Method, apparatus and system for remote baby monitoring with additional functions

• US 20050184877A1
• Filed: 04/25/2005
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graco Children's Products, Inc. (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Burlington Basket Company
• Inventors: Thompson, Rick L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,053,779 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.100
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0208 Combination with audio or video communication, e.g. combination with "baby phone" function
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems

Abstract

A method, apparatus and system for remote baby monitoring is disclosed. The invention includes a non-audio alert such as a vibrator. In one embodiment the invention includes an intensity adjustment or a sensitivity adjustment.

Claims

1. A new remote unit for baby monitoring comprising:

a vibrating unit;

a receiver for receiving an audio signal at a first audio level;

a discriminator for determining whether the first audio level is above a second audio level and activating the vibration unit when said first level is above said second level; and

the discriminator operatively connected to the vibrating unit and the receiver.

2. The remote unit of claim 1 wherein the second audio level is adjustable.

3. The remote unit of claim 1 wherein the remote unit further comprises a speaker for outputting the audio signal.

4. The remote unit of claim 1 further comprising a user selectable frequency switch and wherein the receiver operates at a user-selectable frequency.

5. The remote unit of claim 1 wherein the receiver operates at a frequency at or above approximately 900 megahertz.

6. A system for remote baby monitoring comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting audio of a baby; and

a remote unit, the remote unit having a receiver for receiving the audio at a first level, the receiver electrically connected to a discriminator for determining when the received audio is above a second level, the discriminator electrically connected to a vibration unit, the discriminator activating the vibration unit when the first level is above the second level.

7. A new method of baby monitoring comprising:

transducing sound associated with a baby;

transmitting the sound to a remote location;

receiving the sound at the remote location;

selectively activating a vibration unit based on one or more properties of the sound.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the property of sound is volume.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of selectively activating is adjusting an intensity of vibration to correspond with a sound volume.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising manually adjusting a level of vibration.

11. A new remote unit for baby monitoring comprising:

a vibrating unit;

a receiver for receiving an audio signal associated with a baby being monitored; and

a sensitivity input for selecting the volume of sound that activates the vibrator unit, the sensitivity input operatively connected to the vibrating unit and the receiver.

12. The remote unit of claim 11 wherein the receiver has a soft antenna.

13. The remote unit of claim 11 further having a switch to select one of a plurality of frequencies for operation of the receiver.

14. The remote unit of claim 11 further having a speaker for outputting the audio signal.

15. The remote unit of claim 14 further having an adjustable volume control.

16. A remote unit for baby monitoring comprising:

a receiver for receiving an audio signal associated with a baby being monitored;

a non-audio alert unit for providing a non-audio alert;

an intensity adjustment for modifying the intensity of the non-audio alert operatively connected to the receiver and the non-audio alert unit.

17. The remote unit of claim 16 wherein the non-audio alert units is a vibrating unit.

18. The remote unit of claim 16 further comprising a transducer for outputting the audio signal.

19. The remote unit of claim 16 wherein the receiver is adapted to operate at a frequency at or above approximately 900 megahertz.

20. The remote unit of claim 16 wherein the intensity adjustment is a user adjustable intensity adjustment.

21. The remote unit of claim 20 wherein the user adjustable intensity adjustment includes a user adjustable dial.

22. The remote unit of claim 20 wherein the intensity adjustment modifies the intensity of the non-audio alert according to an amplitude of the audio signal.