# US 10,091,578 B2 · Method for adjusting a volume level of a communications unit and a communications unit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,091,578 B2 - Document ID: US10091578B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/806,156 - Filed: 2015-07-22 - Published: 2016-01-28 - Granted: 2018-10-02 - Earliest claimed: 2014-07-22 - Assignees: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft - Applicants: Thomas Benner - Inventors: Thomas Benner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10091578B2 ## CPC - H04R 3/00: Circuits for transducers (arrangements for producing a reverberation or echo sound G10K15/08; amplifiers H03F) - A61B 5/055: involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging - A61B 5/7465: {Arrangements for interactive communication between patient and care services, e.g. by using a telephone network (telemetry of measured physiological signal A61B5/0002)} - G10K 11/175: using interference effects; Masking sound - G16H 80/00: ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring - G10K 2210/1161: NMR or MRI - H04R 2227/001: Adaptation of signal processing in PA systems in dependence of presence of noise - H04R 2430/01: Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G10K: SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING, NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA ## Abstract A method for adjusting a volume level of a communications unit is provided. The communications unit is configured for communication between a medical operator and a patient during a magnetic resonance examination and includes at least one microphone and at least one loudspeaker. The method includes detecting communication signals by the at least one microphone, transmitting the detected communication signals to the at least one loudspeaker, and an acoustic output of the detected communication signals by the at least one loudspeaker. A volume level of the at least one microphone may be automatically adjusted during detection of the communication signals, and/or a volume level of the at least one loudspeaker may be automatically adjusted during the acoustic output of the communication signals. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for adjusting a volume level of a communications unit, wherein the communications unit is configured for communication between a medical operator and a patient during a magnetic resonance examination and wherein the communications unit comprises at least one microphone, at least one loudspeaker, and a control unit, the method comprising: detecting, by the at least one microphone, communication signals; measuring an ambient volume level by a volume measurement; transmitting the detected communication signals to the control unit; automatically adjusting a volume level of the at least one microphone or the at least one loudspeaker using the detected communication signals and the measured ambient volume level; and outputting, by the at least one loudspeaker, an acoustic output of the detected communication signal at the adjusted volume level. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the communications unit is further configured to adjust the volume level as a function of a time parameter of a magnetic resonance scan. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the the ambient volume level is measured by the at least one microphone. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the the ambient volume level is measured by a separate volume detection unit of the communications unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the automatic adjusting comprises a deactivation of the volume level. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the automatic adjusting comprises an adjustment of the volume level to an ambient noise volume level of the at least one microphone or of the at least one loudspeaker. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein after a cessation of interference noises, after an end of a magnetic resonance scan, or after a cessation of interference noises and after an end of a magnetic resonance scan, the volume level is automatically set, by the communications unit, to an original volume level. ### Claim 8 A communications unit comprising: at least one microphone; at least one loudspeaker; and a control unit, wherein the communications unit is configured for communication between a medical operator and a patient during a magnetic resonance examination, wherein the control unit comprises a volume adjustment unit configured to adjust a volume level of the communications unit, and wherein the communications unit is configured to: detect, by the at least one microphone, of communication signals; measure an ambient volume level by a volume measurement; transmit the detected communication signals to the control unit; automatically adjust a volume level of the at least one microphone or the at least one loudspeaker using the detected communication signals and the measured ambient volume level; and output an acoustic output of the detected communication signal at the adjusted volume level. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The communications unit of claim 8, the communications unit further comprising a volume detection unit configured to measure the ambient volume level. ### Claim 10 A magnetic resonance device comprising: a communications unit comprising: at least one microphone; at least one loudspeaker; and a control unit, wherein the communications unit is configured for communication between a medical operator and a patient during a magnetic resonance examination, wherein the control unit comprises a volume adjustment unit configured to adjust a volume level of the communications unit, and wherein the communications unit is configured to: detect, by the at least one microphone, of communication signals; measure an ambient volume level by a volume measurement; transmit the detected communication signals to the control unit; automatically adjust a volume level of the at least one microphone or the at least one loudspeaker using the detected communication signals and the measured ambient volume level; and output an acoustic output of the detected communication signal at the adjusted volume level. ### Claim 11 In a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions executable by one or more processors to adjust a volume of a communications unit, wherein the communications unit is configured for communication between a medical operator and a patient during a magnetic resonance examination and comprises at least one microphone, at least one loudspeaker, and a control unit, the instructions comprising: detect, by the at least one microphone, communication signals; measure an ambient volume level by a volume measurement; transmit the detected communication signals to the control unit; automatically adjust a volume level of the at least one microphone or the at least one loudspeaker using the detected communication signals and the measured ambient volume level; and output an acoustic output of the detected communication signal at the adjusted volume level. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the communications unit is further configured to adjust the volume level as a function of a time parameter of a magnetic resonance scan. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the ambient volume level is measured by the at least one microphone. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the ambient volume level is measured by a separate volume detection unit of the communications unit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the automatic adjustment comprises a deactivation of the volume level.