US 10,121,463 B2Granted

Networked sound masking system

Assignee777388 Ontario Limited

InventorsKlaus Moeller, Niklas Moeller, Mircea Rusu, Carl Derla

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A sound masking system for shaping the ambient noise level in a physical environment. The sound masking system comprises a networked and distributed system having a number of master units coupled together and to a control unit. One or more of the master units may include satellite sound masking units which function to reproduce the sound masking signal generated by the master sound masking unit. Each of the master units is addressable over the network by the control unit enabling the control unit to program the contour, spectral band, and gain characteristics of the sound masking output signal. The system may also include a remote control unit which provides the capability to tune and adjust each master sound masking unit in situ without requiring physical access through the ceiling installation.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A networkable sound masking device comprising:

(a) an input communication interface for interfacing to a communication network for receiving one or more sound masking control signals to control operation of the networkable sound masking device;
(b) a controller, said controller including an address component configured to recognize one or more of said sound masking control signals addressed to the networkable sound masking device, and said controller being configured for processing said one or more sound masking control signals addressed to the networkable sound masking device;
(c) a sound masking component for generating a sound masking output signal, said sound masking component being responsive to said controller, and said sound masking output signal being responsive to said one or more sound masking control signals addressed to the networkable sound masking device;
and
(d) an output for outputting the sound masking output signal to one or more satellite sound masking units, wherein the sound masking output signal is responsive to said one or more sound masking control signals received through the input communication interface.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/060,433Filed 3 Mar 2016 · continuation
Priority: 26 Feb 2001
Published: US 2016/0189701 A130 Jun 2016
Granted: 6 Nov 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification19 codes

G10K 11/1752
Using interference effects; Masking sound: masking
H04K 3/825
Related to preventing surveillance, interception or detection: by jamming
H04M 11/027
With bell or annunciator systems: annunciator systems for hospitals
H04R 3/002
Circuits for transducers: damping circuit arrangements for transducers, e.g. motional feedback circuits

Family

Application09/791,802Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Feb 2001
Application13/890,824Parent of this continuation · filed 9 May 2013
US 8,477,958 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Jul 2013
US 2016/0189701 A1Pre-grant publication · published 30 Jun 2016
US 9,307,333 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2002/0150261 A1Published application
US 2013/0243215 A1Published application
US 10,121,463 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.