# US 12,593,100 B2 · Notification system, notification method, control device, and recording medium

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- Number: US 12,593,100 B2
- Document ID: US12593100B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/699,144
- Filed: 2023-09-25
- Published: 2025-07-24
- Granted: 2026-03-31
- Earliest claimed: 2023-09-25
- Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Masahiro Ishii; Hiromu Ikeuchi; Sara Asai
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12593100B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/167: {Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback}
- H04N 21/44218: {Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV programme (methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45)}
- G06F 3/16: Sound input; Sound output (speech processing G10L)
- G06V 20/52: Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects (recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69)
- H04N 21/42203: {sound input device, e.g. microphone}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING

## Abstract

A notification system includes: an obtainer that obtains an audio content to be notified of and a result of sensing by a sensor that senses a space in which a notification device is located; a determiner that determines whether a first user ready to listen to the audio content notified of by the notification device is in the space, based on the result of the sensing; and a controller that performs first control of controlling notification of the audio content by the notification device depending on whether the first user is in the space. In the first control, the controller: causes the notification device to notify of the audio content, when the first user is in the space; and prevents the notification device from notifying of the audio content, when the first user is not in the space.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A notification system comprising:
an obtainer that obtains an audio content to be notified of and a result of sensing obtained by a microphone that detects a sound generated in a space in which a notification device is located; and
a controller that performs first control of controlling notification of the audio content by the notification device depending on whether a sound pressure of the sound generated in the space is lower than or equal to a predetermined threshold, based on a sound signal generated by the microphone as the result of the sensing, wherein
in the first control, the controller:
causes the notification device to notify of the audio content, when the sound pressure is lower than or equal to the predetermined threshold; and
prevents the notification device from notifying of the audio content, when the sound pressure is higher than the predetermined threshold,
the obtainer obtains a plurality of audio contents at a plurality of timings that are different from each other, and
the controller:
determines, for each of the plurality of timings, whether a sound pressure of the sound generated in the space is lower than or equal to the predetermined threshold, based on a sound signal generated by the microphone at the timing; and
causes the notification device to notify of a first audio content that has not been notified of at a timing at which the sound pressure is determined to be higher than the predetermined threshold, when (i) determining that the sound pressure is lower than or equal to the predetermined threshold after determining that the sound pressure is higher than the predetermined threshold, based on a sound signal at a first timing at which the first audio content is obtained and (ii) no portion of the first audio content is notified to the notification device at the first timing.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The notification system according to claim 1, wherein
the obtainer further obtains priority information on priority of the audio content, and
the controller performs:
second control of causing the notification device to notify of the audio content, when the priority is a first rank; and
the first control, when the priority is a second rank that is lower than the first rank.

### Claim 3

A notification method comprising:
obtaining an audio content to be notified of and a result of sensing obtained by a microphone that detects a sound generated in a space in which a notification device is located;
determining whether to notify of the audio content depending on whether a sound pressure of the sound generated in the space is lower than or equal to a predetermined threshold, based on a sound signal generated by the microphone as the result of the sensing; and
notifying of the audio content based on a result of the determining, wherein
the determining includes:
determining to notify of the audio content, when the sound pressure is lower than or equal to the predetermined threshold; and
determining not to notify of the audio content, when the sound pressure is higher than the predetermined threshold,
in the obtaining the audio content, a plurality of audio contents are obtained at a plurality of timings that are different from each other, and
the method comprises:
determining, for each of the plurality of timings, whether a sound pressure of the sound generated in the space is lower than or equal to the predetermined threshold, based on a sound signal generated by the microphone at the timing; and
causing the notification device to notify of a first audio content that has not been notified of at a timing at which the sound pressure is determined to be higher than the predetermined threshold, when (i) determining that the sound pressure is lower than or equal to the predetermined threshold after determining that the sound pressure is higher than the predetermined threshold, based on a sound signal at a first timing at which the first audio content is obtained and (ii) no portion of the first audio content is notified to the notification device at the first timing.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for causing a computer to execute the notification method according to claim 3.

### Claim 5

A control device communicably connected to a notification device, the control device comprising:
an obtainer that obtains an audio content to be notified of and a result of sensing obtained by a microphone that detects a sound generated in a space in which a notification device is located; and
a controller that performs first control of controlling notification of the audio content by the notification device depending on whether a sound pressure of the sound generated in the space is lower than or equal to a predetermined threshold, based on a sound signal generated by the microphone as the result of the sensing, wherein
in the first control, the controller:
causes the notification device to notify of the audio content, when the sound pressure is lower than or equal to the predetermined threshold; and
prevents the notification device from notifying of the audio content, when the sound pressure is higher than the predetermined threshold,
the obtainer obtains a plurality of audio contents at a plurality of timings that are different from each other, and
the controller:
determines, for each of the plurality of timings, whether a sound pressure of the sound generated in the space is lower than or equal to the predetermined threshold, based on a sound signal generated by the microphone at the timing; and
causes the notification device to notify of a first audio content that has not been notified of at a timing at which the sound pressure is determined to be higher than the predetermined threshold, when (i) determining that the sound pressure is lower than or equal to the predetermined threshold after determining that the sound pressure is higher than the predetermined threshold, based on a sound signal at a first timing at which the first audio content is obtained and (ii) no portion of the first audio content is notified to the notification device at the first timing.