Method of activating a supplemental visual warning signal based on frequency emitted from a generator of a primary audible warning signal

• US 10,169,964 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2018
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Delia, David J., Delia, Wayne M., Kelley, Edward E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Small, Naomi J
• Application Number:
  US15/947,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20180225936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 270 Days
• Field of Search: 34053917
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/002 adapted to accommodate electronic equipment patients' garments for medical monitoring A41D13/1281; luminous ornaments A41D27/085
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0027 visually handicapped
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0627 when used improperly, e.g. by giving a warning
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0655 Tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0616 Means for conducting or scheduling competition, league, tournaments or rankings
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA

Abstract

A system and method for signaling users including a control device electrically connected to a transceiver. The transceiver has a specified frequency. A first mobile signal device being activated by a first user and electrically communicating with a first transmitter having a selectable signal frequency. The first transmitter electrically communicates with the transceiver using the specified frequency. A second signal device includes a second receiver for receiving an activation signal from the transceiver. The second receiver electrically communicates with the transceiver using the specified frequency. The second signal device is activated by the activation of the first mobile signal device using the transceiver for alerting other persons.

Claims

1. A system to activate supplemental signals in response to primary signals, the system comprising:

a plurality of first signal devices for generating the primary signals, each of the first signal devices being associated with one of a plurality of defined areas to generate one of the primary signals to indicate specified events associated with said one of the plurality of defined areas;

a plurality of second signal devices for generating the supplemental signals, each of the second signal devices being associated with one of the defined areas;

a multitude of wireless transceivers, each of the transceivers having a plurality of settable operating frequencies for communicating with at least one of the first signal devices and at least one of the second signal devices; and

a computer for configuring the multitude of wireless transceivers by determining a specified frequency for each of the wireless transceivers to associate each of the defined areas with one of the transceivers;

wherein when one of the first signal devices associated with the one of the defined areas generates one of the primary signals to indicate one of the specified events relating to the one of the defined areas, said one of the first signal devices sends an activation signal to the one of the transceivers associated with said one of the areas, and said one of the transceivers is activated by the activation signal, and in response, the one of the transceivers activates one or more of the second signal devices associated with said one of the defined areas to generate one or more of the supplemental signals to confirm that said one of the first signal devices has generated one of the primary signals to indicate the one of the specified events related to said one of the defined areas; and

wherein the computer communicates with a global timing system to provide an automatic alert signal based on a synchronized time.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the computer switches frequencies from the first signal devices to the multitude of transceivers.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of the second signal devices is in one of the defined areas, and the computer switches frequencies from the multitude of transceivers to the second signal devices.

4. The system according to claim 1, the computer re-allocates frequencies from the first signal devices to the multitude of transceivers.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the computer re-allocates frequencies from the multitude of transceivers to the second signal devices.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the computer communicates with a global timing system to provide the automatic alert signal.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the computer communicates via a network with the global timing system to provide the automatic alert signal.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the primary signals provide sensory stimulation of a person, and the supplemental signals provide sensor stimulation of said person or of one or more other persons.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the primary signals are audible alerts.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the supplemental signals are visual alerts.

11. A method for activating supplemental signals in response to primary signals, the method comprising:

using a plurality of first signal devices for generating the primary signals, each of the first signal devices being associated with one of a plurality of defined areas to generate one of the primary signals to indicate specified events associated with said one of the plurality of defined areas;

operating a plurality of second signal devices for generating the supplemental signals, each of the second signal devices being associated with one of the defined areas;

operating a multitude of wireless transceiver having a plurality of settable operating frequencies for communicating with the first and second signal devices, each of the transceivers communicating with at least one of the first signal devices and at least one of the second signal devices; and

operating a computer for configuring the multitude of wireless transceivers by determining a specified frequency for each of the wireless transceivers to associate each of the defined areas with one of the transceivers;

wherein when one of the first signal devices associated with the one of the defined areas generates one of the primary signals to indicate one of the specified events relating to the one of the defined areas, said one of the first signal devices sends an activation signal to the one of the transceivers associated with said one of the areas, and said one of the transceivers is activated by the activation signal, and in response, the one of the transceivers activates one or more of the second signal devices associated with said one of the defined areas to generate one or more of the supplemental signals to confirm that said one of the first signal devices has generated one of the primary signals to indicate the one of the specified events related to said one of the defined areas; and

wherein the computer communicates with a global timing system to provide an automatic alert signal based on a synchronized time.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the computer switches frequencies from the first signal devices to the multitude of transceivers.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein each of the second signal devices is in one of the defined areas, and the computer switches frequencies from the multitude of transceivers to the second signal devices.

14. The method according to claim 11, the computer re-allocates frequencies from the first signal devices to the multitude of transceivers.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the computer re-allocates frequencies from the multitude of transceivers to the second signal devices.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer readable device having a computer program tangibly embodied therein, the computer program being executed by a processor in a computer system for activating supplemental signals in response to primary signals, the computer program, when executing by said processor, performing:

receiving the primary signals from a plurality of first signal devices, each of the first signal devices being associated with one of a plurality of defined areas to generate one of the primary signals to indicate specified events associated with said one of the plurality of defined areas;

operating a plurality of second signal devices for generating the supplemental signals, each of the second signal devices being associated with one of the defined areas;

operating a multitude of wireless transceiver having a plurality of settable operating frequencies for communicating with the first and second signal devices, each of the transceivers communicating with at least one of the first signal devices and at least one of the second signal devices; and

operating a computer for configuring the multitude of wireless transceivers by determining a specified frequency for each of the wireless transceivers to associate each of the defined areas with one of the transceivers;

wherein when one of the first signal devices associated with the one of the defined areas generates one of the primary signals to indicate one of the specified events relating to the one of the defined areas, said one of the first signal devices sends an activation signal to the one of the transceivers associated with said one of the areas, and said one of the transceivers is activated by the activation signal, and in response, the one of the transceivers activates one or more of the second signal devices associated with said one of the defined areas to generate one or more of the supplemental signals to confirm that said one of the first signal devices has generated one of the primary signals to indicate the one of the specified events related to said one of the defined areas; and

wherein the computer communicates with a global timing system to provide an automatic alert signal based on a synchronized time.

17. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein the computer switches frequencies from the first signal devices to the multitude of transceivers.

18. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein each of the second signal devices is in one of the defined areas, and the computer switches frequencies from the multitude of transceivers to the second signal devices.

19. The computer program product according to claim 16, the computer re-allocates frequencies from the first signal devices to the multitude of transceivers.

20. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein the computer re-allocates frequencies from the multitude of transceivers to the second signal devices.