Mobile Device Sound Pressure Level Measurement via Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The world has not been effectively mapped in terms of sound pressure levels, similar to how images and geographic information are shared, due to the lack of sonic toxicity mapping and sound pressure measurement technologies for mobile devices.
Innovation Solution
A method and system using mobile devices to capture, measure, and report sound pressure levels by converting acoustic information into digital signals, calculating sound pressure levels, and providing metadata with time and geographic information for creating a database of sound levels, allowing for sound monitoring and reporting over a network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If sound pressure level measurements are implemented using mobile devices, then a global database for mapping noise levels can be created, but the device complexity increases due to additional processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the sound pressure level measurement functionality from the general audio processing pipeline by bypassing the audio processing circuitry. The microphone output is directly fed to the processor for SPL calculation, separating the measurement function from the conventional audio processing path and reducing interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile device is designed to perform multiple functions: standard audio processing and sound pressure level measurement. The system allows the same hardware (microphone, processor) to serve both conventional audio applications and acoustic monitoring, maximizing the utility of existing components.
2Ease of manufacture
If audio processing circuitry is used for sound pressure measurement, then existing hardware can be utilized, but measurement accuracy decreases due to processing interference
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement path is extracted from the audio processing chain by bypassing the audio processing circuitry. This creates a dedicated measurement path from the microphone directly to the processor, eliminating processing interference while still utilizing existing hardware components.
Solution Approach 2:
The processor acts as an intermediary that receives both the bypassed microphone signal for measurement and the processed signal from audio processing circuitry. This allows the system to utilize existing audio processing hardware while maintaining a separate, accurate measurement path.
3Loss of information
If sound pressure level measurement is added to mobile devices, then noise mapping capability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile device's existing audio processing components are utilized for sound pressure level measurement, avoiding the need for dedicated additional hardware. This multi-functional approach allows noise mapping capability while minimizing incremental energy consumption by reusing existing power-efficient components.
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
Enables the creation of a global, time-continuous database for mapping noise levels worldwide, providing historical, scientific, and social benefits by automating the collection of sound pressure data with minimal human intervention and minimal impact on device performance.
Implementation Method 1
receiving acoustic information from a microphone of a mobile device; converting a signal from the microphone corresponding to the acoustic information to a digital signal
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile communication environment (100) can include a mobile device (160) to measure and send sound pressure level data. The mobile device (160) can initiate the collection of audio information responsive to detecting a trigger event. Mobile device (160) can measure or calculate the sound pressure level from the audio information. Metadata including time information and geographic location information can be captured with the collected audio information. Mobile device (160) can send the sound pressure level data and metadata through a wired or wireless communication path to a database (614).