Remote child monitoring system with temperature sensing

• US 8,659,421 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2011
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dorel Juvenile Group, Inc. (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cosco Management Incorporated (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Babineau, Roger J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/189,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20120032797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.15, 340/539.1, 340/573.1, 34053925-53926, 340/539.3, 340/539.29, 340/539.12, 340/693.2
• US Class Current: 340/539.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0204 Acoustic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a monitoring system for sensing and transmitting sounds in a child'"'"'s vicinity. The present disclosure relates to a monitoring system for sensing and transmitting indicia of temperature in a child'"'"'s vicinity and/or of a child.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for sensing and transmitting sounds in a child'"'"'s vicinity, and sensing and transmitting data indicating a measured ambient temperature in the child'"'"'s vicinity and/or a measured temperature of the child, the monitoring system comprising

a base unit comprising a housing enclosing a microphone configured to detect the sounds in the child'"'"'s vicinity and a transmitter configured to transmit associated sound data indicating those sounds;

a remote parent unit comprising a housing enclosing a receiver configured to receive the sound data transmitted by the base unit and a speaker configured to output an indication of the sensed sounds based on the received sound data, and

child unit means for measuring a temperature of the child and transmitting associated temperature data indicating the measured child temperature to the base unit,

wherein the base unit includes means for receiving the temperature data indicating the measured child temperature and retransmitting said temperature data to the remote parent unit.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the base unit further comprises a sensor configured to measure the ambient temperature in the child'"'"'s vicinity and the transmitter of the base unit is configured to transmit the data indicating the ambient temperature to the remote parent unit along with the sound data.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the child-unit means includes at least one of a transmitter and a receiver for communicating with the base unit.

4. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the child-unit means includes a sensor configured to sense an underarm temperature of the child and an armband attached to the sensor and configured to enable the sensor to be attached to the child.

5. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the remote parent unit is configured to output an indication of the received sound data.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the remote parent unit is configured to output an indication of the ambient temperature in the child'"'"'s vicinity and/or the temperature data sensed by the means for measuring the temperature of the child.

7. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the base unit further comprises a microphone configured to detect the sounds in the child'"'"'s vicinity.

8. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the remote parent unit speaker outputs at least one alarm based on the child'"'"'s temperature measured by the child unit means, which is received by the base unit and re-transmitted to the remote parent unit.

9. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the remote parent unit and base unit communicate with one another at one of approximately 900 MHz, 1.9 GHz, 2.4 GHz, and 5.8 GHz.

10. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the base unit includes at least one of a transmitter and a receiver for communicating with the child-unit means.

11. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the base unit and the child-unit means communicate with one another at approximately 313 MHz.

12. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the remote parent unit includes a visual indication of a volume level of sounds sensed in the child'"'"'s vicinity based on the sound data received from the base unit.

13. The monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the visual indication of the volume level comprises a plurality of light sources configured to turn on sequentially as an indication of an increase in volume level.

14. The monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the visual indication of the volume level cooperates with the speaker of the remote parent unit optionally to mute sound output from the speaker while indicating volume level via the visual indication of the volume level.

15. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the child-unit means includes a plurality of temperature-sensing sensors.

16. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the remote parent unit is configured to issue an audible alert when a temperature measured by the child-unit means falls below or rises above a set range.

17. The monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the set range is configurable by a user.

18. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the child-unit means is configured to measure continuously the child'"'"'s temperature and transmit the associated temperature data to the base unit.

19. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein each of the parent and base units includes at least one rechargeable battery and charging contacts to re-energize the at least one rechargeable battery included within the housings of the respective units when mated with a respective charger.

20. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the child-unit means includes a housing, an armband sensor, and a band arranged to interconnect the housing and the armband sensor to provide means for retaining the housing and the armband sensor on the arm of a child wearing the child-unit means.

21. The monitoring system of claim 20, wherein the armband sensor includes a temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of a child wearing the child-unit means and the housing includes an outer shell formed to include an interior region and an electronic system lying in the interior region and comprising a data transmitter configured to transmit the associated temperature data indicating the measured child temperature measured by the temperature sensor in the armband sensor.

22. The monitoring system of claim 21, wherein the band includes a bridge coupled to and arranged to extend between the housing and the armband sensor and the bridge includes a concave inner surface adapted to face toward an arm of a child wearing the child-unit means on said arm.

23. The monitoring system of claim 22, wherein the band further includes a distal end cantilevered to the bridge at the armband sensor and arranged to extend away from the bridge.

24. A monitoring system for sensing and transmitting sounds in a child'"'"'s vicinity, and sensing and transmitting data indicating a measured ambient temperature in the child'"'"'s vicinity and/or a measured temperature of the child, the monitoring system comprising

a base unit comprising a housing enclosing a microphone configured to detect the sounds in the child'"'"'s vicinity, a temperature sensor configured to measure the ambient temperature in the child'"'"'s vicinity, and a transmitter configured to transmit sound data indicating the detected sounds and data indicating the measured ambient temperature;

a remote parent unit comprising a housing enclosing a receiver configured to receive the data transmitted by the base unit and a speaker configured to output an indication of the sensed sounds based on the received sound data, and

a child unit comprising a housing coupled to a flexible armband and including a temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of the child and a transmitter configured to transmit data indicating the measured child temperature to the base unit,

wherein the base unit further includes a receiver configured to receive the child temperature data from the child unit, and

wherein the transmitter of the base unit is further configured to re-transmit the received child temperature data along with the ambient temperature data and sensed sound data to the remote parent unit.

25. The monitoring system of claim 24, wherein the system operates in two modes of operation, a first mode, wherein the base unit senses and transmits sound data in a child'"'"'s vicinity to the remote parent unit and a second mode, wherein the base unit also receives the child temperature data transmitted by the child unit and re-transmits that data along with ambient temperature data sensed by the base unit to the remote parent unit for output via a user interface.

26. The monitoring system of claim 25, wherein, in the first mode, the base unit senses and transmits the ambient temperature data sensed by the base unit to the remote parent unit for display via a user interface.

27. The monitoring system of claim 25, wherein, in the first mode, the receiver of the base unit is off.

28. The monitoring system of claim 25, wherein, in the second mode, the child unit is configured to transmit continuously the measured child temperature data to the base unit.

29. The monitoring system of claim 24, wherein the speaker of the remote parent unit outputs at least one alarm based on the child'"'"'s temperature data transmitted to the base unit and re-transmitted from the base unit to the remote parent unit.

30. The monitoring system of claim 24, wherein the remote parent unit and base unit communicate with one another at one of approximately 900 MHz, 1.9 GHz, 2.4 GHz, and 5.8 GHz.

31. The monitoring system of claim 24, wherein the base unit and child unit communicate with one another at approximately 313 MHz.

32. The monitoring system of claim 24, wherein the remote parent unit includes a plurality of light sources configured visually to indicate a volume level of sounds detected by the base unit by sequentially turning on as an indication of an increase in volume level.

33. The monitoring system of claim 32, wherein the remote parent unit is configured optionally to mute sound output from the speaker while indicating volume level via the plurality of light sources.

34. The monitoring system of claim 24, wherein the speaker of the remote parent unit is configured to issue an audible alert when the measured child temperature falls below or rises above a set range.

35. The monitoring system of claim 34, wherein the set range is configurable by a user.

36. The monitoring system of claim 24, wherein the child unit includes a plurality of temperature-sensing sensors.

37. The monitoring system of claim 24, wherein each of the parent and base units includes at least one rechargeable battery and charging contacts to re-energize the at least one rechargeable battery included within the housings of the respective units when mated with a respective charger.

38. The monitoring system of claim 37, wherein the child unit includes at least one rechargeable battery that is configured to be rechargeable when the base unit is charged.