Sound detection and alert system for a workspace

• US 10,453,326 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2018
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Inventors: Scheper, Robert, Warner, Matthew, Mead, Karl, Kincaid, Brett, Heidmann, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Paul
• Assistant Examiner(s): Odunukwe, Ubachukwu A
• Application Number:
  US16/144,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20190043338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 381 56
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 3/10 Amplitude; Power
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 23/00 Alarms responsive to unspecified undesired or abnormal conditions
• 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 29/008 Visual indication of individual signal levels visual indication of stereophonic sound image H04S7/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/40 Visual indication of stereophonic sound image

Abstract

An alert system for generating a signal indicating at least one aspect of sound within a workspace environment, the system comprising at least a first sensor positioned one of within and proximate a workspace, the at least a first sensor sensing at least one aspect of sound generated within the workspace and generating a signal indicating the at least one aspect, a communication device located within the workspace, the communication device configured to generate a signal perceivable within the workspace and a processor receiving signals from the at least a first sensor and linked to the communication device, the processor programmed to perform the steps of identifying when the at least one aspect exceeds a threshold value and driving the communication device to indicate that the at least one aspect exceeds the threshold value.

Claims

1. A workspace assembly, the assembly comprising:

at least one wall structure defining a first space and at least partially separating the first space from an ambient space outside the wall structure;

an exterior sound sensor located within the ambient space outside the first space;

an interior communication device located within the first space;

an exterior communication device located within the ambient space outside the first space; and

a processor in communication with the exterior sound sensor, the exterior communication device and the interior communication device, the processor adapted to compare the sound level within the ambient space to first and second threshold levels and to provide signals via the interior and exterior communication devices when the sound level in the ambient space outside the first space exceeds the first and second threshold levels, respectively.

2. The assembly of claim 1 further including a second sound sensor located within the first space, the processor linked to the second sound sensor and adapted to compare the sound level within the first space to a third threshold level and to provide additional signals via the interior communication device when the sound level in the first space exceeds the third threshold level.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the additional signals are distinguishable from the signals provided by the interior communication device when the sound in the ambient space exceeds the first threshold level.

4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein the communication device includes at least one light device and wherein the communication device is controlled to provide different lighting effects when the first and third threshold levels are exceeded by sound in the ambient space and first space, respectively.

5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein the at least one light device includes multiple light devices.

6. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the processor uses signals from the first and second sound sensors to identify which of the first space and ambient space sound originates in.

7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the exterior sound sensor is located proximate an external wall surface of the wall structure.

8. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the signals are one of audible and visual.

9. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the first space is a meeting room space and the ambient space is a hallway outside the meeting room space.

10. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the first space is a workstation and the ambient space is a space outside the workstation.

11. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the processor uses signals from the first sound sensor to identify which of the first space and ambient space sound originates in.

12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the processor only compares sound that originates in the ambient space to the first and second threshold levels to identify signals to provide via the first and second communication devices.

13. A workspace assembly, the assembly comprising:

at least one wall structure defining a first space and at least partially separating the first space from an ambient space outside the wall structure;

an exterior sound sensor located within the ambient space outside the first space;

an interior sound sensor located within the first space;

a communication device located within at least one of the first space and the ambient space; and

a processor in communication with the exterior sound sensor, the interior sound sensor and the communication device, the processor adapted to compare the sounds in the first space and the ambient space to identify sound that originates within one of the first space and the ambient space and to compare sounds that originate in the one of the first space and the ambient space to a first threshold level and provide signals via the communication device based on the comparison to the first threshold level.

14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the processor is further adapted to identify sounds that originate in the first space as well as to identify sounds that originate in the ambient space.

15. The assembly of claim 14 wherein the communication device is located within the first space and wherein communication device signals are provided based on sounds that originate in the ambient space.

16. The assembly of claim 15 wherein communication device signals are also provided based on sounds that originate in the first space.

17. The assembly of claim 14 wherein the communication device is located within the ambient space.

18. A workspace assembly, the assembly comprising:

a plurality of wall structures defining a plurality of spaces including at least first and second spaces wherein the wall structures at least partially separate adjacent spaces;

a plurality of sound sensors including at least first and second sound sensors located in the first and second spaces, respectively;

a plurality of communication devices including at least first and second communication devices located within the first and second spaces, respectively; and

a processor in communication with the sound sensors and the communication devices, the processor adapted to compare the sounds in at least a subset of the plurality of spaces to ascertain which space sound emanates from and to compare sounds from specific spaces to threshold levels and to provide signals via the communication devices based on the results of the comparison.

19. The assembly of claim 18 wherein the plurality of spaces include at least a third space, the plurality of sensors includes at least a third sensor located within the third space and the plurality of communication devices includes a third communication device located within the third space.

20. The assembly of claim 19 wherein the plurality of sensors includes at least first and second sensor located within the first space.