Abstract
Speech recognition, transcription, or translation tools work best when ambient noise levels are low. For users of such tools, e.g., hearing-challenged individuals, it is often a chore to find a quiet spot so as to have a clear conversation. This disclosure proposes the use of mobile device microphones as ambient noise sensors with user permission. Ambient noise levels are measured and reported to an online map service along with time and location of measurement. The online map displays the received real-time ambient noise levels. The crowdsourced real-time ambient noise levels are made available to users of the online map service. Besides mobile device-based noise sensing, clearly-marked noise sensors that report ambient noise levels can also be placed in a given region, e.g., city. Sensors other than sound can also be used, for example, a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera can provide reports of real-time traffic levels, which are an indicator of current noise level in an area.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
N/A, "Crowdsourced mapping of ambient noise levels", Technical Disclosure Commons, (June 27, 2018)
https://www.tdcommons.org/dpubs_series/1285