Enhanced bedside sound monitoring and alarm response method, system and device Number:7,522,035 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) owispatent

Title: Enhanced bedside sound monitoring and alarm response method, system and device

Abstract: Home safety and security are provided using a bedside unit to monitor audible safety and security alarms and send notification signals to the appropriate communication site. A home security system additionally comprises a waking device activated by the bedside unit. A memory device of the unit includes means for determining when the sound received by a microphone of the unit is a security alarm sound or a breathing pattern representing an alarm condition.

Patent Number: 7,522,035 Issued on 04/21/2009 to Albert

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Inventors:	Albert; David E. (Oklahoma City, OK)
Assignee:	InnovAlarm Corporation (Oklahoma City, OK)
Appl. No.:	11/522,570
Filed:	September 18, 2006

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Related U.S. Patent Documents

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	Application Number	Filing Date	Patent Number	Issue Date
	10898116	Jul., 2004	7148797

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Current U.S. Class:	340/521 ; 340/517; 340/566; 340/573.1; 340/575; 381/56
Current International Class:	G08B 19/00 (20060101)
Field of Search:	340/521,517,539.26,506,539.11,539.27,573.1,575,825.19,407.1 381/56,57 715/867 705/2 128/920

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References Cited [Referenced By]

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Primary Examiner: Pham; Toan N
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Dunlap Codding, P.C.

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Parent Case Text

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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 10/898,116 filed Jul. 23, 2004 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,148,797.

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Claims

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What is claimed is:

1. A method for monitoring sounds at a bedside comprising: operating a bedside sound monitoring unit including a microphone, a microprocessor and a communications port; by operating the bedside unit, detecting sounds received by the microphone of the bedside unit and determining if detected sounds include a timing of the breathing pattern presence or absence wherein the timing of the breathing pattern presence or absence represents an alarm condition requiring a response; and using the operating bedside unit, generating and sending response signals out the communications port when a response is required.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the sound monitoring unit is a bedside unit which further includes 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 the sounds represent a smoke detector alarm 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 1 further comprising communicating from the Internet site to a telecommunication number.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising, by operating the bedside sound monitoring unit in a setup mode, inputting a night time duration for which a breathing pattern absence represents an alarm condition.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising, by operating the bedside sound monitoring unit in a setup mode, inputting a waking time after which a breathing pattern presence represents an alarm condition.

7. A method for providing for alarm monitoring in a residence, comprising: receiving at an Internet site a request to monitor a bedside audible alarm monitoring unit along with response instructions; and receiving at an Internet site an alarm indicating signal sent from the bedside alarm monitoring unit when the bedside unit, by utilizing a digital acoustic signature recognition technology, detects an alarm condition, and transmitting a notification signal from the Internet site in response, wherein the digital acoustic signature recognition technology comprises a technique selected from the group consisting of matched filtering, cross correlation, and neural networking.

8. A memory device for a microprocessor in an alarm monitoring unit comprising: a memory substrate for a bedside unit; and monitoring means disposed on the memory substrate, the monitoring means including: means encoded on the memory substrate for determining when sound received through a microphone of the bedside unit is a security alarm sound, the means comprising a digital acoustic signature recognition technology selected from the group consisting of matched filtering, cross correleation, and neural networking; and second means encoded on the memory substrate for communicating responsive signals when a security alarm sound is determined.

9. A memory device for a microprocessor in a bedside alarm monitoring unit comprising: a memory substrate for a bedside unit; and monitoring means disposed on the memory substrate, the monitoring means including: means encoded on the memory substrate for determining when sound received through a microphone of the bedside unit includes a timing of the breathing pattern presence or wherein the timing of the breathing pattern presence or absence represents an alarm condition; and means encoded on the memory substrate for communicating responsive signals when a breathing pattern alarm condition is determined.

10. A method for monitoring sounds at a bedside comprising: operating a bedside sound monitoring unit including a microphone, a memory having a signal signature of a breathing pattern stored therein, a microprocessor and a communications port; by operating the bedside unit, detecting sounds received by the microphone of the bedside unit and converting the sounds to a real time digital pattern representing the sounds; using the microprocessor and a digital acoustic signature recognition technology selected from the group consisting of matched filtering, cross correlation, and neural networking, comparing the real time digital pattern to the signal signature stored in the memory and determining if detected sounds include a timing of the breathing pattern presence or absence wherein the timing of the breathing pattern presence or absence represents an alarm condition requiring a response; and using the operating bedside unit, generating and sending response signals out the communications port when a response is required.

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Description

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to sound monitoring methods, systems and devices useful in the home to enhance personal safety and to provide health monitoring. Hazards people try to avoid at their homes and workplaces include damaging fires and unwanted intruders such as burglars. These hazards cannot always be avoided, but damage from them can be limited if prompt notification is given when they occur. At least one embodiment of this invention relates more particularly to methods, systems and devices that provide an enhanced alarm and means of waking children and the hearing impaired including the elderly in response to an emergency such as a fire. In other embodiments the invention provides safety and security monitoring and in yet other embodiments the invention provides health monitoring for a large number of chronic diseases. Each of these areas, including systems using a personal computer, is discussed below.

Smoke Alarm

The annual "cost" of residential fires in the U.S. includes billions of dollars of property damage, and thousands of deaths and life-threatening injuries. This occurs even though there are smoke alarms in most of the U.S. households and small businesses. The annual death rate is heavily biased toward the young and the old.

It is now understood that the audio alarm used in standard smoke detectors is simply not always effective for awakening pre-teen children. Many children under the age of 13 sleep so soundly, especially in the first two hours of sleep, that a smoke alarm may not be loud enough to wake them. Smoke detectors have an intensity of about 80 decibels and studies have shown that in deep sleep, only one in 20 children will awaken to a sound of 120 decibels.

Deaf and elderly people with hearing impairments, and anyone who wears or needs a hearing aid, are at a significantly increased risk of not awakening to the smoke alarm sounds. In fact, most smoke alarms produce their audio alert in the 3 to 4 KHz range which is in the zone of age-related hearing deficits.

The problem is compounded by the fact that many residences have smoke detectors outside of bedrooms. This is actually recommended to provide as early a warning as possible. For example, by the time a fire reaches a bedroom and a sleeping resident is awakened by an in-room detector, the fire may be widespread making it too late to escape. (This problem can be avoided in new construction where communicating wired or wireless smoke detectors are designed so that when any one alarm sounds, they all sound, and they can therefore be placed both in and outside bedrooms.) Additionally, fire experts suggest that bedroom doors be closed at night to act as functional fire and smoke barriers which can provide an extra margin of escape time. This sounds good but it presents a serious physics problem. Sound, like other radiated energy (e.g., heat and light), obeys the Inverse Power Law. The Inverse Power Law means that the sound intensity decreases proportionately to the square of the distance from the source. So, for example, a typical 85 dB smoke detector signal that must pass through a wall or closed door and traverse the distance across and down to a sleeping child or adult is greatly diminished in intensity, thereby also diminishing the chance to wake a child or hearing impaired adult.

The KidSmart.TM. smoke detector addresses this problem by having a detector above the child's bed and utilizing a downward, directional speaker to try to increase the sound intensity at the child. While this improves the chances of waking the child, using in-bedroom smoke detectors to deliver a louder alert due to proximity is also not desirable, as discussed above, because there must be smoke present in the room prior to the alarm's sounding, thus reducing the time available for escape.

Remote monitoring of smoke detectors is also available with specialized fire detection systems and with most security systems, but it is expensive and therefore not generally used for middle and low income housing including single family and multi-family buildings.

There is a need for enhanced fire alarms that are more effective for waking sleeping children, the elderly and the hearing impaired, as well as a need for simple and inexpensive monitoring of home fire alarms.

Safety and Security Monitors

When individuals are alone or sleeping, they can feel especially vulnerable. For example, most burglaries occur at night when people are sleeping. Elderly and handicapped people living alone can fall or have an accident and not get assistance for extended periods of time. "Latch-key" children can have an accident on the way home from school and it may go unnoticed until after the parents get home from work. Not only are these situations dangerous, but the potential for such situations also causes significant anxiety.

To reduce the dangers and relieve some of the related anxiety, a number of home security systems have been brought to the market. Some of these systems include motion detectors that attempt to differentiate between humans and pets, glass-break detectors, door and window contacts, and even video surveillance cameras. Also, wireless pendant security transmitters are marketed to allow the elderly, in a sudden emergency event such as a fall or a heart attack, to simply push a button to notify emergency help. These types of electronic instruments and associated monitoring services can be quite expensive, so there is a need for monitoring services that are readily available to middle and lower income levels.

Additionally, monitoring services are not generally available for working parents checking on their school children. Parents often require their children to call, e-mail or instant message them at work once they get home from school, and this is very helpful. However, it would be preferable to automatically notify the parent when the situation occurs; there is consumer demand and a real need for such a notification system.

Health Monitor

The long-term value of disease management is now becoming clear, especially for people who have one or more chronic conditions or diseases. Disease management programs designed to get the optimum treatment to the patient as early as possible can improve health care quality as well as save costs. Such program advantages apply to both Medicare and private sector commercial health care markets, thus offering a substantial return on investment for our nation's seniors.

Baby boomers may break an already strained healthcare delivery system unless a system becomes available that allows for home monitoring, thus enabling home care and disease management. While it is economically beneficial to find ways to keep seniors with chronic ailments out of the hospital, other health problems could also benefit from home monitoring. For example, asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition which can be a life-threatening disease if not properly managed. Nighttime monitoring can warn a patient or parent of an upcoming attack before more acute symptoms appear. Similarly, obstructive sleep apnea and emphysema, which occur in both children and adults in large numbers, would benefit by nighttime monitoring.

There is a need for equipment and services that can inexpensively monitor health signs and provide appropriate responses.

Computer Applications

Very sophisticated monitoring systems include computer controlled home and commercial building environmental, safety and security systems that provide both local and remote signals to indicate a detected status or alarm condition. Implementing these systems may require running dedicated wire throughout a building while connecting sensors and controllers. Various other types of installations, including ones with wireless radio signal communication and ones using existing wire systems, can also be provided.

Despite the existing systems, there is still the need for a simplified, sound-detecting, remote notification type of alarm monitoring that requires little or no additional hardware beyond what is already at a location where the present invention is to be used, that automatically activates and deactivates itself, and that enables a remote site to know whether it is operating properly. There is a need for more cost effective alarm monitoring to be available to most any home or business having wired or wireless Internet access.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides improved devices and systems for monitoring and responding to emergency, safety, and health conditions which meet the needs described above. The present invention, in brief, monitors ambient sound to detect alarm conditions and provide appropriate responses. The invention utilizes a device, preferably a bedside device and/or a personal computer and can be used in a number of different configurations and applications. The three major applications utilizing a bedside device are fire alarm detection, safety and security monitors, and health monitors, each of which is summarized separately below. Use of a personal computer to perform many of these functions is also summarized separately.

Fire Alarm Detection

Many people, especially children and those with hearing impairments, do not awaken from the alarm of a residential smoke detector. A method of this invention for waking an individual in response to an audible alarm from a pre-existing alarm device involves the following steps. A bedside alarm unit is operated which comprises a microphone for receiving ambient sounds and a microprocessor for detecting from sounds received, an alarm signal from a pre-existing alarm device. In response to detecting an alarm signal, the unit activates a waking device. "Pre-existing alarm device" refers to an audible alarm device that is, or could be, already used to provide an alarm. For example, in one embodiment, the pre-existing alarm device is a smoke detector. An audible alarm from the smoke detector is detected using the bedside unit which controls a switch for supplying power to a waking device. Upon detection of the smoke detector alarm, the unit switches on a supply of power to the waking device, thus activating it. Examples of waking devices include, but are not limited to, a bedside very loud (100 dB or greater) audible alert, bed shaking device, light and a speaker giving verbal instructions. A waking system can be utilized that combines two or more waking devices.

In other embodiments, the sound monitoring unit further includes a communications port. The unit additionally generates notification signals when a smoke detector alarm is determined and uses the communications port via wired or wireless means to send the signals to local emergency personnel, or to a monitoring service, preferably an Internet site.

In yet another embodiment, motion detectors are used to determine whether an individual remains within the room after a smoke detector alarm is determined. An infrared motion sensor may be built into the bedside unit and communicate directly to the microprocessor. Alternatively, the bedside sound monitoring unit further comprises a receiver for receiving signals from a wireless motion sensor positioned to detect motion within the room containing the bedside sound monitoring unit. In another preferred embodiment, the motion detector is a load sensor positioned in the bed. The load sensor can be wired directly to the bedside unit, or can communicate wirelessly with a receiver in the bedside unit. After a smoke alarm is determined, the sound monitoring unit further determines from the motion detector signals whether an individual remains within the room and preferably generates and sends notification to appropriate personnel regarding whether an individual remains within the room. Nonlimiting examples of appropriate personnel include a monitoring service or local emergency personnel.

A fire alarm system of this invention includes an audible fire alarm, a bedside sound monitoring unit and a waking device or waking system. The sound monitoring unit comprises a microphone, a microprocessor to identify the fire alarm, and a switch controlling supply of power to the waking device or system to be switched on in response to the fire alarm.

A memory device of this invention comprises a memory device for a microprocessor in a bedside alarm monitoring unit and includes a memory substrate and a monitoring means disposed on the memory substrate. The monitoring means includes a means encoded on the substrate for determining when sound received through a microphone of the bedside unit is a fire alarm sound and a means encoded on the substrate for cooperatively functioning with a switching device to activate a waking device when a fire alarm is determined.

In one embodiment the ANSI/ISO smoke alarm signature is stored in the memory and used to identify the smoke alarm from ambient sounds using conventional digital signal processing techniques such as spectral analysis, time-frequency analysis, matched filters, correlation analysis and neural networks.

In another embodiment, the unit "learns" the signal generated by a particular alarming device by having the user generate a test signal which is received then by the microphone and stored in the memory as a test signal signature. Signal analysis techniques described above are used to identify the alarm.

Home Safety and Security Monitor

Home safety and security monitoring methods and systems of this invention utilize a sound monitoring unit comprising a microphone, microprocessor and a communications port. The microprocessor determines, from sounds received by the microphone, when a pre-existing home security alarm is sounding, and in response thereto generates and sends response signals out the communications port. A "pre-existing home security alarm" refers to an audible alarm device that is, or could be, already used to provide an alarm in response to a security breach. In one embodiment, the home security alarm monitor is present in a bedside unit additionally comprising the fire alarm monitor and the waking device activator or system basically as described above but modified as necessary to accommodate the home safety and security equipment.

Examples of audible security alarms that may be used with the present invention include, but are not limited to, personal alert pendants including pins and wristbands, door-open sensors, window-open sensors, glass-breaking sensors and motion detectors. Response signals are sent through the communications port either wirelessly, through a jack to a standard phone system, or through a broadband Internet connection, to deliver an alert to an individual, local emergency personnel, a monitoring service or an Internet site comprising a network operating center monitoring service.

While useful for detecting emergency situations, the unit can also be used to provide security monitoring in non-emergency situations. For example, the unit can detect the sound from a door-open sensor and notify working parents that their child has arrived home from school. In one embodiment, parental notification is given by e-mail or Internet instant messaging.

In another embodiment, a bedside sound monitoring unit is operated to detect breathing sounds and determine if the sounds include a breathing pattern representing a condition requiring a response. By operating the bedside unit, response signals are generated and sent out the communications port when a response is required.

A home security system of this invention includes an audible security alarm and a sound monitoring unit. The sound monitoring unit comprises a microphone, a microprocessor to identify the security alarm, and a communications port for sending a notification signal when the security alarm is identified. In another embodiment, the home security system further comprises the audible fire alarm and the waking device previously described, but modified as necessary to implement the home security system.

A home security system memory device of this invention comprises a memory device for a microprocessor in a security alarm monitoring unit and includes a memory substrate and a monitoring means disposed on the memory substrate. The monitoring means includes means encoded on the substrate for determining when sound received through a microphone of the unit is a security alarm sound and means encoded on the substrate for communicating responsive signals when a security alarm is determined.

Health Monitor

A method of this invention for monitoring health indicating parameters of an individual using a bedside unit comprises the following steps. A bedside monitoring unit is operated which comprises a microphone, microprocessor and a communications port. The unit operates to detect sounds, which include health indicating parameters, received by the microphone. The unit then relays these health indicating parameters to a medical monitoring service. In one embodiment the health indicating parameters are breathing related and preferably include breathing rate, breathing sound frequency spectrum, snoring and coughing.

In another embodiment, the bedside unit additionally includes receivers to specifically receive signals from medical monitoring devices, nonlimiting examples of which include devices such as accelerometers, load sensors, and wireless chest strap heart monitors. In this embodiment the bedside unit delivers the additional signals from the electro-acoustic, wired and wireless devices through the communications port to the medical monitoring service.

The health monitor of this invention includes a monitoring program stored within a microprocessor of a bedside unit. The program includes instructional signals for relaying sound received by a microphone of the bedside unit, through a communications port of the unit, and to a medical monitoring service. In other embodiments, the monitoring program includes instructional signals for screening the sounds received by the microphone to determine those sounds representing health indicating parameters, and also instructional signals for processing and evaluating the sound received.

In another embodiment, the home health monitoring system further comprises the audible fire alarm and the waking device previously described. The bedside unit additionally comprises the fire alarm monitor and a waking device activator as described above, but modified as necessary to implement the health monitoring system. In yet another embodiment, the monitoring system comprises programming enabling the bedside unit to detect and differentiate multiple sounds, signals and alarms related to fire, safety, security and health monitoring and to provide a specific response to each.

A method of this invention for providing medical monitoring service comprises receiving at a medical monitoring service location signals from the bedside unit described above and analyzing those signals to determine if a medical response is required. The medical monitoring service employs health experts for both long-term and short-term evaluation of the monitored data. If determined necessary, a medical response is provided which may comprise notifying the monitored person's doctor or emergency personnel.

Personal Computer

The present invention also provides a novel and improved sound monitoring method, system and device useful with conventional personal computers including, but not limited to, desktop, laptop, palmtop and smart phone units. Implementation is similar to that for the bedside unit described above but modified to use a sound monitoring program and a personal computer to respond automatically to an identified alarm sound by sending a notification signal via the Internet.

This embodiment of the present invention can be used anywhere there are a sound source, such as one that indicates an alarm event, and a computer that has its own microphone or other sound-detecting device. Preferably such computer has access to a global communication network, such as the Internet or its World Wide Web. For a place that already has this equipment, no additional hardware is needed to implement the method of the present invention. Of course, other hardware can be obtained and used in implementing the present invention.

One definition of the computer application of the present invention is as a method for using a personal computer to monitor an area for a predetermined audible alarm signal generated by a pre-existing alarm device, comprising: operating a specialized sound monitoring program in a personal computer having conventional system software and hardware including a microphone, sound signal digitizing capability, and a communications port, wherein the specialized sound monitoring program is compatible with the conventional hardware and system software; and by operating the specialized sound monitoring program, detecting from sounds received by the microphone of the personal computer when alarm conditions exist and in response thereto generating and sending response signals out the communications port of the personal computer. Nonlimiting examples of personal computers include desk top computers, laptop and notebook computers, handheld personal computers, palmtop and pocket computers, personal digital assistants and smart phones. The sound monitoring program can be operated in the foreground or background of the personal computer or as an inactivity program or screen saver program and can close or override other running application programs in the personal computer when alarm conditions are detected.

Another definition of the computer application of the present invention is as a method for detecting an audible alarm generated by a pre-existing alarm device by monitoring sound with a personal computer, comprising: running a specialized sound monitoring program in the personal computer; using the running sound monitoring program, detecting sound received by a microphone of the personal computer, and determining if detected sound represents an alarm from a pre-existing alarm device requiring a response; and using the running sound monitoring program, providing a response when a response is required. The sound monitoring program is preferably a screen saver operated only during a computer input inactivity period. The pre-existing alarm device includes, but is not limited to, fire or smoke alarms, severe weather alarms, burglar alarms, door-open sensors and personal alarms. Providing a response can include generating and sending alarm indicating signals to an Internet site having an Internet address encoded within the sound monitoring program using e-mail or Internet instant messaging. If utilizing Internet instant messaging to alert a Central Monitoring Service, the service will also know when the remote acoustic monitoring program is active. The method can further comprise downloading, from an Internet Web site, the sound monitoring program into the personal computer and providing a response can include sending an alarm notification signal to that Internet Web site. Another feature can include communicating from the Internet site to a telecommunication number or e-mail address designated for the personal computer. Providing a response can also include generating and playing an acoustic alert on the speaker(s) of the personal computer.

Yet another definition of the computer application of the present invention is as a method for monitoring health indicating parameters of an individual, comprising the following steps. A specialized sound monitoring program is run in a personal computer having conventional system software and hardware including a microphone and communications port. Using the running sound monitoring program, the personal computer detects sounds comprising health indicating parameters received by the microphone of the personal computer. Using the communications port of the personal computer, the health indicating parameters are relayed to a medical monitoring service. Nonlimiting examples of health indicating parameters that can be monitored using the present invention include breathing-related parameters such as breathing rate, breathing sound frequency spectrum, snoring and coughing.

A definition of the present invention specific to sensing a smoke detector alarm using a screen saver program calls for a method for monitoring sound with a personal computer, comprising: running a sound monitoring screen saver program in a personal computer in response to a timeout event occurring because an externally generated input is not received by the personal computer within a predetermined time period during operation of the personal computer; from time to time during the running of the sound monitoring screen saver program, accessing from the personal computer an Internet site and sending to the accessed Internet site a predetermined signal if the computer is properly functioning under operation of the running screen saver program; receiving ambient sound at a microphone of the personal computer; determining with the running screen saver program whether ambient sound received at the microphone includes an alarm sound from a residential smoke detector providing a sound output in accordance with a predetermined standard; and accessing from the personal computer the Internet site when an alarm sound is determined and sending an alarm indicating signal to the accessed Internet site.

The computer application of the present invention can also be defined as a method for providing for alarm monitoring in a residence, comprising: receiving at an Internet site a program load command from a conventional personal computer at a residence; transmitting from the Internet site to the persona