microphone array based on the utterance originating direction to cause the steerable transducer array to direct the audio content in the direction of the sensed utterance and thereby direct the audio content to or from the aircraft occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Inventors: Tongan Wang, Scott Bohanan, Jim Jordan, Matthew Wallace
  • Patent number: 11765506
    Abstract: An automobile audio system for an automobile includes an audio processing unit, a set of external microphones to record external sound and a set of internal loudspeakers to internally reproduce audio. Furthermore, the automobile audio system includes a transmission switching mechanism. The transmission switching mechanism is manually configurable between at least two manual transmission configurations including a manually activated configuration wherein the set of external microphones is communicatively coupled to the set of internal loudspeakers such that the external sound is reproducible by at least a subset of the set of internal loudspeakers and a manually deactivated configuration wherein the set of external microphones is communicatively decoupled to the set of internal loudspeakers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: TYMPHANY WORLDWIDE ENTERPRISES LIMITED
    Inventors: Matthew Robinson, Thomas Pieter J. Peeters, Wade Forrest Conklin, Rowan Dylan Gower Williams
  • Patent number: 11760259
    Abstract: A vehicle approach notifying device for notifying the approach of a vehicle by causing a loudspeaker to output a warning sound includes: a storage that stores a predetermined threshold of sound pressure; and a controller that: (i) causes a loudspeaker disposed outside a cabin of the vehicle to output the warning sound at a first sound pressure determined in accordance with a speed of the vehicle when a sound pressure of the warning sound acquired by a microphone disposed outside the vehicle is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold; and (ii) causes the loudspeaker to output the warning sound at a sound pressure lower than the first sound pressure when the sound pressure of the warning sound acquired by the microphone exceeds the predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fumiyasu Konno, Toshiya Nakagaki
  • Patent number: 11756523
    Abstract: In some implementations, an output of a first channel of an echo cancellation variable filter having an output of a first microphone output from a second speaker as an input is added to an output of a second microphone. An echo cancellation coefficient updating unit updates the filter coefficient of the first channel so that the error that is the output of a second adder is minimized. Using the output of the second channel that uses the output of a sound source device output from the first speaker as an input and shares the filter coefficient with the first channel as a reference signal, and the output of the second microphone as an error, the noise cancellation coefficient updating unit updates the filter coefficient of the noise cancellation variable filter that generates a noise-canceling sound to be output from the output of the sound source device to the second speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., LTD
    Inventor: Ryosuke Tachi
  • Patent number: 11745806
    Abstract: An audio system for installation in the tailgate of a pickup truck. A rugged, weather-resistant audio system is installed in a fold-down section of a multi-part tailgate. The system may operate independently of the sound system in the vehicle; the truck does not need to be running for the system to function. A low current draw allows the system to play for hours. The system may include a control that automatically powers off the system when the tailgate is returned to the closed position. The system may incorporate a USB port for device charging and flash memory playback, along with full Bluetooth streaming compatibility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Stillwater Designs and Audio, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph C. Gross, IV, Martin N. Williams, John D. Cronin, Dennis A. Hotson, Joshua N. James, Garry L. Roberts, Charles Wesley Groh
  • Patent number: 11741958
    Abstract: Implementations are directed to causing a computing device to transmit an audio data stream, via a communication channel, to a vehicle computing device of a vehicle. Various implementations include one or more vehicle speakers driven by the vehicle computing device to render audible output. Additionally or alternatively, various implementations include determining whether the audible output is captured by at least one microphone of a vehicle interface device within the vehicle. In many implementations, the vehicle interface device is communicatively coupled to the computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Nathaniel Nesiba, Xiang Cao
  • Patent number: 11741936
    Abstract: An advanced acoustic awareness platform configured to classify environmental sounds. The advanced acoustic awareness platform comprises an audio signal acquisition sensor array and one or more processors programmed to augment the audio signal, extract features for the audio signal, visualize, and classify the signal using one or more labels. In at least one embodiment, the signal is classified based on transfer learning associated with a pretrained machine learning model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: The U.S. Government as Represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: Jackson Yeboah
  • Patent number: 11732669
    Abstract: An injector diagnosis device 1 includes: an engine sound model generator 14 configured to generate a normal engine sound model and an abnormal engine sound model based on the number of cylinders of the engine and a combustion pattern of the engine; an operating sound obtainment unit 12 configured to obtain the operating sound of the engine operating with the combustion pattern; a frequency characteristics calculation unit 13 configured to calculate the frequency characteristics of the operating sound obtained by the operating sound obtainment unit 12; and an injector diagnosis unit 15 configured to diagnose whether or not the injectors have a failure based on the frequency characteristics of the operating sound which is calculated by the frequency characteristics calculation unit 13, and the normal engine sound model and the abnormal engine sound model which is generated by the engine sound model generator 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tien Trien Le, Hisashi Yokoyama, Satoshi Inose, Shogo Kunioka
  • Patent number: 11729550
    Abstract: In-car communication and hands-free talking with good sound quality are realized. An echo cancelation apparatus (4) is for use in a vehicle in which microphones (M1, M2) and loudspeakers (S1, S2) are disposed in acoustic regions (100, 200). A loudspeaker (S1) and a microphone (M1) are disposed in a first acoustic region (100), and a loudspeaker (S2) and a microphone (M2) are disposed in a second acoustic region (200). An acoustic signal picked up by the microphone (M1) disposed in the first acoustic region (100) is emitted from the loudspeaker (S2) disposed in the second acoustic region (200). An acoustic signal picked up by the microphone (M2) disposed in the second acoustic region (200) is emitted from the loudspeaker (S1) disposed in the first acoustic region (100). The microphone (M1) is designed to hardly collect a sound emitted from the loudspeaker (S2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazunori Kobayashi, Shoichiro Saito
  • Patent number: 11729549
    Abstract: A vehicle loudspeaker system, including at least two microphones forming a microphone array, at least one loudspeaker configured to emit non-human sound, a processor programmed to receive incoming audio signals from the microphone array. The processor further programmed to apply beamforming to the incoming audio signals, determine whether human generated sound is detected within the audio signal, and instruct the loudspeaker to adjust the non-human sound in response to human generated sound being detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventors: Christopher Michael Trestain, Riley Winton, Christopher Ludwig
  • Patent number: 11700499
    Abstract: An acoustic control device includes a control signal generating unit configured to perform signal processing on a sound source signal by a control filter, which is an adaptive FIR filter, to generate a control signal that controls speakers, and a control filter updating unit configured to update sequentially and adaptively the control filter in a manner that a difference between a sound pressure in a viewing area and a sound pressure in a quiet area becomes a predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xun Wang, Toshio Inoue
  • Patent number: 11700497
    Abstract: A system for providing augmented spatialized audio in a vehicle, including a plurality of speakers disposed in a perimeter of a cabin of the vehicle; and a controller configured to receive a position signal indicative of the position of a first user's head in the vehicle and to output to a first binaural device, according to the first position signal, a first spatial audio signal, such that the first binaural device produces a first spatial acoustic signal perceived by the first user as originating from a first virtual source location within the vehicle cabin, wherein the first spatial audio signal comprises at least an upper range of a first content signal, wherein the controller is further configured to drive the plurality of speakers with a driving signal such that a first bass content of the first content signal is produced in the vehicle cabin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Remco Terwal, Yaduvir Singh, Eben Kunz, Charles Oswald, Michael S. Dublin
  • Patent number: 11699440
    Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for receiving a signal from each microphone of a plurality of microphones, thus defining a plurality of signals. One or more inter-microphone gain-based augmentations may be performed on the plurality of signals, thus defining one or more inter-microphone gain-augmented signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Dushyant Sharma, Patrick A. Naylor, Rong Gong, Stanislav Kruchinin, Ljubomir Milanovic
  • Patent number: 11693488
    Abstract: A voice-controlled electronic device that includes a device housing having a longitudinal axis bisecting opposing top and bottom surfaces and a side surface extending between the top and bottom surfaces. The device can further include one or more microphones disposed within the device housing and distributed radially around the longitudinal axis; a processor configured to execute computer instructions stored in a computer-readable memory for interacting with a user and processing voice commands received by the one or more microphones and first transducer and second transducers configured to generate sound waves within different frequency ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Craig M. Stanley, Simon K. Porter, John H. Sheerin, Glenn K. Trainer, Ethan L. Huwe, Sean T. McIntosh, Jason C. Della Rosa, Christopher J. Stringer, Molly J. Anderson, Erik L. Wang
  • Patent number: 11676569
    Abstract: A sound production device includes memories, processors, a rotation speed correlation value acquisition device configured to acquire a rotation speed correlation value of a rotating body, and a speaker. A noise order sound has a characteristic in which a sound pressure of the noise order sound reaches a maximum sound pressure in a first range of the rotation speed correlation value, and the sound pressure becomes smaller than the maximum sound pressure in second ranges adjacent to both sides the first range. When the rotation speed correlation value falls within the first range, the processors do not output a dummy noise. When the rotation speed correlation value falls within either of the second ranges, the processors output the dummy noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yu Miyahara, Yuta Tsukada
  • Patent number: 11664004
    Abstract: To reduce engine noise in the cabin of an aircraft a plurality of error microphones is deployed at predetermined locations within the cabin to produce error microphone response signals associated with the engine noise in the cabin. Engine vibration inputs are obtained from sensors coupled to the aircraft engines. A processor is used to code the error microphone response signals into an encoded modal response in the cabin through a coding matrix. A processor is used to apply an adaptive filter to determine a plurality of modal signals needed to cancel the encoded modal response in the cabin. A processor is used to decode the modal signals into speaker input signals through a decoding matrix. Speaker input signals are then sent to a plurality of speakers to reduce the engine noise in the cabin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Inventors: Tongan Wang, Brian G. Cook, Scott Bohanan, Jim Jordan
  • Patent number: 11659345
    Abstract: A method includes providing a first data channel configured for a transmission of acoustic data between a first microphone and a controller, providing a second data channel configured for a transmission of acoustic data between a second microphone and the controller, and transmitting non-acoustic data generated by the first microphone via the second data channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Victor Popescu-Stroe, Matthias Boehm
  • Patent number: 11653165
    Abstract: A sound signal output method of outputting sound to a plurality of areas comprises obtaining a sound signal of a sound source, receiving a setting of reproduction information indicating whether or not to output the sound signal of the above-mentioned sound source to each of the plurality of areas where the above-mentioned sound signal is to be output, and outputting the above-mentioned reproduction information and the above-mentioned sound signal, or reproducing the above-mentioned sound signal based on the above-mentioned reproduction information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Futoshi Shirakihara, Tadashi Morikawa, Kentaro Noto
  • Patent number: 11646046
    Abstract: A device includes a memory configured to store directivity data of one or more audio sources corresponding to one or more input audio signals. The device also includes one or more processors configured to determine one or more equalizer settings based at least in part on the directivity data. The one or more processors are also configured to generate, based on the equalizer settings, one or more output audio signals that correspond to a psychoacoustic enhanced version of the one or more input audio signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventor: Isaac Garcia Munoz
  • Patent number: 11631410
    Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for receiving a signal from each microphone of a plurality of microphones, thus defining a plurality of signals. One or more inter-microphone gain-based augmentations may be performed on the plurality of signals, thus defining one or more inter-microphone gain-augmented signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Dushyant Sharma, Patrick A. Naylor, Rong Gong, Stanislav Kruchinin, Ljubomir Milanovic
  • Patent number: 11630638
    Abstract: A boat includes a dash positioned proximate a windshield at a first non-zero angle. A speaker is mounted under a top surface of the dash at a second non-zero angle. The speaker is positioned to direct sound emanating from the speaker through an opening in the dash and the windshield is configured to reflect the sound emanating from the speaker as reflected sound in an aft direction. The boat may also include an enclosure having a reflective surface positioned within a cavity formed between the deck and hull of the boat. A speaker, mounted within the enclosure, and the reflective surface are configured to reflect sound emanating from the speaker off of the reflective surface and through an opening of the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: MasterCraft Boat Company, LLC
    Inventors: Darren S. Sheedy, David F. Ekern
  • Patent number: 11632644
    Abstract: A system and method for generating a virtual soundstage in a listening environment having a compact speaker array centrally positioned in a listening environment. A listener is sitting offset from the speaker array and the virtual soundstage is generated in front of a listener. A signal processing unit is configured to receive an incoming audio signal, to process left and right channel signals of the incoming audio signal to generate a null, and to steer the null toward one ear of a listener thereby generating a virtual sound source that is offset from the center of the listening environment. Virtual sound sources are generated in front of, to the left of, and to the right of the listener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Daniel Bracht, Matthias von Saint-George
  • Patent number: 11627394
    Abstract: A loudspeaker assembly for a vehicle includes a loudspeaker mounted in the vehicle, the loudspeaker having a first side facing an interior of the vehicle and an opposed second side. The loudspeaker is configured to generate an acoustical signal having a front wave directed into the interior of the vehicle and a rear wave directed away from the interior of the vehicle. An acoustic coupler is disposed on the second side of the loudspeaker and extending toward an exterior of the vehicle, the acoustic coupler arranged to transmit the rear wave to the exterior of the vehicle such that the acoustical signal is audible in the interior of the vehicle and at the exterior of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventors: Riley Winton, Chris Ludwig, Christopher Michael Trestain, Maxwell B. Willis
  • Patent number: 11612207
    Abstract: A ballistic helmet system having an integrated circuit layer electrically coupled to one or more powered devices, where the ballistic helmet is configured to operate and control the powered devices. The ballistic helmet system comprises a base layer configured to retain the circuit layer. The circuit layer comprises one or more circuit substrates, which may be formed of a flexible material capable of withstanding elevated temperatures that may result from the bonding and curing process of the helmet components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Wilcox Industries Corp.
    Inventors: James W. Teetzel, John P. Bousquet, Gary M. Lemire
  • Patent number: 11601754
    Abstract: An audio system for a vehicle may include: an audio signal processing system arranged to process a plurality of audio channels and generate a principal signal and an accommodating signal for each of the plurality of audio channels; an array of loudspeakers including at least two pairs of loudspeakers, each of the at least two pairs of loudspeakers including a front loudspeaker and a rear loudspeaker; wherein the loudspeakers of the array are positioned such that a first line connecting acoustic centers of a front loudspeaker and a rear loudspeaker of a first pair of loudspeakers is angularly displaced relative to a second line connecting acoustic centers of a front loudspeaker and a rear loudspeaker of a second pair of loudspeakers; and wherein the audio signal processing system is arranged to provide a principal signal of a first audio channel among the plurality of audio channels to the front loudspeaker of the first pair of loudspeakers, provide an accommodating signal of the first audio channel to the rea
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Tymphany Worldwide Enterprises Limited
    Inventors: James Meredith Thompson, Thilo Christian Stompler, Gavin Jones, John Evan Bunner