IP Library Granted Patent US 12,299,347
Granted Patent B2
US 12,299,347 · App. 17/699,381 · Granted May 13, 2025

Device disturbance reduction

Inventors: Nathan Peterson (Oxford, NC); Gary D Cudak (Wake Forest, NC); John M Petersen (Wake Forest, NC)
Assignee: Lenovo (United States) Inc.
G06F3/165G01S11/14H04R3/00H04R2430/01
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,299,347
App. No.
17/699,381
Granted
May 13, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

One embodiment provides a method, the method including: identifying, using a disturbance minimization system, a device as a primary device; identifying, using the disturbance minimization system, a context of the primary device; determining, using the disturbance minimization system and based upon the context of the primary device, that sound disturbances need reduced in an audible environment of the primary device; and reducing, using the disturbance minimization system and responsive to determining the sound disturbances need reduced, at least one sound disturbance produced by at least one device other than the primary device.

Claims (41)

1. A method, the method comprising:

identifying, using a disturbance minimization system, a device as a primary device;

identifying, using the disturbance minimization system, a context of the primary device, wherein the context of the primary device comprises identifying the primary device is active and the primary device is present in a communication connection with a device of at least one participant;

determining, using the disturbance minimization system and based upon the context of the primary device in an audible environment, sound disturbances needing reduced in the audible environment of the primary device, wherein the determining comprises identifying an audibility of the sound disturbances at the primary device, wherein the identifying the audibility of the sound disturbances comprises determining a communication connection-type indicating a relationship between a user of the primary device and the at least one participant; and

dynamically reducing, using the disturbance minimization system and responsive to determining the sound disturbances needing reduced, at least one sound disturbance produced by at least one device other than the primary device present in the audible environment, wherein the reducing comprises identifying a range of the at least one device with respect to the primary device and comprises dynamically changing the at least one sound disturbance based upon the primary device being active and at least one of: a position of the at least one device with the respect to the primary device and the relationship between the user and the at least participant present on the communication connection, wherein the range is correlated to a sound reduction amount, and wherein the reducing comprises reducing the at least one sound disturbance produced by the at least one device by the sound reduction amount;

wherein the dynamically changing the at least one sound disturbance comprises resetting a sound output setting of the at least one device to a previous output setting, responsive to determining the at least one device is no longer within the audible environment of the primary device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reducing comprises reducing the at least one sound disturbance by an amount correlated to the audibility of the sound disturbances.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying a context comprises identifying a current use of the primary device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying a context comprises identifying a location of the primary device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resetting the sound output comprises resetting the sound output setting by an amount correlated to an audibility of the at least one device to the primary device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reducing comprises reducing a volume setting of at least one device that is not currently outputting a sound.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises utilizing one or more sensors to identify the position of the at least one device with respect to the primary device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying a primary device comprises prioritizing a plurality of devices and the device of the plurality of devices having the highest priority is identified as the primary device;

wherein the identifying a context comprises identifying a current use of the primary device;

wherein the determining comprises determining other of the plurality of devices are within an audible range of the primary device; and

wherein the reducing comprises decreasing a sound volume setting on the other of the plurality of devices via sending an instruction from the disturbance minimization system to the other of the plurality of devices.

9. An information handling device, the information handling device comprising:

a processor;

a memory device that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the information handling device to:

identify, using a disturbance minimization system, a device as a primary device;

identify, using the disturbance minimization system, a context of the primary device, wherein the context of the primary device comprises identifying the primary device is active and the primary device is present in a communication connection with a device of at least one participant;

determine, using the disturbance minimization system and based upon the context of the primary device in an audible environment, sound disturbances needing reduced in the audible environment of the primary device, wherein to determine comprises identifying an audibility of the sound disturbances at the primary device, wherein the identifying the audibility of the sound disturbances comprises determining a communication connection-type indicating a relationship between a user of the primary device and the at least one participant; and

dynamically reduce, using the disturbance minimization system and responsive to determining the sound disturbances needing reduced, at least one sound disturbance produced by at least one device other than the primary device present in the audible environment, wherein to reduce comprises identifying a range of the at least one device with respect to the primary device and comprises dynamically changing the at least one sound disturbance based upon the primary device being active and at least one of: a position of the at least one device with the respect to the primary device and the relationship between the user and the at least participant present on the communication connection, wherein the range is correlated to a sound reduction amount, and wherein to reduce comprises reducing the at least one sound disturbance produced by the at least one device by the sound reduction amount;

wherein the dynamically changing the at least one sound disturbance comprises resetting a sound output setting of the at least one device to a previous output setting, responsive to determining the at least one device is no longer within the audible environment of the primary device.

10. The information handling device of claim 9 , wherein to reduce comprises reducing the at least one sound disturbance by an amount correlated to the audibility of the sound disturbances.

11. The information handling device of claim 9 , wherein the identifying a context comprises identifying a current use of the primary device.

12. The information handling device of claim 9 , wherein the identifying a context comprises identifying a location of the primary device.

13. The information handling device of claim 9 , wherein the resetting the sound output comprises resetting the sound output setting by an amount correlated to an audibility of the at least one device to the primary device.

14. The information handling device of claim 9 , wherein the reducing comprises reducing a volume setting of at least one device that is not currently outputting a sound.

15. The information handling device of claim 9 , wherein the determining comprises utilizing one or more sensors to identify a location of the at least one device with respect to the primary device.

16. A product, the product comprising:

a computer-readable storage device that stores executable code that, when executed by a processor, causes the product to:

identify, using a disturbance minimization system, a device as a primary device;

identify, using the disturbance minimization system, a context of the primary device, wherein the context of the primary device comprises identifying the primary device is active and the primary device is present in a communication connection with a device of at least one participant;

determine, using the disturbance minimization system and based upon the context of the primary device in an audible environment, sound disturbances needing reduced in the audible environment of the primary device, wherein to determine comprises identifying an audibility of the sound disturbances at the primary device, wherein the identifying the audibility of the sound disturbances comprises determining a communication connection-type indicating a relationship between a user of the primary device and the at least one participant; and

dynamically reduce, using the disturbance minimization system and responsive to determining the sound disturbances needing reduced, at least one sound disturbance produced by at least one device other than the primary device present in the audible environment, wherein to reduce comprises identifying a range of the at least one device with respect to the primary device and comprises dynamically changing the at least one sound disturbance based upon the primary device being active and at least one of: a position of the at least one device with the respect to the primary device and the relationship between the user and the at least participant present on the communication connection, wherein the range is correlated to a sound reduction amount, and wherein the reducing comprises reducing the at least one sound disturbance produced by the at least one device by the sound reduction amount;

wherein the dynamically changing the at least one sound disturbance comprises resetting a sound output setting of the at least one device to a previous output setting, responsive to determining the at least one device is no longer within the audible environment of the primary device.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying the context of the primary devices comprises identifying a location of the primary device within the audible environment;

wherein the location of the primary device within the audible environment is at least one of: a priority location, a primary location, and a designated quiet location.

18. The information handling device of claim 9 , wherein the identifying the context of the primary devices comprises identifying a location of the primary device within the audible environment;

wherein the location of the primary device within the audible environment is at least one of: a priority location, a primary location, and a designated quiet location.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 21, 2022
From: PETERSON, NATHAN; CUDAK, GARY D; PETERSEN, JOHN M
To: LENOVO (UNITED STATES) INC.
Reel/Frame 059323/0010 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230297322A1 · Sep 21, 2023
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