
US
7,170,404
B2
5
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
embodi
ment,
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
noti?cation
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
?re
alarm
system of
this
invention
includes
an
audible
?re
alarm,
a
bedside
sound
monitoring
unit
and
a
Waking
device
or
Waking
system.
The
sound
monitoring
unit
com
prises
a
microphone,
a
microprocessor
to
identify
the
?re
alarm,
and
a
sWitch
controlling
supply
of
poWer
to
the
Waking
device
or
system
to
be
sWitched
on
in
response
to
the
?re
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
deter
mining
When
sound
received
through
a
microphone
of
the
bedside
unit
is
a
?re
alarm
sound
and
a
means
encoded
on
the
substrate
for
cooperatively
functioning
With
a
sWitching
device
to
activate
a
Waking
device
When
a
?re
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
pro
cessing
techniques
such
as
spectral
analysis,
time-frequency
analysis,
matched
?lters,
correlation
analysis
and
neural
netWorks.
In
another
embodiment,
the
unit
“leams”
the
signal
gen
erated
by
a
particular
alarming
device
by
having
the
user
generate
a
test
signal
Which
is
received
then
by
the
micro
phone
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
sys
tems
of
this
invention
utiliZe
a
sound
monitoring
unit
comprising
a
microphone,
microprocessor
and
a
communi
cations
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
?re
alarm
monitor
and
the
Waking
device
activator
or
system
basically
as
described
above
but
modi?ed
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
10
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
6
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
emer
gency
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
noti?cation
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
micro
processor
to
identify
the
security
alarm,
and
a
communica
tions
port
for
sending
a
noti?cation
signal
When
the
security
alarm
is
identi?ed.
In
another
embodiment,
the
home
secu
rity
system
further
comprises
the
audible
?re
alarm
and
the
Waking
device
previously
described,
but
modi?ed
as
neces
sary
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
indicat
ing
parameters
of
an
individual
using
a
bedside
unit
com
prises
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
ser
vice.
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
speci?cally
receive
signals
from
medi
cal
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
communi
cations
port
to
the
medical
monitoring
service.
The
health
monitor of
this
invention
includes
a
monitor
ing
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
moni
toring
service.
In
other
embodiments,
the
monitoring
pro
gram
includes
instructional
signals
for
screening
the
sounds
received
by
the
microphone
to
determine
those
sounds
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