US 10656906

Here's a concise summary of US patent 10656906:

US Patent 10656906

• Title: Multi-frequency sensing method and apparatus using mobile-based clusters
• Assignee: Zophonos Inc.
• Inventors: Levaughn Denton
• Filing Date: 2019-05-23
• Issue Date: 2020-05-19
• Abstract: The patent describes systems and methods where smart devices sense various phenomena (like sound, blue light, RF, and microwave radiation) and, in real-time, analyze, report, and/or control outputs (such as displays or speakers). These systems are configurable, using standard computing devices (wearables, tablets, mobile phones) to measure different frequency bands across multiple points. This allows a user to visualize and adjust environmental conditions or detect and report hazardous signals.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Independent Claim 1 (System): This claim describes a system that uses an audio control source, at least one cluster of computing devices, and at least one output device.

  • Computing devices: Each device in the cluster has a sound sensing mechanism (to detect noise) and a wireless transceiver (to send/receive data from the audio control source).
  • Output devices: Each output device includes a power source, a speaker, and a communication mechanism to receive information from the audio control source.
  • Audio control source: This central unit is electronically connected to both the clusters and the output devices. It has memory storing instructions and a processor to execute them. These instructions enable it to:
    • Identify specific sounds within the detected noise.
    • Isolate these identified sounds.
    • Determine if any of these sounds have a frequency outside a predefined safe threshold.
    • If a frequency is outside the threshold, automatically change that sound so its frequency no longer exceeds the threshold.
    • Output the modified sounds through the output device(s).

• Independent Claim 15 (Method): This claim describes a method for altering sensed noise before it is outputted, using the components described in Claim 1. The method involves:

  • Providing the audio control source, the cluster(s) of computing devices (each with a sound sensing mechanism and wireless transceiver), and the output device(s) (each with a power source, speaker, and communication mechanism).
  • The audio control source, with its memory and processor, executes instructions to:
    • Identify one or more sounds within the sensed noise.
    • Isolate these sounds.
    • Determine if any of these sounds include a frequency outside a predetermined threshold.
    • If a sound's frequency is outside the threshold, alter that sound so its frequency no longer falls outside the threshold.
    • Output the modified sounds on the output device(s).

Litigation Information (from patent text):
The patent family is involved in litigation, including:

• A PTAB case: IPR2026-00083 (Not Instituted - Procedural).
• A US case filed in the Texas Eastern District Court: 2:25-cv-00752.
• The first worldwide family litigation has also been filed.