Networked sound masking system with centralized sound masking generation
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
H04R-003/02
H03G-003/20
H03G-003/00
H03B-029/00
H04B-015/00
출원번호
US-0618635
(2003-07-15)
등록번호
US-7471797
(2008-12-30)
우선권정보
CA-2422086(2003-03-13)
발명자
/ 주소
Moeller,Klaus R.
Moeller,Niklas
Rusu,Mircea
Derla,Carl
출원인 / 주소
777388 Ontario Limited
대리인 / 주소
Harness, Dickey & Pierce
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
4인용 특허 :
12
초록▼
A sound masking system for shaping the ambient noise level in a physical environment. The sound masking system comprises a networked and distributed system having a number of master units coupled together and to a control unit. One or more of the master units may include satellite sound masking unit
A sound masking system for shaping the ambient noise level in a physical environment. The sound masking system comprises a networked and distributed system having a number of master units coupled together and to a control unit. One or more of the master units may include satellite sound masking units which function to reproduce an audio signal generated by a central sound masking module. The audio signal comprises a sound masking signal, a paging signal or a sound masking signal mixed with a paging signal. The sound masking signal is generated by the central sound masking module or a selected from a number of sound masking signal inputs at the control unit. Each of the master units is addressable over the network by the control unit enabling the control unit to control the contour, spectral band, and gain characteristics of the audio output signal. The system may also include a remote control unit which provides the capability to tune and adjust each master sound masking unit in situ without requiring physical access through the ceiling installation.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed is: 1. A networked sound masking system, comprising: a communication network; a plurality of sound masking units, each sound masking unit connected to the communication network, each sound masking unit configured to selectively output a signal from at least one of a plurality of out
What is claimed is: 1. A networked sound masking system, comprising: a communication network; a plurality of sound masking units, each sound masking unit connected to the communication network, each sound masking unit configured to selectively output a signal from at least one of a plurality of output signal channels carried over the communication network based on a control signal carried over a control signal channel of the communication network; and a control unit configured to selectively output at least one sound masking signal on the plurality of output signal channels of the communication network, and the control unit configured to generate the control signal and output the control signal on the control signal channel of a communication network; at least some of the sound masking units being responsive to a masking signal volume command, and at least some of the sound masking units being responsive to a masking signal spectrum command; the control unit being configured to generate the masking signal volume command for controlling a volume characteristic of the sound masking signal; and the control unit being configured to generate the masking signal spectrum command for controlling a frequency characteristic of the sound masking signal; and wherein the control unit is configured to receive at least one paging signal, and output the paging signal on one of the plurality of output signal channels; and each of the sound masking units includes a first control component and a second control component, the first control component being selectively responsive to the masking signal volume command and the masking signal spectrum command for controlling the volume characteristic and the frequency characteristic, respectively, of the sound masking signal, and the second control component being selectively responsive to a paging volume signal for controlling the volume of the paging signal. 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the control unit is configured to selectively combine a sound masking signal and a paging signal, and output the combined signal on one of the plurality of output signal channels. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to receive a plurality of the sound masking signals, and output the plurality of sound masking signals on different ones of the plurality of output signal channels. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to generate the control signal to identify at least one of the sound masking units and to indicate from which of the output signal channels the identified sound masking unit is to obtain a signal for output. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sound masking units are connected in series in the communication network. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of sound masking units includes a first interface and a second interface, the first interface interfacing with an upstream side of the communication network, and the second interfacing with a downstream side of the communication network, the upstream side being closer to the control unit and the downstream side being further from the control unit. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit generates the control signal and populates the plurality of output signal channels such that the plurality of sound masking units are associated with a plurality of sound masking zones, each sound masking unit is associated with one of the plurality of sound masking zones, and the sound masking units provide sound masking for the associated sound masking zone independently of the other sound masking zones. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the control unit populates the plurality of output signal channels such that the sound masking units associated with each sound masking zone provide sound masking tailored to suppress sound in the associated sound masking zone. 9. The system of claim 7, wherein a number of the plurality of sound masking units is different from a number of the plurality of sound masking zones. 10. The system of claim 1 wherein the control unit includes an address generator for assigning addresses to the sound masking units. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the address generator comprises a component for generating a logical address for each of the sound masking units, and the logical address being derived from an identifier associated with each of the sound masking units. 12. The system of claim 1 wherein each sound masking unit includes a demultiplexer for demultiplexing a combined signal obtained from one of the output signal channels into a paging signal and a sound masking signal and for sending the paging signal to the second control component and the sound masking signal to the first control component. 13. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a remote control unit configured to send adjustment signals remotely; and wherein the control unit is configured to receive the adjustment signals and generate the control signals based on the received adjustment signals. 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the remote control unit is configured to receive sound measurements and generate the adjustment signals based on the received sound measurements. 15. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to generate a plurality of the sound masking signals, and output the plurality of sound masking signals on different ones of the plurality of output signal channels. 16. A networked sound masking system, said sound masking system comprising: a communication network; a plurality of sound masking units, some of said sound masking units including a communication interface for coupling said sound masking units to said communication network for receiving signals on said communication network including a sound masking signal, a masking signal volume command and a masking signal spectrum command, and said some of the sound masking units including a processor for outputting said sound masking signal, and said processor including a component responsive to said masking signal volume command for controlling the volume of said sound masking signal and a component responsive to said masking signal spectrum command for controlling the frequency of said sound masking signal; a control unit configured to output said sound masking signal on said communication network, and said control unit being configured to output said masking signal volume command on said communication network, and said control unit being configured to output said masking signal spectrum command on said communication network; and wherein said control unit is configured to output a paging signal on said communication network, and said control unit is configured to output a paging volume signal on said communication network, and said control unit is configured to output a paging frequency signal on said communication network. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein said plurality of sound masking units are associated with a plurality of sound masking zones, each of said sound masking units being associated with one of said plurality of sound masking zones, and said sound masking units providing sound masking for said associated sound masking zone independently of said other sound masking zones. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein said sound masking units associated with each of said sound masking zones provide a sound masking output tailored for said associated sound masking zone and said sound masking output being based on said masking signal volume command and said masking signal spectrum command. 19. The system of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of zones, and one or more of said sound masking units being associated with one or more of said zones. 20. The system of claim 16, wherein said plurality of sound masking units are associated with a plurality of paging zones, each of said sound masking units being associated with one of said plurality of paging zones, and said sound masking units providing paging for said associated paging zone independently of said other paging zones.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (12)
Eatwell, Graham P., Acoustic system identification using acoustic masking.
McGregor Howard Norman (6651 S. Wellington Court Littleton CO 80121) Chanaud Robert Charles (1708 Hillside Road Boulder CO 80302), Dynamic sound controller and method therefor.
Chaco John (Seymour CT) Hersh Israel (Fairfield CT) Orlovsky Dmitry (Danbury CT) Vincens Joe (Prospect CT) Ram Yaron (Stamford CT), Patient care and communication system.
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