Systems and methods for monitoring sound during an in-building emergency

• US 10,171,677 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2017
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Boyden, Edward S., Cheatham, III, Jesse R., Duncan, William D., Ferren, Bran, Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Kare, Jordin T., Malaska, Stephen L., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tuckerman, David B., Wood, Jr., Lowell L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US15/727,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20180034973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/00 Microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

A system for monitoring a building having one or more microphones coupled to a telephone includes a detector configured to detect a triggering event within the building and transmit an activating signal when the triggering event is detected, and a control module configured to receive the activating signal from the detector. The control module is programmed to activate at least one of the one or more microphones to monitor sound when the activating signal is received.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a detector configured to detect a triggering event within a building and transmit an activating signal based on the detection of the triggering event; and

a control module configured to;

track a location within the building of each of a plurality of telephones, wherein each of the plurality of telephones is coupled with one or more microphones;

receive the activating signal from the detector; and

in response to receiving the activating signal, activate at least one of the one or more microphones of one or more telephones selected from among the plurality of telephones based on proximity of the location of each of the one or more telephones selected to the triggering event to monitor sound within the building.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the activating signal includes one or more conditions of the triggering event.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the control module is programmed to report the one or more conditions to a third party.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the third party includes at least one of:

a user of the telephone coupled to the one or more microphones that are activated, an occupant of the building, a judicial agency, a law enforcement agency, a security agency, an owner of the building, and a news organization.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more conditions include a location of the triggering event.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more conditions include a time associated with the triggering event.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the control module is programmed to send an activation signal to a third party when at least one of the one or more microphones is activated.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the location within the building of each of the plurality of telephones is updated continuously.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the location within the building of each of the plurality of telephones corresponds to a location chosen from one of a room and a hallway within the building.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the location within the building of each of the plurality of telephones is correlated with a layout of the building.

8. A method for monitoring an emergency for a building, the method comprising:

tracking a location within a building at which each of a plurality of telephones is positioned, wherein each of the plurality of telephones is coupled with one or more microphones;

receiving an activating signal from a detector;

transmitting the activating signal to a control module; and

activating at least one of the one or more microphones of a selected one or more telephones of the plurality of telephones in response to receiving the activating signal when the location maintained for the selected one or more telephones is in proximity to the triggering event to detect a sound within the building.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating a reporting signal based on the sound detected.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the reporting signal includes identifying characteristics of the triggering event.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the reporting signal includes a sound recording.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the triggering event includes at least one of:

a gunshot, a fire, an earthquake, and a police emergency.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

sending the reporting signal to a third party.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the third party includes at least one of:

a user of the one or more telephones coupled to an activated microphone, an occupant of the building, a judicial agency, a law enforcement agency, a security agency, an owner of the building, and a news organization.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

recording the sound detected by the one or more microphones to generate a sound recording.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the sound is recorded by the one or more microphones.

17. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

verifying that the activating signal is received from the detector.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more telephones include a cellular phone.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

monitoring the location within the building at which the cellular phone is positioned by using an internal GPS of the cellular phone.

23. The method of claim 8, further comprising continuously updating the location within the building of each of the plurality of telephones.

24. The method of claim 8, wherein the location within the building of each of the plurality of telephones corresponds to a location chosen from one of a room and a hallway within the building.

25. The method of claim 8, further comprising correlating the location within the building of each of the plurality of telephones with a layout of the building.