Disturbance Minimization System for Audio Interference Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Background noise and visual disturbances from other devices in noisy environments often interrupt and distract participants during communication, with existing solutions primarily focusing on visual disturbances rather than audio ones.

Innovation Solution

A disturbance minimization system identifies a primary device and its context, determining if sound disturbances need reduction in its audible environment, and then reduces sound disturbances from other devices using sensors and context-based instructions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If existing solutions focus on visual disturbances, then visual clarity is improved, but audio disturbances remain unaddressed and continue to interrupt communication

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisual clarityVSAvoidaudio disturbances

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses audio sensors to detect sound disturbances and converts this harmful factor into useful information by identifying the source and characteristics of the disturbance. This enables the system to selectively reduce or eliminate specific audio disturbances while preserving meaningful communication sounds, thus converting the previously harmful audio environment into a controllable parameter for improving communication quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Reliability

If sound disturbances are reduced using a disturbance minimization system, then communication quality is improved, but device complexity increases due to context identification and dynamic control mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication qualityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The disturbance minimization system is divided into separate functional modules: audio sensors for detection, context identification module for analyzing the primary device state, disturbance determination module for assessing audio interference, and sound reduction module for executing control actions. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, making the overall complex system more manageable and maintainable while achieving reliable communication quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary context identification layer that acts as a mediator between the audio environment and the sound reduction control. This intermediary analyzes the primary device's context (such as whether it's in a meeting, call, or media playback state) and uses this information to intelligently determine appropriate disturbance reduction actions, thereby managing system complexity through structured intermediate processing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12299347B2Device disturbance reduction

Publication Date: 2025.05.13 LENOVO UNITED STATES INC

AI summary

One embodiment provides a method, the method including: identifying, using a disturbance minimization system, a device as a primary device; identifying, using the disturbance minimization system, a context of the primary device; determining, using the disturbance minimization system and based upon the context of the primary device, that sound disturbances need reduced in an audible environment of the primary device; and reducing, using the disturbance minimization system and responsive to determining the sound disturbances need reduced, at least one sound disturbance produced by at least one device other than the primary device.