Method, system, and server for reducing noise in a workspace

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12346754-B2
Application number	US-201816772866-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2018
Priority date	Dec 29, 2017
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

A method, a system, and a server for reducing noise in a workspace are disclosed. The workspace may have a plurality of terminals connected to a server via a communication network. The method may include detecting a noise level, which is above a predetermined threshold value, in or adjacent to at least one of the terminals. The noise level in or adjacent to a terminal may be detected by monitoring noise emitted from or in the vicinity of that terminal by a microphone associated with that terminal. The method may also include identifying the terminal at which the noise level exceeds the predetermined threshold. Further, the method may include initiating a measure for reducing the noise level.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for reducing noise in a workspace comprising a plurality of terminals connected to a server via a communication network, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a request from a first terminal associated with a conference participant to identify a source terminal of a disturbing noise from among the plurality of terminals;
receiving votes from at least some of the participants in the conference;
identifying the source terminal, from the received votes, by determining that the source terminal received highest number of votes from among the plurality of terminals;
determining whether a number of the received votes associated with the source terminal exceeds a predetermined threshold;
based on the determination that the number of the received votes associated with the source terminal exceeds the predetermined threshold, automatically initiating an action to mute the source terminal; and
transmitting to a user of the source terminal a notification associated with the action to mute the source terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the user associated with the source terminal is actively or passively participating in the conference;
initiating a first measure or a second measure for reducing the noise level associated with the source terminal based on the determination whether the at least one participant is actively or passively participating in the conference;
wherein the step of initiating the first measure for reducing the noise level includes transmitting a message asking for silence to the source terminal and the step of initiating the second measure for reducing the noise level includes the action of muting the source terminal.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the terminals include computer devices, handheld devices, mobile phone devices, or stationary telephone devices.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of recording noise associated with the source terminal for a period of time, after it has been detected that the noise level is above the threshold.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the step of identifying the source terminal further comprises a step of sending a notification to the server comprising information on a recording of the noise associated with the source terminal.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the notification associated with the action to mute the source terminal indicating that a predetermined noise level is exceeded and is to be reduced.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further including collecting, by the server, noise level data of all the plurality of terminals that are logged into the communication network.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further including:
providing a button at each terminal of the plurality of terminals, the button, upon activation, being configured to trigger the step of detecting the noise level at the other terminals of the plurality of terminals; and
when the button is activated at a selected terminal of the plurality of terminals, transmitting a location identifier associated with the selected terminal.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising: a step of analyzing the noise levels at or in the vicinity of the terminals of the plurality of terminals.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the server comprises an application for performing one of an Internet-based video or audio conference with a plurality of participants using the plurality of terminals being located at differing locations.

11. A system for reducing noise in a workspace, the system comprising:
a server;
a plurality of terminals connectable to the server via a communication network;
a recording device associated with each of the plurality of terminals and configured to monitor noise emitted from or in the vicinity of each of the respective terminals, wherein the server is configured to:
receive a request from a first terminal associated with a conference participant to identify a source terminal of a disturbing noise from among the plurality of terminals;
receive votes from at least some of the participants in the conference;
identify the source terminal, from the received votes, by determining that the source terminal received highest number of votes from among the plurality of terminals;
determine whether a number of the received votes associated with the source terminal exceeds a predetermined threshold;
based on the determination that the number of the received votes associated with the source terminal exceeds the predetermined threshold, automatically initiate an action to mute the source terminal; and
transmit to a user of the source terminal a notification associated with the action to mute the source terminal.

12. A server to which a plurality of terminals are connectable via a communication network, the server being configured to:
receive a request from a first terminal associated with a conference participant to identify a source terminal of a disturbing noise from among the plurality of terminals;
receive votes from at least some of the participants in the conference;
identify the source terminal, from the received votes, by determining that the source terminal received highest number of votes from among the plurality of terminals;
determine whether a number of the received votes associated with the source terminal exceeds a predetermined threshold based on the determination that the number of the received votes associated with the source terminal exceeds the predetermined threshold, automatically initiate an action to mute the source terminal; and
transmit to a user of the source terminal a notification associated with the action to mute the source terminal.

13. The system according to claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of terminals includes a button, and wherein activation of the button is configured to cause the server to begin determining whether a noise level associated with the source terminal is above a predetermined threshold.

14. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: detecting activation of a button associated with a selected terminal from the plurality of terminals; and triggering a voting process upon detecting the activation of the button at the selected terminal.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the button is a first button, and the method further includes:
providing a second button at the source terminal, the second button, upon activation, being configured to notify the server that the at least one terminal is not associated with the noise level that exceeds the predetermined threshold; and
when the second button is activated, identifying another terminal from the plurality of terminals, the another terminal being different from the source terminal and being associated with the noise level that exceeds the predetermined threshold.

16. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising enabling each participant in the conference to find out if he is considered by others to be a source for the disturbing noise.

Assignees

• Ringcentral Inc

Inventors

• Kontothanasis Epameinondas
• Anagnostou Sofia
• Markou Kleoniki
• Tsiatsikas Zisis

Classifications

• H04M3/568

  audio processing specific to telephonic conferencing, e.g. spatial distribution, mixing of participants (echo suppression in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/02; sound field processing per se H04S7/30) · CPC title

• H04M9/02

  involving a common line for all parties · CPC title

• H04R2430/01

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

• H04R3/04

  for correcting frequency response · CPC title

• H04L67/10

  in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) · CPC title