Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices – Including amplitude or volume control – With manual volume control
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-14
2008-08-19
Lee, Ping (Department: 2615)
Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices
Including amplitude or volume control
With manual volume control
C381S119000
Reexamination Certificate
active
07415120
ABSTRACT:
A method for processing audio signals optimizes the listening experience for hearing impaired listeners, as well as non-hearing impaired listeners, without forcing hearing impaired individuals to feel stigmatized by requiring them to employ special hearing-impaired equipment. A user actuated controller controls a mixture of a preferred audio signal and a remaining audio signal across a range sufficiently wide enough to encompass all individuals. The preferred audio is recorded and maintained separate from all remaining audio and delivered to the listener in a manner that maintains the separateness of the preferred audio and the remaining audio. The user actuated controller includes the capability of automatically maintaining the listener established ratio in the face of changes in the audio signal. The user actuated controller enables the user to specify a range about the ratio in which the audio may vary, which permits the listener to expand the audio across a continuous range to whatever dynamic range his hearing can accommodate. The controller automatically adjusts to changes in incoming audio. The controller can react to relatively slowly moving changes or prevent short bursts of sound in the remaining audio from modifying the signal levels. The combination of the above aspects provides a heretofore not possible listening experience that can accommodate the listening desires of all listeners. The combination of the ability to control the ratio of preferred audio to remaining audio and to specify the dynamic range about the ratio in which the audio may vary, coupled with the ability of the controller to automatically adjust the signal levels in response to sudden changes in incoming audio, provides a powerful user capability that truly optimizes the listening experience for any listener.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2783677 (1957-03-01), Becker
patent: 3046337 (1962-07-01), Hornyak
patent: 3110769 (1963-11-01), Bertram
patent: 4024344 (1977-05-01), Dolby et al.
patent: 4051331 (1977-09-01), Strong et al.
patent: 4052559 (1977-10-01), Paul et al.
patent: 4074084 (1978-02-01), van den Berg
patent: 4150253 (1979-04-01), Knoppel
patent: 4405831 (1983-09-01), Michelson
patent: 4406001 (1983-09-01), Klasco et al.
patent: 4454609 (1984-06-01), Kates
patent: 4484345 (1984-11-01), Stearns
patent: 4506113 (1985-03-01), Blomley
patent: 4516257 (1985-05-01), Torick
patent: 4622440 (1986-11-01), Slavin
patent: 4776016 (1988-10-01), Hansen
patent: 4809337 (1989-02-01), Scholz et al.
patent: 4816905 (1989-03-01), Tweedy et al.
patent: 4868881 (1989-09-01), Zwicker et al.
patent: 4890170 (1989-12-01), Inohana et al.
patent: 4941179 (1990-07-01), Bergenstoff et al.
patent: 5003605 (1991-03-01), Phillipps et al.
patent: 5033036 (1991-07-01), Ohmori et al.
patent: 5131311 (1992-07-01), Murakami et al.
patent: 5138498 (1992-08-01), Takigami
patent: 5144454 (1992-09-01), Cury
patent: 5146504 (1992-09-01), Pinckley
patent: 5155510 (1992-10-01), Beard
patent: 5155770 (1992-10-01), Maejima
patent: 5197100 (1993-03-01), Shiraki
patent: 5210366 (1993-05-01), Sykes, Jr.
patent: 5212764 (1993-05-01), Ariyoshi
patent: 5216718 (1993-06-01), Fukuda
patent: 5228088 (1993-07-01), Kane et al.
patent: 5294746 (1994-03-01), Tsumura et al.
patent: 5297209 (1994-03-01), Kowaki
patent: 5319713 (1994-06-01), Waller, Jr. et al.
patent: 5323467 (1994-06-01), Hermes
patent: 5341253 (1994-08-01), Liao et al.
patent: 5384599 (1995-01-01), Casavant et al.
patent: 5395123 (1995-03-01), Kondo
patent: 5396560 (1995-03-01), Arcos et al.
patent: 5400409 (1995-03-01), Linhard
patent: 5408686 (1995-04-01), Mankovitz
patent: 5434922 (1995-07-01), Miller et al.
patent: 5450146 (1995-09-01), Chedeville et al.
patent: 5466883 (1995-11-01), Miyashita et al.
patent: 5469370 (1995-11-01), Ostrover et al.
patent: 5485522 (1996-01-01), Solve et al.
patent: 5530760 (1996-06-01), Paisley
patent: 5541999 (1996-07-01), Hirai
patent: 5564001 (1996-10-01), Lewis
patent: 5569038 (1996-10-01), Tubman et al.
patent: 5569869 (1996-10-01), Sone
patent: 5572591 (1996-11-01), Numazu et al.
patent: 5576843 (1996-11-01), Cookson et al.
patent: 5619383 (1997-04-01), Ngai
patent: 5621182 (1997-04-01), Matsumoto
patent: 5621850 (1997-04-01), Kane et al.
patent: 5631712 (1997-05-01), Suh et al.
patent: 5644677 (1997-07-01), Park et al.
patent: 5666350 (1997-09-01), Huang et al.
patent: 5668339 (1997-09-01), Shin
patent: 5671320 (1997-09-01), Cookson et al.
patent: 5684714 (1997-11-01), Yogeshwar et al.
patent: 5698804 (1997-12-01), Mizuno
patent: 5703308 (1997-12-01), Tashiro et al.
patent: 5706145 (1998-01-01), Hindman et al.
patent: 5712950 (1998-01-01), Cookson et al.
patent: 5717763 (1998-02-01), Choi et al.
patent: 5732390 (1998-03-01), Katayanagi et al.
patent: 5751903 (1998-05-01), Swaminathan et al.
patent: 5808569 (1998-09-01), Wuppermann et al.
patent: 5811708 (1998-09-01), Matsumoto
patent: 5812688 (1998-09-01), Gibson
patent: 5820384 (1998-10-01), Tubman et al.
patent: 5822370 (1998-10-01), Graupe
patent: 5852800 (1998-12-01), Modeste et al.
patent: 5872851 (1999-02-01), Petroff
patent: 5991313 (1999-11-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 0236076 (1987-09-01), None
patent: 5342762 (1993-12-01), None
patent: 4092142666 (1997-08-01), None
patent: WO 96/27240 (1996-09-01), None
patent: WO 97/37449 (1997-10-01), None
patent: WO 99/08380 (1999-02-01), None
ATSC Digital Television Standard, ATSC, Sep. 16, 1995, Annex B. Available on-line at www.atsc.org/Standards/A53/.
Guide to the Use of ATSC Digital Television Standard, ATSC, Oct. 4, 1995, pp. 54-59. Available on-line at www.atsc.org/Standards/A54/.
Digital Audio Compression Standard (AC-3), ATSC, Annex C “AC-3 Karaoke Mode”, pp. 127-133. Available on-line at www.atsc.org/Standards/A52/.
Shure Incorporated homepage, available on-line at www.shure.com. The Examiner is encouraged to review the entire website for any relevant subject matter.
Digidesign's web page listing of their Aphex Aural Exciter. Available on-line at www.digidesign.com/products/all—prods.php3?location=main&product—id=8. The Examiner is encouraged to review the entire website for any relevant subject matter.
Blum Ronald D.
Saunders William R.
Vaudrey Michael A.
Akiba Electronics Institute LLC
Lee Ping
Perkins Coie LLP
LandOfFree
User adjustable volume control that accommodates hearing does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with User adjustable volume control that accommodates hearing, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and User adjustable volume control that accommodates hearing will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-4019707