Adaptive auditory alerts

• US 9,648,431 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2013
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allscripts Software LLC (Veradigm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Allscripts Software LLC (Veradigm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Eischeid, Todd Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Teshale, Akelaw
• Application Number:
  US14/069,369
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: 381 57, 381101, 381313, 381107, 381 56, 381330, 381 74
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/22 Social work or social welfare, e.g. community support activities or counselling services
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0232 Processing in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0364 for improving intelligibility
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0388 Details of processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/60 for the operation of medical equipment or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/044 according to the level of ambient noise
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/00 Microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• 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 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

A method includes recording, at an electronic device utilizing a microphone of the electronic device, ambient noise of an environment the electronic device is disposed in; electronically analyzing, utilizing one or more processors, the recorded ambient noise of the environment to determine one or more frequency bands to avoid; dynamically adapting, based on the electronic analysis, an auditory alert to be played at the electronic device, such adaptation including frequency equalization adjustments based on the determination of one or more frequency bands to avoid; and playing, at the electronic device utilizing one or more speakers of the electronic device, the adapted auditory alert.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) determining, at an electronic device disposed in a healthcare environment, that an auditory alert to be provided is associated with a high priority level;

(b) recording, based on the determination that the auditory alert is associated with a high priority level, ambient noise in the medical environment utilizing a microphone of the electronic device;

(c) communicating, from the electronic device to a remote server, recorded ambient noise;

(d) electronically analyzing, at the remote server, the recorded ambient noise to determine one or more frequency bands to avoid;

(e) communicating, from the remote server to the electronic device, results of the electronic analysis;

(f) dynamically adapting, based on the received results of the electronic analysis, the auditory alert to be provided at the electronic device, such adaptation including frequency equalization adjustments based on the determination of one or more frequency bands to avoid; and

(g) playing, at the electronic device utilizing one or more speakers of the electronic device, the adapted auditory alert.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the auditory alert comprises a ringtone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the auditory alert comprises an alarm.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a cell phone.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a mobile phone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a tablet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a beeper.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein electronically analyzing the recorded ambient noise comprises utilizing a Fast Fourier Transform.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic adaptation of the auditory alert comprises adapting the attack of the auditory alert.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic adaptation of the auditory alert comprises adapting the decay of the auditory alert.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic adaptation of the auditory alert comprises modifying a volume of the auditory alert.

12. A method comprising:

(a) determining, at an electronic device disposed in an environment, that an auditory alert to be provided is associated with a high priority level;

(b) recording, based on the determination that the auditory alert is associated with a high priority level, ambient noise in the environment utilizing a microphone of the electronic device;

(c) communicating, from the electronic device to a remote server, recorded ambient noise;

(d) electronically analyzing, at the remote server, the recorded ambient noise to determine one or more frequency bands to avoid;

(e) communicating, from the remote server to the electronic device, results of the electronic analysis;

(f) dynamically adapting, based on the received results of the electronic analysis, the auditory alert to be provided at the electronic device, such adaptation including frequency equalization adjustments based on the determination of one or more frequency bands to avoid; and

(g) playing, at the electronic device utilizing one or more speakers of the electronic device, the adapted auditory alert.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the auditory alert comprises a ringtone.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the auditory alert comprises an alarm.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the electronic device comprises a mobile phone.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the electronic device comprises a tablet.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the electronic device comprises a beeper.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein electronically analyzing the recorded ambient noise comprises utilizing a Fast Fourier Transform.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the dynamic adaptation of the auditory alert comprises adapting the attack of the auditory alert.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the dynamic adaptation of the auditory alert comprises adapting the decay of the auditory alert.