Method of activating a supplemental visual warning signal based on frequency emitted from a generator of a primary audible warning signal

• US 8,866,599 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2008
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Delia, David J., Delia, Wayne M., Kelley, Edward E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMALL, NAOMI J
• Application Number:
  US12/257,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20100102938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,188 Days
• Field of Search: 340/326, 340/286.01, 340/573.1, 340/539.11, 116/200
• US Class Current: 340/326
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/002 adapted to accommodate electronic equipment patients' garments for medical monitoring A41D13/1281; luminous ornaments A41D27/085
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0027 visually handicapped
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0627 when used improperly, e.g. by giving a warning
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0655 Tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0616 Means for conducting or scheduling competition, league, tournaments or rankings
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0619 Displays, user interfaces and indicating devices, specially adapted for sport equipment, e.g. display mounted on treadmills
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA

Abstract

A system and method for signaling users including a control device electrically connected to a transceiver. The transceiver has a specified frequency. A first mobile signal device being activated by a first user and electrically communicating with a first transmitter having a selectable signal frequency. The first transmitter electrically communicates with the transceiver using the specified frequency. A second signal device includes a second receiver for receiving an activation signal from the transceiver. The second receiver electrically communicates with the transceiver using the specified frequency. The second signal device is activated by the activation of the first mobile signal device using the transceiver for alerting other persons.

Claims

1. A signaling system to generate a plurality of signals indicating specified events relating to a plurality of defined areas and to connect different ones of the signals to different ones of the defined areas, the signaling system comprising:

a plurality of first mobile signal devices for generating first signals, the plurality of the first mobile signal devices including a plurality of sets of the first mobile signal devices,

each of the sets of the first mobile signal devices being associated with a respective one of the plurality of defined areas, user to generate the first signals to indicate specified events relating to said respective one of the plurality of defined areas;

a plurality of second signal devices for generating second signals, the plurality of second signal devices including a plurality of sets of the second signal devices, each of said sets of the second signal devices being associated with a respective one of the defined areas, wherein each of the defined areas is associated with one of the sets of the first mobile signal devices and with one of the sets of the second signal devices;

a control subsystem for selectively connecting different ones of the sets of the first mobile signal devices with different ones of the sets of the second signal devices, the control subsystem including

one or more transceivers for receiving event signals from the first mobile signal devices, and for generating activation signals and for transmitting the activation signals to the second signal devices to activate the second signal devices to generate the second signals the one or more transceivers having a plurality of different operating frequencies; and

a control to set the operating frequencies of the one or more transceivers to use said operating frequencies of the one or more transceivers to connect each of the sets of the first mobile signal devices with the one of the sets of the second signal devices associated with a same one of the defined areas as said each set of the first mobile signal device is associated with; and

wherein when each of the first mobile signal devices of each of the sets of the first mobile signal devices generates one of the first signals to indicate one of the specified events relating to the defined area associated with said each set of the first mobile signal device, said each first mobile device sends an event signal to one of the operating frequencies of the one or more transceivers, in response, said one or more the transceivers sends an activation signal to the one of the sets of the second signal devices associated with the same one of the defined areas as said each set of the first mobile signal devices, and each of the one set of the second signal devices generates one of the second signal to confirm that said each of the first signal devices has generated one of the first signals to indicate one of the specified events related to said same one of the defined areas.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first signal device belongs to a first group of devices generating sensory stimulation of a player, and the second signal device belongs to a second group of devices generating sensory stimulation of the player or one or more other players.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first group includes first devices generating audible alerts.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the second group includes second devices generating visual alerts.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the first group includes first devices generating audible signals, and the system further includes an audible device being selected from the first group comprising:

a whistle, a horn, and an alarm claxon.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the second group includes second devices generating visual alerts, and the system further comprising a visual device being selected from the second group comprising:

a flashing light and a strobe light.

7. The system of claim 2, further including a third signal device being activated by the activation of the first mobile signal device, and the third signal device being part of a third group of devices generating stimulation to a player.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the stimulation is a vibration.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the third signal device is part of an article of clothing and the signal device generates a vibration to the player.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the third signal device is a vibrating device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the second signal device is mobile.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the transceiver and the second signal device communicate wirelessly.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the second signal device is activated for a predeterminable time interval.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

each of the plurality of transceivers communicating with the first mobile signal device associated with one of the defined areas, and communicating with the one or more of the second signal devices associated with said associated first mobile signal devices; and

wherein;

each of the first mobile signal devices is associated with only one of the defined areas; and

the transceivers activate each of said one or more of the second signal devices to generate one of the second signals whenever, and only when, the one of the first mobile signal devices associated with said each second signal device, is used to generate one of the first signals, whereby each of the second signals indicates that an associated one of the first signals has been generated to indicate an identified specified event relating to a specified one of the plurality of defined areas.

15. The signaling system according to claim 1, wherein the control:

reallocates frequencies from the plurality of the first mobile signal devices to the one or more transceivers, and reallocates frequencies from the one or more transceivers to the plurality of the second signal devices, and

communicates via a network with a global timing system to provide an automatic alert signal based on synchronized time.

16. A signaling method to generate a plurality of signals indicating specified events relating to a plurality of defined areas and to connect different ones of the signals to different ones of the defined areas, the signaling method comprising:

using a plurality of first mobile signal devices to generate first, audible signals, the plurality of the first mobile signal devices including a plurality of sets of the first mobile signal devices, each of the sets of the first mobile signal devices being associated with a respective one of the plurality of defined areas, to generate of the first signals to indicate ones of the specified events relating to said respective one of the plurality of defined areas;

operating a plurality of second signal devices for generating second signals, the plurality of second signal devices including a plurality of sets of the second signal devices, each of said sets of the second signal devices being associated with a respective one of the defined areas, wherein each of the defined areas is associated with one of the sets of the first mobile signal devices and with one of the sets of the second signal devices; and

operating a control subsystem for selectively connecting different ones of the sets of the first mobile signal devices with different ones of the sets of the second signal devices, including

operating one or more transceivers for receiving event signals from the first mobile signal devices, and for generating activation signals and for transmitting the activation signals to the second signal devices to activate the second signal devices to generate the second signals, the one or more transceivers having a plurality of different operating frequencies; and

operating a control to set the operating frequencies of the one or more transceivers to use said operating frequencies of the one or more transceivers to connect each of the sets of the first mobile signal devices with the one of the sets of the second signal devices associated with a same one of the defined areas as said each set of the first mobile signal device is associated with; and

wherein when each of the first mobile signal devices of each of the sets of the first mobile signal devices generates one of the first signals to indicate one of the specified events relating to the defined area associated with said each set of the first mobile signal device, said each first mobile device sends an event signal to one of the operating frequencies of the one or more transceivers, and, in response, said one or more transceivers sends an activation signal to the one of the sets of the second signal devices associated with the same one of the defined areas as said each set of the first mobile signal devices, and each of the one set of the second signal devices generates one of the second signals to confirm that said each of the first signal devices has generated one of the first signals to indicate one of the specified events related to said same one of the defined areas.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

generating audible alerts using the first signal device, and the first signal device being from a first group.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

generating visual alerts using the second signal device, and the second signal device being from a second group.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

activating a third signal device when the first mobile signal device is activated, and the third signal device being part of a third group of devices generating stimulation to a player including vibration.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer readable device having a computer program tangibly embodied therein, the computer program being executed by a processor in a computer system for generating a plurality of signals indicating specified events relating to a plurality of defined areas and to connect different ones of the signals to different ones of the defined areas, the computer program performing the steps of:

responding to the operation of a plurality of first mobile signal devices used to generate first, audible signals, the plurality of the first mobile signal devices including a plurality of sets of the first mobile signal devices, each of the sets of the first mobile signal devices being associated with a respective one of the plurality of defined areas, to generate the first signals to indicate of the specified events relating to said respective one of the plurality of defined areas;

operating a plurality of second signal devices for generating second signals, the plurality of second signal devices including a plurality of sets of the second signal devices, each of said sets of the second signal devices being associated with a respective one of the defined areas, wherein each of the defined areas is associated with one of the sets of the first mobile signal devices and with one of the sets of the second signal devices; and

operating a control subsystem for selectively connecting different ones of the sets of the first mobile signal devices with different ones of the sets of the second signal devices, including

operating one or more transceivers for receiving event signals from the first mobile signal devices, and for generating activation signals and for transmitting the activation signals to the second signal devices to activate the second signal devices to generate the second signals, the one or more transceivers having a plurality of different operating frequencies; and

operating a control to set the operating frequencies of the one or more transceivers to use said operating frequencies of the one or more transceivers to connect each of the sets of the first mobile signal devices with the one of the sets of the second signal devices associated with a same one of the defined areas as said each set of the first mobile signal device is associated with; and

wherein when each of the first mobile signal devices of each of the sets of the first mobile signal devices generates one of the first signals to indicate one of the specified events relating to the defined area associated with said each set of the first mobile signal device, said each first mobile device sends an event signal to one of the operating frequencies of the one or more transceivers, and, in response, said one or more transceivers sends an activation signal to the one of the sets of the second signal devices associated with the same one of the defined areas as said each set of the first mobile signal devices, and each of the one set of the second signal devices generates one of the second signals to confirm that said each of the first signal devices has generated one of the first signals to indicate one of the specified events related to said same one of the defined areas.