Enhanced bedside sound monitoring and alarm response method, system and device

• US 7,522,035 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2006
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InnovAlarm Corporation
• Original Assignee: InnovAlarm Corporation
• Inventors: Albert, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US11/522,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20070024451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 340/521, 340/517, 340/539.26, 340/506, 340/539.11, 340/539.27, 340/573.1, 340/575, 340/825.19, 340/407.1, 381/56, 381/57, 715/867, 705/2, 128/920
• US Class Current: 340/521
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0423 detecting deviation from an expected pattern of behaviour or schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0461 integrated or attached to an item closely associated with the person but not worn by the person, e.g. chair, walking stick, bed sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0469 Presence detectors to detect unsafe condition, e.g. infrared sensor, microphone G08B21/0476 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

Home safety and security are provided using a bedside unit to monitor audible safety and security alarms and send notification signals to the appropriate communication site. A home security system additionally comprises a waking device activated by the bedside unit. A memory device of the unit includes means for determining when the sound received by a microphone of the unit is a security alarm sound or a breathing pattern representing an alarm condition.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring sounds at a bedside comprising:

operating a bedside sound monitoring unit including a microphone, a microprocessor and a communications port;

by operating the bedside unit, detecting sounds received by the microphone of the bedside unit and determining if detected sounds include a timing of the breathing pattern presence or absence wherein the timing of the breathing pattern presence or absence represents an alarm condition requiring a response; and

using the operating bedside unit, generating and sending response signals out the communications port when a response is required.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the sound monitoring unit is a bedside unit which further includes a switch for controlling supply of power to a waking device, and said method further comprises operating the bedside unit to detect from sounds received by the microphone of the bedside unit when the sounds represent a smoke detector alarm and in response thereto switching on supply of power to the waking device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the response signals out the communications port comprise notification signals to an Internet site.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising communicating from the Internet site to a telecommunication number.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising, by operating the bedside sound monitoring unit in a setup mode, inputting a night time duration for which a breathing pattern absence represents an alarm condition.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising, by operating the bedside sound monitoring unit in a setup mode, inputting a waking time after which a breathing pattern presence represents an alarm condition.

7. A method for providing for alarm monitoring in a residence, comprising:

receiving at an Internet site a request to monitor a bedside audible alarm monitoring unit along with response instructions; and

receiving at an Internet site an alarm indicating signal sent from the bedside alarm monitoring unit when the bedside unit, by utilizing a digital acoustic signature recognition technology, detects an alarm condition, and transmitting a notification signal from the Internet site in response, wherein the digital acoustic signature recognition technology comprises a technique selected from the group consisting of matched filtering, cross correlation, and neural networking.

8. A memory device for a microprocessor in an alarm monitoring unit comprising:

a memory substrate for a bedside unit; and

monitoring means disposed on the memory substrate, the monitoring means including;

means encoded on the memory substrate for determining when sound received through a microphone of the bedside unit is a security alarm sound, the means comprising a digital acoustic signature recognition technology selected from the group consisting of matched filtering, cross correleation, and neural networking; and

second means encoded on the memory substrate for communicating responsive signals when a security alarm sound is determined.

9. A memory device for a microprocessor in a bedside alarm monitoring unit comprising:

a memory substrate for a bedside unit; and

monitoring means disposed on the memory substrate, the monitoring means including;

means encoded on the memory substrate for determining when sound received through a microphone of the bedside unit includes a timing of the breathing pattern presence or wherein the timing of the breathing pattern presence or absence represents an alarm condition; and

means encoded on the memory substrate for communicating responsive signals when a breathing pattern alarm condition is determined.

10. A method for monitoring sounds at a bedside comprising:

operating a bedside sound monitoring unit including a microphone, a memory having a signal signature of a breathing pattern stored therein, a microprocessor and a communications port;

by operating the bedside unit, detecting sounds received by the microphone of the bedside unit and converting the sounds to a real time digital pattern representing the sounds;

using the microprocessor and a digital acoustic signature recognition technology selected from the group consisting of matched filtering, cross correlation, and neural networking, comparing the real time digital pattern to the signal signature stored in the memory and determining if detected sounds include a timing of the breathing pattern presence or absence wherein the timing of the breathing pattern presence or absence represents an alarm condition requiring a response; and

using the operating bedside unit, generating and sending response signals out the communications port when a response is required.