Communication System Automatic Microphone Muting Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users often inadvertently communicate through multiple devices simultaneously, leading to embarrassing situations during audio conferences, side talks, and disturbances from voice-operated assistants, due to unmuted microphones across various communication devices.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and communication system that automatically mutes all communication devices except the one currently in use, using microphone control units that communicate with each other via a central service or broadcasting means, ensuring only one device has its microphone unmuted at a time, and incorporating sensors to detect environmental changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple communication devices are used in parallel for different purposes, then the versatility and convenience of communication are improved, but the risk of unintended simultaneous communication and privacy breaches increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the communication state of multiple devices and automatically adjusts microphone mute status based on real-time detection of active calls. When a call is detected on any device, the system feedbacks this information to other devices to trigger automatic muting, creating a closed-loop control system that prevents unintended simultaneous communication.
Solution Approach 2:
A central server acts as an intermediary between multiple communication devices. The server receives call state information from devices, processes this information centrally, and distributes control commands to appropriate devices. This intermediary coordination mechanism enables seamless collaboration between devices while preventing conflicts and privacy breaches.
2Ease of operation
If the microphone remains unmuted on all devices for quick access, then the ease of operation is improved, but the likelihood of accidental activation and disturbances increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary muting actions on devices that are not currently in use, based on prediction of potential conflicts. When a call is detected on one device, the system proactively mutes other devices before they can be accidentally activated, preventing disturbances from voice assistants or background conversations.
3Reliability
If automatic muting control is implemented across multiple devices, then the reliability of preventing unintended communication is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The central server serves as an intermediary that centralizes the complex control logic for automatic muting. Instead of each device needing complex peer-to-peer communication and conflict detection algorithms, the server handles all coordination, simplifying individual device firmware while maintaining system-wide reliability.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The present invention relates to a computer-implemented method of controlling a plurality of communication devices (3, 3', 3", 3"') that are connected to each other via a communication network, wherein the plurality of communication devices (3, 3', 3", 3"') is assigned to a user (2), the method comprising the steps of unmuting a microphone (5) of a first communication device (3) of the plurality of communication devices (3, 3', 3", 3"'); generating, by the first communication device (3) of the plurality of communication devices (3, 3', 3", 3"'), a message including information that the first communication device (3) is unmuted; distributing, by the first communication device (3) of the plurality of communication devices (3, 3', 3", 3"'), the message to the other communication devices (3', 3", 3"') of the plurality of communication devices (3, 3', 3", 3"') so that, upon receipt of the message at the other communication devices (3', 3", 3"') of the plurality of communication devices (3, 3', 3", 3"'), the respective microphones (5', 5", 5"') of the other communication devices (3', 3", 3"') of the plurality of communication devices (3, 3', 3", 3"') automatically are muted. Further, the present invention relates to a communication system (1) comprising a plurality of communication devices (3, 3', 3", 3"') being connected to each other via a communication network and being assigned to one user (2), wherein each communication device (3, 3', 3", 3"') comprises a microphone control unit (7, 7', 7", 7"'), which is adapted to monitor and control its local microphone mute functionality according to the method of controlling a plurality of communication devices (3, 3', 3", 3"').