Systems and methods for monitoring sound during an in-building emergency

• US 9,602,673 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2013
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Cheatham, Jesse R III, Boyden, Edward S., Duncan, William David, Ferren, Bran, Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Kare, Jordin T., Malaska, Stephen L., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tuckerman, David B., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US14/021,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20150071450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,289 Days
• Field of Search: 340/286.07, 340/331, 340/332, 340/506, 379/37, 381/58
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/00 Microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

A system for monitoring a building having one or more microphones coupled to a telephone includes a detector configured to detect a triggering event within the building and transmit an activating signal when the triggering event is detected, and a control module configured to receive the activating signal from the detector. The control module is programmed to activate at least one of the one or more microphones to monitor sound when the activating signal is received.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a building having a plurality of microphones coupled to a landline telephone within the building, the method comprising:

detecting a triggering event within the building using a detector communicatively coupled to the plurality of microphones;

activating at least one of the plurality of microphones coupled to the landline telephone to monitor a sound when the triggering event is detected; and

determining which of the at least one of the plurality of microphones to activate based on physical proximity of the at least one of the plurality of microphones to a triggering event area such that any of the plurality of microphones located within the triggering event area are activated;

wherein the triggering event area is defined by a radius surrounding the triggering event.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reporting a condition of the triggering event to a third party.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the condition includes a location of the triggering event.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the condition includes a time associated with the triggering event.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the third party includes at least one of:

a user of the telephone coupled to the at least one of the plurality of microphones that are activated, an occupant of the building, a judicial agency, a law enforcement agency, a security agency, an owner of the building, and a news organization.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending an activation signal to a third party when at least one of the plurality of microphones is activated.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the activation signal includes a location of the at least one of the plurality of microphones that are activated.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the third party includes a user of the telephone coupled to the at least one of the plurality of microphones that are activated.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording the sound monitored by the at least one of the plurality of microphones that are activated to generate a sound recording.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the sound is recorded by the at least one of the plurality of microphones that are activated.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the sound is recorded at a remote site.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the sound is recorded using non-erasable memory.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

sending the sound recording to a third party.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

storing the sound recording on a memory device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

uploading the sound recording upon request.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

uploading the sound recording by a schedule.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a reporting signal based on the sound monitored; and

transmitting the reporting signal to a third party.

18. A system for monitoring a building having a plurality of microphones coupled to a landline telephone, the system comprising:

a detector positioned at a first location within the building and configured to detect a triggering event within the building and transmit an activating signal when the triggering event is detected; and

a control module configured to receive the activating signal from the detector;

wherein the control module is programmed to;

determine which of the plurality of microphones to activate based on physical proximity of the plurality of microphones to an area defined by a radius surrounding the triggering event; and

activate any of the plurality of microphones located within the area surrounding the emergency and coupled to the landline telephone to monitor sound when the activating signal is received.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of microphones include a detection microphone.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the detector includes an intrusion detector.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the detector includes a smoke detector.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the detector includes a gas detector.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the triggering event is detected using a camera.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the triggering event is detected using an accelerometer.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein the triggering event is detected using a temperature detector.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein the detector includes a detection microphone.

27. The system of claim 18, wherein the control module is programmed to activate a microphone group when the activating signal is received.

28. A method for monitoring an emergency for a building having a plurality of microphones coupled to one or more landline telephones within the building, the method comprising:

determining which of the plurality of microphones to activate based on physical proximity of the plurality of microphones within an area defined by a radius surrounding the emergency;

receiving an activating signal from a designated source;

activating at least one of the plurality of microphones coupled to the one or more landline telephones such that any of the plurality of microphones located within the area surrounding the emergency are activated to monitor a sound when the activating signal is received from the designated source; and

generating a reporting signal based on the sound monitored.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

reporting that the at least one of the plurality of microphones have been activated to a third party.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the reporting step includes reporting an identity of the designated source.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the third party includes at least one of:

a user of the one or more telephones coupled to an activated microphone, an occupant of the building, a judicial agency, a law enforcement agency, a security agency, an owner of the building, and a news organization.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the activating signal indicates that the emergency is present within the building.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein the designated source includes at least one of:

law enforcement personnel, fire department personnel, security personnel of the building, an occupant of the building, a user of the one or more telephones, a security agency, an owner of the building, and an automated device that sends the activating signal based on a triggering event.

34. The method of claim 28, wherein the activating signal is sent in response to a triggering event.

35. A telephone assembly for monitoring an emergency within a building, the telephone assembly comprising:

a landline telephone;

a plurality of microphones coupled to the landline telephone; and

a control module coupled to the plurality of microphones and configured to receive an activating signal;

wherein any of the plurality of microphones is configured to be activated to monitor sound based on physical proximity of the plurality of microphones within a radius surrounding the emergency; and

wherein the control module is programmed to activate the plurality of microphones when the activating signal is received from a designated source such that any of the plurality of microphones located within the radius surrounding the emergency are activated.