Watching system, watching detection device, and watching notification device

• US 10,013,862 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2015
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Finewell Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Finewell Co., Ltd., ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hosoi, Hiroshi, Hosoi, Yoji, Tanaka, Masahide
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung T
• Application Number:
  US15/500,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20170228995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 3405391, 34053911, 3405731, 455 412, 455 413, 4555752, 4555691, 381151, 381315
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0423 detecting deviation from an expected pattern of behaviour or schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/04 using a single signalling line, e.g. in a closed loop
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/02 using only mechanical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/00 Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers subscriber services or facilities provided at exchanges H04M3/00; prepayment telephone coin boxes H04M17/00; current supply arrangements H04M19/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724097 Worn on the head
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/00 Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/02 Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein H04R1/28 takes precedence ; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/10 Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones H04R1/28 takes precedence; stereophonic headphones H04R5/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/023 Completely in the canal [CIC] hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/00 Deaf-aid sets , i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception electrical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N1/36038; optical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N5/0622
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/606 : acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 : Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

This watching system is provided with: a watching detection device that is provided with a cartilage conduction vibration source, a mastication sensor, and a bone conduction microphone and that is configured to be mounted on an ear such that the entry of the ear canal is opened; and a mobile phone or an in-home monitoring unit that receives watching detection signals from the mastication sensor and the bone conduction microphone by means of short-range communication and issues a notification to the outside. The watching detection device has an air conduction microphone and also functions as a hearing aid. When detection signals cannot be received from the mastication sensor or the bone conduction microphone for a predetermined time period, a notification is issued. The mobile phone and the in-home monitoring unit crosscheck watching detection information. The mobile phone also issues a notification of information indicating that there is no abnormality.

Claims

1. A watching system comprising:

a watching detection device including a cartilage conduction vibration source and a watching detection sensor, wherein the watching detection device is mountable to an ear with an entrance of an external auditory canal open; and

a watching notification device which receives watching information from the watching detection sensor via short-range communication with the watching detection device, wherein

the watching detection sensor is a voice sensor, and the watching notification device issues a notification of whether a voice signal picked up by the voice sensor is present, without issuing any notification of contents of the voice signal.

2. The watching system according to claim 1, wherein the watching detection device further comprises an air conduction microphone, and wherein

the watching detection device is operable to function as a hearing aid by vibrating the cartilage conduction vibration source in accordance with a voice signal picked up by the air conduction microphone.

3. The watching system according to claim 1, wherein the watching detection device, further comprising a short-range communication unit capable of communicating with a watching notification device, wherein

the watching detection device makes the cartilage conduction vibration source vibrate in accordance with a voice signal received from the watching notification device via the short-range communication unit.

4. The watching system according to claim 1, wherein the watching detection sensor is a masticatory movement sensor.

5. The watching system according to claim 4, wherein the masticatory movement sensor serves also as the cartilage conduction vibration source.

6. The watching system according to claim 1, wherein the watching detection sensor is a voice sensor.

7. The watching system according to claim 6, wherein the voice sensor is a bone conduction microphone.

8. The watching system according to claim 7, wherein the bone conduction microphone serves also as the cartilage conduction vibration source.

9. The watching system according to claim 7, wherein the watching detection device further comprising an air conduction microphone for a hearing aid function, wherein

the air conduction microphone is turned off when the bone conduction microphone is used.

10. The watching system according to claim 1, wherein

the watching notification device makes a judgment on urgency of the voice signal picked up by the voice sensor, and issues a notification of the contents of the voice signal exceptionally when the urgency is high.

11. The watching system according to claim 1, wherein

the watching notification device issues a notification when it has been impossible to receive a detection signal from the watching detection sensor for a predetermined period of time.

12. A watching system comprising;

a watching detection device including a cartilage conduction vibration source and a watching detection sensor, wherein the watching detection device is mountable to an ear with an entrance of an external auditory canal open; and

a watching notification device which receives watching information from the watching detection sensor via short-range communication with the watching detection device, wherein

the watching notification device includes a plurality of watching notification devices which each receive watching information from a same watching detection device, and the plurality of watching notification devices exchange with each other the watching information received.

13. The watching system according to claim 12, wherein

the watching notification device is a mobile phone, and a voice signal of a call partner received by the mobile phone is transmitted, via short-range communication, to the watching detection device to vibrate the cartilage conduction vibration source.

14. A watching system comprising:

a watching detection device; and

a plurality of watching notification devices which each receive watching information from the watching detection device via short-range communication with the watching detection device, wherein

the plurality of watching notification devices exchange with each other the watching information received.

15. The watching system according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of watching notification devices issue different notifications based on the watching information.

16. The watching system according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of watching notification devices include a mobile phone and a notification device placed in a home.

17. A watching notification device comprising:

an acquisition unit which acquires watching information from a voice sensor; and

a notification unit which issues a notification of whether a voice signal acquired by the acquisition unit is present, without issuing any notification of contents of the voice signal.

18. The watching notification device according to claim 17, wherein

the notification unit makes a judgment on urgency of the voice signal acquired by the acquisition unit, and issues a notification of the contents of the voice signal exceptionally when the urgency is high.