Sound sensing techniques

• US 9,154,893 B1
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Inventors: Breed, David S
• Primary Examiner(s): BERNARDI, BRENDA C
• Application Number:
  US13/714,880
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 3/00 Measuring characteristics of vibrations by using a detector in a fluid G01H7/00, G01H9/00, G01H11/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09623 Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle G08G1/0967 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/00 Microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles

Abstract

System for monitoring an environment, such as a vehicular environment, including at least one sound-receiving/vibration-detecting component that receives sounds from an environment in or around the vehicle, a processor coupled to the at least one sound-receiving/vibration-detecting component and that analyzes the sounds to identify non-speech sounds, and a communications device coupled to the processor that transmits a signal, data or information about analysis by the processor of the identified non-speech sounds.

Claims

1. A vehicle travel lane monitoring system that monitors non-vehicular objects alongside the travel lane, comprising:

at least one sound-receiving/vibration-detecting component alongside the travel lane and that receives sounds from non-vehicular objects on or alongside the travel lane and/or detects vibrations from non-vehicular objects on or alongside the travel lane;

a processor coupled to said at least one sound-receiving/vibration-detecting component and that analyzes the sounds and/or vibrations to identify non-speech sounds or vibrations, said processor being further configured to analyze sounds and/or vibrations to identify animals on or alongside the travel lane; and

a communications device coupled to said processor that transmits a signal, data or information about analysis by said processor of the identified non-speech sounds and any identified animals on or alongside the travel lane.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one sound-receiving/vibration-detecting component comprises a microphone or accelerometer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is trained to identify non-speech sounds or vibrations in a training stage.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor comprises a pattern recognition system trained to identify non-speech sounds.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the non-speech sounds said pattern recognition system is trained to identify include sirens, alarms, buzzers, sound of collisions, and sounds of distress.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor comprises a pattern recognition system trained to identify non-speech sounds or vibrations in a training stage.

7. A vehicle travel lane monitoring system that monitors non-vehicular objects alongside the travel lane, comprising:

at least one sound-receiving/vibration-detecting component that receives sounds from non-vehicular objects on or alongside the travel lane and/or detects vibrations from non-vehicular objects on or alongside the travel lane;

a processor coupled to said at least one sound-receiving/vibration-detecting component and that analyzes the received sounds and/or detected vibrations to identify presence of one of a plurality of different pre-determined alarm-generating conditions derived from presence of non-vehicular objects on or alongside the travel lane; and

an alarm system coupled to said processor and that is activated when said processor identifies the presence of one of the pre-determined alarm-generating conditions, said alarm system being configured to provide notification to a vehicle travelling in the travel lane about the presence of the pre-determined alarm-generating condition.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said at least one sound-receiving/vibration-detecting component and said processor are arranged in a self-contained housing.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising an energy generating/harvesting system arranged in connection with said housing to provide power to said at least one sound-receiving/vibration-detecting component and said processor.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said energy generating/harvesting system comprises a solar collector.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein said processor is configured to analyze sounds and/or vibrations to identify animals such that one of the pre-determined alarm-generating conditions is the presence of large animals on or alongside the travel lane.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said alarm system comprises a communications device that transmits a signal indicative of the identification of the presence of large animals to a remote site, the signal being processed at the remote site and transmitted wirelessly to vehicles travelling on the travel lane.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein said alarm system comprises a visual alarm or an audible alarm.

14. A method for automatically conveying information about a condition on or alongside a travel lane on which vehicles travel, comprising:

arranging a monitoring system at a fixed location to be monitored on or alongside the travel lane, the monitoring system including at least one sound-receiving/vibration-detecting component that receives sounds from non-vehicular objects on or alongside the travel lane and/or detects vibrations from non-vehicular objects on or alongside the travel lane and a processor coupled to the at least one sound-receiving/vibration-detecting component and configured to analyze the received sounds and/or detected vibrations to identify presence of one of a plurality of different pre-determined conditions derived from presence of non-vehicular objects on or alongside the travel lane;

receiving sounds and/or detecting vibrations caused by movement of non-vehicular objects on or alongside the travel lane, by means of the at least one sound-receiving/vibration-detecting component;

analyzing any received sounds and/or detected vibrations to identify presence of one of a plurality of different pre-determined conditions, by means of the processor;

when the presence of one of the pre-determined conditions is identified, transmitting a signal indicative of the condition to a remote site using a communications system;

determining the fixed location at which the monitoring system is arranged; and

directing a vehicle-targeted signal from the remote site to vehicles travelling on the travel lane based on the determined fixed location of the monitoring system at which the condition is identified.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising housing the at least one sound-receiving/vibration-detecting component and the processor in a self-contained housing.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of directing a signal from the remote site to vehicles travelling on the travel lane based on the determined fixed location of the monitoring system at which the condition is identified comprises providing a visual alarm visible to an occupant of the vehicle about the condition.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of directing a signal from the remote site to vehicles travelling on the travel lane based on the determined fixed location of the monitoring system at which the condition is identified comprises providing an audible alarm to an occupant of the vehicle about the condition.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of analyzing any received sounds and/or detected vibrations to identify presence of one of a plurality of different pre-determined conditions, by means of the processor comprises analyzing received sounds to identify animals on or alongside the travel lane such that one of the pre-determined alarm-generating conditions is the presence of large animals on or alongside the travel lane.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of analyzing any received sounds and/or detected vibrations to identify presence of one of a plurality of different pre-determined conditions, by means of the processor comprises analyzing detected vibrations to identify animals on or alongside the travel lane such that one of the pre-determined alarm-generating conditions is the presence of large animals on or alongside the travel lane.