Combination monitoring and entertainment system for children

• US 7,470,167 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2005
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cynthia C. Clark
• Original Assignee: Cynthia C. Clark
• Inventors: Clark, Cynthia C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cegielnik; Urszula M
• Application Number:
  US11/222,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20070058039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 446/227, 446/485, 446/397, 446/175
• US Class Current: 446/227
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/006 Infant exercisers, e.g. for attachment to a crib
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0208 Combination with audio or video communication, e.g. combination with "baby phone" function
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A dual functioning system for enabling a user to selectively monitor and entertain a subject comprises an entertainment system and a surveillance system. The entertainment system comprises a visual display, signal-delivering circuitry, signal-inputting hardware, and an extendable arm assembly. The arm assembly selectively positions the visual display for viewing by a target subject. The signal-inputting hardware enables the user to output stimuli upon the visual display via the signal-delivering circuitry. The visual display comprises at least one energy-passing aperture. The surveillance system comprises a camera assembly, data-transmitting circuitry, and monitoring hardware. The camera assembly is positioned adjacent a select energy-passing aperture for receiving and transmitting monitorial data input to the monitoring hardware via the select energy-passing aperture and the data-transmitting circuitry and, having a selectively colored lens light filter, also provides a color-camouflaged display to the subject.

Claims

1. A monitor-entertainment system for enabling at least one user to selectively monitor and entertain a subject, the monitor-entertainment system comprising, in combination:

an entertainment system, the entertainment system comprising a substantially planar screen assembly, signal-delivering circuitry, signal-inputting means, and output-positioning means, the screen assembly comprising a centralized view screen and a peripheral screen border, the output positioning means for selectively positioning the screen assembly intermediate the signal-inputting means and a target subject, the signal-delivering circuitry electrically communicating the screen assembly with the signal-inputting means, the signal-inputting means for enabling at least one user to selectively output entertaining stimuli upon the screen assembly via the signal-delivering circuitry, the view screen for displaying screen-based visual stimuli, the peripheral screen border comprising a plurality of colored geometric shapes and at least one energy-passing, geometrically-shaped aperture, and

a surveillance system, the surveillance system comprising a camera assembly, data-transmitting circuitry, and data-outputting means, the data-transmitting circuitry electrically communicating the camera assembly with the data-outputting means, the camera assembly comprising a lens light filter, the lens light filter being spatially located adjacent the energy-passing, geometrically-shaped aperture, the lens light filter comprising select coloration, the lens light filter thus forming a color-camouflaged, hidden-camera display, the colored shapes comprising the color-camouflaged, hidden-camera display, the monitor-entertainment system thus enabling at least one user to selectively monitor and entertain the subject.

2. The monitor-entertainment system of claim 1 wherein the entertainment system comprises audio entertainment-outputting means and audio entertainment-inputting means, the audio entertainment-inputting means enabling the user to output entertaining audio upon the audio entertainment-outputting means via a second energy-passing, geometrically-shaped aperture and the signal-delivering circuitry, the second energy-passing, geometrically-shaped aperture comprising a first acoustic energy filter, the first acoustic energy filter comprising select coloration, the first acoustic energy filter thus forming a color-camouflaged, audio-outputting display, the colored geometric shapes comprising the color-camouflaged, audio-outputting display.

3. The monitor-entertainment system of claim 1 wherein the output-positioning means are defined by an extendable arm assembly, the extendable arm assembly comprising an anchor end, a display end, and at least one joint intermediate the anchor end and the display end, the anchor end being attachable to select support structure and the display end being attached to the screen assembly, the joint enabling the user to position the screen assembly intermediate the select support structure and the subject.

4. The monitor-entertainment system of claim 3 comprising subject-positioning means, the subject positioning means for positioning the subject relative to the screen assembly.

5. The monitor-entertainment system of claim 4 wherein the subject-positioning means comprise a subject support surface, the subject support surface being spatially located adjacent the select support structure.

6. The monitor-entertainment system of claim 3 wherein at least one joint enables select axial movement, the select axial movement being selected from the group consisting of uniaxial movement, biaxial movement, and triaxial movement.

7. The monitor-entertainment system of claim 1 comprising central-processing means and processor-based remote control circuitry, the signal-inputting means and the data-outputting means being bound by at least one user-based remote control unit, the user-based remote control unit comprising select data-directing means and user-based remote control circuitry, the processor-based and user-based remote control circuitry for enabling remote communication with the central-processing means, the central-processing means for selectively directing the entertainment and surveillance systems, the select data-directing means being selected from the group consisting of visual-screening means, image-receiving means, audio-amplifying means, audio-receiving-means, and instruction-inputting means, the select data-directing means for enhancing remote communication with the central-processing means.

8. The monitor-entertainment system of claim 1 comprising border-displacing means and the screen border comprises an axis of rotation, the border-displacing means for rotating the screen border about the axis of rotation relative to the view screen.

9. The monitor-entertainment system of claim 8 comprising hanging elements, the hanging elements being selectively attachable to the screen border, the rotatable screen border and the hanging elements for forming a mobile apparatus characterized by the centralized view screen.