Communication system for remote sound monitoring with ambiguous signal processing
First Claim
1. A communication system for monitoring sounds of a first place from a second place remote from the first place through a communication line, the communication system comprising:
- a first communication apparatus disposed at the first place and equipped with an input section configured to collect various sounds generated at the first place containing a first type of sound information that should be monitored and a second type of sound information, and to convert the collected sounds into a signal capable of conveying the sound information, and a transmission section configured to transmit the signal to the second place through the communication line;
a second communication apparatus disposed at the second place and equipped with a reception section configured to received the signal transmitted from the first place, and an output section configured to reproduce sounds; and
a signal processing section disposed at the first place or the second place, or at another location interposed in the communication line therebetween, and configured to process the signal by masking or modifying the second type of sound information to create a processed signal that obscures the second type of sound information when produced,wherein the output section of the second place produces sounds from the processed signal to reproduce the first type of sound information and to produce the obscured second type of sound information, andwherein the input section collects the various sounds including a physical noise sound associated with activity to be monitored as the first type of sound information, and a vocal sound incidentally spoken as the second type of sound information.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A communication apparatus is disposed at a target place for use in monitoring of sounds. An input section collects various sounds generated at the target place. The collected sounds contain a first type of sound information which should be monitored and a second type of sound information which should not be monitored. The input section converts the collected sounds into a signal capable of conveying the sound information. A signal processing section processes the signal for creating ambiguous sound information by masking, trimming or modifying the second type of the sound information. A transmission section transmits the processed signal to a remote place, where the sounds are reproduced from the transmitted signal and the first type of the sound information is monitored, while the second type of the sound information is not monitored, since the second type of the sound information is altered to the ambiguous sound information.
6 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A communication system for monitoring sounds of a first place from a second place remote from the first place through a communication line, the communication system comprising:
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a first communication apparatus disposed at the first place and equipped with an input section configured to collect various sounds generated at the first place containing a first type of sound information that should be monitored and a second type of sound information, and to convert the collected sounds into a signal capable of conveying the sound information, and a transmission section configured to transmit the signal to the second place through the communication line; a second communication apparatus disposed at the second place and equipped with a reception section configured to received the signal transmitted from the first place, and an output section configured to reproduce sounds; and a signal processing section disposed at the first place or the second place, or at another location interposed in the communication line therebetween, and configured to process the signal by masking or modifying the second type of sound information to create a processed signal that obscures the second type of sound information when produced, wherein the output section of the second place produces sounds from the processed signal to reproduce the first type of sound information and to produce the obscured second type of sound information, and wherein the input section collects the various sounds including a physical noise sound associated with activity to be monitored as the first type of sound information, and a vocal sound incidentally spoken as the second type of sound information. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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2. A communication apparatus disposed at a target place for monitoring sounds at a remote place through a communication line, the communication apparatus comprising:
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an input section configured to collect various sounds generated at the target place, the collected sounds containing a first type of sound information that should be monitored and a second type of sound information, and to convert the collected sounds into a signal capable of conveying the sound information; a signal processing section configured to process the signal to mask or modify the second type of sound information and create a processed signal that obscures the second type of sound information when produced; and a transmission section configured to transmit the processed signal to the remote place, wherein the remote place is configured to produce sounds from the processed signal to reproduce the first type of sound information and to produce the obscured second type of sound information, and wherein the input section collects the various sounds including a physical noise sound associated with activity to be monitored as the first type of sound information, and a vocal sound incidentally spoken at the target place as the second type of sound information. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A communication method of monitoring sounds of a first place from a second place remote from the first place through a communication line using a communication system having a first communication apparatus disposed at the first place, a second communication apparatus disposed at the second place, and a signal processing section disposed at the first place or the second place, or another location interposed in the communication line therebetween, the first communication apparatus having an input section, and the second communication apparatus having a reception section, and an output section, the communication method comprising:
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an input step of collecting various sounds generated at the first place containing a first type of sound information that should be monitored and a second type of sound information, and converting the collected sounds into a signal capable of conveying the sound information using the input section of the first communication apparatus; a transmission step of transmitting the signal converted by the first communication apparatus to the second place through the communication line; a reception step of receiving the signal transmitted from the first place using the reception section of the second communication apparatus; an output step of reproducing sounds from the received signal using the output section of the second communication apparatus; and a signal processing step of processing the converted signal at either the first place or the second place, or the another location using the signal processing section by masking or modifying the second type of sound information to create a processed signal that obscures the second type of sound information when produced by the output section, wherein the output step produces sounds at the second place from, using the output section, the processed signal to reproduce the first type of sound information collected from the first place and to produce the obscured second type of sound information, and wherein the input step collects the various sounds including a physical noise sound associated with activity to be monitored as the first type of sound information, and a vocal sound incidentally spoken as the second type of sound information.
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16. A method of remotely monitoring sounds at a remote place through a communication line using a communication apparatus disposed as a target place, the communication apparatus having an input section, a signal processing section, and a transmission section, the method comprising:
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an input step of collecting various sounds generated at the target place, the collected sounds containing a first type of sound information that should be monitored and a second type of sound information, and converting the collected sounds into a signal capable of conveying the sound information using the input section; a signal processing step of processing the signal by masking or modifying the second type of sound information to create a processed signal that obscures the second type of sound information when produced; and a transmission step of transmitting the processed signal to the remote place using the transmission section, an output step of producing sounds from the processed signal to reproduce the first type of sound information collected from the target place and to produce the obscured second type of sound information, and wherein the input step collects the various sounds including a physical noise sound associated with activity to be monitored as the first type of sound information, and a vocal sound incidentally spoken at the target place as the second type of sound information.
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17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program executable by a communication apparatus for remotely monitoring sounds at a target place from a remote place through a communication line, the computer program including instructions for:
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collecting various sounds generated at the target place, the collected sounds containing a first type of sound information that should be monitored and a second type of sound information, and converting the collected sounds into a signal capable of conveying the sound information; processing the signal by masking or modifying the second type of sound information to create a processed signal that obscures the second type of sound information when produced; transmitting the processed signal to the remote place; and outputting sounds from the processed signal at the remote place to reproduce the first type of sound information collected from the target place and to produce obscured second type of sound information, and wherein the collecting instruction collects the various sounds including a physical noise sound associated with activity to be monitored as the first type of sound information, and a vocal sound as the second type of sound information.
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Specification