Acoustic noise management through control of electrical device operations

• US 8,862,273 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2010
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Karr, Lawrence J.
• Primary Examiner(s): VON BUHR, MARIA N
• Application Number:
  US13/056,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20130166076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 700 28- 33, 700/275, 700/280, 381 711- 731
• US Class Current: 700/280
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 19/02 characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/12 Rooms, e.g. ANC inside a room, office, concert hall or automobile cabin
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/30351 Identification of the environment for applying appropriate model characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3055 Transfer function of the acoustic system

Abstract

Technologies are generally described for automatically managing noise profile in a predefined area by determining a desired noise profile within the predefined area, monitoring noise levels and/or frequencies within the predefined area, and adjusting operational aspects of one or more noise emitting devices in order to achieve the desired noise profile within the predefined area. A noise management system according to embodiments may be centrally controlled or organized in a distributed manner with control modules on individual noise emitting devices interacting through wired or wireless media. Furthermore, the adjustment of the operations of the noise emitting devices in order to achieve the desired noise profile may be accomplished through computing an acoustic transfer function or measuring actual noise levels/frequencies.

Claims

1. A method to manage noise levels by control of operation of noise emitting devices, the method comprising:

identifying a desired noise profile of a first area, wherein the first area is proximate to the noise emitting devices;

monitoring noise characteristics within the first area to determine if the monitored noise characteristics exceed a limit defined by the identified noise profile;

in response to a determination that one or more of the monitored noise characteristics exceed the limit;

retrieving device noise profiles associated with each operating mode of the noise emitting devices;

estimating noise characteristics of the first area for each operating mode of each of the noise emitting devices using the retrieved device noise profiles;

adjusting an operation of at least one of the noise emitting devices to achieve the identified noise profile of the first area based on the estimated noise characteristics of the first area; and

in response to a detection of a closed door between the first area and an adjacent second area;

determining a new noise profile through a measurement of an acoustic transfer function within the first area; and

adjusting the operation of the at least one of the noise emitting devices to achieve the new noise profile.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

initiating sound emission from the noise emitting devices located in the first area;

capturing noise measurements associated with the sound emission from the noise emitting devices located in the first area; and

evaluating the obtained noise measurements to determine the acoustic transfer function associated with the first area.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

adjusting the operation of the at least one of the noise emitting devices based on one or more of;

the acoustic transfer function and/or the monitored noise characteristics.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein initiating the sound emission from the noise emitting devices comprises activating the noise emitting devices to emit one or more of a special tone, an operational tone, and/or operational noise emitted by operating in a standard operating mode associated with the noise emitting devices.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

identifying alternate operating modes for the noise emitting devices; and

switching the at least one of the noise emitting device to an identified alternate operating mode such that the identified noise profile is achieved at a selected frequency.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the noise characteristics include one or more of a single frequency, a spectrum of frequencies, a periodicity, and/or a level of noise at one of a selected frequency or a range of frequencies.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the noise emitting devices are located either within the first area or outside of the first area.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising capturing the noise characteristics within the first area through one or more microphones, wherein each of the microphones are either standalone or affixed to the noise emitting devices.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining the desired noise profile within the first area based on one or more of:

user preferences, time of day, day of week, energy usage, and/or ambient noise levels identified within the first area.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein adjusting the operation of the noise emitting devices comprises one or more of:

modifying time of operation of the noise emitting devices;

modifying a duration of operation of the noise emitting devices;

coordinating an operation of two or more of the noise emitting devices;

modifying an operational mode of the noise emitting devices; and

/or

modifying an energy consumption of the noise emitting devices.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operation of the noise emitting devices is adjusted based on one or more of:

a rule, a time of day, an operation of another device, an ambient noise level associated with the first area, a user indication, and/or an overall energy consumption of the noise emitting devices.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising integrating the adjustment of the operation of the noise emitting devices to a security application.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein adjusting the operation of the noise emitting devices includes communicating with the noise emitting devices through one or more of a power line, a wired connection and/or a wireless connection.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving an absence indication from a user and suspending adjustment of the operation of the at least one of the noise emitting devices during an absence of the user.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving the device noise profiles from a database.

16. A system to manage noise levels by control of operation of electrical devices that emit noise, the system comprising:

a communication module adapted to communicate with the electrical devices for adjustment of an operation of the electrical devices; and

a controller configured to;

select a desired noise profile associated with an area, wherein the area is proximate to the electrical devices;

monitor noise characteristics of the area through the at least one sound detection device to determine if the monitored noise characteristics exceed a limit defined by the selected noise profile;

in response to a determination that the monitored noise characteristics exceed the limit;

retrieve device noise profiles associated with each operating mode of the electrical devices;

estimate noise characteristics of the area for each operating mode of each of the electrical devices using the retrieved device noise profiles, wherein the device noise profiles include a list of peak frequencies, sound levels corresponding to each operating mode, and a total sound pressure level for each operating mode;

adjust the operation of at least one of the electrical devices until the selected noise profile is achieved within the area based on the estimated noise characteristics of the area; and

instruct the at least one of the electrical devices to turn off in response to a determination that the selected noise profile does not match the retrieved device noise profile associated with the operating mode of the at least one of the electrical devices.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the desired noise profile is selected as one of:

total ambient noise in the area, a noise component at one or more selected frequencies, or a noise component from one or more selected electrical devices.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to:

command the at least one electrical device to cycle through operating modes;

identify the device noise profile associated with the operating mode of the at least one electrical device by detection of noise characteristics at different operating modes and frequencies; and

select the operating mode for the at least one electrical device based on a comparison of the identified device noise profile and the selected noise profile for the area.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to:

identify a combined device noise profile for two or more of the electrical devices that operate simultaneously; and

select operating modes for the two or more of the electrical devices based on a comparison of the combined device noise profile of the two or more of the electrical devices and the selected noise profile for the area.

20. The system according to claim 16, wherein the controller is a separate device adapted to manage an operation of the electrical devices centrally through one or more of:

a wired communication and/or a wireless communication through the communication module.

21. The system according to claim 16, wherein the controller comprises one of:

a separate module and an integrated module on each of the electrical devices adapted to manage an operation of the electrical devices in a distributed manner.

22. The system according to claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to modify one or more of:

an operation time, an operation duration, an operation mode, and/or an energy consumption of the electrical devices based on one or more of;

a rule, a time of day, an operation of another device, an ambient noise level associated with the area, a user indication, and/or an overall energy consumption of the electrical devices.

23. The system according to claim 16, wherein the electrical devices include household appliances.

24. The system according to claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to select the desired noise profile based on one or more of:

a direct user indication, an inferred user indication, a time of day, and an ambient noise level associated with the area.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein the inferred user indication includes user activation and/or user selected operation mode of at least one of the electrical devices.

26. The system according to claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to monitor a plurality of areas and adjust the operation of the electrical devices to achieve the selected noise profile in the plurality of areas.

27. The system according to claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to retrieve the device noise profiles from a database.

28. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that includes instructions stored thereon to manage noise profiles by control of operation of noise emitting devices, the instructions comprising:

selecting a desired noise profile associated with a first area;

monitoring noise characteristics within the first area through at least one sound detection device to determine if the noise characteristics exceed a limit defined by the selected noise profile, wherein the first area is proximate to the noise emitting devices;

in response to a determination that the monitored noise characteristics exceed the limit;

retrieving device noise profiles associated with each operating mode of the noise emitting devices;

estimating the noise characteristics of the first area for each operating mode of each of the noise emitting devices using the retrieved device noise profiles;

adjusting an operation of at least one of the noise emitting devices by communicating with the noise emitting devices to achieve the selected noise profile of the first area based on the noise characteristics of the first area, through one or more of a power line, a wired connection and/or a wireless connection;

instructing the at least one of the noise emitting devices to turn off if the retrieved device noise profile associated with the operating mode of the at least one of the noise emitting device does not match the selected noise profile; and

in response to another detection of a closed door between the first area and an adjacent second area;

determining a new noise profile through a measurement of an acoustic transfer function within the first area; and

adjusting the operation of the at least one of the noise emitting devices to achieve the new noise profile.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 28, wherein the instructions further comprise adjusting the operation of the at least one of the noise emitting devices by:

selecting an operating mode for each of the noise emitting devices at which the selected noise profile is achieved for at least one selected frequency,

commanding each of the noise emitting devices to operate at the selected operating mode.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 29, wherein the at least one selected frequency is determined based on one or more of:

a direct user indication, an inferred user indication, a time of day, and/or an ambient noise level in the first area.