Apple Inc.

Knowles Electronics, Inc.

Knowler Electronics, LLC

Niel David Warren

Matthew Xavier Mora

David P Rossum

Henrik Thomsen

Kim Spetzler Berthelsen

Ronald Nadim Isaac

Dibyendu Nandy

Andrew Yanowitz

Robert A Popper

Andrzej Pawlowski

Brett D George

Yang Li

Ramanujapuram Raghuvir

Ashley Ian Butterworth

Aram M Lindahl

Aleksandar Pance

Craig C Leong

William P Cornelius

David Gerard Conroy

Barry J Corlett

Paul Puskarich

Nathan Alan Johanningsmeier

Rajabali M Koduri

Michael W Murphy

Daniel J Culbert

Ruchi Goel

Christopher Konrad Wolf

Donald T Sanders

Changki Min

Raymond B Montagne

Steve Schell

David A Leech

Erick Alvarado

Girault W Jones, Jr

Adam Abed

Dushyant Liya

Andrew Fitting

Geert Knapen

Dave Rossum

Xiaojun Chen

Maulik Patel

Edwin Cordon

Jim Lynn Tenneboe

Matthew X Mora

A multi-core audio processor includes a plurality of audio processing cores having differing capabilities, a plurality of buffers, wherein each buffer is configured to store a plurality of samples associated with a corresponding audio stream, a deadline scheduler including a plurality of deadline registers configured to store a plurality of deadline values for each audio stream, and a plurality of audio processing core interfaces coupling the plurality of audio processing cores to the deadline scheduler, each of the audio processing core interfaces associated with a corresponding audio processing core. The plurality of deadline values indicate an order of processing of samples stored in the plurality of buffers by the plurality of processing cores.

Multi-core audio processor with deadline scheduler

A microphone assembly includes a housing including a base, a cover, and a sound port. The microphone assembly further includes an acoustic transducer and an electrical circuit, both of which are disposed in an enclosed volume of the housing. The transducer and electrical circuit work in concert to convert sound waves into a processed digital audio signal. The electrical circuit is configured to process digital data in a series of frames that correspond to a fixed period in time. The electrical circuit is further configured to reduce noise in the resulting signal by varying the current draw required in a randomized or pseudo-randomized fashion between adjacent frames of digital data.

Digital microphone with reduced processing noise

Disclosed herein include a system and a method of synchronizing a slave device to a signal from a master device based on pulse width analysis. The pulse width analysis is a process to sample the signal at a sampling frequency of the slave device, determine varying pulse widths of the sampled signal, and determine frequency of an embedded master clock signal of the signal based on statistical analysis of the varying pulse widths. Advantageously, performing pulse width analysis allows synchronization of a slave device with the embedded master clock signal in a time and cost efficient manner. In one aspect, determining a frequency of the embedded master clock signal and adjusting an internal clock of the slave device according to the determined frequency is faster and more cost efficient than iteratively adjusting the internal clock based on feedback loop based circuitries.

Clock synchronization in a master-slave communication system

A method in a transducer assembly having an external-device interface coupled to a communication protocol interface of the transducer assembly. The transducer assembly is configured to convert an input signal having one physical form to an output signal having a different physical form. At least two electrical signals are received on corresponding contacts of the external-device interface of the transducer assembly. A characteristic of at least one of the electrical signals is determined by evaluating a logic transition of the signal. A unique identity assigned to the transducer assembly is determined based on the characteristic.

Transducer assemblies and methods

Provided are systems and methods for utilizing digital microphones in low power keyword detection and noise suppression. An example method includes receiving a first acoustic signal representing at least one sound captured by a digital microphone. The first acoustic signal includes buffered data transmitted with a first clock frequency. The digital microphone may provide voice activity detection. The example method also includes receiving at least one second acoustic signal representing the at least one sound captured by a second microphone, the at least one second acoustic signal including real-time data. The first and second acoustic signals are provided to an audio processing system which may include noise suppression and keyword detection. The buffered portion may be sent with a higher, second clock frequency to eliminate a delay of the first acoustic signal from the second acoustic signal. Providing the signals may also include delaying the second acoustic signal.

Utilizing digital microphones for low power keyword detection and noise suppression

At a microphone, voice activity is detected in a data stream while simultaneously buffering audio data from the data stream to create buffered data. A signal is sent to a host indicating the positive detection of voice activity in the data stream. When an external clock signal is received from the host, the internal operation of the microphone is synchronized with the external clock signal. Buffered data stream is selectively sent through a first path, the first path including a buffer having a buffer delay time representing the time the first data stream takes to move through the buffer. The data stream is continuously sent through a second path as a real-time data stream, the second path not including the buffer, the real-time data stream beginning with the extended buffer data at a given instant in time. The buffered data stream and the real-time data stream are multiplexed onto a single data line and transmitting the multiplexed data stream to the host.

Microphone apparatus and method with catch-up buffer

Methods and apparatus for processing media signals. In one embodiment, a data processing device processes fixed and variable rate data using a first and second processing unit. The processing comprises real-time processing of audio/video signals by a graphics processing unit (GPU) and/or central processing unit (CPU). The processing units process data efficiently by establishing one processor as always processing variable rate data, and using one or more schemes for determining processor will process fixed rate data. A shared memory enables the processors to communicate with one another in order to determine which will process the fixed rate data. In one scheme for determining which of the processors will process the fixed rate data the second processor need merely be unlocked. In another embodiment, the second processor must be unlocked and immediately available.

Apparatus and methods for processing of media signals

Methods and apparatus for efficiently transporting data through network tunnels. In one embodiment, a tunneled device advertises certain capabilities to peer devices of a network, and discovers capabilities of peer devices of the network. In a second embodiment, each device of a tunneled network derives a network parameter from a transit protocol parameter for use in data networking.

Methods and apparatus for transporting data through network tunnels

Methods and apparatus that enable a community of devices having differing underlying protocols to stream media data such as video or audio data. In one exemplary embodiment, this invention enables IEEE 1394-compliant ('FireWire' enabled) devices to communicate across an Ethernet infrastructure, such as one enabled by the Ethernet AVB Standard(s). This enhances connectivity, and also supports obviating one or more physical ports within the device(s). In another embodiment, or more wireless transports are utilized.

Methods and apparatus for transmitting data streams via a heterogeneous network

An electronic device having an enclosure including an upper panel and a bottom panel operably connected to the upper panel. A transducer is operably connected to the enclosure and the transducer is configured to mechanically vibrate the enclosure. The transducer includes an electromagnet, a magnet in communication with the electromagnet and a bracket substantially surrounding the electromagnet and the magnet, the bracket substantially secures the transducer to the bottom panel.

Electronic devices with improved audio

A method and apparatus for processing data samples utilizes a channel map populated by device descriptor, or by an application program interface. Packet processing code loops through all of the samples contained in a packet while incrementing through a channel map and steering table without having to look up a table to determine in what audio buffer the sample is to be stored or read. Additionally, the present invention utilizes a stride map, so the audio subsystem knows how many samples to skip in order to reach the next sample frame. The present invention can be used for handling received packets as well as forming packets to send over a bus.

Increased speed of processing of data received over a communications link

Growing community of inventors

Soquel, CA, United States of America

Niel David Warren