Ambient Sound-Aware Audio Volume Control for Critical Alert Perception

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional audio systems fail to dynamically adjust volume in response to varying ambient sounds, leading to interference with important sounds like doorbells, phone calls, and safety alerts, due to their inability to differentiate and react to different types of environmental noise.

Innovation Solution

An audio device equipped with sensors and an acoustic control processor that analyzes ambient sound characteristics, such as intensity, frequency, and spatial direction, to categorize sounds as response-solicitation or non-response-solicitation, adjusting the output volume accordingly to ensure that important sounds are not masked by the audio playback.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If the audio volume is increased to overcome ambient noise, then the music clarity is improved, but important ambient sounds like doorbells and safety alerts are masked

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemusic volumeVSAvoidmasking of important sounds

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts audio volume based on real-time ambient sound analysis. The acoustic control processor continuously monitors ambient sounds and automatically modifies music playback volume, transitioning from static volume control to dynamic adaptation. This resolves the contradiction by making volume responsive to environmental conditions rather than fixed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from ambient sound detection to control music volume. The acoustic control processor receives feedback about ambient sound characteristics and uses this information to automatically adjust playback volume, creating a closed-loop control system that prevents important sounds from being masked while maintaining music clarity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the audio volume is decreased to hear ambient sounds, then safety awareness is improved, but music clarity and enjoyment are degraded

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveambient sound perceptionVSAvoidmusic volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies different volume adjustments for different types of ambient sounds. Response-soliciting sounds (doorbells, alerts) trigger volume reduction, while non-response-soliciting sounds (shower water, traffic) allow volume maintenance or increase. This selective approach preserves music clarity while ensuring important sounds are heard.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Object-affected harmful factors

If manual volume adjustment is used to respond to ambient noise, then ambient sound perception is improved, but device complexity and user burden increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveambient sound perceptionVSAvoidmanual control requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs automatic ambient sound analysis and volume adjustment without user intervention. The acoustic control processor independently monitors ambient sounds, categorizes them, and adjusts music volume accordingly. This eliminates the need for manual volume control while maintaining optimal ambient sound perception.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

4Illumination intensity

If the audio system increases volume in response to all ambient sounds, then music clarity is maintained, but harmful factors increase due to masking safety alerts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemusic volumeVSAvoidmasking of safety alerts

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11569789B2Compensation for ambient sound signals to facilitate adjustment of an audio volume

Publication Date: 2023.01.31 JAWBONE INNOVATIONS LLC

AI summary

Embodiments of the invention relate generally to audio device and wearable computing devices to detect and characterize an ambient sound, to adjust an output volume of an audio device. More specifically, disclosed are systems, components and methods to generate audio signals associated with an audio device and an output volume, receive ambient sound signals associated with an ambient sound source, detect the ambient sound signals reaching a threshold intensity, analyzing digital data representing the ambient sound and adjust the audio signals to change the output volume according to a category of the ambient sound signals.