Baby monitor having a temporary mute function and method of use

• US 7,629,883 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2006
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Peter D. Noel
• Original Assignee: Peter D. Noel
• Inventors: Noel, Peter David
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sherwin; Ryan W
• Application Number:
  US11/531,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20080068155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.15, 340/539.14, 340/539.1, 340/531, 340/530, 340/3.7, 340/3.71, 340 53- 533, 34082536-82552, 340/870.09, 116/67, 116/200, 381/94.5, 381/94.8
• US Class Current: 340/539.15
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring a baby is disclosed incorporating a parent unit in communication with a baby unit. The parent unit includes a function operable to temporarily mute the substantial reproduction of baby sounds at the parent unit. The parent unit may additionally include a plurality of outputs including a digital display of the time remaining before the temporary mute function is disabled, a visual indication that the substantial reproduction of sound is muted, a visual display indicative of the volume of the baby sounds, and music played when the substantial reproduction of sound is muted. Embodiments of the present invention also include a safety features operable to disable the temporary mute function in possible emergency situations.

Claims

1. A baby monitor system, comprising:

a baby unit configured to detect an audible sound and configured to transmit a signal representative of the detected audible sound via a communication link;

a parent unit configured to receive, via the communication link, the signal transmitted by the baby unit and configured to substantially reproduce the audible sound based on the received signal;

an actuator configured to activate a temporary muting function of the system for a determined period of time, the temporary muting function temporarily disabling the reproduction of the audible sound by the parent unit during the determined period of time; and

a mode selector configured to place the system in one of at least two modes of operation including a silence mode in which the temporary muting function operates to cause the parent unit to output no sound during the determined period of time and a music mode in which the temporary muting function operates to cause the parent unit to output music during the determined period of time.

2. The baby monitor system of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a button disposed on the parent unit.

3. The baby monitor system of claim 1, further comprising:

a timer configured to time elapse of the determined period of time, wherein after an elapse of the determined time timed by the timer the temporary muting function is no longer activated; and

wherein actuating the actuator activates the temporary muting function and sets the timer to the predetermined time.

4. The baby monitor system of claim 3, wherein the determined period of time is one of a series of predetermined increases of time, wherein iterations of actuating the actuator cause sequential selection of the series of predetermined increases of time for the determined period of time.

5. The baby monitor system of claim 4, wherein the series of predetermined increases of time includes a maximum at an end of the series;

and wherein an iteration of actuating the actuator after an iteration of the actuator that selects the maximum restarts the sequential selection of the series of predetermined increases of time at a start of the series.

6. The baby monitor system of claim 1, wherein the temporary muting function temporarily disabling the reproduction of the audible sound by the parent unit during the determined period of time comprises disabling at least one of detection of the audible sound by the baby unit, transmitting of the signal by the baby unit, and receiving of the signal by the parent unit.

7. The baby monitor system of claim 1, wherein the communication link comprises a radio frequency communication link.

8. The baby monitor system of claim 1, wherein the communication link comprises a local area network.

9. A method of monitoring using a baby monitoring system, comprising:

detecting an audible sound at a baby unit of the baby monitoring system;

transmitting a signal representative of the detected audible sound;

receiving the transmitted signal at a parent unit of the baby monitoring system;

based on the transmitted signal, substantially reproducing the audible sound at the parent unit when

a temporary muting function of the baby monitoring system is not activated;

outputting no sound at the parent unit when the temporary muting function is activated and the baby monitoring system is in a first mode of operation; and

outputting music at the parent unit when the temporary muting function is activated and the baby monitoring system is in a second mode of operation.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

enabling a timer when the temporary muting function is activated, wherein an elapsing of the timer causes the temporary muting function to be deactivated; and

displaying a time remaining before the elapsing of the timer.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising activating the temporary muting function in response to a user input received by the baby monitoring system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein activating the temporary muting function activates the function for a determined period of time based on the received user input.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the determined period of time is one of a series of predetermined increases of time sequentially selected by iterations of the received user input.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the series of predetermined increases of time includes a maximum at an end of the series and an iteration of the received user input received after an iteration of the received user input that selects the maximum restarts the sequential selection of the series of predetermined increases of time at a start of the series.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining one of the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation for the baby monitoring system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining comprises determining a status of a switch of the baby monitoring system.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining comprises determining a user selection of one of the modes of operation.

18. A baby monitor system, comprising:

means for detecting an audible sound;

means for transmitting a signal representative of the detected audible sound;

means for receiving the transmitted signal remote from the means for detecting and the means for transmitting;

means for substantially reproducing the audible sound based on the received signal;

means for activating a temporary function of the system for a determined period of time, the temporary muting function temporarily disabling, during the determined period of time, reproduction of the audible sound by the means for substantially reproducing; and

means for selecting a mode of operation of the system to place the system in one of at least two modes including a silence mode in which the temporary muting function operates to cause no sound to be output remote from the means for detecting and the means for transmitting during the determined period of time and a music mode in which the temporary muting function operates to cause music to be output remote from the means for detecting and the means for transmitting during the determined period of time.

19. The baby monitor system of claim 18 further comprising:

means for timing a time interval that the temporary muting function remains activated, wherein after an expiration of the time interval the temporary muting function is no longer activated.

20. The baby monitor system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for providing output from the means for substantially reproducing when the temporary muting function is not activated and output of music when the system is in the music mode and the temporary muting function is activated.