Detect interfering sounds

Abstract

A first communication device (121) for detecting interfering sound (101) is provided, which is operable to obtain a first sound representation audible in the surrounding environment (120) of the first communication device (120), obtain a second sound representation audible in the surrounding environment (110) of a second communication device (111-114) spatially separated from the first communication device, and determine at least one second sound representation representing the same sound from the same sound source. The first communication device is further operable to perform one or both of the following: i) if the sound level of the second sound representation representing the same sound from the same source as the first sound representation exceeds a first sound level threshold and if the first communication device is close to the sound source, perform one or more of the following: trigger a notification to the user of the first communication device, reduce the volume of the media played by the first communication device, and stop the first communication device from playing the media, and ii) if the sound level of the first sound representation exceeds the first sound level threshold, send an interference notification to the second communication device close to the sound source.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device for detecting interfering sounds, a method for detecting interfering sounds, and corresponding computer programs, computer-readable storage media, and data carrier signals. Background Art

[0002] People living in different units of a building (such as offices in an office building or apartments in an apartment building or other types of multi-family dwellings) may be disturbed by sounds from other units in the same building. For example, such interfering sounds may originate from music, movies, or other media played by speakers in a television set, radio, or media player, people speaking or dancing, and household appliances such as washing machines. Depending on the construction of the building, sounds may propagate through solid components such as walls and pipes or through the air (e.g., through open doors, windows, or ventilation systems).

[0003] The person being disturbed by the sound, i.e., the disturbed party, needs to identify the sound source and request the disturbing party to take measures to reduce the level of the interfering sound, such as by stopping the activity causing the interfering sound, by reducing the volume of the media being played, by stopping the media playback, closing the windows, etc.

[0004] It is known from US2018 / 0068535A1 to exchange status information between spatially separated neighbors in a building, which represents the neighbors' tolerance for noise propagating between floors, for preventing neighbor disputes over noise propagating between floors in a considerate, communicative, and friendly manner.

[0005] US9,959,737B2 discloses a noise detector and an analysis / alarm engine, which are configured to: generate a noise score from an original noise signal, the noise score not being sufficient to reproduce the content of the original noise signal; determine whether the noise score should cause an alarm to be generated and the destination alarm device for the alarm; and transmit the alarm to the destination alarm device. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide an improved alternative to the above technologies and the prior art.

[0007] More specifically, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved solution for detecting interfering sounds. In particular, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved solution for detecting the source of interfering sounds in multi-unit buildings such as office buildings and apartment buildings.

[0008] These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by different aspects of the present invention as defined in the independent claims. Embodiments of the present invention are characterized by the dependent claims.

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a first communication device for detecting interfering sounds. The first communication device includes a network interface and a processing circuit. The processing circuit enables the first communication device to be operable to obtain a first sound representation that is audible in the surrounding environment of the first communication device. The first communication device is further operable to obtain from one or more second communication devices spatially separated from the first communication device second sound representations that are audible in the surrounding environments of the one or more second communication devices. The first communication device is further operable to determine in the obtained second sound representations at least one second sound representation that represents the same sound originating from the same source as the first sound representation. The first communication device is further operable to: if the sound level of at least one second sound representation that represents the same sound originating from the same source as the first sound representation exceeds a first sound level threshold and if the first communication device is close to the source of the sound, perform one or more of the following: trigger a notification to a user of the first communication device, reduce the volume of media played by the first communication device, and stop the first communication device from playing the media.

[0010] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a first communication device for detecting interfering sounds. The first communication device includes a network interface and a processing circuit. The processing circuit enables the first communication device to be operable to: obtain a first sound representation that is audible in the surrounding environment of the first communication device. The first communication device is further operable to: obtain from one or more second communication devices spatially separated from the first communication device second sound representations that are audible in the surrounding environments of the one or more second communication devices. The first communication device is further operable to determine in the obtained second sound representations at least one second sound representation that represents the same sound originating from the same source as the first sound representation. The first communication device is further operable to: if the sound level of the first sound representation exceeds a first sound level threshold, send an interference notification to the second communication device close to the source of the sound.

[0011] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for detecting interfering sounds. The method is performed by a first communication device and includes obtaining a first sound representation that is audible in the surrounding environment of the first communication device. The method further includes obtaining second sound representations that are audible in the surrounding environments of one or more second communication devices spatially separated from the first communication device. The method further includes determining, in the obtained second sound representations, at least one second sound representation that represents the same sound from the same source as the first sound representation. The method further includes, if the sound level of at least one second sound representation that represents the same sound from the same source as the first sound representation exceeds a first sound level threshold and if the first communication device is close to the source of the sound, performing one or more of the following: triggering a notification to a user of the first communication device, reducing the volume of media played by the first communication device, and stopping the first communication device from playing the media.

[0012] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for detecting interfering sounds. The method is performed by a first communication device and includes obtaining a first sound representation that is audible in the surrounding environment of the first communication device. The method further includes obtaining second sound representations that are audible in the surrounding environments of one or more second communication devices spatially separated from the first communication device. The method further includes determining, in the obtained second sound representations, at least one second sound representation that represents the same sound from the same source as the first sound representation. The method further includes, if the sound level of the first sound representation exceeds a first sound level threshold, sending an interference notification to the second communication device close to the source of the sound.

[0013] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program. The computer program includes instructions that, when executed by a processor included in a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method according to an embodiment of the third or fourth aspect of the present invention.

[0014] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium. The computer program according to the fifth aspect of the present invention is stored on the computer-readable storage medium.

[0015] According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a data carrier signal. The data carrier signal carries the computer program according to the fifth aspect of the present invention.

[0016] In this context, "near" or "in the vicinity" shall be understood as "very close" or "adjacent to". The present invention makes use of the understanding that spatially separated communication devices can be used to detect a sound at a location that exceeds a first sound level threshold and is thus considered to cause interference to humans or animals present at that location, and to determine the communication device that is near the source of the interfering sound. In response thereto, the communication device determined to be near the source of the sound can then be prompted to initiate one or more measures for mitigating or alleviating the interference.

[0017] Although the advantages of the present invention have been described with reference to embodiments of the first and second aspects of the present invention in some cases, the corresponding reasoning also applies to embodiments of other aspects of the present invention.

[0018] When studying the following detailed disclosure, drawings, and appended claims, other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent. Those skilled in the art recognize that different features of the present invention can be combined to create embodiments different from those described below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] With reference to the accompanying drawings, the above and additional objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be better understood from the following illustrative and non - limiting detailed description of embodiments of the present invention, in which:

[0020] Figure 1 A communication device for detecting interfering sounds according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated.

[0021] Figure 2 A communication device for detecting interfering sounds according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown.

[0022] Figure 3 A sequence diagram illustrating the detection of interfering sounds according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0023] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a method for detecting interfering sounds according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0024] All the drawings are schematic, not necessarily drawn to scale, and generally show only the parts necessary for elucidating the present invention, where other parts may be omitted or only suggested. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0025] The present invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain embodiments of the invention are shown. However, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0026] Reference is made below Figures 1 to 3 to an embodiment of a first communication device for detecting interfering sounds. In this context, sound is a vibration that typically propagates as an audible pressure wave through a transmission medium that can be gaseous, liquid, or solid. Sound can include infrasound, which is sound at frequencies that are not perceptible to the human ear but can be sensed by humans or animals through other senses and can also be detected by a microphone. Interfering sounds can include sounds that are considered disturbing, unwanted, unpleasant, or damaging to hearing by a human listener or animal and are commonly also referred to as "noise". From a physics perspective, noise or interfering sounds are indistinguishable from other sounds. The difference occurs when the brain of a human or animal receives and perceives the sound. In this context, interfering sounds are understood to be sounds having a sound level that exceeds a sound level threshold.

[0027] Figure 1 Shown is a person 102 (the disturbed party) residing in room 120, which may be located in an office building or an apartment building, who is disturbed by sound 101 from a source among a possible plurality of sources 111 - 115 in another room 110 in the same building, an adjacent building, or a nearby building. Rooms 110 and 120 are spatially separated, for example, by walls and / or by a distance. The interfering sound 101 (also referred to herein as "sound") can be caused, for example, by people talking 115, a smart phone 111, or a media player 114 (shown as a speaker in Figure 1 ), playing music, a television 112 playing the audio of a movie or a television program, a radio, or a household appliance. Generally, sound travels mainly by propagation through solid parts of the building structure (such as walls (e.g., wall 103) and pipes) or through the air (such as through open doors and windows or a ventilation system). The smart phone 121, home assistant 122, and smart watch 123 of the disturbed party 102 are also located in another room 110.

[0028] Embodiments of the present invention enable the detection of interfering sounds, which are sounds having a sound level exceeding a sound level threshold. This is achieved by using communication devices such as mobile phones, smartphones, user equipment (UE), tablet computers (tablets), laptops, media players, home assistants, personal digital assistants (PDAs), TVs, and smartwatches located at spatially separated positions, based on the similarity of the sound representations audible in the respective surrounding environments of the communication devices. Throughout this disclosure, embodiments of a first communication device are described as operable to detect interfering sounds based on a first sound representation and a second sound representation, the first sound representation representing the sounds audible in the surrounding environment of the first communication device, and the second sound representation representing the sounds audible in the respective surrounding environment of a second communication device. In other words, the first communication device serves to: obtain sound representations, including both the first sound representation and the second sound representation; analyze these to detect interfering sounds; and initiate measures to mitigate or alleviate the interference in response to detecting an interfering sound. The second communication device serves to: provide the second sound representation to the first communication device; and optionally, receive an interference notification from the first communication device, in response to which they may initiate measures to mitigate or alleviate the interference.

[0029] With further reference Figure 1 to the example shown, two scenarios can be distinguished. In this context, "near" or "in the vicinity of" should be understood as "very close to" or "next to".

[0030] In the first scenario, the first communication device may be located near the source 111 - 115 of the interfering sound, i.e., in room 110. For example, the first communication device may be embodied as a smartphone 111, a TV 112, a smartwatch 113, or a media player 114. The second communication device may be located, for example, in room 120. For example, the second communication device may be embodied as a smartphone 121, a home assistant 122, or a smartwatch 123. In this first scenario, the first communication devices 111 - 114 may determine that they are near the source 111 - 115 of the interfering sound and initiate measures to mitigate or alleviate the interference, as further described below.

[0031] Alternatively, in a second scenario, the first communication device may be located at a position spatially separated from the source 111 - 115 of the interfering sound, e.g., in room 120. For example, the first communication device may be embodied as a smart phone 121, a home assistant 122, or a smart watch 123. The second communication device is located near the source 111 - 115 of the interfering sound, i.e., in room 110. For example, the second communication device may be embodied as a smart phone 111, a television 112, a smart watch 113, or a media player 114. In this second scenario, the first communication devices 121 - 123 may determine that one of the second communication devices 111 - 114 is close to the source 111 - 115 of the interfering sound and notify the second communication devices 111 - 114 that are near the source 111 - 115 of the interfering sound. In response to the notification, the second communication devices 111 - 114 may initiate measures to mitigate or alleviate the interference, as further described below.

[0032] Both the first communication device and the second communication devices 111 - 114 and 121 - 123 may be embodied, for example, as mobile phones, smart phones, UEs, tablets, laptop computers, media players, home assistants, PDAs, televisions, smart watches, etc.

[0033] In Figure 2 FIG. [FIGURE NUMBER] (not shown), an embodiment of the first communication device 200 is shown. The first communication device 200 includes a network interface 201 and a processing circuit 202. Also refer to Figure 3 FIG. [FIGURE NUMBER] (not shown), which shows a sequence diagram 300 illustrating the detection of interfering sounds according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] The network interface 201 is operable to support communication (i.e., the exchange of data) directly or via one or more communication networks with one or more other communication devices (e.g., the second communication devices 210 or 220) using any suitable protocol over wired or wireless technologies. In particular, the network interface 201 may include one or more of an Ethernet interface circuit, a cellular modem (e.g., GSM, UMTS, LTE, 5G, NR / NX), a WLAN / Wi-Fi modem, a Bluetooth modem, a near-field communication (NFC) modem, etc. Through the network interface 201, the first communication device 200 may receive second sound representations from one or more second communication devices 210 and 220 and, optionally, transmit interference notifications to the second communication devices 210 and 220, as further described below.

[0035] The processing circuitry 202 enables the first communication device 200 to be operable to obtain 301 a first sound representation audible in the surroundings of the first communication device 200. This can be achieved, for example, by recording sound using a microphone operatively connected to the first communication device 200. The microphone can be included in the first communication device 200, such as microphone 206, or separated from the first communication device 200, such as a headset connected to the first communication device 200. Alternatively, a sound representation audible in the surroundings of the first communication device 200 can be obtained 301 by generating a sound representation based on media played by the first communication device 200 (such as using one or more speakers built-in or connected to the first communication device 200). In this case, the first sound representation can be generated based on encoded audio data played by the first communication device 200 (such as audio data obtained from a media server by download or streaming or stored in the memory 204 of the first communication device 200).

[0036] In this context, a sound representation audible in the surroundings of a communication device (the first communication device 200 or a second communication device (such as Figure 3 the second communication devices 210 and 220 in)) can be raw (uncompressed) audio data, compressed audio data, data representing spectral characteristics of an audible sound, data representing features of an audible sound, data representing an acoustic fingerprint of an audible sound, etc. It should be understood that compared to raw or compressed audio data, an advantage of embodiments of the present invention relying on data representing spectral characteristics, features, or acoustic fingerprints of an audible sound is that the privacy of (potentially sensitive) audio recordings transmitted from the second communication devices 210 / 220 to the first communication device 200 is maintained.

[0037] The first communication device 200 is also operable to obtain 302 second sound representations audible in the respective surroundings of one or more second communication devices 210 and 220 from the one or more second communication devices 210 and 220. Preferably, the one or more second communication devices 210 and 220 are spatially separated from the first communication device 200. For example, as described with reference to Figure 1 as "the first scenario", the first communication device 200 can be located in room 110 (i.e., the first communication device 200 can be any one of the communication devices 111 - 114), and at least one of the second communication devices 210 and 220 can be located in room 120 (i.e., the second communication device 210 and / or 220 can be any one or both of the communication devices 121 - 123). Alternatively, as described with reference to Figure 1Described as the "second scenario", the first communication device 200 may be located in room 120 (i.e., the first communication device 200 may be any one of communication devices 121 - 123), and at least one of the second communication devices 210 and 220 may be located in room 110 (i.e., the second communication device 210 and / or 220 may be any one or both of communication devices 111 - 114). It should be understood that embodiments of the present invention can be envisioned that detect interfering sounds based on second sound representations obtained from the second communication device 210 or 220 co-located with the first communication device 200.

[0038] Alternatively, the first communication device 200 may operate to exclude 303 one or more second sound representations obtained 302 from one or more second communication devices 210 and 220 that are not spatially separated from the first communication device 200 if their sound levels exceed a sound level threshold (referred to herein as the second sound level threshold). The second sound level threshold is typically higher than the first sound level threshold, which is further described below. In practice, this means that one or more of the second communication devices 210 and 220 were too close to the sound source when recording the audible sound, for example because they were in the same room as the sound source, resulting in a relatively high sound level of the second sound representation.

[0039] The sound level of a sound representation is understood to represent a relative measure or an absolute measure of the amplitude of the represented sound relative to other sound representations. If the sound representation represents a sound that has been recorded using a microphone, the sound level of such a sound representation can advantageously be characterized by an absolute sound level, which is typically expressed in decibels (dBA). Optionally, the location of the recording communication device (e.g., in a pocket) and / or the directivity of its microphone can be considered. On the other hand, if the sound representation is generated based on media played by the communication device, additional information related to the power amplifier and speaker, as well as the volume setting of the communication device, is required in order to derive the absolute sound level.

[0040] Alternatively or additionally, the first communication device 200 may operate to exclude 303 one or more second sound representations obtained 302 from one or more second communication devices 210 and 220 that are not spatially separated from the first communication device 200, based on positioning information related to the position of the first communication device 200 and the positions of one or more second communication devices 210 and 220. The positioning information is obtained from a positioning sensor 207 included in the first communication device 200 and from corresponding positioning sensors included in the second communication devices 210 and 220. The positioning sensor 207 is operable to provide positioning information reflecting the respective indoor positions of the first communication device 200 and the second communication devices 210 and 220. Such positioning information may be based on, for example, a WLAN SSID. More specifically, since two communication devices located in different apartments may be connected to different WLANs or Wi-Fi networks, if the WLAN SSID of the WLAN to which the second communication device 210 or 220 is connected is different from the WLAN SSID of the WLAN to which the first communication device 200 is connected, it may be determined that the second communication device 210 or 220 is spatially separated from the first communication device 200.

[0041] The first communication device 200 is also operable to determine 304 in the obtained 302 second sound representations at least one second sound representation that represents the same sound originating from the same source as the first sound representation. In other words, the at least one second sound representation thus determined represents a sound originating from the same source as the first sound representation. This may be achieved, for example, based on the similarity between the second sound representation and the first sound representation exceeding a similarity threshold. In practice, each obtained 302 second sound representation that is not excluded 303 because it is not spatially separated from the first communication device 200 is compared with the first sound representation, and the similarity level between the two sound representations is determined. For example, if the two representations include raw or compressed audio data of audible sounds recorded using a microphone or derived from media played by the communication device, the similarity level between the two sound representations may be determined, for example, by calculating the correlation between the two representations.

[0042] Alternatively, the similarity between the two sound representations may be determined by comparing the spectra of the two sound representations, or by identifying common characteristic features in their spectra. When determining the similarity level between the two spectra, the spectral characteristics of the sound that has traveled through a wall may be considered. Generally, a sound that has traveled through a wall has a significantly reduced energy in the high-frequency part of the spectrum.

[0043] As yet another alternative, if the voice representation includes an acoustic fingerprint of the voice, the first communication device 200 is operable to: determine 304 that a second voice representation represents the same voice from the same source as the first voice representation if their acoustic fingerprints match. Matching of acoustic fingerprints is typically based on perceptual characteristics of the voice, which may include average zero crossing rate, estimated tempo, average spectrum, spectral flatness, prominent tones on a set of frequency bands, and bandwidth. Another commonly used technique for matching acoustic fingerprints is based on comparison of time-frequency plots called spectrograms. When creating a spectrogram, the recorded audio is segmented in time, and the result is a three-dimensional plot of the audio: frequency versus amplitude (intensity) versus time. In the algorithm used by Shazam, these plots are analyzed to identify peaks labeled as having "higher energy content". For more details on the Shazam algorithm, see "An Industrial-Strength Audio Search Algorithm" by A. Wang, in the 4th International Conference on Music Information Retrieval (ISMIR), 2003. Reference may also be made to "A review of algorithms for audio fingerprinting" by P. Cano, E. Batle, T. Kalker, and J. Haitsma, in the IEEE Multimedia Signal Processing Workshop, 2002, pages 169 - 173, IEEE, 2002.

[0044] If the first communication device 200 is playing media and the second communication device 210 or 220 is playing the same media, the first communication device 200 may optionally be operable to exclude 303 one or more second voice representations obtained 302 from the second communication device 210 or 220. In this way, it is avoided that the second voice representation is determined to represent an interfering voice even though the second communication device 210 or 220 itself is playing the same media as the first communication device 200.

[0045] Depending on which of the two scenarios described above Figure 1 occurs, i.e., the first communication device 200 is close to the source of the interfering voice ("first scenario") or one of the second communication devices 210 and 220 is close to the source of the interfering voice ("second scenario"), the first communication device 200 may be operable to perform any one or both of the following actions.

[0046] As a first action, the first communication device 200 may operate to, if the sound level of at least one second sound representation representing the same sound from the same source as the first sound representation exceeds a first sound level threshold of 311, and if the first communication device 200 is close to the source of the sound, take one or more of the following measures 313 to mitigate or alleviate the interference: trigger a notification to the user of the first communication device 200, reduce the volume of the media played by the first communication device 200, and stop the first communication device 200 from playing the media.

[0047] As a second action, the first communication device 200 may operate to, if the sound level of the first sound representation exceeds a first sound level threshold of 321, send an interference notification 323 to a second communication device 210 or 220 close to the sound source. Note that this is one of at least one second communication device from which a second sound representation representing the same sound from the same source as the first sound representation was obtained. Optionally, the interference notification 323 may be configured to cause the second communication device 210 or 220 close to the sound source to initiate one or more of the following measures 324 to mitigate or alleviate the interference: trigger a notification to the user of the second communication device 210 or 220, reduce the volume of the media played by the second communication device 210 or 220, and stop the second communication device 210 or 220 from playing the media.

[0048] Alternatively, the first communication device 200 may operate to, if the sound level of the first sound representation exceeds a first sound level threshold of 321, send an interference notification 323 to all second communication devices rather than just the second communication devices 210 or 220 close to the sound source. As yet another alternative, the first communication device 200 may operate to: if the sound level of the first sound representation exceeds the first sound level threshold, send an interference notification to a regulatory body or organization such as the police, the landlord, etc.

[0049] The first communication device 200 may operate to determine whether the sound level of the sound representation, the first sound representation, or the second sound representation exceeds the first sound level threshold by comparing the sound level of the sound representation with the first sound level threshold. The first sound level threshold may be configured by the manufacturer of the first or second communication device or their respective users. Thus, embodiments of the present invention may use different first sound level thresholds for each of the first communication device 200 and one or more second communication devices 210 and 220. It should also be understood that the first sound level may depend on the working day and / or the time of day. For example, one can envision setting a higher first sound level threshold during the day (e.g., between 7 am and 10 pm), and a lower first sound level threshold at night. As another example, the first sound level threshold may be temporarily increased on weekends, Friday or Saturday evenings, or during a broadcast event known to attract many listeners / viewers. Further still, the first sound level threshold may be temporarily increased upon request by a tenant to a landlord.

[0050] If the communication device is playing media, the first communication device 200 is operable to determine that a 312 / 322 communication device (i.e., the first communication device 200 or one of the second communication devices 210 and 220) is close to the sound source. This may be indicated, for example, in the sound representation obtained by the first communication device 200, or by information obtained via separate signaling from the communication device.

[0051] Alternatively, the first communication device 200 is operable to determine that the communication device from which it has obtained 301 / 302 the sound representation with the highest sound level (i.e., the loudest sound) among the first communication device 200 and one or more second communication devices 210 and 220 is close to the sound source.

[0052] Preferably, if the first or second sound representation has been obtained by respectively recording sounds using a microphone operably connected to the communication device, a notification to the user of the first communication device 200 or the second communication device 210 or 220 close to the sound source is triggered. For example, this may be achieved by displaying a message to the user, providing a voice notification, or by rendering a tactile notification, so that the user is aware of the interference. Advantageously, the user close to the source of the interfering sound is aware that she / he, someone near her / him, or a device near her / him is causing the interference and can act accordingly.

[0053] Preferably, if the first or second sound representation has been obtained by respectively generating sound representations based on the media played by the first or second communication device, the volume of the media played by the first communication device 200 or the second communication device 210 or 220 close to the sound source is reduced. Additionally or alternatively, the user of the communication device playing the media that has been determined to be the source of the interfering sound (the first communication device 200 or the second communication device 210 or 220) may be made aware of the maximum playback volume level by visual, auditory, or tactile feedback rendered when the user of the communication device attempts to change the playback volume. The maximum playback volume level may be set to an absolute value, for example, in terms of dBA, or to a relative value related to how much the sound level of the sound representation exceeds a first sound level threshold. For example, if the sound level of the sound representation exceeds the first sound level threshold by 20%, the maximum playback volume may be set to 20% lower than the current playback volume. Optionally, taking into account the dynamically varying volume of certain types of music, the maximum playback volume may be further reduced by 5% to provide a safety margin. Optionally, the interference notification sent 323 to the second communication device 210 or 220 close to the sound source may include information indicating the extent to which the sound level of the first sound representation exceeds the first sound level threshold.

[0054] For example, a user interface element displayed on a touch screen of a communication device to enable a user to adjust a playback volume may change color or display a colored scale to indicate a maximum playback volume. As an example, the volume scale may indicate an acceptable playback volume in green and indicate a playback volume exceeding a maximum playback level in red. The displayed color may be static or may change dynamically according to the volume setting.

[0055] As another example, the communication device may play an audible notification to a user who attempts to adjust the playback volume to a level that exceeds or is about to exceed a maximum playback volume.

[0056] As yet another example, the communication device may provide haptic feedback to a user who attempts to adjust the playback volume to a level that exceeds or is about to exceed a maximum playback volume. For example, when approaching the maximum playback volume, the user may be notified by increasing the friction of the surface of the touch screen or by any other type of haptic feedback (e.g., a tap on the fingertip touching the user interface element).

[0057] It will also be understood that embodiments of the present invention may limit the playback volume of the communication device to a maximum playback volume, thereby preventing the user from exceeding the maximum playback volume.

[0058] Hereinafter, embodiments of a processing circuit 202 included in a first communication device 200 for detecting interfering sounds are described with reference to Figure 2 The processing circuit 202 may include one or more processors 203, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a dedicated processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), and a digital signal processor (DSP), or a combination thereof, and a memory 204 including a computer program 205, the computer program 205 including instructions. When executed by the processor 203, the computer program 205 causes the first communication device 200 to perform according to embodiments of the present invention described herein. The memory 204 may be, for example, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a flash memory, etc. The computer program 205 may be downloaded to the memory 204 via a network interface 201 as a data carrier signal carrying the computer program 205. The processor 203 may also include one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc., which cooperate with or instead of the computer program 205 and are operable to cause the first communication device 200 to perform according to embodiments of the present invention described herein. In addition, the processing circuit 202 may include one or more interface circuits ( Figure 2(not shown in the figure) for controlling and / or receiving information from other components included in the first communication device 200 (such as the network interface 201, microphone 206, positioning sensor 207, speaker 208, and any additional components included in the first communication device 200). The interface can be implemented by any type of electronic circuit (e.g., any one or combination of analog electronic circuits, digital electronic circuits, and processing circuits executing appropriate computer programs, i.e., software).

[0059] Hereinafter, reference Figure 4 describes an embodiment of a method 400 for detecting interfering sounds. The method 400 is executed by a communication device such as the first communication device 200 and includes: obtaining 401 a first sound representation that is audible in the surrounding environment of the first communication device; obtaining 402 from one or more second communication devices preferably spatially separated from the first communication device a second sound representation that is audible in the surrounding environment of the one or more second communication devices; and determining 404 in the obtained second sound representation at least one second sound representation that represents the same sound from the same source as the first sound representation.

[0060] The method 400 further includes one or more of the following actions.

[0061] As a first action, if the sound level of at least one second sound representation that represents the same sound from the same source as the first sound representation exceeds a first sound level threshold 411, and if the first communication device is close 412 to the sound source, perform one or more of the following 413: trigger a notification to the user of the first communication device, reduce the volume of the media played by the first communication device, and stop the first communication device from playing the media.

[0062] As a second action, if the sound level of the first sound representation exceeds a first sound level threshold 421, send 423 an interference notification to a second communication device that is close 422 to the sound source.

[0063] It is possible to determine 404 in the obtained second sound representation at least one second sound representation that represents the same sound from the same source as the first sound representation based on the similarity between the second sound representation and the first sound representation exceeding a similarity threshold.

[0064] The method 400 may further include excluding 403 second sound representations obtained from second communication devices that are playing the same media if the first communication device is playing media.

[0065] The sound representation audible in the surrounding environment of the communication device can be obtained 401 / 402 by recording sound using a microphone operably connected to the communication device.

[0066] Alternatively, the audible sound representation 401 / 402 in the surrounding environment of the communication device can be obtained by generating a sound representation based on the media played by the communication device.

[0067] Method 400 may further include excluding 403 second sound representations obtained from one or more second communication devices that are not spatially separated from the first communication device if their sound levels exceed a second sound level threshold.

[0068] Method 400 may further include excluding 403 second sound representations obtained from one or more second communication devices that are not spatially separated from the first communication device based on positioning information related to the location of the first communication device and the locations of the one or more second communication devices.

[0069] Method 400 may also include determining 412 / 422 that the communication device is close to a sound source if the communication device is playing media.

[0070] Method 400 may also include determining 412 / 422 that the communication device among the first communication device and the one or more second communication devices from which the sound representation with the highest sound level is obtained is close to the sound source.

[0071] Optionally, the interference notification may be configured to cause the second communication device close to the sound source to perform one or more of the following: trigger a notification to the user of the second communication device, reduce the volume of the media played by the second communication device, and stop the second communication device from playing the media.

[0072] It should be understood that method 400 may include additional, alternative, or modified steps described throughout this disclosure. An embodiment of method 400 may be implemented as a computer program 205 including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors 203 included in the first communication device 200, cause the first communication device 200 to perform according to the embodiments of the present invention described herein.

[0073] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention ( Figure 3In (not shown in the figure), it is conceivable to have a network node for detecting interfering sounds, which includes a network interface and a processing circuit. The processing circuit enables the network node to operate to obtain, from two or more second communication devices, second sound representations audible in the surroundings of the two or more second communication devices, and to determine, in the obtained second sound representations, at least two second sound representations that represent the same sound from the same source. The network node is further operable to, if the sound level of a second sound representation among the at least two second sound representations that represent the same sound from the same source exceeds a first sound level threshold, determine which one of the corresponding at least two second communication devices is close to the sound source, and send an interference notification to the second communication device close to the sound source. Preferably, the determined second communication device close to the sound source is spatially separated from the second communication device from which the second sound representation exceeding the first sound level threshold has been obtained. Optionally, the interference notification may be configured to cause the second communication device close to the sound source to perform one or more of the following: trigger a notification to the user of the second communication device close to the sound source, reduce the volume of the media played by the second communication device close to the sound source, stop the playback of the media by the second communication device close to the sound source.

[0074] The network node for detecting interfering sounds may further be operable to be performed according to the embodiments of the first communication device 200 described throughout this disclosure.

[0075] An embodiment of the network device for detecting interfering sounds may be deployed, for example, as a central node in an apartment building or the like.

[0076] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention is in no way limited to the above embodiments. On the contrary, within the scope of the appended claims, many modifications and variations are possible.

Claims

1. A first communication device (111 - 114; 200) for detecting interfering sound (101), the first communication device comprising: A network interface (201), and Processing circuitry (202) enabling the first communication device to be operable to: Obtain (301) a first sound representation audible in the surrounding environment of the first communication device (111 - 114; 200), Obtain (302) from one or more second communication devices (121 - 123; 210, 220) spatially separated from the first communication device (111 - 114; 200) a second sound representation audible in the surrounding environment of the one or more second communication devices (121 - 123; 210, 220), Determine (304) in the obtained second sound representation at least one second sound representation representing the same sound from the same source (111 - 115) as the first sound representation, and If the sound level of the at least one second sound representation representing the same sound from the same source as the first sound representation exceeds (311) a first sound level threshold and if the first communication device (111 - 114; 200) is close (312) to the source of the sound, then perform one or more of the following (313): trigger a notification to a user of the first communication device (111 - 114; 200), reduce the volume of media played by the first communication device (111 - 114; 200), and stop the first communication device (111 - 114; 200) from playing media; Wherein the first communication device is further operable to: if the sound level of a second sound representation exceeds a second sound level threshold, exclude (303) second sound representations obtained from the one or more second communication devices (210, 220) not spatially separated from the first communication device (200); Wherein the second sound level threshold is higher than the first sound level threshold.

2. The first communication device according to claim 1, further operable to: if the sound level of the first sound representation exceeds (321) a first sound level threshold, send (323) an interference notification to the second communication device (121 - 123; 210, 220) close (322) to the source (111–115) of the sound.

3. A first communication device (121 - 123; 200) for detecting interfering sound (101), the first communication device comprising: A network interface (201), and Processing circuitry (202) enabling the first communication device to be operable to: Obtain a first sound representation audible in the surrounding environment of the first communication device (121 - 123; 200), Obtain from one or more second communication devices (111 - 114; 210, 220) spatially separated from the first communication device (121 - 123; 200) a second sound representation audible in the surrounding environment of the one or more second communication devices (111 - 114; 210, 220), In the obtained second sound representation, determine at least one second sound representation representing the same sound from the same source (111 - 115) as the first sound representation, and If the sound level of the first sound representation exceeds (321) a first sound level threshold, send (323) an interference notice to the second communication device (111 - 114; 210, 220) close to (322) the source (111–115) of the sound; Wherein, the first communication device is further operable to: if the sound level of the second sound representation exceeds a second sound level threshold, exclude (303) the second sound representation obtained from the one or more second communication devices (210, 220) not spatially separated from the first communication device (200); Wherein, the second sound level threshold is higher than the first sound level threshold.

4. The first communication device according to claim 3, further operable to: if the sound level of the at least one second sound representation representing the same sound from the same source (111 - 115) as the first sound representation exceeds (311) the first sound level threshold, and if the first communication device (121 - 123; 200) is close to (312) the source of the sound, perform one or more of the following (313): trigger a notification to the user of the first communication device (121 - 123; 200), reduce the volume of the media played by the first communication device (121 - 123; 200), and stop the first communication device (121 - 123; 200) from playing the media.

5. The first communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, operable to determine (304) at least one second representation representing the same sound from the same source (111 - 115) as the first sound representation in the obtained second sound representation based on the similarity between the second sound representation and the first sound representation exceeding a similarity threshold.

6. The first communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further operable to: if the first communication device (200) is playing media, exclude (303) the second sound representation obtained from the second communication device (210, 220) playing the same media.

7. The first communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, Obtain (301, 302) a sound representation audible in the surrounding environment of the communication device (200, 210, 220) by recording the sound using a microphone (206) operably connected to the communication device (200, 210, 220).

8. The first communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, Obtain (301, 302) the sound representation by generating a sound representation audible in the surrounding environment of the communication device (200, 210, 220) based on the media played by the communication device (200, 210, 220).

9. The first communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further operable to exclude (303) second sound representations obtained from the one or more second communication devices (210, 220) that are not spatially separated from the first communication device (200) based on positioning information related to the location of the first communication device (200) and the location of the one or more second communication devices (210, 220).

10. The first communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, operable to: determine that the communication device (200, 210, 220) is close to the source of the sound if the communication device (200, 210, 220) is playing media.

11. The first communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, operable to determine that the communication device among the first communication device (200) and the one or more second communication devices (210, 220) from which a sound representation with the highest sound level is obtained is close to the source (111 - 115) of the sound.

12. The first communication device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein, The interference notification is configured to cause the second communication device (210, 220) close to the source of the sound to perform one or more of the following: trigger a notification to the user of the second communication device (210, 220), reduce the volume of the media played by the second communication device (210, 220), and stop the second communication device (210, 220) from playing the media.

13. The first communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is any one of the following: a mobile phone (111, 121), a smartphone (111, 121), a user equipment (111, 121), a tablet computer (111, 121), a laptop computer, a media player (114), a home assistant (122), a personal digital assistant, a television (112), and a smartwatch (113).

14. A method (400) for detecting an interfering sound (101), which is performed by a first communication device and includes: obtaining (401) a first sound representation audible in the surrounding environment of the first communication device, obtaining (402) second sound representations audible in the surrounding environments of one or more second communication devices spatially separated from the first communication device, determining (404) in the obtained second sound representations at least one second sound representation representing the same sound originating from the same source as the first sound representation, and if the sound level of the at least one second sound representation representing the same sound originating from the same source as the first sound representation exceeds (411) a first sound level threshold and if the first communication device is close (412) to the source of the sound, performing one or more of the following (313): triggering a notification to the user of the first communication device, reducing the volume of the media played by the first communication device, and stopping the first communication device from playing the media; Wherein, the method (400) further includes: if the sound level represented by the second sound exceeds a second sound level threshold, excluding (403) the second sound representation obtained from the one or more second communication devices that are not spatially separated from the first communication device; Wherein, the second sound level threshold is higher than the first sound level threshold.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising: If the sound level of the first sound representation exceeds (421) the first sound level threshold, sending (423) an interference notification to the second communication device close to (422) the source of the sound.

16. A method (400) for detecting an interfering sound (101), which is executed by a first communication device and includes: Obtaining (401) a first sound representation audible in the surrounding environment of the first communication device, Obtaining (402) a second sound representation audible in the surrounding environments of the one or more second communication devices that are spatially separated from the first communication device, Determining (404) in the obtained second sound representations at least one second sound representation that represents the same sound from the same source as the first sound representation, and If the sound level of the first sound representation exceeds (421) the first sound level threshold, sending (423) an interference notification to the second communication device close to (422) the source of the sound; Wherein, the method (400) further includes: if the sound level of the second sound representation exceeds a second sound level threshold, excluding (403) the second sound representation obtained from the one or more second communication devices that are not spatially separated from the first communication device; Wherein, the second sound level threshold is higher than the first sound level threshold.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: If the sound level of the at least one second sound representation that represents the same sound from the same source as the first sound representation exceeds (411) the first sound level threshold, and if the first communication device is close to (412) the source of the sound, perform one or more of the following (413): trigger a notification to the user of the first communication device, reduce the volume of the media played by the first communication device, and stop the first communication device from playing the media.

18. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein, Based on the similarity between the second sound representation and the first sound representation exceeding a similarity threshold, determining (404) in the obtained second sound representations at least one second representation that represents the same sound from the same source as the first sound representation.

19. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, further comprising: If the first communication device is playing media, excluding (403) the second sound representation obtained from the second communication device that is playing the same media.

20. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein Obtaining (401, 402) the sound representation audible in the surrounding environment of the communication device by recording the sound using a microphone operably connected to the communication device.

21. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein, Obtaining (401, 402) the sound representation by generating a sound representation audible in the surrounding environment of the communication device based on the media played by the communication device.

22. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, further comprising: Exclude (403) second sound representations obtained from the one or more second communication devices that are not spatially separated from the first communication device, based on location information related to the location of the first communication device and the location of the one or more second communication devices.

23. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, further comprising: If the communication device is playing media, determine (412, 422) that the communication device is close to the source of the sound.

24. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, further comprising: Determine (412, 422) that the first communication device and the communication device among the one or more second communication devices from which a sound representation with the highest sound level was obtained are close to the source of the sound.

25. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein The interference notification is configured to cause the second communication device close to the source of the sound to perform one or more of the following: trigger a notification to the user of the second communication device, reduce the volume of the media played by the second communication device, and stop the second communication device from playing the media.

26. A computer program (205) comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor (203) comprised in a communication device (200), cause the communication device to perform the method according to any one of claims 14 to 25.

27. A computer-readable storage medium (204) having stored thereon the computer program (205) according to claim 26.

28. A data carrier signal carrying the computer program (205) according to claim 26.

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