Sound detection and alert system for a workspace

• US 10,713,927 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2019
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• 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): Chin, Vivian C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Odunukwe, Ubachukwu A
• Application Number:
  US16/569,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20200005624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• Field of Search: 381 59, 381 58, 381 57, 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

A workspace assembly includes a plurality of sound sensors including at least first and second sound sensors located in first and second spaces within a facility, respectively, at least one communication device located within one of the first space and the second space, and a processor in communication with the sound sensors and the communication device, the processor adapted to compare at least some characteristic of the sounds in at least a subset of the plurality of spaces to identify a particular space from which the sound emanates and to compare at least some characteristic of the sound emanating from the particular space to at least one threshold characteristic value and to provide a signal via the at least one communication device based on the results of the comparison.

Claims

1. A workspace assembly, the assembly comprising:

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

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

a processor in communication with the sound sensors and the communication device, the processor adapted to compare at least some characteristic of sounds in at least a subset of the first and second spaces to identify a particular space from which the sound emanates and to compare at least some characteristic of the sound emanating from the particular space to at least one threshold characteristic value and to provide a signal via the at least one communication device based on results of the comparison, and wherein the processor is further adapted to adjust the at least one threshold characteristic value to be different at different times.

2. The workspace assembly of claim 1 wherein the processor adjusts the at least one threshold characteristic value based on at least one characteristic of sensed sound in a space outside the particular space.

3. The workspace assembly of claim 2 wherein the at least some characteristic and the at least one characteristic are each sound volume.

4. The workspace assembly of claim 1 further including a plurality of wall structures defining a plurality of facility spaces including at least the first and second spaces wherein the wall structures at least partially separate adjacent spaces.

5. The workspace assembly of claim 4 wherein the at least one communication device is located in the first space.

6. The workspace assembly of claim 5 wherein the first space is a public space.

7. The workspace assembly of claim 5 wherein the first space is a private space.

8. The workspace assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one threshold characteristic value includes at least one volume level.

9. The workspace assembly of claim 8 wherein the processor controls the at least one communication device to indicate when volume emanating from the particular space is below the threshold level.

10. The workspace assembly of claim 8 wherein the processor controls the at least one communication device to also indicate when the volume emanating from the particular space exceeds the threshold level.

11. The workspace assembly of claim 8 wherein the volume compared to the at least one volume threshold is detected using a sensor device located within the particular space.

12. The workspace assembly of claim 8 wherein the volume compared to the at least one volume threshold is detected using a sensor device located outside the particular space.

13. The workspace assembly of claim 1 wherein the processor and communication device and at least the first sensor are integrated into a single system component.

14. The workspace assembly of claim 13 wherein the single system component includes a device installed within the particular space.

15. The workspace assembly of claim 13 wherein the single system component includes a portable handheld device.

17. The workspace assembly of claim 1 wherein the communication device generates light to signal different states.

18. The workspace assembly of claim 17 wherein the communication device includes an LED that has a controllable color to indicate different states.

19. The workspace assembly of claim 1 wherein at least the first sensor is programmed to detect frequencies within the range of a human voice.

20. The workspace of assembly claim 19 wherein at least the first sensor is programmed to detect frequencies within the range between 250 Hz and 4 KHz.

21. The workspace assembly of claim 1 wherein a telepresence system is located in at least one of the first and second spaces and wherein the processor is further configured to, upon the sound within the at least one of the first and second spaces exceeding a threshold level, automatically turn down the volume of the telepresence system.

22. The workspace assembly of claim 1 wherein at least the first sensor is integrated into a wall structure.

23. The workspace assembly of claim 1 wherein at least the first sensor is integrated into an article of furniture.

24. The workspace assembly of claim 23 wherein the article of furniture includes a table having a table top and wherein the at least a first sensor is integrated into the table top.

25. The workspace assembly of claim 24 wherein the communication device is integrated into the table top.

26. The workspace assembly of claim 1 further including a second communication device, the first and second communication device located within the first and second spaces, respectively.

27. The workspace assembly of claim 26 wherein the first communication device indicates when sound volume within the first space exceeds a first threshold level.

28. The workspace assembly of claim 27 wherein the second communication device indicates when sound volume within the second space exceeds a second threshold level.

29. The workspace assembly of claim 28 wherein the first communication device also indicates when the sound volume within the first space is less than a third threshold level.

30. The workspace assembly of claim 1 wherein a display screen is located within the first space and wherein the communication device includes the display screen, the processor configured to provide the signal via a message presented via the display screen.

31. The workspace assembly of claim 1 wherein the first space includes a private office.

32. The workspace assembly of claim 1 wherein the first space includes a conference room.

33. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the processor compares a first sound characteristic to identify a particular space from which sound emanates and compare a second sound characteristic to a threshold characteristic.

16. The workspace assembly of 1 wherein the communication device indicates three states including volume too high, volume too low, and volume within an acceptable range.

34. A workspace assembly, the assembly comprising:

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

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

a processor in communication with the sound sensors and the communication device, the processor adapted to compare at least some characteristic of sounds in at least a subset of the first and second spaces to identify a particular space from which the sound emanates and to compare a volume of sound emanating from the particular space to at least a first threshold volume level and to provide a first signal via the at least one communication device based on results of the comparison, and the processor also programmed to compare the volume of sound emanating from the particular space to at least a second threshold volume level and to provide a second signal different than the first signal via the at least one communication device when the volume of sound emanating from the particular space exceeds the second threshold volume level.

35. The workspace system of claim 34 wherein the processor controls the at least one communication device to indicate when volume emanating from the particular space is below the threshold volume level.

36. The workspace assembly of claim 34 wherein the at least one communication device is controllable to indicate a plurality of different states and wherein the step of comparing the volume to at least one threshold volume level includes comparing the volume of sound emanating from the particular space to ranges of volumes, the processor controlling the at least one communication device to indicate different states when the sound emanating from the particular space is within the different volume ranges.

37. A workspace assembly, the assembly comprising:

a sound sensor system including at least a first sound sensor located within a first space in a facility that includes a plurality of spaces;

at least one communication device located within a second space within the facility that is proximate the first space; and

a processor in communication with the sound sensor system and the communication device, the processor adapted to compare a volume of sound originating within the second space and that is detected by the first sound sensor located in the first space to a threshold volume level and to control the communication device to present a signal based on results of the comparison.

38. The workspace assembly of claim 37 wherein the processor is further programmed to use sound signals sensed by the sensor system to identify sound emanating from the second space.

39. The workspace assembly of claim 38 further including identifying ambient sound volume in the first space and adjusting the threshold volume level as a function of the ambient sound volume in the first space.

40. The workspace assembly of claim 37 wherein the first space is a public space and the second space is a private space.

41. The workspace assembly of claim 37 wherein the first space is a private space and the second space is a public space.

42. The workspace assembly of claim 37 wherein the processor controls the at least one communication device to indicate when volume emanating from the second space is below the threshold level.

43. The workspace assembly of claim 37 wherein the processor controls the at least one communication device to indicate when the volume emanating from the second space exceeds the threshold level.

44. The workspace assembly of claim 37 wherein the processor is further programmed to use sound signals sensed by the sensor system to identify sound emanating from the second space.

45. The workspace assembly of claim 37 wherein the processor and the communication device are integrated into a single system component.

46. The workspace assembly of claim 37 further including a second sensor located within the second space, the processor further configured to use sound signals from the first and second sensors to identify sound emanating from the second space.

47. The workspace assembly of claim 46 wherein the processor uses sound signals from the first and second sensors to identify sound emanating from the second space by comparing volumes of the sounds from the first and second sensors.

49. The workspace assembly of claim 37 wherein the first sensor is programmed to detect frequencies within the range of a human voice.

50. The workspace assembly of claim 37 wherein the at least one communication device is integrated into an article of furniture.

51. The workspace assembly of claim 50 wherein the article of furniture includes a table having a table top and wherein the communication device is integrated into the table top.

52. The workspace assembly of claim 37 wherein there is a dividing wall structure between the first and second spaces.

48. The workspace assembly of 37 wherein the communication device indicates three states including volume too high, volume too low, and volume within an acceptable range.