Methods and apparatus to dynamically manage audibly proximate devices during user activities

1 . An apparatus to manage background sound in a conference call, comprising:

interface circuitry to communicatively couple processor circuitry to memory; and

the processor circuitry including one or more of:

at least one of a central processor unit, a graphics processor unit, or a digital signal processor, the at least one of the central processor unit, the graphics processor unit, or the digital signal processor having control circuitry to control data movement within the processor circuitry, arithmetic and logic circuitry to perform one or more first operations corresponding to instructions, and one or more registers to store a result of the one or more first operations, the instructions in the apparatus;

a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), the FPGA including logic gate circuitry, a plurality of configurable interconnections, and storage circuitry, the logic gate circuitry and the plurality of the configurable interconnections to perform one or more second operations, the storage circuitry to store a result of the one or more second operations; or

Application Specific Integrated Circuitry (ASIC) including logic gate circuitry to perform one or more third operations;

the processor circuitry to perform at least one of the first operations, the second operations, or the third operations to instantiate:

device discovery management circuitry to discover a controllable device in audible proximity to a microphone, the microphone associated with a primary device;

output sound capability determination circuitry to determine an output sound capability of the controllable device;

microphone management circuitry to:

detect an absence of a voice as audio input into the microphone for a period of time; and

mute the audio input of the microphone after detecting the absence of the voice for the period of time; and

function modification circuitry to modify a function of the controllable device to reduce the output sound capability, the function modification circuitry to undo the modification of the function of the controllable device after muting the audio input of the microphone.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein to reduce the output sound capability includes to cause a decibel level of an output sound of the controllable device to be reduced.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein to reduce the output sound capability includes to prevent activation of the function of the controllable device.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to perform the at least one of the first operations, the second operations, or the third operations to instantiate:

communication management circuitry to initiate a primary device communication inquiry queue; and

the function modification circuitry to send a signal to the controllable device to cause the controllable device to initiate a silent mode of operation.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the processor circuitry is to perform the at least one of the first operations, the second operations, or the third operations to instantiate:

the communication management circuitry to:

cause the controllable device to generate a user busy reply after a communication inquiry is received at the controllable device; and

cause the controllable device to transfer the communication inquiry to the primary device.

6 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the processor circuitry is to perform the at least one of the first operations, the second operations, or the third operations to instantiate:

the communication management circuitry to:

compare a priority level of the communication inquiry to a threshold priority level; and

provide an indicator of the communication inquiry on the primary device after the priority level satisfies the threshold priority level.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controllable device is a personal communication device.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controllable device is a controller of a mechanical implement.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein to determine the output sound capability of the controllable device, the processor circuitry is to perform the at least one of the first operations, the second operations, or the third operations to instantiate the output sound capability determination circuitry to determine a decibel range of the controllable device by testing a range of the function of the controllable device.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to perform the at least one of the first operations, the second operations, or the third operations to instantiate:

the function modification circuitry to:

determine whether a current thermal condition of a thermally-cooled device satisfies a function modification threshold; and

at least temporarily prohibit the modifying of the function when the current thermal condition does not satisfy the function modification threshold.

11 . A non-transitory machine readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processor circuits to at least:

discover a controllable device in audible proximity to a microphone, the microphone associated with a primary device;

determine an output sound capability of the controllable device;

cause the controllable device to generate a user busy reply after a communication inquiry is received at the controllable device; and

cause the controllable device to transfer a communication inquiry to the primary device; and

modify a function of the controllable device to reduce the output sound capability.

12 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein to reduce the output sound capability, one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to cause a decibel level of an output sound of the controllable device to be reduced.

13 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein to reduce the output sound capability, one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to prevent activation of the function of the controllable device.

14 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are to cause one or more of the at least one processor circuit to:

detect an absence of a voice as audio input into the microphone for a period of time; and

mute the audio input of the microphone after detecting the absence of the voice for the period of time; and

unmodify the function of the controllable device after muting the audio input of the microphone.

15 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are to cause one or more of the at least one processor circuit to:

send a signal to the controllable device to cause the controllable device to initiate a silent mode of operation; and

initiate a primary device communication inquiry queue.

16 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are to cause one or more of the at least one processor circuit to:

compare a priority level of the communication inquiry to a threshold; and

provide an indicator of the communication inquiry on the primary device after the priority level satisfies the threshold.

17 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the controllable device is a personal communication device.

18 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the controllable device is a controller of a mechanical implement.

19 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the instructions are to cause one or more of the at least one processor circuit to determine the output sound capability of the controllable device by determining a decibel range of the controllable device through a test of a range of the function of the controllable device.

20 . The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the instructions are to cause one or more of the at least one processor circuit to:

determine whether a current thermal condition of a thermally-cooled device satisfies a function modification threshold; and

at least temporarily prevent the modifying of the function when the current thermal condition does not satisfy the function modification threshold.

21 . A method, comprising:

discovering, by executing an instruction with a processor, a controllable device in audible proximity to a microphone, the microphone associated with a primary device;

determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, an output sound capability of the controllable device;

determine whether a current thermal condition of a thermally-cooled device satisfies a function modification threshold;

at least temporarily prohibit the modification of the function when the current thermal condition does not satisfy the function modification threshold; and

modifying, by executing an instruction with the processor, a function of the controllable device to reduce the output sound capability.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein to reduce the output sound capability includes causing a decibel level of an output sound of the controllable device to be reduced.

23 . The method of claim 21 , further including:

sending a signal to the controllable device to cause the controllable device to initiate a silent mode of operation; and

initiating a primary device communication inquiry queue.

24 . A non-transitory machine readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor circuit to at least:

discover a controllable device in audible proximity to a microphone, the microphone associated with a primary device;

determine an output sound capability of the controllable device;

compare a priority level of a communication inquiry sent by the controllable device to a threshold priority level;

provide an indicator of the communication inquiry on the primary device after the priority level satisfies the threshold priority level; and

modify a function of the controllable device to reduce the output sound capability.