Auditory subliminal message system and method
First Claim
1. An auditory subliminal message system for an area comprising:
- ambient audio signal processing circuit means adapted to receive an input representing ambient audio signals in the area, said ambient signal processing means comprising means for producing a control signal output which continuously varies with variations in the received input and thereby with variations in the ambient audio signals in the area; and
subliminal message control circuit means having a first input adapted to receive an auditory subliminal message signal, said control circuit means having a second input coupled to said ambient signal processing means for receiving said control signal output, and said control circuit means comprising means for continuously adjusting the amplitude of the received auditory subliminal message signal and for producing an adjusted output signal comprising the amplitude adjusted auditory subliminal message signal, the adjusted output signal being adapted for transmission to the area and having an amplitude which varies in response to said control signal so as to increase with increases in amplitude of ambient audio signals in the area and decrease with decreases in amplitude of ambient audio signals in the area.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Ambient audio signals from the customer shopping area within a store are sensed and fed to a signal processing circuit that produces a control signal which varies with variations in the amplitude of the sensed audio signals. A control circuit adjusts the amplitude of an auditory subliminal anti-shoplifting message to increase with increasing amplitudes of sensed audio signals and decrease with decreasing amplitudes of sensed audio signals. This amplitude controlled subliminal message may be mixed with background music and transmitted to the shopping area. To reduce distortion of the subliminal message, its amplitude is controlled to increase at a first rate slower than the rate of increase of the amplitude of ambient audio signals from the area. Also, the amplitude of the subliminal message is controlled to decrease at a second rate faster than the first rate with decreasing ambient audio signal amplitudes to minimize the possibility of the subliminal message becoming supraliminal upon rapid declines in ambient audio signal amplitudes in the area. A masking signal is provided with an amplitude which is also controlled in response to the amplitude of sensed ambient audio signals. This masking signal may be combined with the auditory subliminal message to provide a composite signal fed to, and controlled by, the control circuit.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. An auditory subliminal message system for an area comprising:
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ambient audio signal processing circuit means adapted to receive an input representing ambient audio signals in the area, said ambient signal processing means comprising means for producing a control signal output which continuously varies with variations in the received input and thereby with variations in the ambient audio signals in the area; and subliminal message control circuit means having a first input adapted to receive an auditory subliminal message signal, said control circuit means having a second input coupled to said ambient signal processing means for receiving said control signal output, and said control circuit means comprising means for continuously adjusting the amplitude of the received auditory subliminal message signal and for producing an adjusted output signal comprising the amplitude adjusted auditory subliminal message signal, the adjusted output signal being adapted for transmission to the area and having an amplitude which varies in response to said control signal so as to increase with increases in amplitude of ambient audio signals in the area and decrease with decreases in amplitude of ambient audio signals in the area. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. An auditory subliminal message system for an area comprising:
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audio sensor means for sensing ambient audio signals in the area and for producing an ambient audio output signal representing the volume of the sensed ambient audio signals; means having an input coupled to the output of said audio sensor means for producing a subliminal message output signal with a volume which follows the volume of the sensed ambient audio signals in the area. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6)
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7. An auditory subliminal message system for an area comprising:
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at least one audio sensor means for sensing ambient audio signals in the area and for producing an ambient audio output signal representing the amplitude of the sensed ambient audio signals; subliminal message source means for providing an auditory subliminal message output signal; control circuit means coupled to the output of said audio sensor means and to said subliminal message source means for adjusting the amplitude of the subliminal message output signal so as to follow the amplitude of the sensed ambient audio signals; and masking signal source means for providing and combining a masking signal having frequency characteristics and an amplitude such that when the masking signal is combined with the amplitude adjusted subliminal message output signal it renders the adjusted subliminal message output signal outside of the conscious recognition range. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An auditory subliminal message system for an area comprising:
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at least one audio sensor means for sensing ambient audio signals in the area and for producing an ambient audio output signal representing the amplitude of the sensed ambient audio signals; subliminal message source means for providing an auditory subliminal message output signal; masking signal source means for providing and combining a masking signal having frequency characteristics and an amplitude such that when the masking signal is combined with the amplitude adjusted subliminal message output signal it renders the adjusted subliminal message output signal outside of the conscious recognition range; ambient audio signal processing circuit means coupled to the output of said audio sensor means for producing a control signal which varies with variations in the amplitude of the sensed ambient audio signals; amplitude control circuit means coupled to said subliminal message source means, to said masking signal source means and to said ambient audio signal processing circuit means for controlling the amplitude of said auditory subliminal message and the amplitude of said masking signal in response to the control signal from said ambient audio signal processing circuit means such that the amplitudes of said auditory subliminal signal and of said masking signal increase with increasing amplitudes of the sensed ambient audio signals and decrease with decreasing amplitudes of the sensed ambient audio signals; and output circuit means including speaker means for transmitting the amplitude controlled auditory subliminal message output signal and the amplitude controlled masking signal to the area. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of reducing shoplifting in a customer area of a store comprising:
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sensing ambient audio signals from the area; providing an auditory anti-shoplifting subliminal message signal; adjusting the amplitude of the subliminal message signal to follow the amplitude of the sensed audio signals; and transmitting the amplitude adjusted subliminal message signal to the area. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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Specification