Ambient condition measurement and reporting system

• US 10,034,123 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2015
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ernest W. Grumbles, III
• Original Assignee: Ernest W. Grumbles, III
• Inventors: Grumbles, III, Ernest W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung T
• Application Number:
  US14/798,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20150319553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 34028607, 34028608, 34028609, 3405391, 34053911, 3405731, 34087002, 34087003, 34087017, 4554141, 4554142, 4554561, 4554563, 705 22, 705 26, 705 37, 709204, 709219, 709224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/84 Measuring functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for measuring ambient and sensory conditions in venues using a number of real-time signals, including sound, temperature, light, motion, water usage, vibration, infrared signal and others. Ambient signal data is transmitted to a cloud-based application that stores the signal levels in a database, analyzes the data, and presents the information in a visual format for use by venues and by consumers. The system can, among other things, provide an overall measure of ambient conditions in a venue and allow those with environmental or sensory sensitivities or preferences to identify safe or suitable public venues.

Claims

1. A system for selecting a venue for a person with environmental or neurological sensitivity, the system comprising:

a first and second set of sensors, each set of sensors including;

a sound pressure level meter configured to transmit data; and

a light sensor configured to transmit data;

a network for management of the first and second sets of sensors and for transmission of data from the first and second sets of sensors;

a computing device;

a data storage device located on the computing device for storing data from at least the first set of sensors;

a server configured to receive data from the first and second sets of sensors, including locations of the first and second sets of sensors, the server further comprising a web server configured to transmit at least part of the data from the first and second sets of sensors by sending data to the computing device; and

a software program located on the server;

wherein

the first set of sensors is located at a first venue with a first location;

the second set of sensors is located at a second venue with a second location;

the software program collects a first set of data from the first set of sensors at defined, repeated intervals;

the software program stores and analyzes the collected first set of data;

the analysis of the collected first set of data results in a first environmental intensity profile comprising real-time data for sound, real-time data for light, averaged data at specified times for sound, averaged data at specified times for light, rate of change data for sound, and rate of change data for light;

the software program collects a second set of data from the second set of sensors at defined, repeated intervals;

the software program stores and analyzes the collected second set of data;

the analysis of the collected second set of data results in a second environmental intensity profile comprising real-time data for sound, real-time data for light, averaged data at specified times for sound, averaged data at specified times for light, rate of change data for sound, and rate of change data for light;

the software program pairs the first environmental intensity profile with the first location to make a first pair, the second environmental intensity profile with the second location to make a second pair;

the server is configured to serve the first pair and the second pair to the computing device and a plurality of other computing devices;

the computing device and the plurality of other computing devices execute software applications configured to permit users to choose whether to view the first pair, the second pair, or both simultaneously.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second environmental intensity profiles are displayed by the software applications as numerical values.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first and second environmental intensity profiles are displayed by the software applications as visual depictions of the numerical values.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the visual depictions are circles around each of the first and second locations corresponding to the paired environmental intensity profile of the location.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second pairs are displayed by the software applications on a map.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each set of sensors further includes an infrared sensor configured to transmit data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each set of sensors further includes a vibration sensor configured to transmit data.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a mobile computing device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a personal computer.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the first set of sensors includes sensors of the mobile computing device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the software applications are configured to display the first and second pairs on a map.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the software applications are configured to display the first and second ambient conditions profiles as circles around each of the first and second locations corresponding to the paired ambient conditions profiles.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the software applications are configured to display only quiet locations of the first and second pairs, wherein quiet locations are identified from ambient conditions profiles.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the software applications are configured to display only busy locations of the first and second pairs, wherein busy locations are identified from ambient conditions profiles.

15. A system for selecting a venue, the system comprising:

a smartphone having a first set of sensors, the first set of sensors including a microphone and a light sensor, the smartphone being configured to transmit data from the first set of sensors;

a sensing device having a second set of sensors, the second set of sensors including a microphone and a light sensor, the sensing device configured to transmit data from the second set of sensors;

a network configured to provide transmission of data from the first set of sensors of the smartphone and the second set of sensors of the sensing device; and

a server executing software to receive and process data from the first set of sensors of the smartphone and the second set of sensors of the sensing device, including locations of the smartphone and the sensing device,

wherein;

the first set of sensors of the smartphone is located at a first venue with a first location;

the second set of sensors of the sensing device is located at a second venue with a second location;

the server executing software collects a first set of data from the first set of sensors at repeated intervals;

the server executing software stores and analyzes the collected first set of data;

the analysis of the collected first set of data results in a first environmental intensity profile that includes current data for sound, current data for light, averaged data at specified times for sound, and averaged data at specified times for light;

the server executing software collects a second set of data from the second set of sensors at repeated intervals;

the server executing software stores and analyzes the collected second set of data;

the analysis of the collected second set of data results in a second environmental intensity profile comprising current data for sound, current data for light, averaged data at specified times for sound, and averaged data at specified times for light;

the server executing software pairs the first environmental intensity profile with the first location to make a first pair, and pairs the second environmental intensity profile with the second location to make a second pair;

the server is configured to serve the first pair and the second pair to the smartphone and a plurality of other computing devices;

the smartphone and the plurality of other computing devices execute software applications configured to permit users to choose whether to view the first pair, the second pair, or both simultaneously.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the sensing device is another smartphone.

17. A system for selecting a venue, the system comprising:

a first smartphone having a first set of sensors including at least one of a microphone, a light sensor, and a temperature sensor, the smartphone being configured to transmit data on ambient conditions from the first set of sensors;

a second smartphone having a second set of sensors, the second set of sensors including at least one of a microphone, a light sensor, and a temperature sensor, the second smartphone configured to transmit data on ambient conditions from the second set of sensors;

a network configured to provide transmission of data between at least the first smartphone, the second smartphone, and a cloud-based application; and

a cloud-based application configured to receive and process ambient conditions data from the first set of sensors of the first smartphone and ambient conditions data from the second set of sensors of the second smartphone, including locations of the first smartphone and the second smartphone,

wherein;

the first smartphone is located at a first venue with a first location;

the second smartphone is located at a second venue with a second location;

the first smartphone captures ambient conditions data from the first set of sensors on a periodic basis;

the second smartphone captures ambient conditions data from the second set of sensors on a periodic basis;

the cloud-based application collects ambient conditions data from each of the first set of sensors of the first smartphone and the second set of sensors of the second smartphone on a recurring basis;

the cloud-based application stores and analyzes the collected ambient conditions data;

the analysis of the collected ambient conditions data of the first set of sensors results in a first ambient conditions profile that includes current data for the first set of sensors, averaged data for the first set of sensors, and trend data for the first set of sensors;

the analysis of the collected ambient conditions data of the second set of sensors results in a second ambient conditions profile that includes current data for the second set of sensors, averaged data for the second set of sensors, and trend data for the second set of sensors;

the cloud-based application pairs the first ambient conditions profile with the first location to make a first pair, and pairs the second ambient conditions profile with the second location to make a second pair;

the cloud-based application is configured to serve the first pair and the second pair to the first smartphone, the second smartphone, and a plurality of other computing devices;

the first smartphone, the second smartphone, and the plurality of other computing devices execute software applications configured to permit users to choose whether to view the first pair, the second pair, or both simultaneously.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the software applications are configured to display the first and second ambient conditions profiles as numerical values.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the first set of sensors includes a microphone and a light sensor.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the first set of sensors and the second set of sensors each includes a microphone and a light sensor.