Crib With Embedded Smart Sensors

• US 20160183695A1
• Filed: 12/30/2014
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Veron, Maxime
• Granted Patent: US 9,629,475 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 15/00 Accessories for children's furniture, e.g. safety belts or baby-bottle holders
• CPC Class Codes: A47D 9/00 Cradles ; Bassinets
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/10 Actuation by presence of smoke or gases , e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0205 Specific application combined with child monitoring using a transmitter-receiver system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence

Abstract

A smart crib is provided that includes a horizontal support platform and one or more vertical surfaces connected thereto that enclose a space above the horizontal support platform and/or define a space above the horizontal support platform. The horizontal support platform and/or the vertical surfaces may include one or more sensors that can be used to learn behavior of the crib occupant and/or determine conditions of the occupant and/or environment of the crib and/or the crib'"'"'s surrounding area. The crib may receive responses from a client device and/or automatically act upon a detected condition in the crib or with the occupant.

Claims

1. A baby crib, comprising:

a horizontal support platform;

a base structure disposed below and physically supporting the horizontal support platform;

a plurality of vertical surfaces connected to the horizontal support platform and arranged to form a contained area at least 50 cm above the horizontal support platform;

a first sensor physically integrated with the horizontal support platform; and

a second sensor physically integrated with at least one of the plurality of vertical surfaces.

2. The baby crib of claim 1, wherein the first sensor or the second sensor is selected from the group consisting of:

a camera, a pressure sensor, a microphone, a light sensor, an air sensor, a temperature sensor, an accelerometer, and a humidity sensor.

3. The baby crib of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor is modular.

4. The baby crib of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor embedded in at least one of the horizontal support platform and one of the plurality of vertical surfaces, the processor configured to generate a notice to be sent to a client device based on a signal received from at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor.

5. The baby crib of claim 4, further comprising:

a communication device that is connected to the processor and is contained in at least one of the horizontal support platform or the plurality of vertical surfaces, the communication device configured to transmit the notice to the client device.

6. The baby crib of claim 5, wherein the communication device is selected from the group consisting of a wireless transceiver, a near field communication chipset, a Bluetooth chipset, an Ethernet chipset, and a radio.

7. The baby crib of claim 5, wherein at least one of the horizontal support platform or the plurality of vertical surfaces comprises shielding that mitigates transmissions from reaching the contained area.

8. The baby crib of claim 5, further comprising:

a processor, wherein the processor is configured to;

detect an occupant condition based on at least one of the first sensor and the at least one second sensor;

transmit, using the communication device, a notice to the client device;

receive an instruction from the client device; and

generate a response that is emitted through the at least one entertainment device based on the instruction.

9. The baby crib of claim 1, further comprising at least one entertainment device.

10. The baby crib of claim 9, wherein the at least one entertainment device is selected from the group consisting of:

a projector, a speaker, and a LED.

11. The baby crib of claim 10, further comprising:

a processor embedded in at least one of the horizontal support platform and the plurality vertical surfaces, the processor configured to;

detect an occupant condition based on at least one of the first sensor and the at least one second sensor; and

generate a response that is emitted through the at least one entertainment device.

12. The baby crib of claim 1, further comprising a processor embedded in at least one of the horizontal support platform and the plurality of vertical surfaces, the processor configured to determine a pattern of behavior based on a plurality of signals received from at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor over a period of time.

13. The baby crib of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a response instruction for the pattern of behavior;

subsequently detecting the pattern of behavior; and

generating a response through at least one entertainment device based upon the detected pattern of behavior and the response instruction.

14. The baby crib of claim 12, further comprising detecting a deviation from the pattern of behavior.

15. The baby crib of claim 14, further comprising:

generating a notice; and

transmitting the notice to the client device.

16. The baby crib of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication device that is connected to the processor and is contained in at least one of the horizontal support platform or the plurality of vertical surfaces, the communication device configured to transmit a plurality of signals generated by the at least one first sensor and the at least one second sensor to at least one of a client device or a remote server.

19. The baby crib of claim 1, wherein that at least one first sensor and the at least one second sensor communicate with one another.

17. The baby crib of claim 17, wherein the at least one of the client device or the remote server is configured to:

detect an occupant condition based on the plurality of signals received; and

generate a response instruction that is sent to the communication device, wherein the response instruction directs at least one entertainment device embedded in the baby crib to be activated.

18. The baby crib of claim 17, wherein the at least one of the client device and the remote server determines a pattern of behavior based on a plurality of signals received from at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor over a period of time.

20. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

detecting a state of an environment in which a baby crib is located, wherein the environment comprises an environment within and surrounding the baby crib and a state of an occupant;

determining whether the state of the environment is unsatisfactory based on a preconfigured set of states;

generating a notice in response to the determined unsatisfactory environment;

dispatch the notice to a client device associated with the baby crib;

determining that a response has been received from the client device, wherein the response indicates an action to be taken by an entertainment device; and

determining the action has resolved the unsatisfactory state.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein an entertainment device is selected from the group consisting of:

a projector, a speaker, and a LED.

22. A child crib comprising:

a first sensor integral with a horizontal support platform of the crib;

a second sensor integral with a portion of an enclosure of the crib;

a wireless communication module; and

a processor configured to determine a condition of an occupant of the crib based upon data received from the first sensor, the second sensor, or both, and to provide an indication of the condition to a remote device.