# US 2014/0192990 A1 · Virtual Audio Map > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0192990 A1 - Document ID: US20140192990A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/738,803 - Filed: 2013-01-10 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-10 - Inventors: Wilson Cheng - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140192990A1 ## CPC - H04R 29/00: Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements {(for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308)} - G01H 3/125: {for representing acoustic field distribution (using optical means G01H9/002; sonar systems for imaging G01S7/56, G01S15/89; acoustic holography G03H3/00)} - 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) - G01H: MEASUREMENT OF MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OR ULTRASONIC, SONIC OR INFRASONIC WAVES ## Abstract A system and method for mapping acoustic activities is disclosed. One method comprises receiving acoustic measurements recorded for a predetermined interval at a plurality of telephonic computing devices that are located at a determined location. A map of the acoustic measurements is created based on a location of each of the plurality of telephonic computing devices at which the acoustic amplitude measurement is recorded. An amplitude and/or frequency of the acoustic measurements can be displayed on the map relative to the location of the telephonic computing device at the selected location to form an acoustic map. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for mapping acoustic activities, comprising: receiving, at a server, acoustic sample data recorded for a predetermined interval at a plurality of telephonic devices situated in a determined location, wherein the acoustic sample data includes at least one of frequency information and amplitude information of an acoustic event; associating the acoustic sample data relative to a location of a telephonic device at which the acoustic sample data is recorded; and configuring a map to display: a graphical representation of a location of the plurality of telephonic devices; and at least one of the frequency information and the amplitude information of the acoustic sample data relative to the location of the telephonic device illustrated in the graphical representation at which the acoustic sample data was recorded to provide an acoustic map operable to display the acoustic activities for the determined location. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein receiving acoustic sample data further comprises receiving, at the server, a plurality of samples from the plurality of telephonic devices, wherein each sample is for a selected period of time, the samples are measured at each of the plurality of telephonic devices at a selected rate, and each sample includes at least one of audio information, amplitude information, and frequency information for the acoustic event that occurred during the sample period. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: performing, at the server, a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) on the audio information to provide frequency information for the acoustic event; and displaying the frequency information on the acoustic map relative to a location of the telephonic device at which the audio information was recorded. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising filtering selected samples based on at least one of an amplitude signature and a frequency signature of the selected samples to reduce false alarms from the samples. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein receiving acoustic sample data further comprises receiving, at the server, acoustic sample data for samples having an amplitude that is greater than a selected amplitude threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the selected amplitude threshold is a dynamic threshold that is relative to a noise floor that is determined for each telephonic device over a selected time interval, wherein the noise floor is determined based on an average noise measurement over the selected time interval. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying selected audio amplitude bands as different colors in the acoustic map to show the acoustic activities for each telephonic device in the selected location, wherein each audio amplitude band represents an acoustic energy amplitude measurement having an amplitude between at least one of a lower amplitude threshold and an upper amplitude threshold. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising illustrating the graphical representation in a graphical user interface (GUI) to enable a user to select a location on the acoustic map to activate a telephonic device in the plurality of telephonic devices to listen at the location of the telephonic device using a microphone of the telephonic device, wherein the user selects the location based on information of the acoustic activities provided by the acoustic map. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising configuring the GUI to enable a user to select at least two locations on the acoustic map to activate at least two telephonic devices in the plurality of telephonic devices to listen at the locations of the at least two telephonic devices using a microphone on each of the at least two telephonic devices. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a sample rate increase command from the server to at least one of the plurality of telephonic devices to increase a sampling rate by reducing the predetermined interval at which the acoustic data sample is recorded, wherein the sampling rate is increased to increase an amount of data to obtain more accurate information, wherein the sample rate increase command is sent to telephonic devices that report acoustic sample data having an amplitude greater than a selected threshold. ### Claim 11 An acoustic mapping module in communication with a server, comprising: a receiving module operable to receive samples of acoustic measurements recorded for a predetermined interval at a plurality of telephonic devices that are positioned at a determined location; and a mapping module configured to: map a location for each sample relative to a location of a telephonic device at which the sample is recorded; and display a representation of at least one of an amplitude and a frequency of the acoustic measurements relative to the location of the telephonic device to provide an acoustic map configured to display the acoustic activities at the selected location. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The acoustic mapping module of claim 11, wherein each sample of acoustic measurements comprises a plurality of acoustic measurements recorded at a selected rate for the predetermined interval. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The acoustic mapping module of claim 11, wherein the receiving module is operable to receive a sample from the plurality of telephonic devices at a predetermined frequency. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The acoustic mapping module of claim 11, wherein the receiving module is further configured to categorize the acoustic amplitude measurements in each sample into a selected amplitude band, wherein each band has a lower amplitude threshold and a higher amplitude threshold. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The acoustic mapping module of claim 14, wherein the mapping module is further configured to provide a predetermined display for the amplitude of the measurement based on the selected amplitude band of the acoustic amplitude measurement. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The acoustic mapping module of claim 11, further comprising a graphical user interface (GUI) in communication with the acoustic mapping module, wherein the GUI is configured to display the acoustic map for the plurality of telephonic devices at the determined location. ### Claim 17 At least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium comprising a plurality of instructions adapted to be executed to implement a method for creating an acoustic map, comprising: receiving acoustic amplitude measurements recorded for a predetermined interval at a plurality of telephonic computing devices that are located at a determined location; creating a map of the acoustic amplitude measurements based on a location of each of the plurality of telephonic computing devices at which the acoustic amplitude measurement is recorded; and displaying an amplitude of the acoustic amplitude measurements on the map relative to the location of the telephonic computing device at the selected location to form an acoustic map. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising receiving a packet of a plurality of samples of the acoustic amplitude measurements over the predetermined interval, wherein each packet is received at a periodic interval and includes frequency bin information for selected frequency ranges recorded in the acoustic amplitude measurements. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein displaying the amplitude further comprises: dividing each sample into one of a plurality of amplitude bands based on an amplitude of the sample, wherein each amplitude band has a lower amplitude threshold and an upper amplitude threshold; and displaying a graphical representation of each sample based on the amplitude band in which the sample is located, wherein each amplitude band has a different graphical representation. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising displaying frequency bin information for selected frequency ranges recorded in the acoustic amplitude measurements.