Set-Top Box Audio Control for Audible Phone Notifications
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Solution Overview
Problem
People often miss audible notifications from their mobile devices due to high TV volume levels, making it difficult to hear ringing or alerts.
Innovation Solution
A device silencing manager on a set-top box detects audible notifications from mobile devices and adjusts the TV volume to ensure the notification can be heard, using either sound wave detection or electronic notifications via a short-range wireless network, and sends commands to mute or lower the TV volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If TV volume is increased to enjoy entertainment, then entertainment quality is improved, but ability to hear phone notifications deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The set-top box acts as an intermediary device that monitors audio output from the TV and receives electronic notifications from mobile devices. It mediates between the TV audio system and mobile device notifications, detecting notification sounds through its microphone or receiving electronic alerts, then automatically adjusting TV volume to ensure notifications are audible without user intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the audio environment through the set-top box's microphone to detect notification sounds. When a notification is detected, the system provides feedback by automatically reducing TV volume, then restores it after the notification period expires, creating a closed-loop control system that responds to environmental conditions.
2Reliability
If TV volume is decreased to hear notifications, then notification audibility is improved, but entertainment quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies periodic action by temporarily reducing TV volume only during notification events rather than maintaining a consistently low volume. The set-top box detects notifications, reduces volume for the duration of the notification alert, then restores the original volume level, allowing high entertainment quality during normal viewing while ensuring notification audibility when needed.
3Reliability
If automatic volume adjustment is implemented, then notification detection reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The set-top box is utilized as a multi-functional device that performs both its primary function of delivering TV programming and an additional function of detecting mobile device notifications and controlling volume adjustments. This eliminates the need for separate dedicated devices, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high notification detection reliability through the existing set-top box infrastructure.
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 allows users to hear important notifications by temporarily reducing TV volume when necessary, ensuring they are not missed.
Implementation Method 1
The device silencing manager may detect the audible notification occurring by the sound waves of the audible notification from the mobile device picked up by a microphone of the receiving device.
Data Source
AI summary
A user's set top box detects the ringing of a telephone, mobile device or other type of audible notification of an incoming contact and, in response, sends a command causing a current audio level of the television programming or other media currently being played to decrease such that the audible notification can be heard by the user. A device silencing manager on the set top box may detect the audible notification occurring by the sound waves of the audible notification from the mobile device picked up by a microphone of the receiving device. Additionally or alternatively, a device silencing manager on the set top box may wirelessly receive, either directly or indirectly from the mobile device, an electronic notification of the audible notification.