Masking open space noise using sound and corresponding visual

• US 10,380,987 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2018
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Plantronics, Inc. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Benway, Evan Harris, Woo, Kwangsee Allen, Nelson, Dolores Frances, Kannappan, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Simon
• Application Number:
  US15/872,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20180144735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/1754 Speech masking
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/04 by frequency scrambling, i.e. by transposing or inverting parts of the frequency band or by inverting the whole band
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/12 for acoustic communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/43 characterized by the control of the jamming power, signal-to-noise ratio or geographic coverage area
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/46 characterized in that the jamming signal is produced by retransmitting a received signal, after delay or processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/825 by jamming
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/84 related to preventing electromagnetic interference in petrol station, hospital, plane or cinema
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/323 for loudspeakers H04R1/34 and H04R1/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/00 Signal processing covered by H04R, not provided for in its groups
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/002 Damping circuit arrangements for transducers, e.g. motional feedback circuits

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for addressing open space noise are disclosed. In one example, a method for masking open space noise includes outputting from a speaker a speaker sound corresponding to a flow of water, and displaying a water element system, the water element system generating a sound of flowing water.

Claims

1. A method for masking open space noise comprising:

optimizing a recorded naturally occurring sound signal to mask noise in an open space to generate an optimized recorded naturally occurring sound signal, wherein optimizing the recorded naturally occurring sound signal to mask noise in the open space comprises modifying a frequency characteristic of the recorded naturally occurring sound signal;

outputting the optimized recorded naturally occurring sound signal from a plurality of speakers distributed in the open space; and

displaying a nature visual matching the optimized recorded naturally occurring sound signal on an electronic display screen located within the open space.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the frequency characteristic of the recorded naturally occurring sound signal comprises increasing a frequency of the recorded naturally occurring sound signal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein increasing the frequency of the recorded naturally occurring sound signal comprises adding 2-4 dB per octave.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the frequency characteristic of the recorded naturally occurring sound signal comprises modifying the frequency characteristic of the recorded naturally occurring sound signal to mask a higher frequency open space noise than a random noise.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the random noise comprises a pink noise.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the recorded naturally occurring sound signal comprises a sound of flowing water.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the sound of flowing water comprises a recording of a natural flow of water or an electronically synthesized sound of flow of water.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising varying an output level of the optimized recorded naturally occurring sound signal at a first speaker of the plurality of speakers relative to a second speaker of the plurality of speakers.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the output level of the optimized recorded naturally occurring sound signal at the first speaker of the plurality of speakers relative to the second speaker of the plurality of speakers is varied dependent on a relative position of the first speaker and the second speaker to the electronic display screen.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting from the plurality of speakers a noise masking sound comprising a pink noise.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the optimized recorded naturally occurring sound signal is output at a sound level to mask the pink noise.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the optimized recorded naturally occurring sound signal comprises sounds associated with a nature environment, the nature environment comprising a rainforest.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the nature visual comprises a flow of water and the optimized recorded naturally occurring sound signal comprises a sound of flowing water.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising varying an output level of the optimized recorded naturally occurring sound signal as a function of time.

15. A system for masking open space noise comprising:

a plurality of speakers distributed in an open space arranged to output an optimized recorded naturally occurring sound signal to mask noise in the open space, wherein the optimized recorded naturally occurring sound signal is a recorded natural sound having a modified frequency characteristic to mask open space noise; and

an electronic display screen displaying a nature visual matching the optimized recorded naturally occurring sound signal arranged to reduce an adverse effect on a user hearing the optimized recorded naturally occurring sound signal.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the modified frequency characteristic to mask open space noise comprises an increased frequency of 2-4 dB per octave.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the optimized recorded naturally occurring sound signal comprises a sound of flowing water and the nature visual matching the optimized recorded naturally occurring sound signal arranged to reduce the adverse effect on the user hearing the optimized recorded naturally occurring sound signal comprises a flow of water.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the electronic display screen displaying the nature visual matching the optimized recorded naturally occurring sound signal is arranged to be visible from any location within the open space.