SOUND RECOGNITION

• US 20170195810A1
• Filed: 12/31/2015
• Published: 07/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Gonzales, JR., Sergio Pinzon
• Granted Patent: US 9,843,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/63 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/638 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/18 the extracted parameters being spectral information of each sub-band
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/21 the extracted parameters being power information
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/51 for comparison or discrimination
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/00 Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus for monitoring a sound are described. An audio signal is obtained and the audio signal is analyzed to generate an audio signature. An object type is identified based on the audio signature and an action corresponding to the object type is identified.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring and identifying a source of a sound, the apparatus comprising:

an audio analysis module, implemented using a hardware device, for obtaining an audio signal and analyzing the audio signal to generate an audio signature;

a signature analysis module for identifying an object type based on the audio signature; and

an action module for identifying an action corresponding to the object type.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signature analysis module is further configured to identify the object based on the audio signature.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signature analysis module is further configured to identify a characteristic of the object based on the audio signature.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a training module for storing the audio signature in a signature library and generating an index according to the object type.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a training module for storing the audio signature in a signature library and generating an index according to the identity of the object or a characteristic of the object.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the object type is identified by comparing the audio signature to one or more signatures in a library of signatures.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determined action is based on one or more rules, each rule defining an action to recommend or perform based on the audio signature.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an audio pre-processing module to isolate one or more sounds in the audio signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a sound is monitored periodically, at a prescheduled time, in response to a reception of a measurement request, and in response to a substantial change in the audio signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the analyzing operation analyzes the sound emitted by the object to determine a behavior of a user.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the analyzing operation is based on characteristics of an audio waveform, including a frequency range, a tempo, acoustic resonances, or a power in each of a plurality of frequency ranges.

12. A method for monitoring and identifying a source of a sound, the method comprising:

obtaining an audio signal and analyzing the audio signal to generate an audio signature;

identifying an object type based on the audio signature; and

identifying an action corresponding to the object type.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising identifying the object based on the audio signature.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising identifying a characteristic of the object based on the audio signature.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing the audio signature in a signature library and generating an index according to the object type.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing the audio signature in a signature library and generating an index according to the identity of the object or a characteristic of the object.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the object type is identified by comparing the audio signature to one or more signatures in a library of signatures.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the determined action is based on one or more rules, each rule defining an action to recommend or perform based on the audio signature.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the analyzing operation is based on characteristics of an audio waveform, including a frequency range, a tempo, acoustic resonances, or a power in each of a plurality of frequency ranges.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying instructions that, when executed by a processor of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

obtaining an audio signal and analyzing the audio signal to generate an audio signature;

identifying an object type based on the audio signature; and

identifying an action corresponding to the object type.