Two-way communication baby monitor with a soothing unit

• US 6,759,961 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2001
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Europa BV (Mattel Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Gubitosi, Domenic T., Weppner, Mark H., Fitzgerald, Karen
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T.
• Application Number:
  US09/970,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20030067391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/539.1, 455/412, 455/550, 455/568, 455/569, 381/94.1, 381/94.7
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0208 Combination with audio or video communication, e.g. combination with "baby phone" function
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission

Abstract

A baby monitor system with a parent unit communicable with a baby unit having a soothing unit is provided. In an embodiment for the baby monitor system of the present invention, the baby unit is responsive to receiving a signal representative of an audible sound transmitted from the parent unit and the parent unit is responsive to receiving a signal representative of an audible sound transmitted from the baby unit. In an embodiment for a method of the present invention, a method for monitoring a baby is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving a signal representative of an audible sound at a baby unit from a parent unit, receiving a signal representative of an audible sound at a parent unit from a baby unit, and actuating a soothing unit included in the baby unit.

Claims

1. A baby monitor system, comprising:

a parent unit; and

a baby unit including a soothing unit, said baby unit communicable with said parent unit, the soothing unit including a light unit having a projection guide configured to direct an image in a direction, the projection guide having a pivotable tube;

said baby unit responsive to receiving a signal representative of an audible sound transmitted from said parent unit; and

said parent unit responsive to receiving a signal representative of an audible sound transmitted from said baby unit.

2. The baby monitor system of claim 1, wherein said baby unit is responsive to receiving a control signal from said parent unit to actuate said soothing unit.

3. The baby monitor system of claim 1, wherein said soothing unit includes an audio output unit.

4. The baby monitor system of claim 1, wherein said projection guide directs said image in a second direction.

5. The baby monitor system of claim 1, wherein said light unit includes a night light.

6. The baby monitor system of claim 1, said baby unit comprising a housing having a substantially planar base.

7. The baby monitor system of claim 1, said soothing unit comprising:

a film disposed between said light unit and a distal end of said image projection guide.

8. The baby monitor system of claim 7, wherein said film is rotatable.

9. The baby monitor system of claim 1, said parent unit comprising:

a housing;

a flexible antenna having a proximal end coupled to said housing, a distal end and a body extending therebetween; and

a retainer coupled to said housing;

said antenna reconfigurable between a first configuration wherein said body is disposed away from said housing and a second configuration wherein said body is disposed adjacent to said housing within said retainer.

10. The baby monitor system of claim 9, wherein when said antenna is configured in said first configuration, said body is in a substantially straight configuration and wherein when said antenna is configured in said second configuration, said body is in an arcuate configuration.

11. The baby monitor system of claim 9, wherein said retainer includes a detent formed in said housing.

12. The baby monitor system of claim 9, wherein said retainer comprises a clip.

13. A method of monitoring a baby, comprising the steps of:

receiving a signal representative of an audible sound at a baby unit from a parent unit;

receiving a signal representative of an audible sound at a parent unit from a baby unit;

actuating a soothing unit included in said baby unit;

projecting an image in a direction; and

rotating a film disposed between a light source and an image projection unit.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of actuating a soothing unit includes the step of receiving a control signal at said baby unit from said parent unit.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of actuating a soothing unit includes the step of illuminating a night-light.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of actuating a soothing unit includes the step of playing an audio output.

17. A baby monitor system comprising:

a parent unit, said parent unit including a parent unit control circuit including a receiver and a transmitter, said parent unit control circuit coupled to a parent unit speaker, a parent unit microphone, and a first and a second user accessible parent unit actuator;

a baby unit including a baby unit control circuit including a receiver and transmitter;

said baby unit control circuit coupled to a baby unit speaker, a baby unit microphone, and a soothing unit;

said parent unit control circuit and said baby unit control circuit having a communication link therebetween;

said parent unit control circuit being responsive to actuation of said first parent unit actuator in a manner to transmit a first signal to said baby unit control circuit, said first signal corresponding to sounds received by said parent unit microphone;

said baby unit control circuit being responsive to receiving said first signal from said parent unit control circuit in a manner to produce an audio output on said baby unit speaker corresponding to said received first signal;

said baby unit control circuit configured to transmit a second signal to said parent unit control circuit, said second signal corresponding to sounds received by said baby unit microphone;

said parent unit control circuit being responsive to receiving said second signal from said baby unit control circuit in a manner to produce an audio output on said parent unit speaker corresponding to said received second signal;

said parent unit control circuit being responsive to actuation of said second parent unit actuator in a manner to transmit a third signal to said baby unit control circuit; and

said baby unit control circuit being responsive to receiving said third signal from said parent unit control circuit in a manner to actuate said soothing unit.

18. The baby monitor system of claim 17, wherein said soothing unit is configured to produce an audio output on said baby unit speaker for soothing a baby.

19. The baby monitor system of claim 17, wherein said soothing unit includes a light projection unit configured to produce a visual output.

20. The baby monitor system of claim 19, wherein said light unit is configurable to act as a nightlight.

21. The baby monitor system of claim 19, wherein said light projection unit includes a projection guide configured to select a direction of said visual output.

22. The baby monitor system of claim 21, wherein said projection guide includes a pivoting tube.

23. The baby monitor system of claim 17, wherein said parent unit includes a channel selector coupled to said parent unit control circuit for selecting a transmission channel for said communication link and said baby unit includes a channel selector coupled to said baby unit control circuit for selecting a transmission channel for said communication link.

24. The baby monitor system of claim 17, further including a first user accessible actuator coupled to said baby unit control circuit and wherein said baby unit control circuit is responsive to receiving an input from said first user actuator to actuate said soothing unit.

25. The baby monitor system of claim 17, further including a second user accessible actuator coupled to said baby unit control circuit, said second user actuator configured to provide a first user selection, a second user selection, and a third user selection, and wherein said baby unit control circuit is responsive to receiving a signal corresponding to said first user selection to configure said soothing unit to provide a visual output upon actuation of said soothing unit and wherein said baby unit control circuit is responsive to receiving a signal corresponding to said second user selection to configure said soothing unit to produce an audio output upon actuation of said soothing unit;

and wherein said baby unit control circuit is responsive to receiving a signal corresponding to said third user selection to configure said soothing unit to provide both a visual output and audio output upon actuation of said soothing unit.

26. A method for monitoring a baby, said method employing a parent unit including a parent unit control circuit, said parent unit control circuit including a receiver and a transmitter, said parent unit control circuit coupled to a parent unit speaker, a parent unit microphone, and a first and a second user accessible parent unit actuator, said method employing a baby unit including a baby unit control circuit, said baby unit control circuit including a receiver and a transmitter, said baby unit control circuit coupled to a baby unit speaker, a baby unit microphone, and a soothing unit, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first audio input at said baby unit microphone;

transmitting a first signal corresponding to said first audio input from said baby unit control circuit to said parent unit control circuit;

receiving said first signal at said parent unit control circuit;

producing an audio output on said parent unit speaker corresponding to said received first signal;

receiving a first input from said first parent unit actuator corresponding to a first user input;

receiving a second audio input at said parent unit microphone after receiving said first input;

transmitting a second signal corresponding to said second audio input from said parent unit control circuit to said baby unit control circuit;

receiving said second signal at said baby unit control circuit;

producing an audio output on said baby unit speaker corresponding to said received second signal;

receiving a second input from said second parent unit actuator corresponding to a second user input;

transmitting a third signal from said parent unit control circuit to said baby unit control circuit in response to receiving said second input;

receiving said third signal at said baby unit control circuit; and

activating said soothing unit in response to receiving said third signal.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said parent unit includes a visual indicator coupled to said parent unit control circuit, said method further including the step of providing a visual output on said visual indicator corresponding to an amplitude of said first audio input.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of activating said soothing unit includes producing an audio output.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of activating said soothing unit includes producing a visual output.

30. A baby monitor system comprising:

a parent unit;

said parent unit including a parent unit control circuit including a receiver;

a parent unit speaker coupled to said parent unit control circuit;

a baby unit including a housing and a baby unit control circuit;

said baby unit control circuit including a transmitter;

an antenna coupled to said transmitter and including a first end disposed adjacent to said housing and a second end disposed distal from said housing;

a baby unit microphone coupled to said baby unit control circuit and disposed at said second end of said antenna;

said parent unit control circuit and said baby unit control circuit having a communication link therebetween;

said baby unit control circuit configured to transmit a first signal to said parent unit control circuit, said first signal corresponding to sounds received by said baby unit microphone; and

said parent unit control circuit being responsive to receiving said first signal from said baby unit control circuit in a manner to produce an audio output on said parent unit speaker corresponding to said received first signal.

31. The baby monitor system of claim 30, wherein said parent unit control circuit includes a transmitter, said baby unit control circuit includes a receiver, and said communication link is bi-directional.

32. The baby monitor system of claim 31, wherein said baby unit further includes a soothing unit coupled to said baby unit control circuit.

33. The baby monitor system of claim 32, wherein said baby unit control circuit is responsive to receiving a signal from said parent unit control circuit in a manner to actuate said soothing unit.

34. The baby monitor system of claim 33, wherein said soothing unit produces an audio output upon actuation.

35. The baby monitor system of claim 33, wherein said soothing unit produces a visual output upon actuation.

36. The baby monitor system of claim 33, wherein said soothing unit produces both an audio output and a visual output upon actuation.

37. The baby monitor system of claim 31, further comprising:

a parent unit microphone coupled to said parent unit control circuit;

a baby unit speaker coupled to said baby unit control circuit;

wherein said parent unit control circuit is responsive to receiving an audio input from said parent unit microphone in a manner to transmit a second signal to said baby unit control circuit corresponding to said audio input received by said parent unit microphone; and

said baby unit control circuit is responsive to receiving said second signal in a manner to produce an audio output on said baby unit speaker corresponding to said second signal.

38. The baby monitor system of claim 30, further including a visual indicator coupled to said parent unit control circuit and configured to produce a visual output corresponding to an amplitude of the sounds received by said baby unit microphone.

39. The baby monitor system of claim 38, wherein said visual indicator includes a plurality of light emitting diodes wherein each light emitting diode is configured to illuminate to indicate a different amplitude.