Identifying a voice command boundary

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12095865-B2
Application number	US-202017118701-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2020
Priority date	Dec 11, 2020
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

A method for augmenting communication, a computer program product for augmenting communication, and an augmented reality system. The method for augmenting communication may comprise calculating a sound boundary within which a communication can be heard, generating a visualization of the sound boundary on an augmented reality device, and presenting the visualization on the augmented reality device. The sound boundary may represent a predicted maximum distance at which the communication can be understood.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for augmenting communication, comprising:
calculating a sound boundary within which a communication can be heard, wherein the sound boundary represents a predicted maximum distance at which the communication can be understood;
generating a visualization of the sound boundary on an augmented reality device; and
presenting the visualization on the augmented reality device.

2. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising determining an intended recipient cannot understand the communication based on the sound boundary and a location of the intended recipient.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising automatically electronically transmitting the communication to the intended recipient.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein automatically electronically transmitting the communication comprises relaying the communication over a cellular telephone network.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein automatically electronically transmitting the communication comprises generating a transcript of the communication and electronically transmitting the transcript.

6. The method of claim 2 , further comprising predicting the intended recipient from among a plurality of people in a locale.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the predicting of the intended recipient comprises determining a direction of attention of a user.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the predicting of the intended recipient further comprises analyzing a content of the communication.

9. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
calculating a second sound boundary, wherein the second sound boundary represents a predicted maximum distance at which the communication can be heard; and the method further comprising determining that an unintended recipient may be able to hear the communication based on the sound boundary and a location of the unintended recipient.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising generating a visualization on the augmented reality device that the unintended recipient can hear the communication.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calculating the sound boundary comprises measuring a volume level of a wearer of the augmented reality device.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the calculating the sound boundary further comprises measuring a level of ambient noise in a locale.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the calculating the sound boundary comprises calculating a sound intensity dissipation rate based on one or more environmental factors.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating the visualization of the sound boundary comprises superimposing a graphical indication over a view of a location from a perspective of a user.

15. A computer program product for augmenting communication, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to:
calculate a first sound boundary that represents a predicted maximum distance at which a communication can be understood;
calculate a second sound boundary that represents a predicted maximum distance at which the communication can be heard;
predict an intended recipient from among a plurality of people in a location, wherein the prediction includes:
determining a direction of the communication; and
analyzing content of the communication;

determine that the intended recipient cannot understand the communication based on the first sound boundary and a location of the intended recipient, and in response:
superimpose a graphical indication over a view of a locale from a perspective of a user indicating that the intended recipient cannot understand the communication; and
automatically electronically transmit the communication to the intended recipient; and

determine that an unintended recipient may be able to hear the communication based on the second sound boundary and a location of the unintended recipient, and in response, superimposing a graphical indication over a view of the locale from a perspective of a user indicating that the unintended recipient can hear the communication;
wherein calculating the first sound boundary and the second sound boundary comprises:
measuring a volume level of the communication;
measuring a level of ambient noise in the locale; and
calculating a sound attenuation rate based on one or more environmental factors at the locale.

16. An augmented reality system, comprising:
a wearable frame;
a processor coupled to the wearable frame, wherein the processor calculates a sound boundary relative to the wearable frame, within which a communication can be heard, wherein the sound boundary represents a predicted maximum distance at which the communication can be understood; and
a display coupled to the wearable frame, wherein the display overlays a visualization of the sound boundary onto a field of view of a user.

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a positioning device for determining a physical location and the field of view of the user.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein:
the sound boundary represents a predicted maximum distance at which the communication can be understood; and
the processor determines that an intended recipient cannot understand the communication based on the sound boundary and a location of the intended recipient.

19. The system of claim 18 , further comprising a wireless communication interface that automatically electronically transmits the communication to the intended recipient in response to determining that the intended recipient cannot understand the communication.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein:
the sound boundary represents a predicted maximum distance at which the communication can be heard;
the processor determines that an unintended recipient may be able to hear the communication based on the sound boundary and a location of the unintended recipient; and
the display further overlays a visualization that the unintended recipient can hear the communication.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Decrop Clement
• Fox Jeremy R
• Agrawal Tushar
• Rakshit Sarbajit K

Classifications

• H04W4/022

  with dynamic range variability · CPC title

• H04W4/10

  Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services · CPC title

• G02B27/017

  Head mounted · CPC title

• G06T19/006 Primary

  Mixed reality (object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00) · CPC title

• G10L25/48

  specially adapted for particular use · CPC title