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SamsungGranted patentAudio & voiceInterest 7/10

Samsung patents sound masking that adapts to your surroundings

Patent drawing
Patent drawing from the official filing.

This patent describes a method where a device analyzes the noise around you, the specific speaker being used, and the media you are playing. It then creates a custom background sound designed to make outside noises less noticeable to your ears.

Why it mattersThis could make headphones or speakers better at hiding distracting background noises like traffic or chatter without needing to block all sound.

In the filing’s own words

A method includes determining, by a processor of an electronic device, current sound environment properties of an environment external to a user, current device properties of a sound playback device, and current media properties of media that is played through the sound playback device. The method further includes generating, by the processor based on (a) the current sound environment properties, (b) the current device properties, and (c) the current media properties, an adaptive masking soundscape that, when combined with external sounds in the environment, renders the external sounds less perceptible to the user. In addition, the method includes playing the adaptive masking soundscape through the sound playback device.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A method comprising: determining, by a processor of an electronic device, current sound environment properties of an environment external to a user, current device properties of a sound playback device, and current media properties of media that is played through the sound playback device; generating, by the processor based on (a) the current sound environment properties, (b) the current device properties, and (c) the current media properties, an adaptive masking soundscape that, when combined with external sounds in the environment, renders the external sounds less perceptible to the user; determining, as at least part of the current sound environment properties, a classification of an acoustic scene of the environment; determining, as at least part of the current sound environment properties, a category for each of currently perceptible external sounds in the environment as one of intelligible human speech, unintelligible human speech, transient noise, or non-transient noise; selecting, as at least part of the adaptive masking soundscape and for each currently perceptible external sound categorized as intelligible human speech, transient noise, or non-transient noise, a masking sound from a set of masking sounds for that category; and playing the adaptive masking soundscape and the media simultaneously through the sound playback device.

Facts

Company
Samsung (Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.)
Official title
Adaptive sound generation based upon current sound environment properties, current device properties, and current media properties
Patent number
US12763059B2
Application number
18673975
Filed
May 24, 2024
Granted
Oct 13, 2026
Inventors
3
Claims
20

Classified under

G10K 11/1752 Physics & computingG10K 11/17827 Physics & computingH04S 7/303 Electricity & electronics
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.