Intelligent electronic appliance system and method

A method for controlling an electronic system operating in an environment associated with production of media-independent noise during reproduction of sonic media comprising:

• analyzing the sonic media to determine acoustic characteristics of the sonic media;
• modeling characteristics of media-independent noise;
• controlling the electronic system to selectively synchronize portions of the sonic media having characteristics associated with the modeled characteristics of the media-independent noise, with the media-independent noise,
• wherein the electronic system comprises an electromechanical data storage system and a fan, each of the fan and electromechanical data storage system generating media-independent noise during operation, and wherein said controlling comprises controlling the electromechanical data storage system and fan to selectively produce respective media-independent noise during periods when the respective media-independent noise is masked by the sonic media, and to selectively avoid producing media-independent noise during periods when the media-independent noise is not masked by the sonic media.

A method for controlling an electronic media system adapted to reproduce media, in an environment subject to an acoustic emission having an acoustic signature which is not media dependent, comprising:

• analyzing the media;
• generating an acoustic output signal corresponding to the media;
• and
• controlling the acoustic emission in dependence on the analysis of the media,
• wherein the acoustic emission is selectively controlled to be concurrent with portions of the media when the acoustic signature of the acoustic emission is media-appropriate, and the acoustic emission is selectively controlled to be attenuated during portions of the media when the acoustic signature of the acoustic emission is not media-appropriate, and
• wherein the acoustic signature comprises an impulse, and wherein the acoustic emission is controlled to produce impulses coincident with impulses in the media.

A method for controlling an electronic media system adapted to reproduce media, in an environment subject to an acoustic emission having an acoustic signature which is not media dependent, comprising:

• analyzing the media;
• generating an acoustic output signal corresponding to the media;
• and
• controlling the acoustic emission in dependence on the analysis of the media, wherein the acoustic emission is selectively controlled to be concurrent with portions of the media when the acoustic signature of the acoustic emission is media-appropriate, and the acoustic emission is selectively controlled to be attenuated during portions of the media when the acoustic signature of the acoustic emission is not media-appropriate,
• wherein the electronic media system comprises an electromechanical data storage system and a fan, each of the fan and electromechanical data storage system generating an acoustic emission having a respectively different acoustic signature, and wherein said controlling comprises controlling the electromechanical data storage system and fan to selectively produce a respective acoustic emission during periods when masked by the media, and to selectively avoid producing a respective acoustic emission during periods when the media-independent noise is not masked by the media.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions adapted to control an electronic media system adapted to reproduce media, in an environment subject to an acoustic emission having an acoustic signature comprising an impulse which is not media dependent, having a programmable processor, to:

• analyze the media;
• generate an acoustic output signal corresponding to the media;
• selectively control the acoustic emission in dependence on the analysis of the media
• to be concurrent with portions of the media when the acoustic signature of the acoustic emission is media-appropriate, and
• to be attenuated during portions of the media when the acoustic signature of the acoustic emission is not media-appropriate
• wherein the programmable processor is programmed to control the acoustic emission to produce impulses coincident with impulses in the media.