DEVICE AND METHOD FOR THE PREVENTION OF WANDERING

• US 20130009777A1
• Filed: 03/17/2011
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Aarts, Ronaldus Maria, Wals, Jeroen
• Application Number:
  US13/636,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20130009777A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.4
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission

Abstract

There is provided a device for use by a user who may wander that comprises an audio unit for generating a first output audible to the user in response to a determination that the user is within a predetermined safe area. The audible output preferably comprises music. There is also provided a method of operating a device that is to be worn or carried by a user, comprising generating a first output audible to the user using an audio unit in the device in response to a determination that the user is within a predetermined safe area.

Claims

1. A device (2) for use by a user (12) who may wander, the device (2) comprising:

an audio unit (4) for generating a first output audible to the user (12) in response to a determination that the user (12) is within a predetermined safe area.

2. A device (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first output audible to the user (12) comprises music.

3. A device (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the audio unit (4) is configured to generate a second output audible to the user (12) that is different to the first output in response to a determination that the user (12) is outside the predetermined safe area.

4. A device (2) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second output comprises music, speech, synthetic signals or warning signals.

5. A device (2) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the audio unit (4) is configured to switch between generating the first audio output to generating the second audio output as the user (12) moves from within the predetermined safe area to being outside the predetermined safe area, and vice versa.

6. A device (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device (2) further comprises:

a control unit (6) for the audio unit (4), the control unit (6) being configured to generate a control signal for the audio unit (4) based on whether the user (12) is within the predetermined safe area.

7. A device (2) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control unit (6) for the audio unit (4) is further configured to receive user location information relating to the location of the user (12), to determine whether the user (12) is within the predetermined safe area using the user location information and to generate the control signal for the audio unit (4) accordingly.

8. A device (2) as claimed in claim 7, wherein if the control unit (6) determines that the user (12) is outside the predetermined safe area, the control unit (6) is configured to further determine whether the user (12) is in an area predetermined to be potentially harmful to the user (12) from the user location information and, if the user (12) is determined to be in such an area, to generate an alarm signal for transmission to a remote monitoring station.

9. A device (2) as claimed in claim 7, when dependent on claim 3 or 4, wherein if the control unit (6) determines that the user (12) is outside the predetermined safe area, the control unit (6) is configured to further determine whether the user (12) is in an area predetermined to be potentially harmful to the user (12) from the user location information and, if the user is determined to be in such an area, to generate a control signal for the audio unit (4) that causes the audio unit (4) to generate a third output audible to the user (12) that is different to the first output and the second output.

10. A device (2) as claimed in claim 7, the device (2) further comprising:

a sensor (8) for providing user location information relating to the location of the user (12).

11. A device (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the audio unit (4) is further configured to generate an output audible to the user (12) in response to a determination regarding the user'"'"'s gait or movements.

12. A device (2) as claimed in claim 1, the device (2) further comprising:

a first power source (18) for supplying power to the audio unit (4); and

a second power source (22) for supplying power to at least one further component (20) of the device (2);

wherein the first power source (18) is configured to also supply power to the at least one further component (20) in the event that the second power source (22) is unable to supply power to the at least one further component (20).

13. A device (2) as claimed in claim 1, the device (2) further comprising:

a power source (28) for supplying power to at least one further component (26) of the device (2);

wherein the power source (28) is configured to supply power to the audio unit (4) only in the event that the power source (28) has sufficient stored power to supply power to the at least one further component (26) and the audio unit (4).

14. A method of operating a device that is to be worn or carried by a user (12), the method comprising:

generating a first output audible to the user using an audio unit in the device in response to a determination that the user is within a predetermined safe area (103).

15. A method as claimed in claim 14 further comprising generating using the audio unit a second output audible to the user (12) that is different to the first output in response to a determination that the user (12) is outside the predetermined safe area (103).

16. A method as claimed in claim 15 further comprising switching between generating the first output audible to the user and the second output audible to the user when the user (12) is moving from being within the predetermined safe area to being outside the predetermined safe area (103), and vice versa.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein a determining whether the user (12) is moving from being within the predetermined safe area (103) to being outside the predetermined safe area and vice versa includes receiving user location information relating to the location of the user (12).

18. A method as claimed in claim 17 further comprising determining from the user location information whether the user (12) is in an area predetermined to be potentially harmful to the user (12) and, if the user (12) is determined to be in such an area, generating an alarm signal for transmission to a remote monitoring station.

19. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the first output audible to the user (12) comprises music familiar to the user.

20. A computer program product comprising computer readable code that is configured to cause a computer or processor to:

generate a control signal for an audio unit in a device in response to a determination that a user of the device is within a predetermined safe area, the control signal causing the audio unit to generate a first output audible to the user.