METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROVIDING ALERTS IN RESPONSE TO ENVIRONMENTAL SOUNDS

• US 20160117905A1
• Filed: 10/28/2014
• Published: 04/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EchoStar Technologies International Corporation (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar UK Holdings Ltd (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Powley, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,576,464 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/08 using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/08 Mouthpieces; Microphones; Attachments therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/15 Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops

Abstract

Various arrangements are presented for alerting a user to household environmental sounds. Data representative of a sound may be captured using a microphone. A sound profile may be received, the sound profile may include a definition associated with the sound and an acoustic signature. A match may be identified between the data indicative of the sound recorded by the microphone and the sound profile. A message may be output to a television for visual presentation based on the definition from the sound profile identified as the match.

Claims

1. A method for alerting a user to household environmental sounds, the method comprising:

receiving, by a television receiver, from a microphone, data representative of a sound captured by the microphone;

receiving, by the television receiver, from a remote computer server system, a sound profile, wherein the sound profile comprises;

a definition associated with the sound and an acoustic signature;

identifying a match, having at least a threshold level of confidence, between the data indicative of the sound recorded by the microphone and the sound profile; and

outputting, by the television receiver, to a television, for visual presentation to the user, a message based on the definition from the sound profile identified as the match.

2. The method for alerting the user to household environmental sounds of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the television receiver, to the remote computer server system, at least a portion of the data indicative of the sound captured by the microphone, wherein identifying the match is performed by the remote computer server system.

3. The method for alerting the user to household environmental sounds of claim 2, further comprising:

determining, by the television receiver, that the data indicative of the sound captured by the microphone does not match, within the threshold level of confidence, any sound profile of a plurality of local sound profiles stored by the television receiver, wherein

transmitting, to the remote computer server system, at least the portion of the data indicative of the sound captured by the microphone occurs in response to determining that the data indicative of the sound captured by microphone does not match any sound profile of the plurality of local sound profiles.

4. The method for alerting the user to household environmental sounds of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a timestamp indicative of a time at which the sound was captured by the microphone; and

outputting, by the television receiver, for presentation to the user, the timestamp concurrently with the message.

5. The method for alerting the user to household environmental sounds of claim 1, the method further comprising:

creating, by the television receiver, over time, a background model for a household environment, the background model being indicative of background noise;

comparing, by the television receiver, the data indicative of the sound captured by the microphone with the background model; and

subtracting, by the television receiver, the background model from the data indicative of the sound captured by the microphone with the background model prior to identifying the match.

6. The method for alerting the user to household environmental sounds of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the television receiver, from the microphone, data indicative of a second sound captured by the microphone;

determining that the remote computer server system does not store any sound profile that matches the second sound;

in response to determining that the remote computer server system does not have a sound profile that matches the second sound, outputting, by the television receiver, for presentation to the user, an interface to allow the user to identify the sound;

while presenting the interface, outputting, by the television receiver, a recording of the second sound;

receiving, by the television receiver, a second definition of the second sound from the user; and

transmitting, by the television receiver, the second definition of the second sound and at least a portion of the data indicative of the second sound captured by the microphone to the remote computer server system.

7. The method for alerting the user to household environmental sounds of claim 1, wherein receiving the sound profile comprises:

receiving, by the television receiver from the remote computer server system, via a television distribution network, a plurality of sound profiles, wherein each sound profile comprises a corresponding message and a corresponding acoustic signature, the sound profile being part of the plurality of sound profiles.

8. The method for alerting the user to household environmental sounds of claim 1, wherein outputting, by the television receiver, for visual presentation to the user, the message from the sound profile identified as the match comprises:

overlaying, by the television receiver, the message from the sound profile over television programming being output to a television for presentation by the television receiver.

9. The method for alerting the user to household environmental sounds of claim 1, wherein outputting, by the television receiver, for visual presentation to the user, the message from the sound profile identified as the match comprises:

storing an indication of the sound profile having been matched;

determining, by the television receiver, that the television receiver has been turned on for viewing of the television programming; and

in response to the television receiver having been turned on for viewing of the television programming, outputting, by the television receiver, to a television, the definition from the sound profile identified as the match based on the stored indication of the sound profile.

10. The method for alerting the user to household environmental sounds of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining, by the remote computer server system, a database of sound profiles storing a plurality of sound profiles, wherein one or more sound profiles of the plurality of sound profiles are based on definitions of sounds received from a plurality of television receivers.

11. A system for alerting a user to household environmental sounds, the system comprising:

a plurality of microphones, the plurality of microphones being capable of wireless communication;

a television receiver, configured to;

receive data representative of a sound captured by a microphone of the plurality of microphones, wherein the microphone of plurality of microphones is remotely located from the television receiver;

receive, from a remote computer server system, a sound profile, wherein the sound profile comprises;

a definition associated with the sound and an acoustic signature;

identify a match, having at least a threshold level of confidence, between the data indicative of the sound recorded by the microphone and the sound profile; and

output, to a television, for visual presentation to the user, a message based on the definition from the sound profile identified as the match.

12. The system for alerting the user to household environmental sounds of claim 11, wherein the television receiver is further configured to:

transmit, to the remote computer server system, at least a portion of the data indicative of the sound captured by the microphone, wherein identifying the match is performed by the remote computer server system.

13. The system for alerting the user to household environmental sounds of claim 12, wherein the television receiver is further configured to:

determine that the data indicative of the sound captured by the microphone does not match, within the threshold level of confidence, any sound profile of a plurality of local sound profiles stored by the television receiver, wherein the television receiver being configured to transmit, to the remote computer server system, at least the portion of the data indicative of the sound captured by the microphone occurs in response to determining that the data indicative of the sound captured by microphone does not match any sound profile of the plurality of local sound profiles.

14. The system for alerting the user to household environmental sounds of claim 11, wherein the television receiver is further configured to:

create a timestamp indicative of a time at which the sound was captured by the microphone; and

output, for presentation to the user, the timestamp concurrently with the message.

15. The system for alerting the user to household environmental sounds of claim 11, wherein the television receiver is further configured to:

create, over time, a background model for a household environment, the background model being indicative of background noise;

compare, the data indicative of the sound captured by the microphone with the background model; and

subtract the background model from the data indicative of the sound captured by the microphone with the background model prior to identifying the match.

16. The system for alerting the user to household environmental sounds of claim 11, wherein the television receiver is further configured to:

receive, from the microphone, data indicative of a second sound captured by the microphone;

determine that the remote computer server system does not store any sound profile that matches the second sound;

in response to determining that the remote computer server system does not have a sound profile that matches the second sound, output, for presentation to the user, an interface to allow the user to identify the sound;

while presenting the interface, output a recording of the second sound;

receive a second definition of the second sound from the user; and

transmit the second definition of the second sound and at least a portion of the data indicative of the second sound captured by the microphone to the remote computer server system.

17. The system for alerting the user to household environmental sounds of claim 11, wherein the television receiver comprises a tuner and the television being configured to receive the sound profile comprises:

the television receiver being configured to receive, from the remote computer server system, via the tuner from a television distribution network, a plurality of sound profiles, wherein each sound profile comprises a corresponding message and a corresponding acoustic signature, the sound profile being part of the plurality of sound profiles.

18. The system for alerting the user to household environmental sounds of claim 11, wherein the television receiver being configured to output for visual presentation to the user, the message from the sound profile identified as the match comprises the television receiver being configured to:

overlay the message from the sound profile over television programming being output to a television for presentation by the television receiver.

19. The system for alerting the user to household environmental sounds of claim 11, wherein the television receiver being configured to output, for visual presentation to the user, the message from the sound profile identified as the match comprises the television receiver being configured to:

store an indication of the sound profile having been matched;

determine that the television receiver has been turned on for viewing of the television programming; and

in response to the television receiver having been turned on for viewing of the television programming, output, to a television, the definition from the sound profile identified as the match based on the stored indication of the sound profile.

20. A non-transitory processor-readable medium for alerting a user to household environmental sounds, comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:

receive data representative of a sound captured by a microphone, wherein the microphone of plurality of microphones is remotely located from a television receiver executing the processor-readable instructions;

receive, from a remote computer server system, a sound profile, wherein the sound profile comprises;

a definition associated with the sound and an acoustic signature;

identify a match, having at least a threshold level of confidence, between the data indicative of the sound recorded by the microphone and the sound profile; and

output, to a television, for visual presentation to the user, a message based on the definition from the sound profile identified as the match.