Noise level measurement with mobile devices, location services, and environmental response

• US 10,446,168 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2014
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Plantronics, Inc. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Benway, Evan Harris, Perotti, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Jakieda R
• Application Number:
  US14/243,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20150287421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,022 Days
• Field of Search: 704226
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 3/125 for representing acoustic field distribution using optical means G01H9/002; sonar systems for imaging G01S7/56, G01S15/89; acoustic holography G03H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/1754 Speech masking
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/12 Rooms, e.g. ANC inside a room, office, concert hall or automobile cabin
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0208 Noise filtering
• 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 3/45 characterized by including monitoring of the target or target signal, e.g. in reactive jammers or follower jammers for example by means of an alternation of jamming phases and monitoring phases, called "look-through mode"
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/825 by jamming
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for noise management are disclosed. In one example, a method includes receiving a plurality of noise level measurements taken at a plurality of headsets. The method includes receiving a plurality of location data, including receiving a location data associated with each headset in the plurality of headsets. In one example, the method further includes adjusting an environmental parameter utilizing the noise level measurements. In one example, the method further includes providing location services to a user directing the user to a geographical area having a lower noise level.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving over an electronic communications link a plurality of noise level measurements taken with a plurality of microphones at a plurality of mobile devices located within a same building space;

receiving a plurality of location data, comprising receiving a location data associated with each mobile device in the plurality of mobile devices located within the same building space;

generating a map with a computing device, the map based upon the plurality of noise level measurements and the plurality of location data;

identifying a geographical area within the same building space having a higher noise level and a geographical area within the same building space having a lower noise level;

providing location services to a user directing the user to the geographical area within the same building space having the higher noise level or the geographical area within the same building space having the lower noise level; and

electronically adjusting an output of a sound masking noise utilizing the plurality of noise level measurements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one mobile device in the plurality of mobile devices is a headset, and wherein at least one noise level measurement in the plurality of noise level measurements is a headset wearer speech level during a telephone call.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a unique identifier associated with each noise level measurement and each location data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one mobile device in the plurality of mobile devices comprises a headset, the method further comprising:

detecting a headset worn state of the headset;

measuring a noise level at a headset microphone of the headset; and

transmitting the noise level from the headset to a remote computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the output of the sound masking noise utilizing the plurality of noise level measurements comprises:

adjusting a sound masking volume level.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the output of the sound masking noise utilizing the plurality of noise level measurements comprises:

adjusting a sound masking sound type from a first masking sound type to a second masking sound type.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a lighting level or a lighting color in the same building space.

8. A method comprising:

receiving over an electronic communications link a plurality of noise level measurements taken at a plurality of mobile devices located within a same building space;

receiving at a computing device a plurality of location data, comprising receiving a location data associated with each mobile device in the plurality of mobile devices located within the same building space;

identifying with the computing device a geographical area within the same building space having a higher noise level and a geographical area within the same building space having a lower noise level;

providing location services to a user directing the user to the geographical area within the same building space having the higher noise level or the geographical area within the same building space having the lower noise level; and

electronically adjusting an output of a sound masking noise utilizing the plurality of noise level measurements.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of mobile devices comprise a plurality of headsets.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating a map based upon the plurality of noise level measurements and the plurality of location data.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving a unique identifier associated with each noise level measurement and each location data.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of mobile devices comprise a plurality of headsets, the method further comprising:

detecting a headset worn state of a headset;

measuring a noise level at a headset microphone of the headset; and

transmitting the noise level from the headset to a remote computing device.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting the output of the sound masking noise utilizing the plurality of noise level measurements comprises:

adjusting a sound masking volume level.

14. A system comprising:

a plurality of mobile devices located within a same building space;

a noise masking system; and

a computing device comprising;

a processor;

a memory storing an application program executable by the processor, the application program comprising instructions to receive noise level measurements taken at the plurality of mobile devices located within the same building space, adjust a sound masking volume level of a sound masking noise output from the noise masking system, and provide location services to a user directing the user to a geographical area having a higher noise level or a geographical area having a lower noise level.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the application program comprises further instructions to adjust a sound masking sound type output from the noise masking system from a first masking sound type to a second masking sound type.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the application program comprises further instructions to receive from the plurality of mobile devices a location data associated with each mobile device in the plurality of mobile devices.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the application program comprises further instructions to generate a map based upon the noise level measurements and the location data associated with the plurality of mobile devices.