Alarm and monitoring device for the presumption of bodies in danger in a swimming pool

• US 5,886,630 A
• Filed: 12/06/1996
• Issued: 03/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Edouard Menoud
• Original Assignee: Edouard Menoud
• Inventors: Menoud, Edouard
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US08/781,946
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/555, 340/566, 340/573, 340/604, 367/131, 367/136, 367/153
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/082 by monitoring electrical characteristics of the water

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for monitoring the absence of motionless bodies in a swimming pool. Two cameras (1) provide for the permanent imaging of the bottom of the swimming pool. These images are first digitized and then processed by a computer. The superimposition of the two information permits analysis of substantially the entire the surface of the swimming pool in order to determine if a portion is masked by an obstacle. When such obstacle is detected, the duration of the presence of each masked pixel is analyzed. After a certain time delay, and for a minimum number of neighboring pixels, an alarm is generated.

Claims

1. A swimming pool monitoring system, comprising at least one device for monitoring the absence of bodies in danger in a swimming pool, constituted of a means for observing critical zones, said observing means being connected to a computer processing the data obtained and able to distinguish the absence of submerged immobile bodies from other bodies and to signal danger when the duration of immobility of an observed body in a critical zone has exceeded a given threshold, said means for observing said critical zones operating at visible wavelengths and comprising emitters and receivers arranged in such a manner that each observed zone is situated in a volume adjacent to and parallel to the bottom of the swimming pool;

wherein said system further comprises at least one stationary pattern constituted of or adapted to be applied to at least one portion of the swimming pool wall adjacent said critical zones, said system being arranged to monitor said absence of bodies in danger by the permanent detection of said pattern, and to signal danger by detection of the temporary but non-transient obstruction of said permanently detected pattern.

2. A monitoring system according to claim 1, comprising means for detecting and signaling whether light rays can or cannot pass through a zone of the swimming pool to be observed, either due to the presence of a body or for any other reason affecting visibility.

3. A monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein said means for detecting the capacity of light rays to pass through the zones to be observed comprises means for detecting the limits of said zones to be observed which can be in the form of a multiplicity of light barriers having elements placed on either side of the zones to be observed, or reflection barriers having reflectors placed on the side opposite to that with the receivers.

4. A monitoring device according to claim 3, comprising light-signal emitters constituted of light projectors, or luminous strips located on the periphery of the swimming pool, or wherein the pool is illuminated by daylight.

5. A monitoring device according to claim 4, comprising light-barrier receivers concentrated at various points and provided with mechanical or electrical scanning means arranged in such a manner as to enable them to observe the desired limits of said zones.

6. A monitoring device according to claim 5, comprising light receivers constituted of video cameras associated with software adapted to process selected limiting zones.

7. A monitoring device according to claim 6, comprising means for providing various images taken at different angles which are superimposed to provide a composite image corresponding to a plan view of the swimming pool wherein bodies on the bottom appear and which serves as basis for the processing of the absence or the presence of immersed immobile bodies.

8. A monitoring device according to claim 7, comprising a device for monitoring correct functioning of the basic equipment which superimposes on the emitted rays a periodic modification of a part of these rays, and a device for controlling the result of this modification which signals any deficiency or non-perception of said modification by the basic equipment.

9. A monitoring device according to claim 8 comprising, in addition to detection means placed under the surface of the water, further detection means such as cameras placed out of the water to enable an increase of the data contributing to determining danger.

10. A monitoring device according to claim 6, comprising a central computer programmed to examine the image of each camera for a fixed time, then examine the image of the next camera, setting off an alarm if a portion of the image of the permanently observed pattern, corresponding to a minimum part of the observed pattern, is disturbed for a certain minimum time.

11. A monitoring device according to claim 6, wherein the algorithm of the image-processing software is based on four basic phases:

attenuation of the background noise;

pre-filtration of insignificant harmonics followed by subtraction of the background noise;

contrast equalization; and

the spectral selection of significant harmonics.

12. A monitoring device according to claim 11, wherein said phase of spectral selection of significant harmonics is divided into two steps:

a first step which comprises selecting the absolute value of all amplitudes whose spatial frequency surrounds that resulting from an alternating arrangement of patterns, followed by a second step of classifying the selected amplitudes into a histogram from whose shape it can be determined if the signal is a periodic one or noise.

13. A monitoring device according to claim 10, wherein the algorithm of the image-processing software is based on four basic phases:

attenuation of the background noise;

pre-filtration of insignificant harmonics followed by subtraction of the background noise;

contrast equalization; and

the spectral selection of significant harmonics.

14. A monitoring device according to claim 13, wherein said phase of spectral selection of significant harmonics is divided into two steps:

a first step which comprises selecting the absolute value of all amplitudes whose spatial frequency surrounds that resulting from an alternating arrangement of patterns, followed by a second step of classifying the selected amplitudes into a histogram from whose shape it can be determined if the signal is a periodic one or noise.