IP Library Granted Patent US 10,072,406
Granted Patent B2
US 10,072,406 · App. 15/176,453 · Granted Sep 11, 2018

Quiet toilet apparatus

Inventors: David R. Hall (Provo, UT); Dan Allen (Springville, UT); Ben Swenson (Lehi, UT); Joshua Larsen (Spanish Fork, UT); Jared Reynolds (Pleasant Grove, UT)
E03D9/00A47K13/30E03D11/02G10K11/178E03D2201/20G10K2210/105G10K2210/3046G10K2210/30231
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,072,406
App. No.
15/176,453
Granted
Sep 11, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A quiet toilet apparatus disclosed. Microphones and circuitry are used to receive and detect one or more virtual point source locations and propagation directions of unwanted toilet noise. Speakers are used to create one or more synthesized wave fronts resulting in cancelation and reduction of unwanted toilet noise. The speakers, microphones and circuitry may be located within a toilet seat of a toilet or at a remote location. A user device or remote device may be connected to the noise reduction toilet apparatus for data recording, collection, reporting, and electronic noise filtering.

Claims (14)

1. A toilet apparatus comprising:

one or more arrays of microphones that detect unwanted sound waves associated with the toilet apparatus, wherein each of the one or more arrays of microphones comprises a plurality of microphones directed in a plurality of directions;

circuitry which determines one or more virtual point source locations of unwanted sound wave signals based on the detected unwanted sound waves;

a power supply that powers the circuitry; and

one or more speakers that transmit one or more synthesized inverted unwanted wave fronts based on the one or more virtual point source locations; and

a communication section, wherein the communication section transmits sounds gathered by the one or more arrays of microphones to a remote computer;

wherein at least one microphone within the plurality of microphones within at least one of the one or more arrays of microphones is configured to be used for voice recognition or for cancelation of the unwanted sound waves over a telephonic transmission.

2. A method of reducing toilet noise from a toilet comprising:

detecting one or more virtual point source locations of unwanted sound waves associated with the toilet with one or more arrays of microphones, wherein each of the one or more arrays of microphones comprises a plurality of microphones directed in a plurality of directions;

generating one or more synthesized inverted unwanted wave signals with one or more circuits based on the detected unwanted sound waves;

powering the one or more circuits with one or more power sources; and

transmitting with one or more speakers one or more synthesized inverted unwanted wave fronts to a location within a toilet bowl and to a location outside of the toilet bowl; and

transmitting sounds gathered by the one or more arrays of microphones to a remote computer;

wherein at least one microphone within the plurality of microphones within at least one of the one or more arrays of microphones is configured to be used for voice recognition or for cancelation of the unwanted sound waves over a telephonic transmission.

Assignments (8)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 16, 2024
From: MEDIC, INC.
To: GUARDIAN HEALTH, INC.
Reel/Frame 066337/0771 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 14, 2020
From: HALL LABS LLC
To: MEDIC, INC.
Reel/Frame 052671/0795 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 9, 2020
From: ALLEN, DAN
To: HALL LABS LLC
Reel/Frame 051856/0824 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 16, 2019
From: REYNOLDS, JARED
To: HALL LABS LLC
Reel/Frame 049200/0287 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 16, 2019
From: LARSEN, JOSHUA
To: HALL LABS LLC
Reel/Frame 049200/0397 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 24, 2018
From: SWENSON, BEN
To: HALL LABS LLC
Reel/Frame 046952/0220 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 15, 2018
From: HALL, DAVID R
To: HALL LABS LLC
Reel/Frame 046832/0478 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 15, 2018
From: LARSEN, JOSHUA
To: HALL LABS LLC
Reel/Frame 046832/0461 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170356176A1 · Dec 14, 2017
Cited By (1)
US 12,577,772