Identifying activity in an area utilizing sound detection and comparison
First Claim
1. A device for monitoring and detecting sounds to identify activity of a person in a substantially enclosed environment, the device comprising the components of:
- an audio receiver configured to;
detect non-voice sounds within the substantially enclosed environment;
in response to detecting non-voice sounds, begin to record the detected non-voice sounds;
subsequent to detecting non-voice sounds, detect voice sounds or silence within the substantially enclosed environment;
in response to detecting a voice sounds or silence, convert the non-voice sounds recorded prior to the detection of the voice sounds or silence into electronic signals;
a speech processor for receiving the electronic signals and forming digital audio signals;
a digital audio waveform analyzer operable to store digital audio waveforms and compare two or more digital audio waveforms to perform pattern recognition; and
a processing unit operable to;
place the digital audio waveform analyzer into a learning mode for receiving and storing digital audio waveforms for various sounds,place the digital audio waveform analyzer into a detecting mode for receiving digital audio waveforms and comparing them to previously recorded digital audio waveforms; and
performing behavioral trend analysis of the noises in the substantially closed environment over a course of time.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Microprocessor technology is used to detect routine sounds in a substantially enclosed environment to determine normal or abnormal activity or noise within the environment (i.e., habitual behavior of an individual) A device is situated in a substantially enclosed environment with audio input device similar to a microphone and an optional visual display for interaction with the local users. The device has the ability to be controlled locally via key-pad or USB port connected to a local laptop computer, or remotely via a phone line or Ethernet connection to internet. The device further performs audio pattern recognition using waveform matching scheme to detect the occurrence of pre-programmed sounds representing routine activities. The microprocessor counts the number occurrence of each recognizable sound for a particular interval and over a length of a day or other duration and reports to a remote server. The remote server performs tracking and trending analysis to a web-based caregiver client. Significant changes are detected and reported to caregiver or family web-based client.
35 Citations
12 Claims
-
1. A device for monitoring and detecting sounds to identify activity of a person in a substantially enclosed environment, the device comprising the components of:
-
an audio receiver configured to; detect non-voice sounds within the substantially enclosed environment; in response to detecting non-voice sounds, begin to record the detected non-voice sounds; subsequent to detecting non-voice sounds, detect voice sounds or silence within the substantially enclosed environment; in response to detecting a voice sounds or silence, convert the non-voice sounds recorded prior to the detection of the voice sounds or silence into electronic signals; a speech processor for receiving the electronic signals and forming digital audio signals; a digital audio waveform analyzer operable to store digital audio waveforms and compare two or more digital audio waveforms to perform pattern recognition; and a processing unit operable to; place the digital audio waveform analyzer into a learning mode for receiving and storing digital audio waveforms for various sounds, place the digital audio waveform analyzer into a detecting mode for receiving digital audio waveforms and comparing them to previously recorded digital audio waveforms; and performing behavioral trend analysis of the noises in the substantially closed environment over a course of time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A method for detecting abnormal activity in an environment, the method comprising the steps of:
-
recording sounds expected to occur in the environment; storing information representing each unique expected sound into a waveform record; an audio receiver recording non-voice sounds separated by silence or voice sounds occurring in the environment over a first period of time; a processor identifying each non-voice sound by comparing the non-voice sound to the stored information of unique expected sounds in the waveform record; the processor maintaining a count of the number of occurrences for each identified non-voice sound over the first period of time; the processor comparing the counts to expected values for each count within that first period of time; and the processing sounding an alarm condition based at least in parts on the counts and the expected values. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
-
Specification