Sonic relay for the high frequency hearing impaired

• US 6,658,123 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2000
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William C. Crutcher
• Original Assignee: William C. Crutcher
• Inventors: Crutcher, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ensey, Brian
• Application Number:
  US09/620,427
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 381/56, 381/57, 381/312, 381/315, 381/316, 381/98, 340/902, 340/458, 340/438, 340/942, 340/944
• US Class Current: 381/315
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/009 Teaching or communicating with deaf persons G09B21/04 takes precedence; deaf and dumb persons G09B21/00

Abstract

A portable battery˜powered sonic relay amplifies periodic beeping sounds from an alarm clock, smoke alarm, electronic watch or the like and analyzes the sound pulses in a logic circuit. If the sounds are periodically repeated high frequency sounds, a sound producer emits loud, low frequency sounds from a buzzer or the like, which may be heard more easily by a person with high frequency impaired hearing.

Claims

1. A sonic relay responsive to a source of high frequency sonic pulses composed of sound at high frequencies including at least the upper frequency range of human hearing and occurring at a constant repetition rate, said sonic relay being arranged to provide low frequency sound audible to the high frequency hearing impaired and comprising:

an amplifier responsive to repetitive sonic pulses composed of sound at high frequencies including at least said upper frequency range, said upper frequency range commencing at a threshold frequency above which sound is inaudible to a high frequency hearing impaired person, and arranged to provide amplified electrical signals,

frequency filter means responsive to said amplified electrical signals for removing signals outside said upper frequency range and adapted to provide an output signal,

logic circuit means responsive to said output signal comprising a microcontroller programmed to provide a logic output signal when the sonic pulses have the same pulse length and the pulses occur at said constant repetition rate, and

a sound producer responsive to said logic output signal and adapted to provide sound predominantly at low frequencies within a frequency range of human hearing below that of said threshold frequency.

2. Sonic relay according to claim 1, wherein the frequency filter means comprises a high pass filter and the threshold frequency is on the order of 1000 Hz.

3. Sonic relay according to claim 1, wherein the sound producer is a battery operated buzzer.

4. Sonic relay according to claim 1, wherein the sound producer is a piezoelectric crystal designed to vibrate at a lower frequency than the frequency of the oscillations of said sonic pulses.

5. Sonic relay according to claim 1, and further including a counter connected to count a pre- selected number of logic output signals from the logic circuit means and to provide a second output signal when a pre-selected count is reached, and a timer responsive to the second output signal and arranged to actuate the sound producer for a pre-selected time.

6. A sonic relay responsive to a source of high frequency sonic pulses composed of sound at high frequencies including at least the upper frequency range of human hearing and occurring at a constant repetition rate, said sonic relay being arranged to provide sound audible to the high frequency hearing impaired and comprising:

an amplifier responsive to repetitive sonic pulses composed of sound at high frequencies including at least said upper frequency range commencing at a threshold frequency above which sound is inaudible to a high frequency hearing impaired person, and arranged to provide amplified electrical signals,

frequency filter means responsive to said amplified electrical signals for removing signals outside said upper frequency range and adapted to provide an output signal,

logic circuit means responsive to said output signal and adapted to provide a logic output signal when the sonic pulses have the same pulse length and the pulses occur at said constant repetition rate, and

a sound producer responsive to said logic output signal and adapted to provide sound predominantly at low frequencies within a frequency range of human hearing below those of said upper frequency range,

wherein the logic circuit means is arranged to output the logic output signal for a time interval corresponding to the duration of said sonic pulse, whereby the low frequency sounds are of the same duration as the high frequency sonic pulses.

7. A sonic relay responsive to a source of high frequency sonic pulses composed of sound at high frequencies including at least the upper frequency range of human hearing ad occurring at a constant repetition rate, said sonic relay being arranged to provide sound audible to the high frequency hearing impaired and comprising:

an amplifier responsive to repetitive sonic pulses composed of sound at high frequencies including at least said upper frequency range commencing at a threshold frequency above which sound is inaudible to a high frequency hearing impaired person, and arranged to provide amplified electrical signals,

frequency filter means responsive to said amplified electrical signals for removing signals outside said upper frequency range and adapted to provide an output signal,

logic circuit means responsive to said output signal and adapted to provide a logic output signal when the sonic pulses have the same pulse length and the pulses occur at said constant repetition rate, wherein the logic circuit means comprises a microcontroller programmed to determine the start and end of a sonic pulse and to determine periodicity by measuring pulse lengths and intervals between pulses, and

a sound producer responsive to said logic output signal and adapted to provide sound predominantly at low frequencies within a frequency range of human hearing below those of said upper frequency range.