Apparatus for monitoring child activity

• US 5,119,072 A
• Filed: 12/24/1990
• Issued: 06/02/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CH & I Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CH & I Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Hemingway, Mark D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Oda, Christine K.
• Application Number:
  US07/633,048
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 455/100, 455/95, 455/229, 340/573, 340/539
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/023 Power management, e.g. system sleep and wake up provisions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0247 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/04 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/16 Circuits

Abstract

Apparatus for monitoring a child or the like includes a transmitter having a microphone and an oscillator coupled to an antenna within an enclosure for mounting on a child'"'"'s arm and transmitting a frequency-modulated rf signal from the antenna. A separate receiver, within an enclosure constructed to be hand carried by a parent, includes circuitry for separating the audio and carrier components of the signal received at the receiver, and comparing field strength of the carrier component to a range threshold. When the amplitude of the carrier field strength is less than the threshold value, an alarm is sounded to indicate that the child is out of desired range. The audio component is fed to a speaker so that the parent can monitor the activities of the child.

Claims

1. Apparatus for monitoring range to a person from a monitoring station comprising:

a transmitter including an enclosure having means for removably fastening said enclosure to a person to be monitored, means disposed within said enclosure for generating a frequency-modulated rf carrier signal, and a transmitting antenna projecting from said enclosure and coupled to said generating means for radiating said signal, and

a receiver including a receiving antenna, means coupled to said receiving antenna for monitoring field strength of said carrier signal, means coupled to said means for monitoring field strength for sampling and holding a signal indicative of peak field strength, and means coupled to said means for sampling and holding for indicating range from said receiver to said transmitter as a function of peak field strength of said carrier signal at said receiver.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said receiver further includes means for adjusting a range threshold, and wherein said range-indicating means comprises means for comparing said peak field strength to said threshold and means for indicating an alarm condition when peak field strength of said carrier signal at said receiver is less than said range threshold.

3. The apparatus set forth in claim 2 wherein said transmitter includes a microphone positioned within said enclosure for generating an audio signal as a function of audio sounds around said transmitter, and wherein said means for generating said frequency-modulated rf carrier signal comprises means for generating an rf carrier signal and means for modulating frequency of said carrier signal as a function of said audio signal.

4. The apparatus set forth in claim 3 wherein said receiver further comprises means coupled to said receiving antenna for separating said audio signal from said carrier-signal, an audio speaker, and means for coupling said audio signal to said speaker such that audio sounds surrounding said transmitter are audible at said receiver.

5. The apparatus set forth in claim 4 wherein said receiver further includes means for selectively adjusting volume of audio signals coupled to said speaker.

6. The apparatus set forth in claim 5 wherein said receiver further comprises a rectangular enclosure constructed to be hand-held by a user in one hand, said means for adjusting volume and range comprising knobs positioned along opposed sidewalls of said enclosure, said receiving antenna projecting from an end wall of said enclosure and said speaker being positioned adjacent to a speaker opening in a front panel of said enclosure.

7. The apparatus set forth in claim 4 wherein said transmitter enclosure includes a wall, said means for generating said rf carrier signal including a ground plane so positioned internally of said wall with respect to said removably-fastening means as to be capacitively coupled to a wearer'"'"'s skin through said wall when said transmitter is fastened to a wearer, said enclosure being constructed such that the wearer'"'"'s body thereby forms part of said transmitting antenna whereby removal of the transmitter results in low field strength at the receiver.

8. The apparatus set forth in claim 3 wherein said transmitter comprises at least first and second batteries connected in series to supply a first dc potential at the junction of said series-connected batteries, and a second dc potential and a ground potential at opposed ends of said batteries;

an operational amplifier having signal, reference and power inputs, and an output;

means connecting said power input to said second dc potential;

means connecting said microphone across said opposed ends of said batteries to said signal input;

means connecting said reference input to said junction to provide a dc offset to said amplifier at a voltage potential between said second dc potential and ground potential; and

an rf oscillator having a signal input directly connected to said amplifier output.

9. The apparatus set forth in claim 8 further comprising an rf choke;

and wherein said operational amplifier includes power input terminals, one of said terminals being connected to said second dc potential and the other being connected through said choke to ground potential.

10. The apparatus set forth in claim 9 wherein said microphone is also connected to ground potential through said choke.

11. The apparatus set forth in claim 8 wherein said transmitter enclosure includes a wall, said means for generating said rf carrier signal including a ground plane so positioned internally of said wall with respect to said removably-fastening means as to be capacitively coupled to a wearer'"'"'s skin through said wall when said transmitter is fastened to a wearer, said enclosure being constructed such that the wearer'"'"'s body thereby forms part of said transmitting antenna whereby removal of the transmitter results in low field strength at the receiver.

12. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said transmitter enclosure includes a wall, said means for generating said rf carrier signal including a ground plane so positioned internally of said wall with respect to said removably-fastening means as to be capacitively coupled to a wearer'"'"'s skin through said wall when said transmitter is fastened to a wearer, said enclosure being constructed such that the wearer'"'"'s body thereby forms part of said transmitting antenna whereby removal of the transmitter results in low field strength at the receiver.

13. The apparatus set forth in claim 4 further comprising means coupling said speaker to said means for indicating said alarm condition to provide an audible indication of said alarm condition at said speaker.