Automatic adjustments of audio alert characteristics of an alert device using ambient noise levels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10879863-B2
Application number	US-201514856995-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2015
Priority date	Mar 19, 2002
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

The automatic adjustment of audio alert characteristics of an alert device using ambient noise levels is described. In one aspect of the invention, a machine-readable medium has executable instructions to cause a machine to perform a method to receive an audio sample of ambient noise and adjust a characteristic of the audio alert, such as, the volume level of the audio alert, based on the ambient noise level.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory machine-readable medium including instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to at least:
access a plurality of sampling processes including:
a first sampling process to sample audio periodically,
a second sampling process to sample audio based on a battery life, and
a third sampling process to wake an alert device from a sleep state, sample audio, and place the alert device back into the sleep state;

sample ambient audio using at least one of the first sampling process, the second sampling process, or the third sampling process;
access a plurality of alert generation processes including:
a first alert generation process to set a volume of an audio alert to a ratio greater than the sampled ambient audio,
a second alert generation process to set the audio alert to a decibel level above a range of decibels of the sampled ambient audio,
a third alert generation process to determine a plurality of frequencies in the sampled ambient audio and to set the audio alert to a first volume when the plurality of frequencies include more low frequencies than high frequencies, and set the audio alert to a second volume when the plurality of frequencies include more high frequencies than low frequencies, the second volume lower than the first volume,
a fourth alert generation process to determine a first frequency of the sampled ambient audio and set the alert to a second frequency, the second frequency different than the first frequency, and
a fifth alert generation process to set a characteristic of the audio alert based on a history of the sampled ambient audio;

determine the audio alert based on at least the fifth alert generation process; and
generate the audio alert as an audible audio alert from the alert device.

2. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein a selection of the first sampling process, the second sampling process, or the third sampling process and a selection of the first alert generation process, the second alert generation process, the third alert generation process, the fourth alert generation process, or the fifth alert generation process are customizable via a user interface.

3. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:
determine a median ambient audio noise level of ambient samples; and
determine the history of the sampled ambient audio based on the median ambient audio noise level of the ambient samples taken over time for the fifth alert generation process.

4. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to determine the audio alert further based on the first alert generation process and the second alert generation process.

5. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 4 , wherein the first alert generation process includes setting the volume of the audio alert to a ratio of 1.5 times the sampled ambient audio.

6. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 4 , wherein the second alert generation process includes setting the audio alert to at least 20 decibels above a maximum of the range of decibels of the sampled ambient audio.

7. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to determine the audio alert further based on the third alert generation process.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to determine the audio alert further based on the fourth alert generation process.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to sample the audio using the second sampling process and the third sampling process.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the first sampling process includes sampling audio every 30 seconds.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the first sampling process includes sampling the audio for 0.5 seconds or 1 second.

12. A system comprising:
an audio input to receive an ambient sound and convert the ambient sound to an ambient analog signal; and
one or more processors to:
access a plurality of sampling processes including:
a first sampling process to sample audio periodically,
a second sampling process to sample audio based on a battery life, and
a third sampling process to wake an alert device from a sleep state,

sample audio, and place the alert device back into the sleep state;
sample ambient audio using at least one of the first sampling process, the second sampling process, or the third sampling process;
access a plurality of alert generation processes including:
a first alert generation process to set a volume of an audio alert to a ratio greater than the sampled ambient audio,
a second alert generation process to set the audio alert to a decibel level above a range of decibels of the sampled ambient audio,
a third alert generation process to determine a plurality of frequencies in the sampled ambient audio and to set the audio alert to a first volume when the plurality of frequencies include more low frequencies than high frequencies, and set the audio alert to a second volume when the plurality of frequencies include more high frequencies than low frequencies, the second volume lower than the first volume,
a fourth alert generation process to determine a first frequency of the sampled ambient audio and set the alert to a second frequency, the second frequency different than the first frequency, and
a fifth alert generation process to set a characteristic of the audio alert based on a history of the sampled ambient audio;

determine the audio alert based on at least the fifth alert generation process; and
generate the audio alert as an audible audio alert from the alert device.

13. The system of claim 12 , further including an analog-to-digital converter to convert the ambient analog signal to an ambient sound sample.

14. The system of claim 13 , further including an audio output to broadcast the audible audio alert.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein a selection of the first sampling process, the second sampling process, or the third sampling process and a selection of the first alert generation process, the second alert generation process, the third alert generation process, the fourth alert generation process, or the fifth alert generation process are customizable via a user interface.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors further:
determine a median ambient audio noise level of ambient samples; and
determine the history of the sampled ambient audio based on the median ambient audio noise level over time for the fifth alert generation process.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors determine the audio alert further based on the first alert generation process and the second alert generation process.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors determine the audio alert further based on the third alert generation process.

19. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors determine the audio alert further based on the fourth alert generation process.

20. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors sample the ambient audio using the second s

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Cronin Thomas M

Classifications

• G08B29/28

  by changing the gain of an amplifier · CPC title

• H04M19/044

  according to the level of ambient noise · CPC title

• H03G3/32 Primary

  the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level · CPC title