Audio Interface Voice Volume Reduction for Privacy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cellular telephone users face challenges in maintaining privacy while conversing in noisy environments, as they often need to speak loudly to be heard over background noise, which can lead to their conversations being overheard by others.
Innovation Solution
An audio interface system that receives both the subscriber's voice and background noise, compares their volumes, and outputs a message or generates a waveform to reduce the subscriber's voice volume, either by alerting the user to speak softer or by canceling the voice with an opposite waveform to minimize noise propagation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the subscriber speaks loudly to be heard over background noise, then the clarity of communication is improved, but the privacy is worsened as the conversation can be overheard by others
Solution Approach 1:
The patent captures the harmful background noise and generates an opposite waveform to cancel it out. This converts the harmful noise into a beneficial cancellation signal that protects privacy while maintaining communication clarity. The noise that would normally force the user to speak louder is instead used to create an anti-noise signal that suppresses voice propagation in public spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary anti-action by generating and outputting the opposite waveform before the voice signal propagates into the public environment. This preemptive cancellation prevents the voice from being overheard by others, allowing the user to speak at normal volumes without compromising privacy.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the subscriber speaks quietly to maintain privacy, then privacy is improved, but the clarity of communication is worsened as the party on the far end may not understand
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the background noise, which would normally prevent quiet speaking, into a beneficial tool for privacy protection. By generating an opposite waveform from the captured noise, the system creates active cancellation that allows quiet speech while maintaining privacy, eliminating the need to choose between volume and privacy.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If background noise is reduced on the far end of the call, then privacy is improved, but the subscriber may still speak louder than necessary because they are unaware they could speak quieter
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by monitoring the subscriber's voice volume and providing real-time notifications when the volume exceeds a predetermined threshold. This feedback loop helps users become aware of their speaking volume and adjust it appropriately, enabling them to speak quieter while maintaining clear communication and enhancing privacy.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the subscriber reschedules the call for a later time when other people will not be present, then privacy is improved, but the convenience is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the harmful background noise environment into a beneficial privacy protection mechanism. By using active noise cancellation, users can maintain privacy in previously unusable environments, eliminating the need to reschedule calls and preserving convenience while enhancing privacy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively reduces the volume of the subscriber's voice in the surrounding area, enhancing privacy by minimizing the likelihood of the conversation being overheard, while ensuring the party on the other end of the call can still hear clearly.
Implementation Method 1
A voice waveform that corresponds to the subscriber voice may then be processed to generate a substantially opposite waveform. The substantially opposite waveform may be substantially out of phase from the voice waveform.
Data Source
AI summary
An audio interface adapted to reduce a subscriber voice may receive a subscriber voice and a background noise. The subscriber voice may then be compared to the to the background noise. If the received subscriber voice is louder than the received background noise, the audio interface may output a message to the cellular telephone subscriber indicating the subscriber may reduce his speaking volume. Additionally, an audio interface may process a voice waveform that corresponds to the subscriber voice and a background waveform that corresponds to the background noise to generate a substantially opposite voice waveform and a substantially opposite background waveform respectively. The substantially opposite voice waveform and background waveform may be substantially out of phase from the voice waveform and background waveform respectively and output via one or more output ports of the audio interface.