Device disturbance reduction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12299347-B2
Application number	US-202217699381-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2022
Priority date	Mar 21, 2022
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

One embodiment provides a method, the method including: identifying, using a disturbance minimization system, a device as a primary device; identifying, using the disturbance minimization system, a context of the primary device; determining, using the disturbance minimization system and based upon the context of the primary device, that sound disturbances need reduced in an audible environment of the primary device; and reducing, using the disturbance minimization system and responsive to determining the sound disturbances need reduced, at least one sound disturbance produced by at least one device other than the primary device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, the method comprising:
identifying, using a disturbance minimization system, a device as a primary device;
identifying, using the disturbance minimization system, a context of the primary device, wherein the context of the primary device comprises identifying the primary device is active and the primary device is present in a communication connection with a device of at least one participant;
determining, using the disturbance minimization system and based upon the context of the primary device in an audible environment, sound disturbances needing reduced in the audible environment of the primary device, wherein the determining comprises identifying an audibility of the sound disturbances at the primary device, wherein the identifying the audibility of the sound disturbances comprises determining a communication connection-type indicating a relationship between a user of the primary device and the at least one participant; and
dynamically reducing, using the disturbance minimization system and responsive to determining the sound disturbances needing reduced, at least one sound disturbance produced by at least one device other than the primary device present in the audible environment, wherein the reducing comprises identifying a range of the at least one device with respect to the primary device and comprises dynamically changing the at least one sound disturbance based upon the primary device being active and at least one of: a position of the at least one device with the respect to the primary device and the relationship between the user and the at least participant present on the communication connection, wherein the range is correlated to a sound reduction amount, and wherein the reducing comprises reducing the at least one sound disturbance produced by the at least one device by the sound reduction amount;
wherein the dynamically changing the at least one sound disturbance comprises resetting a sound output setting of the at least one device to a previous output setting, responsive to determining the at least one device is no longer within the audible environment of the primary device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reducing comprises reducing the at least one sound disturbance by an amount correlated to the audibility of the sound disturbances.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying a context comprises identifying a current use of the primary device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying a context comprises identifying a location of the primary device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resetting the sound output comprises resetting the sound output setting by an amount correlated to an audibility of the at least one device to the primary device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reducing comprises reducing a volume setting of at least one device that is not currently outputting a sound.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises utilizing one or more sensors to identify the position of the at least one device with respect to the primary device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying a primary device comprises prioritizing a plurality of devices and the device of the plurality of devices having the highest priority is identified as the primary device;
wherein the identifying a context comprises identifying a current use of the primary device;
wherein the determining comprises determining other of the plurality of devices are within an audible range of the primary device; and
wherein the reducing comprises decreasing a sound volume setting on the other of the plurality of devices via sending an instruction from the disturbance minimization system to the other of the plurality of devices.

9. An information handling device, the information handling device comprising:
a processor;
a memory device that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the information handling device to:
identify, using a disturbance minimization system, a device as a primary device;
identify, using the disturbance minimization system, a context of the primary device, wherein the context of the primary device comprises identifying the primary device is active and the primary device is present in a communication connection with a device of at least one participant;
determine, using the disturbance minimization system and based upon the context of the primary device in an audible environment, sound disturbances needing reduced in the audible environment of the primary device, wherein to determine comprises identifying an audibility of the sound disturbances at the primary device, wherein the identifying the audibility of the sound disturbances comprises determining a communication connection-type indicating a relationship between a user of the primary device and the at least one participant; and
dynamically reduce, using the disturbance minimization system and responsive to determining the sound disturbances needing reduced, at least one sound disturbance produced by at least one device other than the primary device present in the audible environment, wherein to reduce comprises identifying a range of the at least one device with respect to the primary device and comprises dynamically changing the at least one sound disturbance based upon the primary device being active and at least one of: a position of the at least one device with the respect to the primary device and the relationship between the user and the at least participant present on the communication connection, wherein the range is correlated to a sound reduction amount, and wherein to reduce comprises reducing the at least one sound disturbance produced by the at least one device by the sound reduction amount;
wherein the dynamically changing the at least one sound disturbance comprises resetting a sound output setting of the at least one device to a previous output setting, responsive to determining the at least one device is no longer within the audible environment of the primary device.

10. The information handling device of claim 9 , wherein to reduce comprises reducing the at least one sound disturbance by an amount correlated to the audibility of the sound disturbances.

11. The information handling device of claim 9 , wherein the identifying a context comprises identifying a current use of the primary device.

12. The information handling device of claim 9 , wherein the identifying a context comprises identifying a location of the primary device.

13. The information handling device of claim 9 , wherein the resetting the sound output comprises resetting the sound output setting by an amount correlated to an audibility of the at least one device to the primary device.

14. The information handling device of claim 9 , wherein the reducing comprises reducing a volume setting of at least one device that is not currently outputting a sound.

15. The information handling device of claim 9 , wherein the determining comprises utilizing one or more sensors to identify a location of the at least one device with respect to the primary device.

16. A product, the product comprising:
a computer-readable storage device that stores executable code that, when executed by a processor, causes the product to:
identify, using a disturbance minimization system, a device as a primary device;
identify, using the disturbance minimization system, a context of the primary device, wherein the context of the primary device comprises identifying the primary device is active and the primary device is present in a communication connection with a device of at

Assignees

• Lenovo United States Inc

Inventors

• Peterson Nathan
• Cudak Gary D
• Petersen John M

Classifications

• H04R3/00

  Circuits for transducers (arrangements for producing a reverberation or echo sound G10K15/08; amplifiers H03F) · CPC title

• G01S11/14

  using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves · CPC title

• H04R2430/01

  Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems · CPC title

• G06F3/165 Primary

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title

• H04S7/30 Primary

  Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field · CPC title