# US 10,320,353 B1 · Automated pause of media content playback based on sound level > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,320,353 B1 - Document ID: US10320353B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/972,778 - Filed: 2018-05-07 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2018-05-07 - Assignees: Spotify AB - Applicants: Spotify AB - Inventors: Jimmy Wahlberg; Thorbiörn Fritzon - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10320353B1 ## CPC - H03G 3/32: the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level - G06F 3/165: {Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path} - G10L 25/51: for comparison or discrimination - H03G 3/344: {Muting responsive to the amount of noise (noise squelch) (H03G3/345 takes precedence)} - H04R 1/406: {microphones} - H04R 3/005: {for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} - H04R 5/02: Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers - H04R 2410/01: Noise reduction using microphones having different directional characteristics - H04R 2410/05: Noise reduction with a separate noise microphone - H04R 2430/01: Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems - H04R 2430/20: Processing of the output signals of the acoustic transducers of an array for obtaining a desired directivity characteristic (H04R2203/12 takes precedence) - H04R 2499/13: Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles - H03G: CONTROL OF AMPLIFICATION - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING - 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) ## Abstract An example system for playing media content with a media playback device in a vehicle can be programmed to obtain a sound measurement indicative of a sound level associated with playback of the media content by the media playback device in the vehicle. The example system also can determine a deviation in an expected sound level based upon the sound measurement. Finally, the system can modify playback of the media content by the media playback device (110) based upon the deviation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for playing media content with a media playback device in a vehicle, the method comprising: obtaining a sound measurement indicative of a sound level associated with playback of the media content by the media playback device in the vehicle; determining a rate of change of the sound level from an expected sound level associated with the playback of the media content based upon the sound measurement; and pausing playback of the media content using the media playback device when the rate of change of the sound level exceeds a threshold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining the sound measurement from one or more microphones positioned in the vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining the sound measurement from one or more microphones associated with the media playback device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: playing the media content using the media playback device in the vehicle; and determining the sound measurement that is indicative of a volume of the media content being played. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising comparing the sound measurement to a playback sound level threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining the expected sound level at a particular point in the playback of the media content; and comparing the expected sound level to the sound measurement at the particular point in the playback of the media content. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein pausing further comprises storing an elapsed playback time of the media content, and the method further comprising: receiving a user command to play the media content using the media playback device, after pausing; and resuming playback of the media content from the elapsed playback time. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the sound measurement is obtained using a microphone arranged in the media playback device. ### Claim 9 A system for playing media content with a media playback device in a vehicle, the system comprising: at least one processor; and memory encoding instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to: obtain a sound measurement indicative of a sound level associated with playback of the media content by the media playback device in the vehicle; determine a rate of change of the sound level from an expected sound level associated with the playback of the media content based upon the sound measurement; and pause playback of the media content using the media playback device when the rate of change of the sound level exceeds a threshold. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the memory encodes further instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to obtain the sound measurement from one or more microphones positioned in the vehicle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the memory encodes further instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to obtain the sound measurement from one or more microphones associated with the media playback device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the memory encodes further instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to: play the media content using the media playback device in the vehicle; and determine the sound measurement that is indicative of a volume of the media content item being played.