SOUND MONITORING, DATA COLLECTION AND ADVISORY SYSTEM

• US 20090052677A1
• Filed: 08/20/2008
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonicu, LLC
• Original Assignee: Christopher M. Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Christopher M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,194,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/56
• 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 sound monitoring system and method. The system can include a plurality of sound pressure level meters, a plurality of sound level indicators and a server connected by a network. The sound pressure level meters measuring a sound level at their location, and the sound level indicators providing a visual indication of the sound level measured by at least one of the sound pressure level meters. The system devices can be powered, as well as monitored and controlled remotely over the network. A user interface enables constructing and monitoring multiple zones and groups in a monitored area, as well as reviewing real-time and historical sound data. The system can also control lighting in the monitored area, and use lighting as a visual indicator of noise level.

Claims

1. A sound monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of sound pressure level meters, each of the plurality of sound pressure level meters measuring a sound level at its location;

a plurality of sound level indicators, each of the plurality of sound level indicators providing a visual indication of the sound level measured by at least one of the plurality of sound pressure level meters;

a server; and

a network connecting the plurality of sound pressure level meters, the plurality of sound level indicators and the server to enable communication therebetween.

2. The sound monitoring system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sound level indicators provides the visual indication using different color lights.

3. The sound monitoring system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sound pressure level meters and sound level indicators receives power through the network.

4. The sound monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the network includes a power supply, wherein the power supply accepts input power from a local source, conditions the input power to create conditioned power compatible with the plurality of sound pressure level meters and sound level indicators, and supplies the conditioned power to each of the plurality of the sound pressure level meters and sound level indicators through the network.

5. The sound monitoring system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of sound pressure level meters includes a multimedia card interface, the multimedia card interface enabling parameter download and data upload between the at least one of the plurality of sound pressure level meters and a multimedia card.

6. The sound monitoring system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of sound pressure level meters and at least one of the plurality of sound level indicators are programmable remotely from the server.

7. The sound monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the server stores system parameters and system historical data.

8. The sound monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the server can check and update parameters of at least one of the plurality of sound pressure level meters over the network.

9. The sound monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the server can be programmed to collect system historical data over a preset time period.

10. The sound monitoring system of claim 7, wherein the server can be programmed to collect system historical data upon detection of a detected event.

11. The sound monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the network enables remote connectivity to enable a user to change system parameters and device parameters, or to monitor real-time system data, or to playback historical system data from a remote location.

12. The sound monitoring system of claim 1, wherein user-selectable parameters include a acquisition time and an indicator-on time, the acquisition time controlling how long the sound level must exceed a threshold level before an indication is activated, and the indicator-on time controlling the minimum time the indication can be activated once it is triggered.

13. The sound monitoring system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of sound pressure level meters is crib-mountable.

14. The sound monitoring system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of sound pressure level meters is wall-mountable or ceiling mountable.

15. The sound monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising a combined sound level meter-indicator, the sound level meter-indicator measuring a sound level at its location and providing a visual indication of the measured sound level.

16. The sound monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the combined sound level meter-indicator is crib-mountable.

17. The sound monitoring system of claim 1, wherein an assigned indicator of the plurality of sound level indicators can be assigned to a user-selectable group of sound pressure level meters, the user-selectable group of sound pressure level meters including at least one of the plurality of sound pressure level meters, the assigned indicator providing a visual indication of the sound level measured by the user-selectable group of sound pressure level meters.

18. The sound monitoring system of claim 17, wherein the assigned indicator provides a visual indication of the average sound level measured by the user-selectable group of sound pressure level meters.

19. The sound monitoring system of claim 17, wherein the assigned indicator provides a visual indication of the maximum sound level measured by the user-selectable group of sound pressure level meters.

20. The sound monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising a lighting control, the lighting control controlling room lighting in the area being monitored.

21. The sound monitoring system of claim 20, wherein the lighting control dims the room lighting in the area being monitored when the sound level exceeds a threshold for a selected period of time.

22. The sound monitoring system of claim 20, wherein the lighting control controls the room lighting to follow a diurnal cycle for a selectable geographic area.

23. A sound monitoring system comprising:

a microphone unit for measuring a sound level at the location of the microphone unit and producing a sound level output;

a sound meter connected to the microphone unit, the sound meter converting the sound level output to a meter output;

a network connected to the sound meter;

a sound level indicator connected to the network, the sound level indicator receiving the meter output over the network and providing a visual indication based on the meter output.

24. The sound monitoring system of claim 23, wherein the microphone unit is locatable remotely from the sound level meter.

25. The sound monitoring system of claim 24, wherein the microphone unit is crib-mountable.

26. The sound monitoring system of claim 23, wherein the sound meter and the sound level indicator are programmable remotely over the network and the microphone unit is programmable through the sound meter.

27. The sound monitoring system of claim 23, wherein a minimum output value and a maximum output value for the meter output are user selectable, such that the meter output value is set to the minimum output value when the meter output value is less than the minimum output value and the meter output value is set to the maximum output value when the meter output value is greater than the maximum output value.

28. The sound monitoring system of claim 23, wherein the visual indication of the sound level indicator is provided using multi-colored lights and user-selectable thresholds for illuminating each of the lights.

29. The sound monitoring system of claim 28, wherein

the multi-colored lights include a first color light, a second color and a third color, each of the first, second and third colors being different colors, and

the user-selectable thresholds include a first threshold and a second threshold,

such that when the meter output is below the first threshold, only the first color light is illuminated;

when the meter output exceeds the first threshold and is below the second threshold, only the first and second color lights are illuminated; and

when the meter output exceeds the second threshold, the first, second and third color lights are illuminated.

30. A method of creating and controlling a sound monitoring system, the method comprising:

installing a plurality of sound pressure level meters, each of the plurality of sound pressure level meters measuring a sound level at its location;

installing a plurality of sound level indicators, each of the plurality of sound level indicators providing a visual indication of the sound level measured by at least one of the plurality of sound pressure level meters;

installing a system server, the system server storing system software to control the plurality of sound pressure level meters and sound level indicators;

connecting the plurality of sound pressure level meters, the plurality of sound level indicators and the system server to enable communication therebetween via a network.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising enabling a user to construct and monitor a plurality of zones, each zone comprising at least one of the plurality of sound pressure level meters, and at least one of the plurality of sound level indicators.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein constructing a zone comprises:

selecting a desired set of sound meters from the plurality of sound pressure level meters;

associating a desired set of sound level indicators from the plurality of sound pressure level meters with the desired set of sound meters,

indicating the sound level measured by the desired set of sound meters on the desired set of sound level indicators.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the indicating step comprises:

averaging the sound level measured by the desired set of sound meters; and

indicating the averaged sound level on each of the desired set of sound level indicators.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the indicating step comprises:

determining the maximum sound level measured by the desired set of sound meters; and

indicating the maximum sound level on each of the desired set of sound level indicators.

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising enabling a user to construct and monitor a group, each group comprising one or more zones.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein constructing a zone comprises:

selecting a desired set of zones from the plurality of zones;

associating a desired set of zone sound level indicators from the plurality of sound level indicators with the desired set of zones; and

indicating the sound level measured in the desired set of zones on the desired set of zone sound level indicators.

37. The method of claim 31, further comprising

importing a floor plan for an area to be monitored;

designating the boundaries for each of the plurality of zones contained in the area on the floor plan;

placing icons for each of the plurality of sound pressure level meters and sound level indicators contained in the area on the floor plan.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising

associating a unique color with each of a plurality of sound levels;

indicating the status of each of the plurality of sound pressure level meters having an icon on the floor plan by displaying the icon for each sound pressure level meter in the color associated with the sound level currently being measured by that sound pressure level meter; and

indicating the status of each of the plurality of sound level indicators having an icon on the floor plan by displaying the icon for each sound level indicator in the color associated with the sound level currently being displayed by that sound level indicator.

39. The method of claim 30, further comprising enabling a user to display real time data being measured by any of the plurality of sound pressure level meters.

40. The method of claim 30, further comprising enabling a user to display historical data that was measured by any of the plurality of sound pressure level meters over a user-selected period.

41. The method of claim 30, further comprising enabling a user to record sound pressure level measurements and display a graph of the spectral content of the recorded sound pressure level measurements.

42. The method of claim 30, further comprising enabling a user to monitor and control the sound monitoring system from a remote location.