International Business Machines Corporation

Forgent Networks, Inc.

Vtel Corporation

Rolm Corporation

Mytech Corporation

Errol R Williams

James M Rakes

Willie Goff, Jr

Joonyoul Maeng

James Michael Stafford

James Arthur Brewer

Darryl Ray Polk

Douglas D Myron

Paul R Habermehl

Timothy W Woytek

Michael A Stephens

Charles C Hardin

Richard G McClure

An automatic voice tracking camera system ( ) is provided. System ( ) includes a camera ( ) operable to receive control signals for controlling a view of the camera ( ). A microphone array ( ) comprises a plurality of microphones. The microphone array ( ) is operable to receive a voice of a speaker and to provide an audio signal representing the voice. A beamformer ( ) coupled to the microphone array ( ). The beamformer ( ) is operable to receive the audio signal, to generate from the audio signal speaker position data representing a position of the speaker, and to provide the speaker position data. A camera controller ( ) is coupled to the beamformer ( ) and to the camera ( ). The camera controller ( ) is operable to receive the speaker position data and to determine an appropriate responsive camera movement The camera controller ( ) is further operable to generate camera control signals and to provide the camera control signals to the camera ( ) such that the view of the camera ( ) automatically tracks the position of the speaker.

Automatic voice tracking camera system and method of operation

An automatic voice tracking camera system ( ) and method of operation are disclosed. The system ( ) includes a first camera ( ) and a camera controller ( ). The first camera ( ) is operable to receive control signals for controlling a view of the first camera ( ). The camera controller ( ) is operable to determine a responsive camera movement of the first camera ( ) based upon coordinates for a point in space where the determination comprises comparing the coordinates with a first spacial region ( ) defined around a current speaker position. The camera controller ( ) is then operable to generate camera control signals based upon the appropriate responsive camera movement and to provide the camera control signals to the first camera ( ). In one embodiment, the camera controller is further operable also to compare the coordinates with a second spacial region ( ) defined around the current speaker position.

A noise reduction filter (28) is provided. The noise reduction filter (28) comprises a signal analysis block (30). The signal analysis block (30) is operable to receive an input audio signal and to determine a short term signal level. A noise floor block (32) is coupled to the signal analysis block (30). The noise floor block (32) is operable to receive the short term signal level from the signal analysis block (30) and to determine a noise floor level based upon the value of the short term signal level. A noise factor block (34) is coupled to the signal analysis block (30) and to the noise floor block (32). The noise factor block (34) is operable to receive the short term signal level and the noise floor level and operable to calculate a noise factor. A multiplier node (36) is coupled to the noise factor block (34) and receives the input audio signal. The multiplier node (36) is operable to multiply the input audio signal by the noise factor and to provide a noise reduced output signal as an output of the noise reduction filter (28).

Filter and process for reducing noise in audio signals

An occupancy sensor that provides improved performance by the inclusion of a microprocessor that controls the sensing transducers and processes the received signal to optimize desired detection performance. The occupancy sensor includes a quadrature detection technique and automatic sensitivity adjustment that reduce false detection caused by air flow, hallway traffic and other noise sources. A fault detection method executed periodically detects fault conditions in the sensor or sensing area caused by component failure or obstructions in front of the sensor. Transmitter power is varied depending on the size of the desired coverage area. Since various ambient parameters such as line voltage, light level, and temperature may be easily and usefully monitored, the microprocessor may use these variables to make intelligent decisions in controlling electrical loads, such as building lighting and ventilation.

Occupancy sensor and method of operating same

An EMM device driver command installation line is provided which may be easily and quickly interpreted by a user, an installation or a setup program. The physical memory is correlated to the installation line by a map of the 16 K-byte DOS memory segments from 0 to the memory segment above 1024 K-bytes. Different characters are assigned to represent the different types of parameters which may be found in DOS memory (0 to 1024 K-bytes), e.g. read only memory (ROM), or video memory. Additionally, characters may represent the page (single 16 K-byte segment and frame (4 sequential pages) locations that are usable by the EMM device driver, and informative to a user. In addition to the type of characters used, the character positions also provide usable information to the user since a one to one correspondence exists between the character position and the physical locations in DOS memory.

Installation of an expanded memory manager

The power supply of the present invention simultaneously provides multiple regulated power outputs for the digital circuitry within CRT terminals and a stable current sawtooth waveform suitable for driving a magnetic deflection yoke. The power supply comprises a high voltage transformer connected to a horizontal yoke to drive the CRT beam and a low voltage transformer which drives a microprocessor, communication circuitry, and the various other components of the power supply circuit. There is only one set of control switching, start up and protection components that drive the high voltage and low voltage transformers. The power supply provides a horizontal sync signal which is always locked onto the CRT monitor and also provides a steady voltage output to drive the CRT microprocessor.

Power supply for CRT terminal

Apparatus for feeding ribbon in an impact printer or typewriter is provided in which the ribbon metering means are very simple and minimize the potential for damage to the ribbon. Ribbon is fed from a supply reel to a take-up reel each of which is adapted to support a portion of an inventory of ribbon running from the supply reel to the take-up reel. The apparatus includes a drive mechanism which drives the take-up reel at a selected one of a plurality of different rotational velocities, apparatus for sensing the portion of the inventory of ribbon on one of the reels and for producing an electrical signal representative of the radius of said portion, and apparatus for selecting one of said rotational velocities in response to said signal. The sensing apparatus used to sense the portion of the ribbon inventory which remains on the supply reel is capacitive sensing apparatus.

Capacitive metering means for uniform ribbon feed and take-up mechanism

A drive system for energizing the elements of a fixed bar printer of the type in which a pair of parallel bars, of, for example, resistive material, have a series of first connections to individual bars interspersed by second connections to both bars. By driving a second connection, any one of four elements can be energized by selecting one of the adjacent first connections as a voltage source path. The drive lines which return current are fed by a driver/shift register system having a stage for each drive line. Data is fed to the driver/shift register system serially from a plurality of memories, each of which has a capacity equal to that of the driver/shift register system. The memories are grouped in fours, so that each memory stores data for energizing one of the print bar elements in each group of four defined by a drive connection and its adjacent current return connections. An addressing system controls the sequence of loading and unloading the memories. This sequence differs in accordance with whether non coded, i.e. line, data or coded, i.e. binary coded character, data is received.

Drive system for energizing elements of a fixed bar printer

A thermal print head includes a pair of parallel bars of resistive material. A first set of lines is connected to one bar at equal spacings, a second set is similarly connected to the other bar. Each line of a third set of lines is connected to both bars between the connections of the lines of the other sets. From each line of the third set there are four resistance paths along the bars to adjacent lines of the first and second sets. Each of these paths can be selected to heat the bars along the selected paths to create marks on a paper sheet or web.

Thermal print head

In a thermal print head employing a line of print elements, temperature sensing is effected by means of an elongated temperature sensing device positioned in parallel with the line of elements and in heat-transfer proximity thereto. The sensor may be of thermo-resistive material and is coupled to a control circuit to effect energy control of drive pulses to the print elements.

Thermal print head temperature sensing and control

A transducer is described which has a rotor with at least one track of spaced conductive segments and a stator having at least one track of spaced conductive segments respectively facing and spaced from the track on the stator. Apparatus for rotating the rotor with respect to the stator is included whereby the track on the rotor rotates with respect to the track on the stator. An electrical signal source provides an alternate electrical signal to the track of conductive segments on either the rotor or the stator, and means are connected to the other track of conductive segments for sensing the capacitive effect in said other track by said electrical signal. At least one of the tracks has a plurality of non-rectangular segments, e.g., triangular segments of shapes selected to produce transducer output waveforms of varied shapes.

Capacitive transducer for providing precise angular positional

A rotational shaft home position sensing transducer is provided which comprises a rotor mounted on the shaft having a planar surface with a first radial array of conductive elements on the surface in combination with a fixedly mounted stator having a planar surface parallel to the planar rotor surface and a second corresponding radial array of conductive elements on the stator surface adjacent and spaced from the first array. The structure further contains a unit for applying an alternating electrical signal to the first array of elements and a unit connected to the second array of elements for sensing the capacitive effect induced in the second array by said electrical signal. The first and second arrays must be arranged so that a single home position in the relative motion between the rotor and stator will induce a single unique capacitive effect in the second plurality of elements. Particularly, the number of elements in the first and second array and their arrangement would be such that there is only a single rotational home position whereat all the elements in the first array are respectively aligned with the corresponding elements of the second array which will induce the single unique capacitive effect in this second array.

Growing community of inventors

Round Rock, TX, United States of America

Errol R Williams