Method and system for noise notification

• US 6,686,839 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2001
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lai, Jennifer C., Levas, Anthony, Moskowitz, Paul Andrew, Wong, Danny Chan Yong, Gruteser, Marco O., Chou, Paul Bao-Luo
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US09/824,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20020145521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/331, 340/332, 340/531, 340/815.4, 340/815.65, 340/573.1, 381/56, 381/58, 381/110, 704/246
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1672 using sonic detecting means, e.g. a microphone operating in the audio frequency range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 23/00 Alarms responsive to unspecified undesired or abnormal conditions

Abstract

A system (and method) includes a sound monitoring system, a detector for identifying a source of the sound, a computing system for processing the sound to trigger a notification event, and a user interface system for notifying at least one individual responsible for the sound.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a sound monitoring system;

a detector for identifying a source of the sound;

a computing system for processing the sound to trigger a notification event; and

a user interface system for notifying at least one individual responsible for the sound,

wherein said computing system performs said processing when an amount of noise associated with said sound is determined to be greater than a predetermined threshold,

wherein the individual notified is the source of the sound.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said sound monitoring system comprises a microphone array.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the source of said sound is identified by a speaker identification system.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a locator for determining a location of the sound.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the source of the sound comprises one of a conversation, a phone conversation, a radio, a computer sound system, a game, and an electronic audio system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said computer network comprises one of an intranet, the Internet, a local area network, and a telephone network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said user interface system comprises a personalized light.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said personalized light is made to at least one of flash, exhibit a specific color, and change intensity.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein a color of said personalized light indicates at least one of a sound source and a level of said sound.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said user interface system comprises a computer user interface.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said user interface system includes at least one of a display and an audio output.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer network is connected to at least one of a pager, a cellular phone, a wired phone, and a wireless-equipped device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the wireless-equipped device comprises one of a Bluetooth device and an IEEE 802.11 device.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said computing system stores a preferred method of notification to said at least one individual.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a network to which said computing system is coupled, and a central computer attached to said network, said central computer storing a preferred method of notification.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said computing system measures a sound level.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said computing system measures a duration of said sound.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein said computing system calculates said amount of noise based upon a level and a duration of said sound.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein said computing system receives an acknowledgment from said at least one individual.

20. A system, comprising:

a sound monitoring system;

a detector for identifying a source of the sound;

a computing system for processing the sound to trigger a notification event; and

a user interface system for notifying at least one individual responsible for the sound,

wherein said computing system performs said processing when an amount of noise associated with said sound is to be greater than a predetermined threshold,

wherein the individual notified comprises one of a manager of the individual responsible for the sound, and a co-worker of the individual responsible for the sound.

21. A method, comprising:

monitoring sound in a predetermined area;

identifying a source of the sound;

processing, by a computing system, the sound to trigger a notification event, wherein said computing system is coupled to a computer network; and

notifying at least one individual responsible for said sound, wherein the individual notified is the source of the sound.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining a location of the sound.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the notifying comprises illuminating a personalized light for the individual to observe.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the personalized light is made to at least one of flash, exhibit a specific color, and change intensity.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the notifying comprises at least one of displaying, on a display, a predetermined image to said individual and providing a predetermined audio output to said individual.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein a color on said display indicates at least one of a sound source and a type of said sound.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein said processing is performed when an amount of noise associated with said sound is greater than a predetermined threshold.

28. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

measuring a sound level.

29. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

measuring a duration of said sound.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein said processing comprises calculating a threshold based upon a level and a duration of said sound.

31. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving an acknowledgment from said at least one individual.

32. A method, comprising:

monitoring sound in a predetermined area;

identifying a source of the sound;

processing, by a computing system, the sound to trigger a notification event, wherein said computing system is coupled to a computer network; and

notifying at least one individual responsible for said sound,

wherein the individual notified comprises one of a manager of the individual responsible for the sound, and a co-worker of the individual responsible for the sound.

33. A signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method of noise notification, said method comprising:

monitoring sound in a predetermined area;

identifying a source of the sound;

processing, by said digital processing apparatus, the sound to trigger a notification event, wherein said digital processing apparatus is coupled to a computer network; and

notifying at least one individual responsible for said sound, wherein the individual notified is the source of the sound.

34. The signal-bearing medium according to claim 33, wherein said processing comprises calculating a threshold based upon a level and a duration of said sound.

35. A signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method of noise notification, said method comprising:

monitoring sound in a predetermined area;

identifying a source of the sound;

processing, by said digital processing apparatus, the sound to trigger a notification event, wherein said digital processing apparatus is coupled to a computer network; and

notifying at least one individual responsible for said sound,

wherein the individual notified comprises one of a manager of the individual responsible for the sound, and a co-worker of the individual responsible for the sound.