# US 12,003,928 B2 · Acoustic monitoring using a sound masking emitter as a sensor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,003,928 B2 - Document ID: US12003928B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/169,153 - Filed: 2023-02-14 - Published: 2023-06-22 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-19 - Assignees: Biamp Systems, LLC - Applicants: Biamp Systems, LLC - Inventors: Christopher Calisi; Faruk Bursal; Robert Fleming - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12003928B2 ## CPC - H04R 29/002: {Loudspeaker arrays} - G10K 11/175: using interference effects; Masking sound - G10K 11/1752: {Masking} - G10K 11/17823: {Reference signals, e.g. ambient acoustic environment} - G10K 11/17857: {Geometric disposition, e.g. placement of microphones} - G10K 11/17873: {using a reference signal without an error signal, e.g. pure feedforward} - H04R 1/403: {loud-speakers} - H04R 3/12: for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers {(specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} - H04R 5/02: Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers - H04R 5/04: Circuit arrangements, {e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments (combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S)} - H04S 3/008: {in which the audio signals are in digital form, i.e. employing more than two discrete digital channels (data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02)} - H04R 2400/01: Transducers used as a loudspeaker to generate sound aswell as a microphone to detect sound - H04S 2400/01: Multi-channel, i.e. more than two input channels, sound reproduction with two speakers wherein the multi-channel information is substantially preserved - 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) - 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 - H04S: STEREOPHONIC SYSTEMS ## Abstract Example embodiments may include one or more of receiving an electrical sound emission signal from a sound controller, interrupting reception of the electrical sound emission signal, by a sound emission interruption circuit connected to a sound emitter, and receiving an electrical ambient sound signal via a sound detection circuit, based on ambient sound sensed by the sound emitter when the reception of the electrical sound emission signal is interrupted by the sound emission interruption circuit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a plurality of sound emitters configured to receive a plurality of sound emissions signals from a plurality of channels, wherein one of the plurality of sound emission signals associated with one of the plurality of sound emitters is interrupted while other sound emissions signals pass to other corresponding ones of the plurality of sound emitters; and wherein the plurality of sound emitters are configured to play a different channel of the plurality of channels from contiguous neighboring ones of the plurality of sound emitters. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sound emitters are connected in a series chain configuration. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein a sound detection circuit is configured to receive an electrical ambient sound signal based on ambient sound sensed by the one of the plurality of sound emitters responsive to an interrupted one of the plurality of sound emission signals. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, comprising a sound controller configured to generate the plurality of sound emission signals. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, comprising a signal controller connected to the sound controller and comprising a plurality of signal conditioners disposed in connection to a plurality of relay circuits. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one of an interrupted sound emitter of the plurality of interrupted sound emitters is further configured to create voltages based on the ambient sound. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, comprising a processor configured to receive the voltages and transmit the voltages to a reporting computing device. ### Claim 8 A method comprising: receiving, via a plurality of sound emitters, a plurality of sound emissions signals from a plurality of channels, wherein one of the plurality of sound emission signals associated with one of the plurality of sound emitters is interrupted while other sound emissions signals pass to other corresponding ones of the plurality of sound emitters; and playing, via the plurality of sound emitters, a different channel of the plurality of channels from contiguous neighboring ones of the plurality of sound emitters. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sound emitters are connected in a series chain configuration. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, comprising receiving, via a sound detection circuit, an electrical ambient sound signal based on ambient sound sensed by the one of the plurality of sound emitters responsive to an interrupted one of the plurality of sound emission signals. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, comprising generating the plurality of sound emission signals via a sound controller connected to a signal controller. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the signal controller comprises a plurality of signal conditioners disposed in connection to a plurality of relays circuits. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the one of an interrupted sound emitters is further configured to create voltages based on an ambient sound. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, comprising receiving, via a processor, the voltages; and transmitting the voltages to a reporting computing device. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform: receiving, via a plurality of sound emitters, a plurality of sound emissions signals from a plurality of channels, wherein one of the plurality of sound emission signals associated with one of the plurality of sound emitters is interrupted while other sound emissions signals pass to other corresponding ones of the plurality of sound emitters; and playing, via the plurality of sound emitters, a different channel of the plurality of channels from contiguous neighboring ones of the plurality of sound emitters. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of sound emitters are connected in a series chain configuration. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein a sound detection circuit is configured to receive an electrical ambient sound signal based on ambient sound sensed by the one of the plurality of sound emitters responsive to an interrupted one of the plurality of sound emission signals. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to perform: generating the plurality of sound emission signals via a sound controller connected to a signal controller. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the signal controller comprises a plurality of signal conditioners disposed in connection to a plurality of relays circuits. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the one of an interrupted sound emitters is further configured to create voltages based on an ambient sound.