Method and apparatus for alarm volume control using pulse width modulation
First Claim
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1. An electronic patient monitor for use in monitoring a patient, comprising:
- (a) a speaker;
(b) an amplifier in electronic communication with said speaker, said amplifier at least for driving said speaker;
(c) a sensor responsive to a status of the patient;
(d) a CPU in electronic communication with said amplifier and with said sensor, wherein said CPU is at least for monitoring said status of the patient and sounding an alarm in response thereto; and
,(e) computer storage in electronic communication with said CPU, said computer storage containing therein at least a plurality of computer instructions executable by said CPU, said plurality of computer instructions comprising the steps of;
(i) selecting a volume level,(ii) selecting a duty cycle function corresponding to said selected volume level,(iii) determining an alarm type,(iv) obtaining alarm tone data corresponding to said alarm type,(v) pulse width modulating said alarm tone data with a series of square waves generated according to said duty cycle function, thereby producing a series of audio waves at least approximately representing said selected alarm type when broadcast through said speaker, and,(vi) transmitting said series of audio waves to said amplifier for broadcast through said speaker.
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Abstract
There is provided herein a first preferred arrangement of the instant invention, wherein an electronic patient monitor utilizes a computer CPU as an alarm signal generator, which CPU is preferably directly connected to a power amplifier and/or a speaker without an intervening (or subsequent) conventional volume control. The alarm signal is preferably expressed as a series of square waves. The volume of the alarm signal as heard through the speaker is controlled by varying the width of the square waves that represent the alarm signal with the duty cycle of the square waves being shortened to reduce the output alarm volume and lengthened to increase it.
95 Citations
24 Claims
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1. An electronic patient monitor for use in monitoring a patient, comprising:
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(a) a speaker; (b) an amplifier in electronic communication with said speaker, said amplifier at least for driving said speaker; (c) a sensor responsive to a status of the patient; (d) a CPU in electronic communication with said amplifier and with said sensor, wherein said CPU is at least for monitoring said status of the patient and sounding an alarm in response thereto; and
,(e) computer storage in electronic communication with said CPU, said computer storage containing therein at least a plurality of computer instructions executable by said CPU, said plurality of computer instructions comprising the steps of; (i) selecting a volume level, (ii) selecting a duty cycle function corresponding to said selected volume level, (iii) determining an alarm type, (iv) obtaining alarm tone data corresponding to said alarm type, (v) pulse width modulating said alarm tone data with a series of square waves generated according to said duty cycle function, thereby producing a series of audio waves at least approximately representing said selected alarm type when broadcast through said speaker, and, (vi) transmitting said series of audio waves to said amplifier for broadcast through said speaker. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of generated an alarm sound in an electronic patient monitor at a predetermined volume level, comprising the steps of:
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(a) selecting a duty cycle function corresponding to said predetermined volume level; (b) determining an alarm type; (c) obtaining alarm tone data corresponding to said alarm type; (d) pulse width modulating said alarm tone data with a square wave series formed according to said selected duty cycle function, thereby creating a series of audio waves at least approximately representing said selected alarm type when broadcast through a speaker; and
,(e) broadcasting said series of audio waves through said speaker, thereby generating said alarm sound at approximately said predetermined volume level. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. An electronic patient monitor for use in monitoring a patient, comprising:
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(a) a speaker; (b) a sensor positionable to be proximate to the patient and responsive to a status of the patient when so positioned; (c) a CPU in electronic communication with said sensor and with said speaker, said CPU being at least for (c1) monitoring said status of the patient via said sensor, and, (c2) generating at least one alarm in response to a change in said patient status; (d) computer storage in electronic communication with said CPU, said computer storage containing therein at least a plurality of computer instructions readable by said CPU and executable thereby, said plurality of computer instructions at least comprising the steps of; (i) using said sensor to determine that a change in the patient'"'"'s status has occurred; (ii) selecting a volume level, (iii) selecting a duty cycle function corresponding to said selected volume level, (iv) determining an alarm type, (v) obtaining alarm tone data corresponding to said alarm type, (vi) generating a series of audio waves according to said duty cycle function, said alarm type and said tone data, said series of audio waves at least approximately representing said selected alarm type when broadcast through said speaker, and, (vi) transmittng said series of audio wave to said speaker, thereby creating an audible representation of said determined alarm type. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An electronic patient monitor for use in monitoring a patient, comprising:
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(a) a patient sensor, said patient sensor being positionable to be proximate to the patient and responsive to a state of the patient when so positioned; (b) a speaker; (c) sound circuitry, said sound circuitry at least for creating at least one audio alarm signal; (d) a control logic circuit in electronic communication with said speaker, said patient sensor, and said sound circuitry, said control logic circuit being at least for (d1) responding to a predetermined change in the state of the patient to sound an alarm, (d2) receiving said one of said audio signals from said sound circuitry when said alarm is to be sounded, (d3) pulse width modulating said received audio signal, thereby setting a volume level of said audio alarm signal, and (d4) transmitting said pulse width modulated signal to said speaker. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification