A noise masking device and a method for masking noise
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips N.V.
InventorsDaan Anton VAN DEN ENDE, Sander Theodoor PASTOOR
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Abstract
The invention provides a device (and method) for masking noise in which a calibration is carried out to determine the sensitivity of a user to a calibration sound. During use of the device, the signal characteristics of the masking sound are adjusted based on the detected noise, the response of the user to the detected noise and also the response of the user to the calibration sound. As a result, a masking sound is generated that is optimally adapted to mask unwanted noise, in particular in a way which avoids the masking noise itself becoming a disturbance to the particular user.
Claims15
A device for masking noise, the device comprising:
- a transducer unit for detecting noise to be masked;
- a sound generating unit for generating a masking sound;
- a sensor unit for monitoring a user's brain activity;
- and
- a controller adapted to:
- during a calibration, determine the user's brain activity, measured by the sensor unit, in response to a calibration sound, generated by the sound generating unit;
- and
- during use of the device, adjust signal characteristics of the masking sound based on:
- the noise detected by the transducer unit;
- the user's brain activity in response to the noise detected by the transducer unit;
- and
- the user's brain activity in response to the calibration sound generated by the sound generating unit during the calibration
- a memory storage unit, in communication with the controller (50), adapted to store noise data based on the noise detected by the transducer unit (20);
- and
- characterized in that the controller (50) is further adapted to:
- analyze the noise data using an algorithm, preferably wherein the algorithm is a machine-learning algorithm;
- determine an expected noise trend;
- and
- adjust the signal characteristics of the masking sound based on the expected noise trend.
(canceled)
A method for masking noise, the method comprising:
- during a calibration, determining the user's brain activity in response to a calibration sound;
- detecting a noise to be masked;
- monitoring a user's brain activity;
- and
- generating a masking sound, and adjusting the signal characteristics of the masking sound based on the detected noise, the user's brain activity in response to the noise, and the user's brain activity in response to the calibration sound
- storing noise data based on the detected noise to be masked;
- analyzing the noise data using an algorithm, preferably wherein the algorithm is a machine-learning algorithm;
- determining an expected noise trend;
- and
- adjusting the signal characteristics of the masking sound based on the expected noise trend.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.