The present invention relates to a device for monitoring and visualizing sound level as stated in the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, the invention comprises a method for measuring and visualizing sound level as stated in the preamble of claim 17.

Background

Noise is a serious public health problem. It has negative consequences for human health and well-being and is a growing concern. Authorities and organizations have developed guidelines, based on a growing understanding of the health effects caused by exposure to noise. One example is a report from the World Health Organization (WHO) on guidelines for exposing people to noise, (http://www.euro.who.int/ data/assets/pdf_file/0008/383921/noise-guidelines- eng.pdf?ua=l). The main purpose of these guidelines is to provide recommendations to protect human health from exposure to environmental noise from various sources: noise from transport (road traffic, railways and aircraft), noise from wind turbines and leisure noise. The health advice is supported by facts, which is crucial for producing measures that can protect local communities from the unwanted effects of noise. Exposure levels that can be considered applicable in several geographical areas are recommended.

In addition to noise from the outdoor environment, noise from the indoor environment can pose health challenges. Noise in the workplace is usually regulated and can be limited by per se known technical devices on noise sources or protective equipment. Noise can be measured and visualized so that a person who is exposed to the noise can be notified. The same applies to noise from other indoor environments.

DE 202007007942 U1 is a German utility model that describes a noise level detector that is connected to one or more LEDs (light emitting diodes). The LED(s) light up when the noise level exceeds a predetermined value. CN 206609519 U is a Chinese utility model for a device that is comparable to DE 202007007942 Ul. It states that the facility has a "reasonable" design and includes some data analysis of measured noise values. KR 20180093503 A discusses an acoustic measuring device that visualizes indoor noise using light. One embodiment of the invention with a LED line emitting light is mentioned. The use of the invention as a warning system from patient to nurse is discussed. CN 106595844 A discloses a wireless network-based noise monitoring system in industrial areas using LEDs to visualize the noise level. Inexpensive presentation of the noise monitoring system and its use in institutions and schools is discussed. CN 205642605 U discusses a multifunctional noise meter with improved precision that shows the measured noise level on an LED LCD screen (liquid crystal display). US 7836770 BB discloses a personal noise meter. Accumulated noise is calculated and displayed, for example, by a LED line. KR 20050049774 A discusses a measuring system for rattling sounds in cars. Display of the sound level with LED is mentioned.

Measurement of noise in different ways and visualization with LED are discussed in all the above- mentioned publications. As a rule, the persons involved are notified when an acute or accumulated noise level exceeds a predetermined limit value. Generation of signals/ feedback to involved persons that motivates them to reduce the noise level is not mentioned in any of the publications. Noise in the indoor environment caused by people can be difficult to reduce with technical aids. In addition, the use of protective equipment may be impractical.

US 6098463 A describes a device for measuring physical signals, including sound. The device measures the sound level and can display it visually with light signals.

US 3797012 A discloses a device for measuring and visualizing sound level comprising at least one microphone for detecting sound level, wherein this is connected to a visualization device which responds ato sound level. The visualization device can change from smiley face to sourpuss and vice versa.

CN108332845 describes a method for converting measured noise with a range of frequencies into a noise number by means of modulation of the measured noise spectrum.

US2010226504 Al discloses a device which simplifies the development of noise-free products by separating sound from a fluctuating liquid and oscillating sound from a solid material, thereby providing a rapid form of sound control.

Objective

It is an objective of the present invention to provide an alternative to known devices for measuring and visualizing sound level.

More specifically, it is an objective to provide a device for measuring and visualizing sound level as a pedagogical aid for reducing man-made sound/ noise.

More specifically, it is an objective to provide a device which motivates the persons involved to reduce the sound level individually and jointly.

The present invention

The above-mentioned objectives are satisfied by a device according to the present invention as defined in claim 1. According to another aspect, the invention comprises a method as claimed in claim 17.

According to yet another aspect, the invention comprises the use as claimed in claim 18 of such a device as claimed in claim 1.

Preferred embodiments of the invention appear from the dependent claims.

Health problems that can be related to people being exposed to noise are a major societal challenge. Reducing people's exposure to high sound levels/ noise leads to increased quality of life for the people involved and reduced costs for society.

Further details of the invention

The present idea relates to measuring and visualizing of sound level in a place where at least two people are gathered. The device for measuring and visualizing the sound level comprises a sound detector which is connected to a visualization device in such a way that the visualization device responds to sound locally by emitting light. The sound detector must include at least one microphone and required electronics to provide an output signal that depends on the sound level picked up by the microphone. The light may possibly have the form of dynamic, graphic forms visualized on an interface such as a computer screen.

The visualization device is arranged in such a way that, when the light is emitted, it provides a gradually increasing response to a gradually decreasing sound level. In addition, the visualization device comprises a modulator which is arranged to supply the emitted light with at least one optical modulation. The gradually increasing response to decreasing sound level can inspire and motivate the gathered persons to reduce the sound level until the target in the form of a predetermined acceptable sound level is reached. When light is emitted, for example, with gradually increasing intensity in response to a gradually increasing response to decreasing sound level, the optical modulation of the emitted light can take place, for example, in the form of flashes. The flashing frequency may be constant, increasing with increasing brightness or decreasing with increasing brightness. An intended effect of the optical modulation is that the visualization scheme more easily captures the attention of the collected persons so that the gradually increasing response to decreasing sound level can more easily inspire and motivate them to reduce the sound level.

A visualization device can, when emitting the light, provide a gradually increasing response to a gradually decreasing sound level, by changing from warmer to colder colors and vice versa. A shift from cold to warm colors means a shift from shortwave (blue) light in the direction of longwave (red) light. Blue light has wavelengths in the range 445 to 520 nm, while red light has wavelengths in the range 625 to 740 nm. The optical modulation can also in this case have the form of flashes. Alternatively, varying/ pulsating brightness can be used as modulation.

The visualization device may comprise a digital drawing program which is suitable for emitting light produced in graphic forms and which can visualize the response at gradually decreasing or increasing sound level. The modulation possibilities are virtually unlimited. For example, the surface of the graphic shapes that change their size in response to gradually decreasing or increasing sound level may additionally exhibit a wave motion so that the graphic shape appears as 3-dimensional. Another example of modulation is colored, graphic shapes that change their size in response to gradually decreasing or increasing sound levels and at the same time change the wavelength composition and thus the color of the graphic shapes with a frequency that is constant, increasing with increasing size of the graphic shapes or decreasing with increasing size of the graphic forms.

Different types of modulators can be used in the present invention. The modulation can take place by mutual influence of sound waves and light waves by means of an acousto-optical modulator. Another possibility is the use of an electro-optical modulator which can take advantage of changes in the optical properties of a material covered by the device in response to an electric field which varies slowly compared to the light frequency. The modulation can be applied to the phase, frequency, amplitude or polarization of the light beam. An electro-optical polarization modulator or a magneto-optical modulator can modulate the polarization of the emitted light. An optical modulator can function as amplitude modulator, phase modulator or polarization modulator in that the light beam is propagated through an optical waveguide such as, for example, an optical fiber. A pulse modulator stores the energy supplied by a direct current source during a long period in a capacitor circuit and drains all the energy in it in a short period of time. The pulse modulator can be arranged to impose on the light beam a rectangular pulseshaped modulation or a sinusoidal modulation. Other types of modulators use liquid crystals or make use of the piezo effect.

The drawing program itself is not the subject of the present invention and can be realized by any known computer technology method.

Preferably, the device comprises a control device which, among other things, is capable of recording average values of sound level over a certain period of time, for example a period of up to 3 seconds, up to 15 seconds or up to 1 minute.

The device is preferably reversible, i.e. it provides a gradually decreasing response to a gradually increasing sound level. In the extreme consequence, the gradually decreasing response to gradually increasing sound level can lead to virtually absent light, when the sound level has exceeded a predetermined threshold for a continuous period of time.

The control device may optionally be arranged to receive information about various parameters that are assumed to affect the sound level, such as the level of background noise that cannot be influenced, the number of people present, whether there is a meeting, party or other type of gathering, etc.

The gradually increasing response to gradually decreasing sound level can thus be "calibrated" according to various parameters that have a direct influence on the sound level. In addition, health-related data from authorities and professional environments for persons' sound exposure can form the basis for control and the course of the increasing response to gradually decreasing sound levels and vice versa.

Programming and / or calibration of the control device can take place in various ways, for example with a so-called app in which the number of people gathered in the room, type of collection, form of collection and health-related data from authorities and professional environments for sound exposure of people are entered and fromwhich the course of the gradually increasing response to gradually decreasing sound level is generated to the device.

The control device may optionally be equipped with a memory unit which allows the device according to the present invention to store history of what is recorded, for example for a certain number of persons present in a certain room, in a certain type of collection and in a certain form of collection, the history forming the basis for statistics generated by of the app.

Strong incident light from the surroundings, such as indirect or direct sunlight hitting a visualization device such as a lamp can pose a threat to the lamp's functionality. To people who are in the vicinity of the lamp, it can be a challenge to sense changes in emitted light from the lamp when strong light from the surroundings hits the outer surface of the lamp. In such a case, the decreasing light response of the lamp with increasing sound level can easily be surpassed by the light from the surroundings, so that the light response is not clearly perceived by people who are in the vicinity of the lamp. In order to overcome such an insufficient perception of the light response, the lamp may be arranged to provide an acoustic sound response in addition to the light response. This sound response should be strong enough to alert people in the vicinity of the lamp that the sound level in the room exceeds a predetermined threshold.

The visualization device can be arranged with a light detector so that the light level can be adjusted in relation to light in the surroundings. The light detector measures incident ambient light on the visualization device, and communicates with the control unit, so that the control device can adjust the brightness of emitted light from the visualization device in dependence on the measured incident ambient light.

The visualizing device may be encapsulated in such a way that the maximum brightness of emitted light from the visualizing device does not exceed a predetermined level of brightness. The predetermined level of brightness is determined by the design of the enclosure. The encapsulated visualization device is further equipped with a detector which outputs a signal to the control device in case the encapsulation is damaged or falls away. Upon receiving the signal, the control unit adjusts the brightness down to a predetermined level. This is done to prevent users from being exposed to bright light in the event of damage to or removal of the enclosure.

It may be desirable that the visualization device can be switched on/ off in a simple manner. A possible function of such a visualization device is an alternating on/ off switching conducted by a simple hand movement. The visualizing device can in such a case be arranged with a light detector which communicates with the control unit in such a way that the visualizing device alternately switches on or off if the light detector is shaded for a predetermined period of time.

When the device is arranged to be programmed by an app, it is also convenient that the response obtained can be read in the mobile device containing the app. This presupposes two-way communication between the mobile unit and the device according to the invention.

The visualization device of the device according to the invention can be made in different sizes which are adapted to rooms with different sizes and gatherings of different type and size.

The device can be used in connection with meetings and gatherings where people with neurological disorders such as ADHD are present. The invention makes it possible to include such persons in the fellowship who together will achieve a reduced noise level.

The device can also be used in places where several people are gathered who basically do not know each other and usually do not feel a fellowship with each other. Examples could be a museum, library, quiet compartment on the train, church building, and other similar areas in the community. It can be embarrassing to be reminded to observe silence or to lower the volume. The device according to the present invention can in a more positive way contribute to increased support for the desired silence / reduced sound level, so that the target is achieved with a smile. Locations that have installed the device may in their marketing indicate that the device exists and that the sound level has been reduced. It is part of the description of the device's use that increased support for the desired silence/ reduced sound level can have a positive pedagogical or social effect. Among people who are gathered, but who do not know each other and/ or do not feel any felowship with each other, the use of the device can create a team spirit or a fellowship making it easier to do several things together and/ or agreeing on more common goals than to reduce the sound level there and then.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for measuring and visualizing the sound level in a place where at least two persons are gathered, comprising providing at least one visualization device arranged with a light source, connecting at least one sound detector to the at least one visualization device in such a way that the visualization device reacts on sound locally by emitting light in such a way that when emitting the light it provides a gradually increasing response to gradually decreasing sound level and that the emitted light is additionally provided with at least one optical modulation.

Below, the invention is explained in more detail through some non-limiting embodiments illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure la schematically shows an arrangement of a first embodiment of the invention.

Figure lb schematically shows a graph of the first relationship between volume and visualization without modulation.

Figure lc schematically shows a graph of a first relationship between volume and visualization with modulation.

Figure Id schematically shows a graph of another relationship between volume and visualization with modulation.

Figure le schematically shows an arrangement of another embodiment of the invention.

Figures 2a-f schematically show in several steps a specific type of visualization without modulation.

Figures 2bl-2b4 schematically show in several steps a specific type of visualization with modulation according to the present invention.

Figure la shows a sound detector 11 which is connected to a visualization device 12 shown as a light source. It is understood that the light source is equipped with the necessary power supply, either from the mains or from the battery. The current to the light source is controlled by the detector 11 in such a way that a weak sound level produces stronger (more) light than a high sound level. The emitted brightness can, for example, be proportional to 1 / db. Figure lb shows that the device provides a gradually increasing response 1 in the form of brightness [lumen] at gradually decreasing sound level [d B] . Unwanted area for sound can typically be at sound level L2 and desired area can typically be at sound level LI as indicated in Figure lb. The modulator (4) which is arranged to supply the emitted light with at least one optical modulation is in figure la a part of a control device 13. An example of an optical modulation is shown in Figure lc. The optical modulation can be a modulation of emitted wavelengths by amplifying or attenuating certain wavelengths in periodic wave motions. The amplitude of the gain/ attenuation increases with the gradually increasing response 1 in the form of brightness [lumen] at gradually decreasing sound level [dB]: wave motion 2a has a lower amplitude than wave motion 3a. Thus, the modulation increases with the gradually increasing response 1.

Another example of an optical modulation is shown in Figure Id. Again, the optical modulation can be a modulation of emitted wavelengths by amplifying or attenuating certain wavelengths in periodic wave motions. The amplitude of the gain/ attenuation does not change with the gradually increasing response 1 in the form of brightness [lumen] at gradually decreasing sound level [dB], On the other hand, the frequency of the modulation decreases gradually with gradually decreasing sound level: wave motion 2b has a higher frequency than wave motion 3b. Thus, the modulation decreases with the gradually increasing response 1.

Note that it is not necessarily the case that the lowest possible sound is the most desirable situation; where people meet, it is natural and usually desirable that the sound is kept within an area where some sound is present, not too loud, but also not completely silent.

Figure le shows a layout which basically corresponds to the layout in Figure la, but where the control device 13 is programmable in such a way that the device can be changed as needed, for example depending on the number of people present, the type of gathering in question, e.g. party or meeting or lunch room, etc. The control device 13 may also contain a memory which enables storage of and comparison with historical data, reporting of development, etc. Finally, the control device can be arranged so that it is wirelessly programmable from a smart mobile telephone 14 by means of a so-called app.

Figures 2a-2f show an alternative form of visualization of the measured sound, for example by means of a digital drawing program. The sound as shown in figure 2a is represented as a minimal circle segment when the sound exceeds a maximum level, for example 80 db, while more and more of the circle is drawn the more the sound is reduced down to a desired minimum level, which in figure 2f is shown as 30 db. It should be emphasized that the figures are only exemplary and that in various alternative situations a sound level of 35 db, 40 db, 45 db or 50 db can be regarded as within the optimal range. The gradually increasing response in the form of an increased size of a given circular element at a gradually decreasing sound level is based on Figure 2b provided with a modulation as shown in Figure 2bl-2b6. A black bar moves through a given circle segment from top left to bottom right. The frequency of repetition of the motion is the modulation frequency. Several other modulation possibilities can be realized: The bar can have any color or be replaced with a wave motion that can appear as 3-dimensional, a given circle segment can periodically change color or the speed at which the circle element fills is proportional to the sound level and thus the size of the circle element. Furthermore, a circle element of a given size can be modulated with bubbles that appear, change size over time and / or float around in the circle element. The bubbles can also be designed as smiley faces. Figure 2cl-2c6 shows examples of such modulation.

Use of color can also be combined with such a drawing of a circle as shown in Figures 2a-2f, for example starting with blue color of the circle segment in the first quadrant (<90 degrees), transition to green into the second quadrant (> 90 degrees), further transition to yellow into the third quadrant (> 180 degrees), transition to orange into the fourth quadrant (> 270 degrees) and change to red when the circle is fully drawn (360 degrees). Modulation possibilities can be realized as mentioned above.