Warning device programmable to be sensitive to preselected sound frequencies

• US 5,651,070 A
• Filed: 04/12/1995
• Issued: 07/22/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomas O. Blunt
• Original Assignee: Thomas O. Blunt
• Inventors: Blunt, Thomas O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHIN, VIVIAN C
• Application Number:
  US08/420,414
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 381/56, 381/57, 340/407, 340/566
• US Class Current: 381/56
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/08 using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/009 Teaching or communicating with deaf persons G09B21/04 takes precedence; deaf and dumb persons G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/00 Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308

Abstract

A listening device for alerting an individual unable to hear warning signals having a means for prerecording a warning signal, converting the signal into digital information, and storing the digital information. The device further includes a means for continuously comparing the digital information to ambient sound information converted into ambient digital information and a means for alerting the individual with an alerting signal when the digital information matches the ambient digital information corresponding to the warning signal.

Claims

1. A combination listening and alerting device for providing an alerting signal to warn an individual unable to hear a selected warning sound of the occurrence of said selected warning sound, said device comparing a recorded warning signal corresponding to said selected warning sound to continuously received ambient sounds and providing an alerting signal when a match is determined between said recorded warning signal and said ambient sounds, said device comprising:

(a) means for receiving sounds;

(b) means for converting said selected warning sound received by said sounds receiving means into corresponding digital information;

(c) means for processing said corresponding digital information and storing said processed corresponding digital information;

(d) comparison means for continuously comparing ambient digital information converted by said converting means from ambient sound received by said sounds receiving means to said corresponding digital information received from said processing and storing means, said comparison means providing an identification signal when said ambient digital information matches said corresponding digital information, said device further having a recording mode and a listening mode and further including a switch means for placing said processing and storing means in communication with said sounds receiving means in said recording mode and placing said comparison means in communication with said sounds receiving means and said processing and storing means in said listening mode; and

(e) an alerting component in response to the occurrence of said identification signal for providing said alerting signal thereby warning said individual of the occurrence of said selected warning sound.

2. The device of claim 1 including a transmitter for transmitting a transmission signal in response to an identification signal, said alerting component including a receiving member for receiving said transmission signal and an alerting signal generating member for generating said alerting signal in response to said receipt by said receiving member of said transmission signal.

3. The device of claim 2 in which said generating member is a vibrator that vibrates in response to said transmission signal.

4. The device of claim 2 in which said generating member is a light source that is activated in response to said transmission signal.

5. The device of claim 1 in which said alerting member is tied directly to said comparison means and includes an alerting signal generating means for generating said alerting signal in response to said identification signal.

6. The device of claim 1 including

a plurality of processing and storing means for processing and storing a respective one of a plurality of corresponding digital information each associated with a respective warning sound and

a plurality of comparison means each associated with a respective one of said processing and storing means for comparing said ambient digital information to respective corresponding digital information.

7. The device of claim 6 including a plurality of signal means each associated with a respective one of said plurality of comparison means, each of said signal means being activated when said respective one of said comparison means provides said identification signal.

8. The device of claim 7 in which said plurality of signal means is a light source.