# US 2019/0378401 A1 · Alert fault detection system and method

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- Number: US 2019/0378401 A1
- Document ID: US20190378401A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/006,155
- Filed: 2018-06-12
- Published: 2019-12-12
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-12
- Assignees: BlackBerry Limited; 2236008 Ontario Inc.
- Applicants: BlackBerry Limited; 2236008 Ontario Inc.
- Inventors: Leonard Charles LAYTON; Frank LINSEISEN; Michael Andrew PERCY
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190378401A1

## CPC

- G08B 29/126: {of annunciator circuits}
- G11B 20/10527: {Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements (G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence)}
- G11B 20/12: Formatting, e.g. arrangement of data block or words on the record carriers {(within interface between computers and data recorders G06F3/06)}
- G11B 20/18: Error detection or correction; Testing {, e.g. of drop-outs}
- G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
- G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R)

## Abstract

A method and system of fault detection for an alert generation system. In the audio alert generation system, a stored digital alert audio file is selected to be processed to generate an analog audio signal to drive a speaker. An alert fault detection system obtaining a signal from the audio alert generation system, converts the obtained signal to a digitally-formatted obtained audio signal, detects a fault in the audio alert generation system by comparing the digitally-formatted obtained audio signal with the stored digital alert audio file, and triggers a fault indicator

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of fault detection for an audio alert generation system, the method comprising:
in the audio alert generation system, selecting a stored digital alert audio file to be processed to generate an analog audio signal to drive a speaker; and
in an alert fault detection system,
obtaining a signal from the audio alert generation system, wherein obtaining the signal includes obtaining the signal from a microphone measuring sound,
converting the obtained signal to a digitally-formatted obtained audio signal,
obtaining an analog electrical signal from the audio alert generation system at a point between a digital-to-analog converter and the speaker,
converting the analog electrical signal into a second digitally-formatted obtained audio signal,
detecting a fault in the audio alert generation system by comparing the digitally-formatted obtained audio signal with the stored digital alert audio file, comparing the second digitally-formatted obtained audio signal with the stored digital alert audio file, and comparing the second digitally-formatted obtained audio signal with the digitally-formatted obtained audio signal, and
triggering a fault indicator.

### Claim 2

(canceled)

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein converting the obtained signal includes analog-to-digital conversion.

### Claim 4

(canceled)

### Claim 5

(canceled)

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein converting the analog electrical signal includes analog-to-digital conversion.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the signal includes obtaining a digital bitstream signal from an audio driver within the audio alert generation system.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising the alert fault detection system receiving a trigger signal prior to the obtaining, wherein the trigger signal signals that an alert is about to be generated by the audio alert generating system.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the trigger signal includes the digital alert audio file or an identifier for the digital alert audio file.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the fault includes determining that the digitally-formatted obtained audio signal differs from the stored digital alert audio file by more than a threshold amount.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the audio alert generation system and the alert fault detection system are located within a vehicle.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein triggering a fault indicator includes at least one of outputting a fault signal, visually signaling a fault condition, haptically signaling a fault condition, or transmitting a message to a remote device regarding the fault.

### Claim 13

An alert fault detection system for fault detection in an audio alert generation system, wherein the audio alert generation system includes a speaker, an audio path, and a stored digital alert audio file to be processed in the audio path to generate an analog audio signal to drive the speaker, wherein the alert fault detection system comprises:
a processor;
a memory coupled to the processor;
an input for obtaining a signal from the audio alert generation system, wherein the input includes a microphone to obtain the signal from the acoustic environment;
a second analog input to obtain an analog electrical signal from the audio path of the audio alert generation system at a point between a digital-to-analog converter and the speaker;
an analog-to-digital converter to convert the analog electrical signal into a second digitally-formatted obtained audio signal; and
a fault detection module including processor executable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed, cause the processor to convert the obtained signal to a digitally-formatted obtained audio signal, detect a fault in the audio alert generation system by comparing the digitally-formatted obtained audio signal with the stored digital alert audio file, comparing the second digitally-formatted obtained audio signal with the stored digital alert audio file, and comparing the second digitally-formatted obtained audio signal with the digitally-formatted obtained audio signal, and trigger a fault indicator.

### Claim 14

(canceled)

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The alert fault detection system of claim 13, wherein the input further includes an analog-to-digital converter to convert an analog signal obtained by the microphone into the digitally-formatted obtained signal.

### Claim 16

(canceled)

### Claim 17

(canceled)

### Claim 18

(canceled)

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The alert fault detection system of claim 13, wherein in input is to obtain a digital bitstream signal from an audio driver within the audio alert generation system.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The alert fault detection system of claim 13, wherein the fault detection module is to receive a trigger signal to cause it to convert and detect, and wherein the trigger signal signals that an alert is about to be generated by the audio alert generating system.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The alert fault detection system of claim 20, wherein the trigger signal includes the digital alert audio file or an identifier for the digital alert audio file.

### Claim 22 (depends on 13)

The alert fault detection system of claim 13, wherein the fault detection module is to detect the fault by determining that the digitally-formatted obtained audio signal differs from the stored digital alert audio file by more than a threshold amount.

### Claim 23 (depends on 13)

The alert fault detection system of claim 13, wherein the audio alert generation system and the alert fault detection system are located within a vehicle.

### Claim 24 (depends on 13)

The alert fault detection system of claim 13, wherein the fault detection module is to trigger a fault indicator by at least one of outputting a fault signal, visually signaling a fault condition, haptically signaling a fault condition, or transmitting a message to a remote device regarding the fault.