System and method for controlling volume
AssigneeCrackle, Inc.
InventorsAaron Goldstein, Christine Coner, Ihor Yaskiw
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods provide a solution to a common nuisance of loud background noise encountered when watching television, allowing the issue to be solved with little or no user interaction. Systems and methods automatically modulate device volume based on background noise level. The systems and methods record a background level of noise, and if that background level of noise increases, the systems and methods automatically increase the content volume which had been set by the user. Exceptions are made for brief sounds or for viewer conversations.
Claims18
A method of improving delivery of audio content during a content playback experience, comprising:
- a. detecting an initial baseline background noise level (BBNL);
- b. determining a desired content audio level (CAL);
- c. detecting a sustained increase in the BBNL;
- d. automatically causing an increase in the CAL to compensate for the detected sustained increase in the BBNL;
- and
- e. determining a metric based on the initial BBNL and the desired CAL, wherein the automatic increase in the CAL is such that the value of the metric is unchanged.
A system with improved delivery of audio content during a content playback experience, comprising:
- a. a network interface for receiving digital content;
- b. a display for displaying received digital content;
- c. a microphone for gauging an initial volume level, the initial volume level indicative of an initial baseline background noise level (BBNL);
- d. a means for determining a desired content audio level (CAL);
- e. a volume control module configured to control a playback volume of the digital content;
- f. a closed captioning module configured to, upon receipt of a closed captioning command, display closed captioning of the received digital content;
- and
- g. a sound adjustment module configured to receive an input from the microphone, and if the input from the microphone detects a sustained increase in the BBNL, then the sound adjustment module is configured to command the volume control module to automatically cause an increase in the CAL to compensate for the detected sustained increase in the BBNL, wherein the sound adjustment module is further configured to determine a metric based on the initial BBNL and the desired CAL, wherein the automatic increase in the CAL is such that the value of the metric is unchanged.
A method of improving delivery of audio content during a content playback experience, comprising:
- a. detecting an initial baseline background noise level (BBNL);
- b. determining a desired content audio level (CAL);
- c. detecting a sustained increase in the BBNL;
- d. automatically causing an increase in the CAL to compensate for the detected sustained increase in the BBNL;
- and
- e. detecting proximate speech, wherein if proximate speech is detected, and if the proximate speech causes an increase in the BBNL, then suppressing the automatic increase in the CAL caused by the increase in BBNL due to the proximate speech.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.