Audio device volume manager using measured volume perceived at a first audio device to control volume generation by a second audio device

• US 8,699,723 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2010
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fried, Eric P, Sabarathinam, Suresh
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): FAHNERT, FRIEDRICH
• Application Number:
  US12/839,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20120020486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: 381/109, 381/104, 381/58, 381/105, 381/107, 381/103, 381/86, 455/212, 455/570, 379/102.02, 379/102.03, 379/202.01, 370/204, 370/206, 370/260, 700/94
• US Class Current: 381/104
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/303 Tracking of listener position or orientation

Abstract

An audio system includes a first audio device and a second audio device. A communications link connects the first and second audio devices together so that each may communicate with the other. The system includes an audio volume manager that varies the audio output level of the second audio device as a function of the perceived loudness of the second audio device as perceived at the first audio device.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first audio device including an audio volume manager;

a second audio device including a variable audio volume control that is responsive to the audio volume manager in the first audio device; and

a communication control link between the first audio device and the second audio device that enables the audio volume manager in the first audio device to send control information to the variable audio volume control in the second audio device;

the first audio device including a microphone, coupled to the audio volume manager, that directly measures a current audio volume of the second audio device as perceived at the first audio device, the audio volume manager sending control information via the communication control link to the variable audio volume control of the second audio device to instruct the second audio device to decrease the audio volume of the second audio device to a predetermined audio volume level that is a function of the current audio volume of the second audio device as perceived at the first audio device by the audio volume manager, wherein the audio volume manager receives status information that indicates when the first audio device and the second audio device are simultaneously in use, and wherein the audio volume manager switches from a monitoring mode to a control mode in response to the status information indicating that the first audio device and the second audio device are simultaneously in use, and wherein while in the control mode the second audio device decreases the audio volume of the second audio device to the predetermined audio volume level, the audio volume manager returning to the monitoring mode when the status information indicates that the first audio device and the second audio device are no longer simultaneously in use.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio manager increases the audio volume generated by the second audio device as the current perceived volume of the second audio device as perceived by the first audio device decreases.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio volume manager receives a user selectable threshold audio volume level setting that activates the audio volume manager to control the audio volume of the second audio device when the current perceived volume of the second audio device as perceived by the first audio device reaches this user selectable threshold audio volume level.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio volume manager switches from the control mode to the monitoring mode when the status information indicates that the first audio device and the second audio device are not currently simultaneously in use.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising repeating the receiving of status information, the receiving of audio volume information and the changing of audio volume generated by the second audio device at predetermined time intervals.