# US 2017/0256251 A1 · Acoustic wall assembly having double-wall configuration and active noise-disruptive properties, and/or method of making and/or using the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0256251 A1 - Document ID: US20170256251A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/057,890 - Filed: 2016-03-01 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-01 - Assignees: Guardian Industries Corp. - Applicants: Guardian Industries Corp. - Inventors: Alexey KRASNOV; Barry B. CORDEN; Ed GREEN - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170256251A1 ## CPC - E04B 2/7403: {with special measures for sound or thermal insulation including fire protection} - G10K 11/1752: {Masking} - G10K 11/1754: {Speech masking} - G10K 11/17823: {Reference signals, e.g. ambient acoustic environment} - G10K 11/17837: {by retaining part of the ambient acoustic environment, e.g. speech or alarm signals that the user needs to hear} - G10K 11/17857: {Geometric disposition, e.g. placement of microphones} - G10K 11/17861: {using additional means for damping sound, e.g. using sound absorbing panels} - G10K 11/17881: {the reference signal being an acoustic signal, e.g. recorded with a microphone} - E04B 1/82: specifically with respect to sound only ({of floors or ceilings E04B9/001;} noise damping in ducts or channels E04F17/00; noise damping in general G10K11/16) - G10K 2210/12: Rooms, e.g. ANC inside a room, office, concert hall or automobile cabin - G10K 2210/3012: Algorithms - G10K 2210/3045: Multiple acoustic inputs, single acoustic output - G10K 2210/3212: Actuator details, e.g. composition or microstructure - G10K 2210/3223: Materials, e.g. special compositions or gases - G10K 2210/3227: Resonators - E04B: GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS (border constructions of opening in walls, floors or ceilings E06B1/00; {electromagnetic shielding H05K9/0001}) - 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 ## Abstract Certain example embodiments relate to an acoustic wall assembly that uses active and/or passive sound reverberation to achieve noise-disruptive functionality, and/or a method of making and/or using the same. With the active approach, sound waves in a given frequency range are detected by a sound masking circuit. Responsive to detection of such sound waves, an air pump (e.g., speaker) is used to pump air in the wall assembly to actively mask the detected sound waves via reverberation and/or the like. The wall assembly may include one, two, or more walls, and the walls may be partial or full walls. With the passive approach, sound waves in a given frequency range are disrupted via features (e.g., holes, slits, etc.) formed in and/or on a wall itself. These techniques may be used together or separately, in different example embodiments. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An acoustic wall assembly, comprising: inner and outer walls that are substantially parallel to one another, a gap being defined therebetween; an air pump; and a sound masking circuit configured to: detect sound waves in a predetermined frequency range, and responsive to detection of sound waves in the predetermined frequency range, control the air pump to pump air in the gap to actively mask the detected sound waves as they pass from outside of the outer wall to inside the inner wall. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The acoustic wall assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner and outer walls are glass walls. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The acoustic wall assembly of claim 1, wherein the air pump is located in the gap. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The acoustic wall assembly of claim 1, wherein the air pump is a speaker. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The acoustic wall assembly of claim 1, further comprising a microphone located in the gap. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The acoustic wall assembly of claim 1, wherein active acoustic masking is performed using reverse masking. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The acoustic wall assembly of claim 1, wherein active masking is performed using reverberation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The acoustic wall assembly of claim 1, wherein the sound masking circuit comprises a controller configured to (a) process detected sound waves in the predetermined frequency range in accordance with an algorithm and (b) control the air pump to pump air in the gap to actively mask the detected sound waves in accordance with output from the algorithm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The acoustic wall assembly of claim 8, wherein the algorithm is a reverberation algorithm selected from the group consisting of: standard convolution, enhanced convolution, reverse reverberation, and delay-controlled reverberation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The acoustic wall assembly of claim 1, wherein the predetermined frequency range corresponds to speech and/or noise determined to be psychoacoustically disruptive, disturbing, or annoying. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The acoustic wall assembly of claim 1, further comprising a first microphone embedded in the gap and a second microphone installed on an outside major surface of the acoustic wall assembly. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The acoustic wall assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least one opening formed in the inner and/or outer wall(s), the at least one opening causing generated reverberation to be directional relative to inner and outer major surfaces of the acoustic wall assembly. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The acoustic wall assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner and outer walls are partial-height walls. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The acoustic wall assembly of claim 1, wherein the predetermined frequency range is 28-3200 Hz. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The acoustic wall assembly of claim 1, wherein the wall has acoustic absorption coefficients ranging from: 0.03-0.3 at 125 Hz, 0.03-0.6 at 250 Hz, 0.03-0.6 Hz at 500 Hz; 0.03-0.9 at 1000 Hz, 0.02-0.9 at 2000 Hz, and 0.02-0.8 at 4000 Hz. ### Claim 16 An acoustic wall assembly, comprising: inner and outer walls that are substantially parallel to one another, a gap being defined therebetween; a receiver sensitive to sound; a pump controllable to generate pressure waves in the gap; and a control circuit operably coupled to the receiver and the pump, the control circuit being configured to process a signal received from the receiver and control the pump to selectively generate pressure waves in the gap to disrupt, via a reverberative effect, noise in a predetermined frequency range that otherwise would pass through the acoustic wall assembly. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The acoustic wall assembly of claim 16, wherein the inner and outer walls comprise glass. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The acoustic wall assembly of claim 16, wherein the predetermined frequency range is 28-3200 Hz. ### Claim 19 A kit for retrofitting a wall to provide an acoustic wall assembly with noise masking properties, the wall comprising inner and outer upright members, the kit comprising: a receiver sensitive to sound; a pump controllable to generate pressure waves between the inner and outer upright members; and a control circuit operably connectable to the receiver and the pump, the control circuit being configured to process a signal received from the receiver and control the pump to selectively generate pressure waves between the inner and outer upright members to disrupt, via a reverberative effect, noise in a predetermined frequency range that otherwise would pass through the wall. ### Claim 20 A method of disrupting noise, comprising: having a wall including inner and outer upright members; detecting, via a sound masking circuit, sound waves in a predetermined frequency range, and responsive to detection of sound waves in the predetermined frequency range, controlling via the sound masking circuit an air pump to pump air between the inner and outer upright members to actively mask the detected sound waves as they pass from outside the outer upright member of the wall to inside the inner upright member of the wall. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the air pump and/or the sound masking circuit is/are embedded in a gap defined between the inner and outer upright members. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein active acoustic masking is performed using reverse masking. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein active masking is performed using reverberation. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the sound masking circuit comprises a controller configured to (a) process detected sound waves in the predetermined frequency range in accordance with an algorithm and (b) control the air pump to pump air to actively mask the detected sound waves in accordance with output from the algorithm. ### Claim 25 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein a first microphone is located between the inner and outer upright members, and a second microphone is installed on an outside major surface of one of the inner and outer upright members. ### Claim 26 A method of making a sound-masking wall assembly, the method comprising: having a wall including inner and outer upright members; providing a receiver sensitive to sound; providing a pump controllable to generate pressure waves between the inner and outer upright members; and operably coupling a control circuit to the receiver and the pump, the control circuit being configured to process a signal received from the receiver and control the pump to selectively generate pressure waves between the inner and outer upright members to disrupt, via a reverberative effect, noise in a predetermined frequency range that otherwise would pass through the wall.