Bodily function sound anonymization

• US 9,538,304 B1
• Filed: 10/12/2016
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Andrew Robert Millikin
• Original Assignee: Andrew Robert Millikin
• Inventors: Millikin, Andrew Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Sing, Simon
• Application Number:
  US15/291,949
• Time in Patent Office: 83 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/175 using interference effects; Masking sound
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/09 the extracted parameters being zero crossing rates
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/51 for comparison or discrimination
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2400/00 Loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/05 Noise reduction with a separate noise microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems, methods, and software for bodily function sound anonymization.

Claims

1. A system for anonymizing bodily function sounds, comprising:

a microphone;

a speaker;

memory containing computer-executable instructions for anonymizing bodily function sounds; and

a processor,

wherein said processor receives bodily function sounds from said microphone, said bodily function sounds being sounds resulting from urination or a bowel movement, records said bodily function sounds to memory as saved bodily function sounds, analyzes one or more of the saved bodily function sounds, modifies one or more anonymizing sounds based on a result of said analyzing to produce modified anonymizing sounds, monitors said microphone for further bodily function sounds, and reproduces one or more of the modified anonymizing sounds using said speaker upon detecting new bodily function sounds.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising attachments designed and configured for engaging at least a portion of the system with a portion of a toilet.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein monitoring said microphone for further bodily function sounds includes analyzing sounds using Fourier analysis or zero-crossing analysis to identify bodily function sounds.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the processor identifies a user as a function of said new bodily function sounds and selects said one or more of the anonymizing sounds as a function of the identified user.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein one or more of the anonymizing sounds are selected as a function of preferences associated with the identified user that were configured by the user.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the preferences are received through an Internet connection.

7. A system according to claim 5, wherein the preferences are received through an interface with a mobile phone.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the processor identifies a user by interfacing with a mobile phone and selects said one or more of said anonymizing sounds as a function of the identified user.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein said modifying comprises applying an effect to said one or more of the anonymizing sounds as a function of the result of the analysis of said saved bodily function sounds.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the processor prevents reproduction of anonymizing sounds for a period of time greater than one minute upon receiving an appropriate command from a user.

11. A method of anonymizing bodily function sounds performed by one or more processors or a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium containing machine-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform said method, the method comprising:

receiving bodily function sounds from a microphone, said bodily function sounds being sounds resulting from urination or a bowel movement;

recording the bodily function sounds to a memory as saved bodily function sounds;

analyzing one or more of the saved bodily function sounds,

modifying one or more anonymizing sounds based on a result of said analyzing to produce modified anonymizing sounds;

monitoring a microphone to detect further bodily function sounds; and

reproducing one or more of the modified anonymizing sounds using a speaker upon detection of new bodily function sounds via the microphone.

12. A method or non-transitory machine-readable storage medium according to claim 11, wherein monitoring a microphone to detect further bodily function sounds includes analyzing sounds using Fourier analysis or zero-crossing analysis to identify bodily function sounds.

13. A method or non-transitory machine-readable storage medium according to claim 11, the method further comprising identifying a user as a function of the new bodily function sounds and selecting said one or more of the anonymizing sounds as a function of the identified user.

14. A method or non-transitory machine-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein said one or more of the anonymizing sounds are selected as a function of preferences associated with the identified user that were configured by the user.

15. A method or non-transitory machine-readable storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the preferences are received through an Internet connection.

16. A method or non-transitory machine-readable storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the preferences are received through an interface with a mobile phone.

17. A method or non-transitory machine-readable storage medium according to claim 11, the method further comprising identifying a user by interfacing with a mobile phone and selecting one or more of the anonymizing sounds as a function of the identified user.

18. A method or non-transitory machine-readable storage medium according to claim 11, wherein said modifying comprises applying an effect to one or more anonymizing sounds as a function of the result of the analysis of said bodily function sounds.

19. A method or non-transitory machine-readable storage medium according to claim 11, the method further comprising preventing reproduction of anonymizing sounds for a period of time greater than one minute upon receiving an appropriate command from a user.

20. A method or non-transitory machine-readable storage medium according to claim 11, the method further comprising preventing recording of sounds for a period of time greater than one minute upon receiving an appropriate command from a user.