Locality based noise masking

• US 10,152,959 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2016
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Benway, Evan Harris, Caddes, Darrin, Larson, Jeffrey Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): ISLAM, MOHAMMAD K
• Application Number:
  US15/365,647
• Publication Number:
  US 20180151168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/1752 Masking
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for noise masking are described. In one example, a location data is received or identified at a noise masking system, the noise masking system including a plurality of selectable noise masking sound audio files and a plurality of selectable video files. A noise masking sound audio file is selected from the plurality of selectable noise masking sound audio files and a video file is selected from the plurality of selectable video files utilizing the location data. The noise masking sound audio file is output to a loudspeaker and the video file is output to a video display device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving or identifying a location data utilizing electronic communications at a noise masking system, the noise masking system comprising a plurality of selectable noise masking sound audio files and a plurality of selectable video files;

electronically selecting a noise masking sound audio file from the plurality of selectable noise masking sound audio files and a video file from the plurality of selectable video files utilizing the location data; and

masking a noise in an open space utilizing a localized masking sound comprising outputting the noise masking sound audio file selected utilizing the location data at a loudspeaker and outputting the video file selected utilizing the location data at a video display device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location data comprises an Internet Protocol address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the location data comprises a city, state, or region data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a current weather condition utilizing the location data, wherein selecting the noise masking sound audio file from the plurality of selectable noise masking sound audio files and the video file from the plurality of selectable video files comprises utilizing the current weather condition.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a current time of day utilizing the location data, wherein selecting the noise masking sound audio file from the plurality of selectable noise masking sound audio files and the video file from the plurality of selectable video files comprises utilizing the current time.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a current date, wherein selecting the noise masking sound audio file from the plurality of selectable noise masking sound audio files and the video file from the plurality of selectable video files comprises utilizing the current date.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the noise masking sound audio file comprises a nature associated sound and the video file comprises a nature associated visual.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the nature associated sound comprises a water sound and the nature associated visual comprises a water visual.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating a sound of flowing water from a water element system.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the nature associated sound comprises a beach sound and the nature associated visual comprises a beach visual.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the nature associated sound comprises a forest sound and the nature associated visual comprises a forest visual.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the video file selected and the noise masking sound audio file selected are associated at the noise masking system.

13. A system for masking open space noise comprising:

a speaker arranged to output a speaker sound in an open space;

a display device disposed in the open space;

a processor;

a memory storing;

a plurality of selectable noise masking sound audio files and a plurality of selectable video files correlated to a plurality of locations; and

an application program having computer-executable instructions configured to select a noise masking sound audio file from the plurality of selectable noise masking sound audio files and a video file from the plurality of selectable video files utilizing a current location data, and mask a noise in the open space utilizing a localized masking sound by outputting the noise masking sound audio file at the speaker and output the video file at the display device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the current location data comprises an Internet Protocol address.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the current location data comprises a city, state, or region data.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the display device is arranged to be visible from any location within the open space.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the speaker is one of a plurality of speakers disposed at varying distances from the display device, wherein an output level of the speaker sound from the speaker is adjusted based on the distance of the speaker from the display device.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising a water element system.

19. The system of claim 13, further comprising a sensor device outputting a sensor output data, wherein the application program includes instructions to select the noise masking sound audio file from the plurality of selectable noise masking sound audio files and the video file from the plurality of selectable video files utilizing the sensor output data.

20. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one more computers to perform operations comprising:

receiving or identifying a location data utilizing electronic communications;

electronically selecting a noise masking sound audio file from a plurality of selectable noise masking sound audio files and a video file from a plurality of selectable video files utilizing the location data, wherein the plurality of selectable noise masking sound audio files and the plurality of selectable video files are correlated to a plurality of locations in a data structure; and

masking a noise in an open space utilizing a localized masking sound comprising outputting the noise masking sound audio file selected utilizing the location data at a loudspeaker and outputting the video file selected utilizing the location data at a video display device.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 20, wherein the location data comprises an Internet Protocol address.

22. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 20, wherein the location data comprises a city, state, or region data.

23. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 20, the operations further comprising identifying a current weather condition utilizing the location data, wherein selecting the noise masking sound audio file from the plurality of selectable noise masking sound audio files and the video file from the plurality of selectable video files comprises utilizing the current weather condition.

24. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 20, the operations further comprising identifying a current time of day utilizing the location data, wherein selecting the noise masking sound audio file from the plurality of selectable noise masking sound audio files and the video file from the plurality of selectable video files comprises utilizing the current time.

25. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 20, wherein the noise masking sound audio file comprises a nature associated sound and the video file comprises a nature associated visual.

26. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 20, wherein the video file selected and the noise masking sound audio file selected are associated with each other.