Voice-controlled devices that include one or more speakers for outputting audio. In some instances, the device includes at least one speaker within a cylindrical housing, with the speaker aimed or pointed away from a microphone coupled to the housing. For instance, if the microphone resides at or near the top of the cylindrical housing, then the speaker may point downwards along the longitudinal axis of the housing and away from the microphone. By pointing the speaker away from the microphone, the microphone will receive less sound from the speaker than if the speaker were pointed toward the microphone). Because the voice-controlled device may perform speech recognition on audio signals generated by the microphone, less sound from the speaker represented in the audio signal may result in more accurate speech recognition, and/or a lesser need to perform acoustic echo cancelation (AEC) on the generated audio signals.

Disclosed is a method for increasing a perceived loudness of an audio data signal comprising the steps of obtaining a first digital audio data signal; determining at least one temporal amplitude peak in the first digital audio data signal; generating a second digital audio data signal by reducing the at least one temporal amplitude peak in the first digital audio data signal based on a predicted perceptual difference model representing a predicted perceptual difference between the first digital audio data signal and a peak reduced version of the first digital audio data signal; and generating a third digital audio data signal by amplifying the second digital audio data signal so that a peak of the second digital audio data signal has a predetermined signal value, wherein a perceived loudness of the third digital audio data signal is larger than a perceived loudness of the first digital audio data signal.

An image processing apparatus includes a loudspeaker configured to output a sound based on a first audio signal, a receiver configured to receive a second audio signal from a microphone, and at least one processor configured to execute a first voice recognition with regard to the first audio signal and the second audio signal respectively, execute a second voice recognition with regard to the second audio signal in response to results from applying the first voice recognition to the first audio signal and the second audio signal being different from each other, and skip the second voice recognition with regard to the second audio signal in response to the results from applying the first voice recognition to the first audio signal and the second audio signal being equal to each other.

An order point can be employed in a drive-through or similar setting. The order point can have one or more rotatable menu cases. Each rotatable menu case can include two opposing sides that are equally configured to display a menu. The menu case can be mounted to the order point in a manner that allows either side of the menu case to be rotated into a forward facing position. The menu case can also include angle stops which limit the range of rotation of the menu case and retain the menu case in the forward facing positions. The order point may also include a pivoting canopy which functions to shade the menu cases as well as to prevent damage when a vehicle is too tall.

The instant disclosure provides an LED light, including: a light cap, a hollow heat sink, a drive assembly, a speaker assembly, a light source assembly and a lampshade, wherein the light cap, the hollow heat sink and the lampshade are sequentially connected and form a receiving space, the drive assembly, the speaker assembly and the light source assembly sequentially arranged in the receiving space in the direction of the light cap to the lampshade, and the speaker assembly and the light source assembly are respectively electrically connected with the driving assembly, and the surface of the hollow heat sink provided with multiple holes, and the speaker assembly arranged facing the hole.

A solar panel is disclosed that detects conditions triggered by operational events and then selects behavioral actions for the solar panel to execute in response to the operational events. Condition detection devices detect conditions that the solar panel is exposed to where each condition is triggered by an operational event that the solar panel is encountering. The condition detection devices generate condition data that provides information as to each of the conditions that the solar panel is exposed to and each operational event that triggered each of the conditions that the solar panel is encountering. A personality engine analyzes the condition data provided by the condition detection devices to determine a behavioral action that the solar panel is to execute in response to each operational event that the solar panel is encountering and executes the determined behavioral action to respond to each operational event that the solar panel is encountering.

Various embodiments of the invention pertain to augmented performance synchronization systems and methods. According to some embodiments of the invention, an audio waveform may be used to generate one or more haptic waveforms for one or more electronic devices. The haptic waveforms may be generated based on any of a number of factors, including features of the audio waveform, capabilities of the haptic actuators performing the haptic waveforms, the number, type and location of devices having haptic actuators, and the like. The haptic waveforms may be synchronized with performance of the audio waveform to provide an augmented listening experience to a user.

A parameter control device includes a parameter updating unit, and an operational screen displaying unit. In a case where any one of the individually operated portions is operated, the parameter updating unit changes the parameter of the controlled device, which is associated with the relevant individually operated portion, by following an operation amount of the individually operated portion. In a case where a cooperative operated portion is operated, the respective parameters of the plurality of controlled devices are changed by following an operation amount of the cooperative operated portion. The operational screen displaying unit displays the respective parameters of the plurality of controlled devices, displays the plurality of operated portions in positions corresponding to displays of the parameters of the respectively associated controlled devices, and displays the cooperative operated portion in a position corresponding to a display of a parameter of the master device.

A cup that harnesses the positive psychological effects of cartoon to encourage and motivate a user to consume a beverage served in the cup. The cup has a beverage container and a sound-emitting base that is attached to the bottom of the container. The cup contains a capacitive liquid sensing system: two electrodes forming a capacitor that are flush mounted in the bottom of the beverage container, two spring loaded connectors that bridge between the electrodes and a capacitive liquid sensor that is contained in the base. The base further includes a power source, a processing unit, a memory module, an audio circuitry and an audio output device. When the beverage container is filled with a beverage, a resultant capacitance change activates playback of audio files saved in the memory module, which contains pre-recordings of cartoon voice.

A wireless transceiver including: an array of antennas; a plurality of transmit and receive path components; an array of microphones; a composite spatial diagnostic circuit and a rule execution circuit. The plurality of components form transmit and receive paths coupled to the array of antennas for processing wireless communications. The composite spatial diagnostic circuit couples to the array of antennas and to the array of microphones to successively sample respectively a WiFi environment and an acoustic environment surrounding the wireless transceiver and to determine from each set of WiFi and acoustic samples a composite spatial map of humans and wireless transceivers within the surrounding environment. The rule execution circuit executes an action proscribed by a selected rule when a related portion of the composite spatial map sampled by the composite spatial diagnostic circuit exhibits a correlation above a threshold amount with a spatial context condition associated with the selected rule.