Sound Masking Control for Work-Type Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sound masking systems do not consider the type of work being performed by users when controlling sound levels, leading to ineffective noise reduction.
Innovation Solution
An information processing device that acquires sound signals, detects acoustic features, identifies discomfort conditions specific to different work types, and judges whether to output masking sound based on these features and work type information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sound masking control is based only on volume level detected by microphone, then the control system is simple, but the effectiveness of noise reduction is insufficient because it does not consider the type of work being performed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an identification unit as an intermediary component that bridges the gap between simple volume detection and effective noise reduction. This unit receives work type information and uses it to select appropriate discomfort condition information, enabling the system to adapt masking strategies to different work contexts without requiring complex direct analysis of work activities
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts discomfort conditions based on detected acoustic features and work type information. The output judgment unit continuously evaluates whether masking sound should be output by comparing real-time acoustic features against work-type-specific discomfort conditions, allowing the system to adapt its behavior to changing environmental and contextual conditions
2Adaptability or versatility
If the system considers multiple work types and their specific discomfort conditions, then the sound masking becomes more effective, but the system complexity increases due to multiple detection and judgment units
Solution Approach 1:
The identification unit serves multiple functions: it receives work type information from various sources, selects appropriate discomfort condition information based on the detected work type, and enables the output judgment unit to apply context-appropriate masking strategies. This multi-functional component allows the system to handle multiple work types without requiring separate processing paths for each
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters of discomfort conditions based on work type. Different work types have different discomfort condition parameters (e.g., frequency ranges, volume thresholds, timing patterns), and the identification unit selects the appropriate parameter set based on detected work type information, enabling versatile adaptation through parameter adjustment rather than structural complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
An information processing device (100) includes a first acquisition unit (120) that acquires a sound signal outputted from a mic (11), an acoustic feature detection unit (130) that detects an acoustic feature based on the sound signal, an identification unit (160) that identifies first discomfort condition information corresponding to a first work type of work performed by a user, among one or more pieces of discomfort condition information specifying discomfort conditions using the acoustic feature and corresponding to one or more work types, based on work type information indicating the first work type, and an output judgment unit (170) that judges whether first masking sound should be outputted or not based on the acoustic feature detected by the acoustic feature detection unit (130) and the first discomfort condition information.