Enhanced personal monitoring and alarm response method and system

• US 7,477,143 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2006
• Issued: 01/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InnovAlarm Corporation
• Original Assignee: InnovAlarm Corporation
• Inventors: Albert, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US11/522,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20070008153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 340/521, 340/517, 340/539.26, 340/506, 340/539.11, 340/539.27, 340/573.1, 340/575, 340/825.19, 340/407.1, 381/56, 381/57, 715/867, 705/2, 128/920
• US Class Current: 340/521
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0423 detecting deviation from an expected pattern of behaviour or schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0461 integrated or attached to an item closely associated with the person but not worn by the person, e.g. chair, walking stick, bed sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0469 Presence detectors to detect unsafe condition, e.g. infrared sensor, microphone G08B21/0476 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

Home safety and security are provided using a bedside unit to monitor an audible personal security pendant and to send notification signals to the appropriate communication site. Improved reliability is achieved by comparing a stored signal signature to the real time digital pattern representing sounds received using digital acoustic signature recognition technology.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring an area for an audible signal generated by a personal alert pendant activated by an individual in an emergency situation, the method comprising:

operating a sound monitoring unit including a microphone, a memory having a signal signature of the personal alert pendant stored therein, a microprocessor and a communications port; and

by operating the unit, detecting sounds received by the microphone of the unit and converting the sounds to a real time digital pattern representing the sounds;

using the microprocessor and a digital acoustic signature recognition technology, comparing the real time digital pattern to the signal signature stored in the memory and determining if detected sound represents a signal from the personal alert pendant, wherein the digital acoustic signature recognition technology comprises a technique selected from the group consisting of matched filtering, cross correlation, and neural networking; and

in response thereto generating and sending response signals out the communications port of the monitoring unit.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the sound monitoring unit is a bedside unit further including a switch for controlling supply of power to a waking device, and said method further comprises operating the bedside unit to detect from sounds received by the microphone of the bedside unit when a smoke alarm is sounding and in response thereto switching on supply of power to the waking device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the response signals out the communications port comprise notification signals to an Internet site.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising communicating from the Internet site to a telecommunication number or e-mail address.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the response signals from the communication port comprise notification signals to a local monitoring service.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the response signals from the communication port comprise notification signals to local emergency personnel.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication port is a wireless communication port.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

by operating the sound monitoring unit in a learning mode during initial setup, causing the personal alert pendant to be activated and the resulting audible signal detected and identified as such.