Multi-channel cinema amplifier with power-sharing, messaging and multi-phase power supply
Granted: June 27, 2023
Patent Number:
11689860
An integrated cinema amplifier comprises a power supply stage that distributes power over a plurality of channels for rendering immersive audio content in a surround sound listening environment. The amplifier automatically detects maximum and net power availability and requirements based on audio content by decoding audio metadata and dynamically adjusts gains to each channel or sets of channels based on content and operational/environmental conditions. A power supply stage provides…
Laser local dimming for projectors and other lighting devices including cinema, entertainment systems, and displays
Granted: June 20, 2023
Patent Number:
11683473
Light from an array of laser light sources are spread to cover the modulating face of a DMD or other modulator. The spread may be performed, for example, by a varying curvature array of lenslets, each laser light directed at one of the lenslets. Light from neighboring and/or nearby light sources overlap at a modulator. The lasers are energized at different energy/brightness levels causing the light illuminating the modulator to itself be modulated (locally dimmed). The modulator then…
Binaural rendering for headphones using metadata processing
Granted: June 20, 2023
Patent Number:
11681490
Embodiments are described for a method of rendering audio for playback through headphones comprising receiving digital audio content, receiving binaural rendering metadata generated by an authoring tool processing the received digital audio content, receiving playback metadata generated by a playback device, and combining the binaural rendering metadata and playback metadata to optimize playback of the digital audio content through the headphones.
Creative intent scalability via physiological monitoring
Granted: June 13, 2023
Patent Number:
11678014
Creative intent input describing emotion expectations and narrative information relating to media content is received. Expected physiologically observable states relating to the media content are generated based on the creative intent input. An audiovisual content signal with the media content and media metadata comprising the physiologically observable states is provided to a playback apparatus. The audiovisual content signal causes the playback device to use physiological monitoring…
Directed interpolation and data post-processing
Granted: June 13, 2023
Patent Number:
11677982
An encoding device evaluates a plurality of processing and/or post-processing algorithms and/or methods to be applied to a video stream, and signals a selected method, algorithm, class or category of methods/algorithms either in an encoded bitstream or as side information related to the encoded bitstream. A decoding device or post-processor utilizes the signaled algorithm or selects an algorithm/method based on the signaled method or algorithm. The selection is based, for example, on…
Displaying DCI and other content on an enhanced dynamic range projector
Granted: June 13, 2023
Patent Number:
11677917
Systems and methods of rendering DCI-compliant image data on Enhanced Dynamic Range (EDR) display systems are disclosed. One embodiment of an EDR projector system comprises a first modulator and a second modulator. One method for rendering DCI-compliant image data on an EDR projector system comprises: receiving input image data, said image data comprising a plurality of image formats; determining whether the input image data comprises DCI image data; if the input image data comprises DCI…
Howl detection in conference systems
Granted: June 13, 2023
Patent Number:
11677879
Some disclosed teleconferencing methods may involve detecting a howl state during a teleconference. The teleconference may involve two or more teleconference client locations and a teleconference server. The teleconference server may be configured for providing full-duplex audio connectivity between the teleconference client locations. The howl state may be a state of acoustic feedback involving two or more teleconference devices in a teleconference client location. Detecting the howl…
Single depth tracked accommodation-vergence solutions
Granted: June 13, 2023
Patent Number:
11676297
While a viewer is viewing a first stereoscopic image comprising a first left image and a first right image, a left vergence angle of a left eye of a viewer and a right vergence angle of a right eye of the viewer are determined. A virtual object depth is determined based at least in part on (i) the left vergence angle of the left eye of the viewer and (ii) the right vergence angle of the right eye of the viewer. A second stereoscopic image comprising a second left image and a second right…
3D projection system using laser light sources
Granted: June 6, 2023
Patent Number:
11668951
Laser or narrow band light sources (e.g., red, green, and blue) are utilized to form left (e.g., R1, G1, B1) and right (e.g., R2, G2, B2) images of a 3D projection. Off-axis viewing of the projections which has the potential to cause crosstalk and/or loss of energy/brightness in any channel or color, is eliminated (or reduced to only highly oblique viewing angles) via the combined use of any of guard bands between light bands of adjacent channels, curvature of viewing filters, and…
Passive multi-wearable-devices tracking
Granted: June 6, 2023
Patent Number:
11669991
At a first time point, a first light capturing device at a first spatial location in a three-dimensional (3D) space captures first light rays from light sources located at designated spatial locations on a viewer device in the 3D space. At the first time point, a second light capturing device at a second spatial location in the 3D space captures second light rays from the light sources located at the designated spatial locations on the viewer device in the 3D space. Based on the first…
Temporal hole filling for depth image based video rendering
Granted: June 6, 2023
Patent Number:
11670039
Bordering pixels delineating a texture hole region are identified in a target image. Depth values of the bordering pixels are automatically clustered into two depth value clusters. A specific estimation direction is selected from multiple candidate estimation directions for a texture hole pixel in a texture hole region. A depth value of the texture hole pixel is estimated by interpolating depth values of two bordering background pixels in the specific estimation direction. The estimated…
System and method for non-destructively normalizing loudness of audio signals within portable devices
Granted: June 6, 2023
Patent Number:
11670315
Many portable playback devices cannot decode and playback encoded audio content having wide bandwidth and wide dynamic range with consistent loudness and intelligibility unless the encoded audio content has been prepared specially for these devices. This problem can be overcome by including with the encoded content some metadata that specifies a suitable dynamic range compression profile by either absolute values or differential values relative to another known compression profile. A…
Download control in multi-server communication system
Granted: June 6, 2023
Patent Number:
11671485
Apparatuses and methods for data traffic management in multi-source content delivery are described. The apparatus includes a downloader and a controller. The downloader is coupled to servers via communication links. The controller is configured to determine initial download requests for the servers based on predetermined information about a quality of the links. The controller is also configured to send the initial download requests to the servers with the downloader. The controller is…
Reverberation generation for headphone virtualization
Granted: June 6, 2023
Patent Number:
11671779
The present disclosure relates to reverberation generation for headphone virtualization. A method of generating one or more components of a binaural room impulse response (BRIR) for headphone virtualization is described. In the method, directionally-controlled reflections are generated, wherein directionally-controlled reflections impart a desired perceptual cue to an audio input signal corresponding to a sound source location. Then at least the generated reflections are combined to…
Image debanding using adaptive sparse filtering
Granted: May 30, 2023
Patent Number:
11663702
Methods and systems for reducing banding artifacts when displaying images are described. Identified image bands are filtered using an adaptive sparse finite response filter, where the tap-distance in the sparse filter is adapted according to an estimated width of each image band. Image debanding may be performed across multiple pixel orientations, such as rows, columns, a 45-degree angle, or a ?45-degree angle. Given a threshold to decide whether sparse filtering needs to be performed or…
Estimating user location in a system including smart audio devices
Granted: May 23, 2023
Patent Number:
11659332
Methods and systems for performing at least one audio activity (e.g., conducting a phone call or playing music or other audio content) in an environment including by determining an estimated location of a user in the environment in response to sound uttered by the user (e.g., a voice command), and controlling the audio activity in response to determining the estimated user location. The environment may have zones which are indicated by a zone map and estimation of the user location may…
Asymmetrical high-frequency waveguide, 3-axis rigging, and spherical enclosure for surround speakers
Granted: May 23, 2023
Patent Number:
11659321
Embodiments are described for a high-frequency waveguide that improves the performance of large-scale surround sound and immersive audio environments. A horn waveguide is configured to be asymmetric about one of a vertical axis and horizontal axis of the waveguide to form an asymmetric horn waveguide. A spherical enclosure surrounds the asymmetric horn waveguide to form a horn speaker, and a three-axis mounting system is configured to fix the horn speaker to one of a wall or ceiling…
Temporal modeling of phase modulators in multi-modulation projection
Granted: May 23, 2023
Patent Number:
11659146
A novel projection system includes a light source, a phase modulator, an amplitude modulator, and a controller having temporal lightfield simulation capabilities. The phase modulator spatially modulates a lightfield from the light source to generate an intermediate image on the amplitude modulator. The amplitude modulator spatially modulates the intermediate image to form a final image. The controller models the phase state of the phase modulator during transitions between phase…
Content based stream splitting of video data
Granted: May 16, 2023
Patent Number:
11653065
Scenes in video images are identified based on image content of the video images. Regional cross sections of the video images are determined based on the scenes in the video images. Image portions of the video images in the regional cross sections are encoded into multiple video sub-streams at multiple different spatiotemporal resolutions. An overall video stream that includes the multiple video sub-streams is transmitted to a streaming client device.
Multiple dispersion standalone stereo loudspeakers
Granted: May 16, 2023
Patent Number:
11653142
Embodiments are directed to a speaker system that contains an array of multiple dispersion drivers that creates an expansive acoustic pattern to playback multi-channel audio content through a standalone speaker. The speaker system comprises an interface receiving stereo audio; an upmixer generating surround sound formatted audio from the stereo audio including one or more height channels; a virtualizer/downmixer component coupled to the upmixer and generating speaker feeds for two or…
