Audio events tracking systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11024143-B2
Application number	US-201916526435-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2019
Priority date	Jul 30, 2019
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed is a method including, receiving, from one or more of a plurality of devices, one or more notifications indicating that one or more audio sound patterns have been detected. The method includes determining whether a same audio sound pattern is detected by two or more of the devices. The method further includes transmitting a notification to each device associated with the same audio sound pattern. The method further includes determining a location of the same audio sound pattern based on one or more criteria and transmitting a notification to each device associated with each of the same audio sound patterns. In some embodiments, the one or more criteria is a time, a duration, a frequency, an amplitude, a speed, or a direction of the audio sound pattern, and an aggregation of information from two or more of the devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
at a server including one or more processors and non-transitory memory, the server in communication with a plurality of active bases, wherein each of the plurality of active bases includes a controller, a housing arranged to hold a respective device, and one or more communication devices connectable to the respective device and the server;
receiving, from one or more of the plurality of active bases, data indicating that one or more audio sound patterns have been detected, wherein each of the one or more active bases transmits the data upon validating the respective device and determining whether a respective audio sound pattern in audio sound from a user environment satisfying one or more criteria has been detected, and each of the one or more active bases obtains audio data representing the audio sound from the respective device via a local communication device of the one or more communication devices;
aggregating the data from two or more of the plurality of active bases;
determining whether a same audio sound pattern is detected by the two or more of the plurality of active bases based on the aggregated data; and
transmitting a notification to each of the two or more of the plurality of active bases associated with the same audio sound pattern indicating a location of the same audio sound pattern upon determining that the same audio sound pattern has been detected by the two or more of the plurality of active bases.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a respective location of the respective device based on respective data stored on each of the plurality of the active bases.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more criteria include one or more of a time of the respective audio sound pattern, a duration of the respective audio sound pattern, a frequency of the respective audio sound pattern, an amplitude of the respective audio sound pattern, a speed of the respective audio sound pattern, and a direction of the audio sound pattern.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more active bases obtains the audio data representing the audio sound from the respective device via the local communication device by, for an active base of the one or more active bases, wherein the active base includes a respective housing arranged to hold a device:
establishing a communication channel with the device via the local communication device; and
obtaining at least a portion of the audio data from the device via the communication channel.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data includes one or more of a location of the one or more devices, an orientation of the one or more devices, and a speed of the one or more devices.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
causing each active base in the two or more of the plurality of active bases to instruct the respective device to launch an application on the respective device, wherein the application produces one or more of a sound, a vibration, and a flashing light.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the respective device includes a smartphone.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the respective audio sound pattern is a sound pattern indicative of an emergency event.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
upon determining the location of the same audio sound pattern, notifying one or more of: a police station near the location of the same audio sound pattern, a fire department near the location of the same audio sound pattern, and an emergency center near the location of the same audio sound pattern.

10. A method comprising:
at an active base including a housing, a controller, non-transitory memory, and one or more communication devices, wherein the housing is arranged to hold a device, and the one or more communication devices are connectable to the device and a server:
receiving from the device, via a local communication device of the one or more communication devices, audio data representing audio sound from a user environment;
validating the device and determining, by the controller, whether the audio sound includes an audio sound pattern that satisfies one or more criteria;
transmitting, upon validating the device, data to the server indicating that the audio sound pattern satisfying the one or more criteria has been detected;
causing the server to aggregate data from multiple active bases that indicate audio sound patterns satisfying the one or more criteria have been detected, determine a location of the audio sound pattern and generate a notification based on the aggregated data; and
transmitting, via the local communication device to the device, the notification upon receiving the notification from the server.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the device is a smartphone.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more criteria comprises one or more of a time of the audio sound pattern, a duration of the audio sound pattern, a frequency of the audio sound pattern, an amplitude of the audio sound pattern, a speed of sound of the audio sound pattern, and a direction of the audio sound pattern.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the audio sound pattern is a sound pattern indicative of an emergency event.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the device comprises an audio sensor for detecting the audio sound from the user environment and generating the audio data representing the audio sound.

15. An apparatus comprising:
a housing arranged to a hold a device;
one or more communication devices, connectable to the device and a server, including a local communication device;
non-transitory memory; and
a controller, the controller configured to:
receive, from the device, via the local communication device, audio data representing audio sound from a user environment;
validate the device and determine whether the audio sound includes an audio sound pattern that satisfies one or more criteria;
direct the one or more communication devices to transmit, upon validating the device, data to the server indicating that the audio sound pattern satisfying the criteria has been detected;
cause the server to aggregate data from multiple active bases that indicate audio sound patterns satisfying the criteria have been detected;
cause the server to determine a location of the audio sound pattern and generate a notification based on the aggregated data; and
direct the local communication device to transmit the notification to the device upon receiving the notification from the server.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein in response to receiving the notification, instruct, via the local communication device, the device to launch an application, wherein the application produces one or more of a sound, or a vibration, or a flashing light.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the device is a smartphone.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the audio sound pattern is a sound pattern indicative of an emergency event.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the one or more criteria includes at least one of a time of the audio sound pattern, a duration of the audio sound pattern, a frequency of the audio sound pattern, an amplitude of the audio sound pattern, a speed of the audio sound pattern, or a direction of the audio sound pattern.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to, instruct the one or more communication devices to notify one or more of a police station near the location of the audio sound pattern, a fire depart

Assignees

• Ppip Llc

Inventors

• Fong Michael
• Fong Neric Hsin-Wu
• Thomas Teddy David

Classifications

• H04R3/005

  for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407) · CPC title

• G08B25/10

  using wireless transmission systems {(G08B25/009 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G08B13/1672 Primary

  using sonic detecting means, e.g. a microphone operating in the audio frequency range · CPC title

• H04R5/04

  Circuit arrangements, {e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments (combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S)} · CPC title

• G08B25/016

  Personal emergency signalling and security systems (emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12) · CPC title