Acoustic monitoring using a sound masking emitter as a sensor

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of sound emitters configured to receive a plurality of sound emissions signals from a plurality of channels;

a plurality of relay circuits configured to control the plurality of sound emission signals, wherein one of the plurality of relay circuits is configured to interrupt one of the plurality of sound emission signals associated with one of the plurality of sound emitters while the other sound emissions signals pass to the other corresponding plurality of sound emitters; and

a sound detection circuit configured to receive an electrical ambient sound signal based on ambient sound sensed by the one of the plurality of sound emitters responsive to the interrupted one of the plurality of sound emission signals.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sound emitters are connected in a series chain configuration.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of sound emitters are configured to receive each of the plurality of channels and each of the individual sound emitters is configured to play one of the plurality of channels, such that each of the plurality of sound emitters plays a different channel from its contiguous neighboring sound emitters in the series chain configuration.

4. The system of claim 1 , comprising

a sound controller configured to generate the plurality of sound emission signals; and

a signal controller connected to the sound controller and comprising a plurality of signal conditioners disposed in connection to the plurality of relays.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least two interrupted sound emitters are further configured to create voltages based on the detected ambient sound.

6. The system of claim 5 , comprising

a processor configured to receive the voltages and transmit the voltages to a reporting computing device.

7. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of sound emissions signals from a plurality of channels via a plurality of sound emitters;

controlling the plurality of sound emission signals, via a plurality of relay circuits, wherein one of the plurality of relay circuits is configured to interrupt one of the plurality of sound emission signals associated with one of the plurality of sound emitters while the other sound emissions signals pass to the other corresponding plurality of sound emitters; and

receiving, via a sound detection circuit, an electrical ambient sound signal based on ambient sound sensed by the one of the plurality of sound emitters responsive to the interrupted one of the plurality of sound emission signals.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of sound emitters are connected in a series chain configuration.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of sound emitters are configured to receive each of the plurality of channels and each of the individual sound emitters is configured to play one of the plurality of channels, such that each of the plurality of sound emitters plays a different channel from its contiguous neighboring sound emitters in the series chain configuration.

10. The method of claim 7 , comprising

generating the plurality of sound emission signals via a sound controller connected to a signal controller comprising a plurality of signal conditioners disposed in connection to the plurality of relays circuits.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least two interrupted sound emitters are further configured to create voltages based on the detected ambient sound.

12. The method of claim 11 , comprising

receiving, via a processor, the voltages; and

transmitting the voltages to a reporting computing device.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform:

receiving a plurality of sound emissions signals from a plurality of channels via a plurality of sound emitters;

controlling the plurality of sound emission signals, via a plurality of relay circuits, wherein one of the plurality of relay circuits is configured to interrupt one of the plurality of sound emission signals associated with one of the plurality of sound emitters while the other sound emissions signals pass to the other corresponding plurality of sound emitters; and

receiving, via a sound detection circuit, an electrical ambient sound signal based on ambient sound sensed by the one of the plurality of sound emitters responsive to the interrupted one of the plurality of sound emission signals.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of sound emitters are connected in a series chain configuration.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of sound emitters are configured to receive each of the plurality of channels and each of the individual sound emitters is configured to play one of the plurality of channels, such that each of the plurality of sound emitters plays a different channel from its contiguous neighboring sound emitters in the series chain configuration.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

generating the plurality of sound emission signals via a sound controller connected to a signal controller comprising a plurality of signal conditioners disposed in connection to the plurality of relays circuits.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the at least two interrupted sound emitters are further configured to create voltages based on the detected ambient sound.