SIGNAL PROCESSING SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR RELIABLY DETECTING AUDIBLE ALARMS
First Claim
1. A method for detecting audible alert signals, the method comprising:
- generating a digital representation of a received audio signal;
accessing a plurality of templates stored in a memory, each template corresponding to a respective audible alert signal timing pattern, said plurality of templates encompassing an acceptable range of timing pattern variations;
generating, by signal processing circuitry, a plurality of matching scores, each of which represents a degree of match between the digital representation of the received audio signal and a respective template; and
determining, based at least partly on the matching scores, whether an audible alert signal is present.
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Abstract
A signal processing system and associated methods are disclosed for reliably detecting audible alert signals, such as Temporal-3 and Temporal-4 alert signals generated by commercially available smoke, fire, and carbon monoxide detectors. The system and methods are capable of detecting audible alert signals of different intensities in the presence of dynamic background environment (e.g., television programming, music, noise, and the like). The signal processing system and methods may, in some embodiments, be incorporated into a bedside or other unit that generates a supplemental alert signal capable of alerting individuals who might not otherwise respond to the audible alert signal, such as individuals who are asleep, hearing impaired, or intoxicated.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for detecting audible alert signals, the method comprising:
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generating a digital representation of a received audio signal; accessing a plurality of templates stored in a memory, each template corresponding to a respective audible alert signal timing pattern, said plurality of templates encompassing an acceptable range of timing pattern variations; generating, by signal processing circuitry, a plurality of matching scores, each of which represents a degree of match between the digital representation of the received audio signal and a respective template; and determining, based at least partly on the matching scores, whether an audible alert signal is present. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon executable code that directs a processor to perform a process that comprises:
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accessing a digital representation of a received audio signal; accessing a plurality of templates stored in a memory, each template corresponding to a respective audible alert signal timing pattern, said plurality of templates encompassing an acceptable range of timing pattern variations; generating a plurality of matching scores, each matching score representing a degree of match between the digital representation of the received audio signal and a respective template; and determining, based at least partly on the matching scores, whether an audible alert signal is present - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for detecting audible alert signals, comprising:
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a memory that stores data representing a plurality of signal patterns, each of which represents a valid signal pattern for an audible alert signal, said plurality of signal patterns encompassing a range of signal pattern variations; and signal processing circuitry configured to receive a digital representation of an audio signal, and to use the data representing the plurality of signal patterns to generate, for each valid signal pattern, a respective matching score that represents a degree to which the digital representation of the audio signal matches the respective valid signal pattern, said signal processing circuitry additionally configured to use the matching scores to determine whether the audio signal is an audible alert signal. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification