# US 10,120,644 B2 · Dynamic muting audio transducer control for wearable personal communication nodes > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,120,644 B2 - Document ID: US10120644B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/907,576 - Filed: 2018-02-28 - Published: 2018-07-05 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-05-19 - Assignees: Orion Labs, Inc. - Applicants: Orion Labs - Inventors: Jesse Robbins; Greg Albrecht; Ellen Juhlin; Roger Wood; Neil Girling - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120644B2 ## CPC - A61B 34/30: Surgical robots - A61B 34/35: for telesurgery - A61B 34/37: Leader-follower robots (A61B34/35 takes precedence) - A61B 34/70: {Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery} - A61B 34/71: {Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms} - A61B 34/74: {Manipulators with manual electric input means} - B25J 9/1689: {Teleoperation} - G06F 3/165: {Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path} - H04B 1/385: {Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets} - A61B 17/29: Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery - A61B 17/3417: {Details of tips or shafts, e.g. grooves, expandable, bendable; Multiple coaxial sliding cannulas, e.g. for dilating (syringe needles A61M5/32; dilators A61M29/00)} - A61B 2017/00477: {Coupling (A61B2017/0046 takes precedence)} - A61B 2034/302: {specifically adapted for manipulations within body cavities, e.g. within abdominal or thoracic cavities} - A61B 2034/305: {Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms} - A61B 2090/506: {using a parallelogram linkage, e.g. panthograph} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract Systems, methods, software and apparatus that enable dynamic audio transducer control include obtaining attribute information relating to multiple communication nodes that are communication node group members. A group management system or other computing system receives attribute information from two or more of the communication nodes and determines settings for one or more audio transducers (e.g., speakers and microphones) in the group's communication nodes based on the attribute information. An audio transducer command is transmitted to or imposed on one or more of the nodes. Attribute information can include node attributes and/or changes to attributes. Audio transducer commands transmitted or otherwise imposed on nodes can include muting and unmuting commands, as well as setting volume levels and other audio settings associated with a node's operation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating a management system to manage an audio transducer status of a secure communication node group comprising a plurality of communication nodes, wherein the plurality of communication nodes comprises a first communication node, wherein the first communication node comprises one or more audio transducers comprising a speaker, the method comprising: the management system receiving management attribute information comprising: first communication node attribute information comprising first communication node secure group status information; second communication node attribute information comprising second communication node secure group status information, wherein the second communication node is not one of the plurality of communication nodes; and proximity attribute information about proximity of the first and second communication nodes; the management system determining muting/unmuting settings for the first communication node based on the received management attribute information; and transmitting a muting/unmuting command to the first communication node based on the management attribute information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the management attribute information further comprises information about the use of a headphone or earpiece jack in the first communication node. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein first communication node comprises two devices, wherein the two devices comprise a wireless intermediate communication device and an end user device wirelessly linked to the intermediate communication device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 wherein the end user device comprises a wearable personal communication device wirelessly linked to the intermediate communication device, wherein the wearable personal communication device comprises the speaker. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4 wherein the wireless intermediate communication device comprises one of the following: a smartphone; a tablet device; a gaming device; or a laptop. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the management attribute information further comprises changes in one or more first communication node attributes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 wherein the intermediate communication device comprises a computing system executing a communication software application. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of communication nodes use encryption to communicate with one another. ### Claim 9 A method of operating a first communication node controlled by a management system, the first communication node comprising a wireless intermediate communication device and a wearable end user device wirelessly linked to the intermediate communication device, wherein the wearable end user device comprises a speaker, and wherein a secure communication group comprises the first communication node, the method comprising: the first communication node obtaining attribute information, wherein the attribute information comprises the following: proximity information concerning proximity of the first communication node to a second communication node, wherein the secure communication group does not include the second communication node; and first communication node secure group status information; the first communication node transmitting the attribute information to the management system; the first communication node receiving a speaker muting command from the management system, wherein the speaker muting command is based on the attribute information; and responsive to the received speaker muting command, the first communication node adjusting an audio transducer speaker setting of the first communication node. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein the attribute information further comprises information about the use of a headphone or earpiece jack in the wearable end user device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein the wireless intermediate communication device comprises one of the following: a smartphone; a tablet device; a gaming device; or a laptop. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein the attribute information further comprises changes in one or more first communication node attributes. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein the intermediate communication device comprises a computing system executing a communication software application. ### Claim 14 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon program instructions to manage a first communication node in a secure communication node group comprising a plurality of communication nodes, wherein the plurality of communication nodes comprises the first communication node, the program instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to: obtain management attribute information comprising: first communication node attribute information comprising secure group status information about the first communication node, wherein the first communication node comprises one or more audio transducers comprising a speaker; second communication node attribute information comprising secure group status information about a second communication node, wherein the second communication node is not one of the plurality of communication nodes; and attribute information about proximity of the first and second communication nodes; determine one or more muting/unmuting settings for the first communication node, wherein the one or more muting/unmuting settings is based on the received management attribute information; and impose at least one muting/unmuting setting command on the first communication node, wherein the at least one muting/unmuting setting command is based on the received management attribute information and controls a muting status of the speaker of the first communication node. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 wherein the first communication node comprises a wireless intermediate communication device and a wearable end user device wirelessly linked to the intermediate communication device, further wherein the wearable end user device comprises the speaker. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the wireless intermediate communication device comprises one of the following: a smartphone; a tablet device; a gaming device; or a laptop. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 wherein the management attribute information further comprises information about the use of a headphone or earpiece jack in the wearable end user device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 wherein the management attribute information further comprises changes in one or more first communication node attributes. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 wherein the first communication node further comprises the computing system. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the intermediate communication device comprises the computing system executing the non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions.