Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DELIVERING AN AUDITORY STIMULUS
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is an international application that claims the
benefit of United States Patent
Application No. 16/872,747, filed May 12, 2020, and United States Patent
Application No.
62/944,994, filed December 6, 2019, each of which are incorporated herein by
reference in their
entireties.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT
[0003] Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] This section is intended to introduce various aspects of the art, which
may be associated with
exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. This discussion is believed
to assist in providing a
framework to facilitate a better understanding of particular aspects of the
present disclosure.
Accordingly, it should be understood that this section should be read in this
light, and not necessarily
as admissions of prior art.
[0005] As a result of work, school, and other obligations, most pet owners
cannot be with their pet at
every moment of every day. However, some pets, due to various conditions,
behaviors, and
circumstances, require some form of monitoring throughout each day or at least
at particular times.
This is particularly true if an owner allows a pet to freely roam a home
premises in the owner's
absence.
[0006] At times a dog's environment may present auditory disturbances. Dogs
can hear noises at a
much higher frequency than humans. While humans struggle to hear anything
above 30,000 Hertz,
dogs can hear noises well over 40,000 Hertz. Interestingly, there is little
difference between humans
and dogs at the lower end of the frequency scale. Dogs have as many as 18
muscles in their ears,
enabling them to direct their ears towards the sound. Such ability to detect a
wider array of audible
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signals may induce noise phobia in dogs. There is therefore a need in the art
for improved wearable
sound masking systems for dogs
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
[0007] Each patent, patent application, and/or publication mentioned in this
specification is herein
incorporated by reference in its entirety to the same extent as if each
individual patent, patent
application, and/or publication was specifically and individually indicated to
be incorporated by
reference.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] So that the manner in which the present application can be better
understood, certain
illustrations and figures are appended hereto. It is to be noted, however,
that the drawings illustrate
only selected embodiments and elements of the systems and methods described
herein and are
therefore not to be considered limiting in scope for the systems and methods
as described herein may
admit to other equally effective embodiments and applications.
[0009] Figure 1 shows beacons deployed at various locations in a home
premises, under an
embodiment.
[0010] Figure 2 shows the components of a monitoring system, under an
embodiment.
[0011] Figure 3 shows an application interface providing discovery options,
under an embodiment.
[0012] Figure 4 shows an application interface providing configuration
options, under an
embodiment.
[0013] Figure 5 shows a representative database entry of a database stored in
a collar device, under an
embodiment.
[0014] Figure 6 shows an application interface providing configuration
options, under an
embodiment.
[0015] Figure 7A shows a beacon defined interaction between beacon and collar
device, under an
embodiment.
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[0016] Figure 7B shows a collar defined interaction between beacon and collar
device, under an
embodiment
[0017] Figure 8A shows a one way communication between smartphone and collar
device, under an
embodiment.
[0018] Figure 8B shows two way communications between smartphone and collar
device, under an
embodiment
[0019] Figure 9 shows an application interface providing user a selection
among multiple beacons,
under an embodiment
[0020] Figure 10 shows a remote training application interface, under an
embodiment
[0021] Figure 11 shows a method of monitoring a subject in a premises, under
an embodiment.
[0022] Figure 12 shows components of a monitoring system, under an embodiment.
[0023] Figure 13 shows a system for monitoring a subject in a premises, under
an embodiment
[0024] Figure 14 shows a system for monitoring a subject in a premises, under
an embodiment
[0025] Figure 15 shows an RF Beacon sending repetitive transmissions, under an
embodiment.
[0026] Figure 16 shows the content of an RF Beacon data packet, under an
embodiment.
[0027] Figure 17 shows example antennae patterns demonstrating differing
signal strength levels
depending on the approach angle of an RF Receiver relative to the respective
RF Beacon, under an
embodiment.
[0028] Figure 18 shows a transmitting RF Beacon in proximity to various RF
Beacons, under an
embodiment.
[0029] Figure 19 shows a dog with a collar comprising an RF Receiver in an
environment that
includes an RF Beacon, under an embodiment.
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[0030] Figure 20 shows a dog with a collar comprising an RF Receiver in an
environment that
includes two RF Beacons, under an embodiment
[0031] Figure 21 shows a dog with a collar comprising an RF Receiver in an
environment that
includes an RF Beacon, under an embodiment.
[0032] Figure 22 shows a consumer operated smartphone comprising an RF
Receiver in an
environment that includes an RF Beacon, under an embodiment.
[0033] Figure 23 shows a vehicle comprising an RF Receiver in an environment
that includes an RF
Beacon, under an embodiment
[0034] Figure 24 shows a wristband comprising an RF Receiver worn by a cook in
an environment
that includes an RF Beacon, under an embodiment.
[0035] Figure 25 shows a system for enhancing RF Beacon proximity
determination, under an
embodiment.
[0036] Figure 26 shows a sound collar device, under an embodiment.
[0037] Figure 27 shows a sound collar device, under an embodiment.
[0038] Figure 28 shows an animal wearing a sound collar device, under an
embodiment.
[0039] Figure 29 shows an audio spectrum of a broadband noise pattern, under
an embodiment.
[0040] Figure 30 shows an audio spectrum of a broadband noise pattern, under
an embodiment.
[0041] Figure 31 shows an audio spectrum of a broadband noise pattern, under
an embodiment.
[0042] Figure 32 shows a time domain representation of the start of a
broadband sound correction,
under an embodiment.
[0043] Figure 33 shows a time domain representation of a subset of a broadband
sound correction,
under an embodiment.
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[0044] Figure 34A shows a time domain representation of broadband correction
packets, under an
embodiment.
[0045] Figure 34B shows a time domain representation of broadband correction
packets, under an
embodiment.
[0046] Figure 34C shows a time domain representation of broadband correction
packets, under an
embodiment.
[0047] Figure 35 shows components of a sound delivery device, under an
embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0048] The demographics of pet ownership have been changing The size of pet
dogs has been getting
smaller, they stay inside the home longer per day; if not all day. Both young
and older individuals are
gravitating towards smaller dwellings. Metropolitan living is becoming more
popular. As a result,
apartments and condominiums in cities and municipalities are easing their
restrictions related to dog
occupancy in these smaller living spaces. Therefore, a market is being defined
based on the needs for
these (but not limited) to metropolitan pet owners.
[0049] Specifically looking at the needs of this demographic group, some of
the more "rural" pet
solutions do not apply. Coupled with the new technology platforms available
and the prevalence of
smart phones and internet availability, new solutions emerge. And in response
to the general cry of
consumers for products with more features and benefits with less complexity
and "hassle", the systems
and methods described herein answer that call.
[0050] Consider the reduced size of the pet's home in the metropolitan
environment. The pet owners
would like control of the pet's allowable whereabouts (stay out of the
kitchen, ok in living room etc.),
and knowledge of its routine activities (when did she sleep and where?, did
she bark?, did she eat,
drink and when? etc.). This disclosure provides for the simple set up of a
monitoring/tracking/detection/training/avoidance system, easy configuration of
system components,
and optionally worldwide, real-time access to the information.
[0051] The systems and methods described herein include distributing pet
beacons in a house at
strategic locations to provide
monitoring/tracking/detecting/training/avoidance functionality for pets.
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These devices are designed to periodically transmit a unique identification
code along with functional
parameters. Currently, such devices transmit signals for a distance of up to
70 meters. They are
designed to be either battery or line powered, are small and easily located
anywhere in the home. The
individual beacons do not have an assigned function under one embodiment. This
allows for simple
activation and placement. Under one embodiment, beacons send unique
identification and health status
only (i.e. battery life). Under alternative embodiments, beacons may also
transmit minimum and
maximum signal strength values and other functional parameters.
[0052] The systems and methods described herein include providing pet collar
devices. Under an
embodiment a pet wears a collar that is designed to receive beacon
transmissions, and act upon and/or
store the data transmissions. Pet collar devices may also transmit beacon
configuration data and
summarized collected data from all monitored beacons to one or more smartphone
receivers. The
collar is also capable of providing positive and negative reinforcement as
necessary utilizing a number
of different stimulation techniques.
[0053] Under one embodiment, beacons comprise Bluetooth Low Energy beacons.
Under alternative
embodiments, beacons comprise Bluetooth Low Energy peripherals capable of RF
connection.
Further, collars may comprise Bluetooth low energy enabled devices that
function in a manner
analogous to beacons. Bluetooth low energy (BLE) is itself a wireless
technology standard for
personal area networks. BLE is targeted for very low power devices, i.e.
devices that can run on a coin
cell battery for months or years. Under an embodiment, Bluetooth enabled
beacons/devices may
comprise Bluetooth integrated circuit implementations. Updates to embedded
code of a Bluetooth
enabled device may be accomplished through firmware over the air upgrades.
Mobile device operating
systems may natively support the Bluetooth low energy wireless communications
protocol. Such
operating systems include i0S, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry, as well
as OS X, Linux,
and Windows 8.
[0054] A smartphone application is described herein that is used to set up,
and configure the in-home
detection/monitoring system and configure its components. The smartphone
application may also be
used to monitor and control beacons and/or collar devices and upload monitored
data. As one
example, the smart phone application, when in range of either a beacon or a
collar device may receive
data from such devices, collect the data and/or store the data. The smart
phone application may also
cause action by a device such as the collar or any beacon, manually or
automatically. As further
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described below, the application may wirelessly signal the collar device to
apply a corrective action,
i.e. apply a stimulus to the corresponding pet. When configuring the system,
the application may
provide a simple user interface for configuring the system, its components and
their functionality.
[0055] It should be noted that beacons, the pet collar device(s) and mobile
devices may both transmit
and receive data. Accordingly, each such component/device may serve a dual
function of transmitting
and receiving/collecting data as further described below. In the examples
provided below, beacons and
pet collar devices are Bluetooth enabled but embodiments are not so limited.
Further in the examples
provided below an operating system of a mobile device (running a smartphone
application of the
system described herein) natively supports Bluetooth communications. Such
operating system also
natively supports any other communications protocols as they become available.
[0056] Assume that a user implements the tracking/monitoring system within a
one bedroom
apartment premises/home. Under such embodiment, Figure 1 shows a home premises
featuring a
plurality of beacons 110-170 distributed by owner/user throughout the
premises. Figure 1 shows a
beacon 120 placed in a bathroom of the home. Figure 1 shows a beacon 130
placed in a bedroom of
the home. Figure 1 shows a beacon 110 placed at a front door of the home.
Figure 1 shows a beacon
140 placed at a living room window of the home. A beacon 170 may also be
placed in a kitchen of the
home. It is of course possible to place a beacon just about anywhere in, or
around, the premises
including in proximity to the pet's bed (beacon 160), food/water bowl (beacon
150) or other locations
that may require monitoring, e.g. pet doors, furniture, outlets, etc. The
dotted circles indicate the RF
energy emitted from each beacon. A solid circle 190 indicates a range or
threshold distance from each
beacon configured be an "action" or "threshold" distance as further described
below.
[0057] Figure 2 shows the components of a monitoring/tracking/detection system
under an
embodiment. Figure 2 shows mobile device 210 running a smartphone application.
The smartphone
application is communicatively coupled to collar devices 220, 230. The
smartphone application may
transmit data to and control certain functions of the collar devices 220, 230
as further described below.
The smartphone application may also receive data from collar devices as
further described below.
Figure 2 shows collar devices 220, 230 communicatively coupled to beacons 240,
250, 260. The
collar devices receive data periodically transmitted by beacons 240, 250, 260
and otherwise
communicate with beacons 240, 250, 260 as further described below. The
smartphone application 210
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may assign certain functionality directly to beacons 240, 250, 260 and
otherwise communicates with
beacons as further described below.
[0058] As seen in Figure 1, the beacons are indicated by dots located in
select areas in a one-bedroom
apartment, for example. A Bluetooth enabled beacon may periodically transmit
data including a
unique identification number. A Bluetooth enabled device, e.g. the collar
device described herein,
may receive the periodically transmitted data, extract the identification
number and estimate the
transmission's signal strength (i.e. received signal strength indication or
"RSSI"). The collar device
may then use the signal strength to estimate a distance from collar device to
the transmitting beacon.
The collar may be further assisted with its ranging calculation by utilizing
calibration data contained
within the beacon message. Further, the collar device itself periodically
transmits data including a
unique identification number. Under one embodiment, the collar device cycles
between "transmission"
and "listening" modes. As one example the collar device may periodically
transmit data during a
"transmission" period and then simply receive incoming signals from in range
beacons/devices during
a "listening" period. The collar may shift between "transmission" and
"listening" periods in five
second intervals. Under one embodiment, beacons similarly shift between
transmission and listening
modes.
[0059] Under one embodiment, the smartphone application may provide an "easy
to use"
configuration interface. A pet owner may initiate the application on a
smartphone and walk through a
set up procedure using the configuration interface. For example, such
interface of the application may
provide click through buttons for "beacon" and "collar" discovery modes as
seen in Figure 3. The
user may under this embodiment select "beacon" discovery mode. The interface
may then prompt the
user to bring the smartphone device in proximity to a transmitting beacon,
i.e. within transmission
range of a beacon. In beacon discovery mode, the application may use one or
more mobile device
operating system APIs to detect incoming Bluetooth transmissions. The
application and mobile device
detect the periodically transmitted beacon signal and identify/store its
unique identification number.
The mobile device may use strength of incoming signal to estimate a distance
from the beacon. Under
one embodiment, the application may only enable availability of discovery mode
in close proximity to
the transmitting beacon. The user may repeat this process for each and every
beacon that the user
wishes to deploy in the premises. In this manner, the application learns the
identification number of
each beacon deployed in the premises.
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[0060] Continuing with this configuration example, a user runs the same
application on the user's
smart phone to configure the collar device for operation. As indicated above,
an interface of the
application may provide click through buttons for "beacon" and "collar"
discovery modes as seen in
Figure 3. The user may under this embodiment select the "collar- discovery
mode. The user brings the
smartphone device in proximity to the pet collar device, i.e. within
transmission range of the collar. In
collar configuration mode, the application may use one or more mobile device
operating system APIs
to detect incoming Bluetooth transmissions originating from the collar device.
The application and
mobile device detect the periodically transmitted signals from the collar
device and identify its unique
identification number. The mobile device may use strength of incoming signal
to estimate a distance
from the collar device. Under one embodiment, the application may only enable
availability of collar
device discovery mode in close proximity to the collar device. The user may
repeat this process for
each and every collar device that the user wishes to deploy in the premises.
In this manner, the
application learns the identification number of each collar device deployed in
the premises.
[0061] In this manner, the application may learn the unique identification
number of all premises
beacons and the pet collar devices. It should be noted that Figure 3 provides
a separate interface for
discovery of beacons and collar devices. However, the discovery mode interface
may be integrated
into the workflow of beacon/collar configuration interfaces shown in Figures 4
and 6 and further
described below. Note also that Figure 3 provides Upload Monitor Data allowing
the option to trigger
upload of data collected by collar device to the smartphone.
[0062] A user may use the smartphone application to configure the collar (or
collars) for operation, i.e.
to configure "collar defined" functions or enable recognition of specific "tag
defined.' beacons. The
collar itself performs a set of "active" and/or "passive" functions. Proximity
to a beacon triggers one
or more such functions as defined by the user with respect to the particular
beacon. In other word, for
each deployed beacon the user defines a collar implemented function triggered
by the collar's entry
into a defined proximity of a particular beacon.
[0063] Figure 4 shows an interface allowing a user to configure collar defined
functions with respect
to specific beacons. This system of this embodiment comprises a single collar
and multiple beacons.
Screen 410 shows a Beacon Configuration option (described below with respect
to Figure 6), a Collar
Configuration option, and an Upload Monitor Data option. (The Upload Monitor
Data Option of
screen 410 provides the option to trigger upload of data collected by collar
device to the smartphone).
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A user selects under one embodiment the Collar Configuration option and is
presented with screen
420. At this screen 420 a user may select Collar Parameters or Beacon Chooser.
The Collar Parameters
option introduces an interface (not shown) for configuring functional
parameters of the collar such as
correction level. A user selects under an embodiment Beacon Chooser and
proceeds to screen 430
which lists the beacons available within the system (e.g. door, kitchen, bath,
bed, food). The user
selects the kitchen beacon and is provided a choice at screen 440 between Add
to Collar and Remove
from Collar. The user may select Add to Collar to associate the kitchen beacon
with the collar device.
(The user may also select Remove from Collar to dissociate from the collar
device a previously
assigned beacon). After associating the kitchen beacon with the collar device,
the user sees screen 450
featuring Avoidance and Monitor options. A user may assign the kitchen beacon
an Avoidance
function or a Monitor function. After selecting Avoidance, the user
manipulates interface selections
(at screen 460) to assign the collar a stimulus function when the collar is
within a selected range
(Level 1) of the beacon. Specifically the user selects a negative stimulus
(applied by the collar) as an
avoidance function and designates a corresponding range. The application
interface may provide
various stimulus functions (tone, stimulus, scent, etc.) and one or more
ranges. Range Level 1 for
example indicates close proximity to a beacon. Range Level 2 and Range Level 3
represent enlarged
threshold distances. After selecting range and function, the user may be
presented with another screen
(not shown) allowing user to designate permitted access times, e.g. times
during which the collar does
not apply the designated function when the collar device in within the
designated range. Embodiments
are not limited to the functions and ranges described in Figure 4. In this
example, the user simply
directs the collar to perform an avoidance function when the collar is within
a near range threshold
distance of the beacon. Once the configuration selections are complete for a
collar/beacon
combination, the application may prompt the user to bring the application in
proximity to the collar
device. The application may then transmit such configuration data to the pet
collar device which uses
the data to build/maintain a database which associates actions/functions with
beacons (and
corresponding unique identification numbers and permitted times). In this
manner a user may assign
functions to the collar with respect to each beacon within the system.
[0064] Figure 5 shows a representative entry in a database which associates
beacon identification
number 510 with an avoidance function 530 and threshold distance 520. The
representative database
entry also includes start time 540 / end time 550 of the configured function.
Such database may
associate values using a relational database scheme.
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[0065] Continuing with this example, an operational pet collar device
approaches the particular
beacon and crosses over the configured threshold distance. During this event,
the particular beacon
simply transmits is unique identification number. The collar device receives
the signal, identifies the
unique identification number, and uses signal strength of the transmission to
estimate a distance to the
beacon. The collar device then uses the identification number to perform a
database lookup to
determine the assigned collar function with respect to the beacon (e.g., a
negative stimulus) and
conditions for its performance (e.g. location of the collar device within a
certain threshold distance and
permitted time of performance). In this example, the collar determines that
the function is delivery of
stimulus and also resolves that the estimated distance from collar to beacon
is less than the selected
threshold distance (via comparison of estimated distance with designated
threshold distance).
Therefore, the collar device delivers the avoidance stimulus to the pet
wearing the collar device. It
should be noted that threshold distance may comprise distance from a location
or a range of such
distances (including an upper and lower boundary).
[0066] In the example above, the assigned function comprises a user/collar
defined function. In other
words, a user may assign functions to collar/beacon combinations. For example,
a user may wish to
prevent a pet from jumping on the user's couch. Therefore, the user may assign
a beacon located near
the couch an avoidance function, i.e. assign an avoidance function to a collar
with respect to such
beacon. However, a user may simply wish to know how often a pet visits a water
bowl in daytime
hours while the user is away from the premises, i.e. the user may simply wish
to track the location of a
pet. Accordingly, a user may assign a beacon located near the water bowl a
tracking function, i.e.
assign a tracking function to a collar with respect to such beacon. The user
then assigns the collar
device the tracking function via the application in the same way the avoidance
function is assigned (as
described above). When the pet collar device is within a threshold distance of
the beacon (and once the
collar device processes conditions for performance of the assigned function
based on
beacon/function/distance/time parameters), the pet collar device simply logs
location data, e.g. the
occurrence of a threshold crossing, the time of a threshold crossing, duration
of pet's proximity to a
beacon, etc.). The tracking beacon may under an embodiment also administer a
positive reinforcement
such as a positive tone if so configured by the user.
[0067] The flexibility of the system is evident in view of a second pet collar
device. Within the same
monitored premises, the configuration process described above may be used to
assign functions to a
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second collar device with respect to the same set of beacons. This set of
functions may be entirely
different than those assigned to the first collar. This is possible due to the
fact that beacons merely
transmit identification numbers while the collar devices detect/extract the
identification numbers and
then resolve/perform a user defined function based on configuration data
stored in a collar specific
database.
[0068] In contrast to "user defined" functions, a user may also dedicate a
specific beacon to a
particular task. For example, a user may use the application interface during
setup to assign an
avoidance function to a beacon directly. An example of directly configuring a
beacon defined function
using a smartphone application is provided below. A user initiates the
smartphone application which
under one embodiment provides an interface for assignment of functions
directly to beacons. Figure 6
shows a screen 610 featuring Beacon and Collar Configuration options as well
as a Monitor Data
option. For example, a user may select the Beacon Configuration option shown
in Figure 6. The
interface may then present at the next screen 620 all discovered beacons, i.e.
up to "n" number beacons
discovered via the process described above and as seen in Figure 6. (It should
be understood that
Beacons 1-n may be replaced by the names of the monitored locations, e.g.
kitchen, door, window,
etc.). A user then selects a particular beacon (e.g. beacon 2) and then views
configuration options at
screen 630 for the pet collar with respect to the selected beacon. Screen 630
shows Avoidance and
Monitor options which represent options to assign an Avoidance or Monitor
function to the beacon.
(The Collar Defined option provides the option to designate a beacon as collar
defined which means
that the beacon's interaction with a collar device is governed by
configuration data maintained by the
collar device as described above with respect to Figure 4). The user may under
an embodiment
designate an Avoidance function at screen 630. The user is then presented at
screen 640 with range
and action options as seen in Figure 6. The user manipulates interface
selections to assign the collar a
stimulus function when the collar is within a selected range (Level 1) of the
beacon. Specifically the
user selects a negative stimulus (applied by the collar) as an avoidance
function and designates a
corresponding range. The application interface may provide various stimulus
functions (tone, stimulus,
scent, etc.) and one or more ranges. Range Level 1 for example indicates close
proximity to a beacon.
Range Level 2 and Range Level 3 represent enlarged threshold distances. After
selecting range and
function, the user may be presented with another screen (not shown) allowing
user to designate
permitted access times, e.g. times during which the collar does not apply the
designated function when
the collar device in within the designated range. Embodiments are not limited
to the functions and
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ranges described in Figure 6. Once the configuration selections are complete
for a beacon, the
application may prompt the user to bring the application in proximity to the
beacon. The application
may then transmit such configuration data (including function data, distance
data, and permitted times
data) to the beacon. The beacon encodes the particular configuration data into
packets for inclusion in
the beacon's periodic transmissions. Accordingly, the beacon periodically
transmits both its
identification number and the configuration data to devices within its range.
In this manner a user may
assign a function directly to each beacon within the system. Under an
embodiment, the application
also transmits the unique identification number of the particular configured
beacon to the collar
device. In this manner, the collar device may monitor incoming beacon
transmissions and confirm that
the beacon is part of the configured system under this embodiment.
[0069] As indicated above, a user may use the application interface during
setup to assign an
avoidance function to a beacon directly. During set up operations, the
application transmits such
configuration data to the specifically tasked beacon. (It should be noted
beacons not only transmit
data, they may also receive and store data from other beacons or devices). The
transmitted data
includes "function data" (which encodes the particular function in data
packets for inclusion in the
beacon's periodic transmissions), threshold distance (and permitted time data
under an embodiment).
The application may also send the beacon's identification number to the collar
device which stores
such information. Accordingly, the beacon periodically transmits its
identification number, the
function data, and a threshold distance (and permitted times under an
embodiment) to devices within
its range. Under this example, the pet collar device may approach the beacon
transmitting the
identification number and corresponding data. The collar device then extracts
the identification
number, the "function data", distance data (and permitted time data under an
embodiment) and uses
the signal strength of the transmission to estimate distance from the beacon.
The collar device may
match the identification number to stored beacon identification numbers to
ensure that the particular
beacon is part of the configured system, i.e., that the collar device should
proceed. The collar device
may then match "function data- with function type, e.g. avoidance, tracking,
etc., using embedded
code within a pet collar. Alternatively, a smartphone application may transmit
such data to the collar
device during set up operations. Under this example, the function data
corresponds to an avoidance
task, i.e. delivery of negative stimulus. The collar device then resolve
whether the device is within the
designated threshold distance (and within appropriate time interval under an
embodiment). If so, the
collar device executes the assigned function, i.e. delivers the negative
stimulus.
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[0070] Figure 7A shows a beacon defined embodiment of beacon/device
functionality. Under this
embodiment, the beacon 710 transmits 720 its identification number, a distance
range (e.g., nearby
range) and function data. (It should be noted that distance range may comprise
distance from a
location or a range of such distances including an upper and lower boundary).
The collar devices uses
signal strength to estimate distance from the transmitting beacon. The collar
device 730 extracts
function data (corresponding to negative stimulus) and distance range
information from the signal. The
collar device interprets the function data as a negative stimulus function,
and if the collar device
determines that the collar device is within a near range distance, then the
collar device applies the
negative stimulus. The collar device may also log the time/duration of the
event along with
corresponding identification number of the beacon.
[0071] Figure 7B shows a collar defined embodiment of beacon/device
functionality. Under such
embodiment, the beacon 740 (located near a couch) simply transmits 750 its
unique identification
number. The collar device 760 then detects the transmission, identifies the
identification number and
uses signal strength to estimate distance from the transmitting beacon. The
collar device then uses the
identification number to look up configuration data. Under this embodiment,
such data comprises an
avoidance function (i.e., negative stimulus), and a midrange distance. (It
should be noted that distance
range may comprise distance from a location or a range of such distances
including an upper and
lower boundary). If the collar device determines that the device is within a
midrange distance, then the
collar device applies the negative stimulus. The collar device may also log
the time/duration of the
event along with corresponding identification number of the beacon.
[0072] Figure 8A shows a collar device 820 transmitting data to a smartphone
810 under one
embodiment. Figure 8B shows two way communication between a collar device 840
and a
smartphone 830 under one embodiment.
[0073] Under one embodiment, a home detection kit may ship with a collar and
corresponding
beacons. A user may first register the smart phone application with a company
provided internet
service. Registration may provide the application with the unique device
identification numbers of the
beacons and the collar(s). Alternatively, the application may discover
identification numbers during
configuration as described in detail above.
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[0074] Under one embodiment, a pet owner/user deploys beacons in a home. The
user simply locates
beacons in areas of interest. The pet owner uses a collar, in conjunction with
a smartphone application
to assign "Avoid" and/or "Track" functions to collar/beacon combinations. As
an example of
assigning an "Avoid- function (using the procedures already described in
detail above), a user first
places a red sticker on a beacon. The user then approaches the beacon with a
mobile device running
the smartphone application. The application/device reads the unique
identification of the beacon and
reads receiver signal strength indication (RSSI) value. The application then
communicates with the
collar to assign collar a function of the particular beacon when the pet
collar is within a set range of
the beacon. If the pet collar comes within a configured distance of the
particular beacon, the collar
triggers a negative stimulus and stores the time of the event under an
embodiment.
[0075] As an example of assigning a "Track" function (using the procedures
already described in
detail above), a user first places a green sticker on beacon. The user then
approaches the beacon with a
mobile device running the smartphone application. The application/device reads
the unique
identification of the beacon and reads receiver signal strength indication
(RSSI) value. The application
then communicates with the collar to assign collar a function of the
particular beacon when the pet
collar is within a set range of the beacon. If the pet collar comes within a
configured distance of the
particular beacon, the collar will log the occurrence of the event and/or emit
a positive reinforcement
stimulus under an embodiment. The collar may also store the time of the event.
[0076] As the pet wearing the collar moves about the home, the collar collects
data while controlling
the pet's whereabouts through stimulus events triggered by proximity to "red"
beacons and tracked
events triggered by proximity to "green" beacons. When the collar is within
range of the smart phone
application, the collar transmits all collected/queued data to the application
which may then display
such information. A user may also deliver immediate Avoid/Track commands to
the collar.
[0077] Figure 9 shows an application interface allowing user a selection among
beacon locations. A
user may select "Food" which then directs user to another page featuring
tracking data. In this
example (as seen in Figure 9), the interface shows that the user's pet was
within a configured range of
the pet's water bowl from 11:15-11:20pm.
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[0078] Figure 10 shows a "Remote Trainer" interface page of an application
running on a smartphone
1010. A user may select the -+" button to direct the collar 1020 to administer
a positive stimulus. A
user may select the "-" button to direct the collar 1020 to administer a
negative stimulus.
[0079] Under one embodiment, Bluetooth LE modules are used in the beacons and
collars of the
systems and methods described above. Alternatively, unique RF beacons may be
specially designed
for this detection/tracking/monitoring system described herein
[0080] Under one embodiment, one or more of a pet collar device, a beacon, and
smartphone may be
communicatively coupled via Wi-Fi or WPAN communications protocols to a local
router to provide a
communicative coupling with wide area networks, metropolitan area networks and
with the internet in
general. Each such device therefore is communicatively coupled to a remote
cloud computing platform
comprising one or more applications running on at least one processor of a
remote server.
Accordingly, the collar/beacons/smartphone may transmit data to and/or receive
data from a cloud
computing platform.
[0081] Under one embodiment, beacons may comprise a green and red side. If
placed with green side
up, the beacon may be automatically configured as a "Track" location. If
placed with red side up, the
beacon may be automatically configured as an "Avoid" location.
[0082] It is understood that the systems and method described herein are
merely illustrative. Other
arrangements may be employed in accordance the embodiments set forth below.
Further, variations of
the systems and method described herein may comply with the spirit of the
embodiments set forth
herein.
[0083] Figure 11 comprises a method monitoring a subject in a premises, under
an embodiment. Step
1110 includes placing a wearable device on a subject that is mobile within a
premises. Step 1120
includes placing communications modules at one or more locations in a
premises, wherein each
communications module periodically transmits a unique number, wherein an
application running on a
processor of a computing platform detects and stores each unique number of one
or more
communications modules selected from the at least one communications module,
wherein the
communications modules, the wearable device, and the application are
communicatively coupled
through wireless communications. Step 1130 includes organizing linking
information by linking each
unique number of the one or more communications modules selected from the at
least one
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communications module with a distance value and a function, wherein the
organizing comprises the
application organizing the linking information and transmitting the linking
information to the wearable
device. Step 1140 includes the wearable device detecting a transmission of a
communications module
of the one or more communications modules. Step 1150 includes the wearable
device using
information of the detected transmission to identify the unique number of the
communications module
and to estimate a distance from the wearable device to a location of the
communications module. Step
1160 includes the wearable device using the linking information to identify
the function and distance
value corresponding to the communications module. Step 1170 includes the
wearable device
performing the function when the estimated distance meets at least one
criterion with respect to the
distance value.
[0084] Systems and methods for monitoring a subject in a premises are
described above in detail. In
accordance with such disclosure, Figure 2 shows one embodiment of a system for
monitoring/tracking/detecting activities of a subject within a premises.
Figure 2 shows a mobile
device 210 running a smartphone application. The smartphone application is
communicatively coupled
to collar devices 220, 230. The smartphone application may transmit data to
and control certain
functions of the collar devices 220, 230 as described above. The smartphone
application may also
receive data from collar devices as described above. Figure 2 shows collar
devices 220, 230
communicatively coupled to beacons 240, 250, 260. The collar devices receive
data periodically
transmitted by beacons 240, 250, 260 and otherwise communicate with beacons
240, 250, 260 as
described above. The smartphone application 210 may assign certain
functionality directly to beacons
240, 250, 260 and otherwise communicates with beacons as described above.
[0085] Under the embodiment described above, a monitoring/tracking/detection
system includes one
or more collar devices, one or more beacons, and at least one smartphone
running an application and
providing user interaction with such system. However, an additional embodiment
of the
monitoring/tracking/detection system may include additional sensors or devices
that proactively
monitor and manage the health and well being of a subject under observation
within the
protected/monitored premises. These additional sensors/devices include collar
device sensors,
environmental sensors, and action or activity sensors. However, it should be
noted that these
additional sensors/devices of a monitoring/tracking/detection system may
represent one or more
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components from any single sensor/device category or from any combination of
sensor/device
categories.
[0086] Collar Device Sensors
[0087] The collar device itself may include sensing devices for monitoring the
health and well being
of a subject wearing the collar device. These sensing devices may monitor
biological and
physiological metrics of a subject wearing the collar device. The sensing
devices may also monitor
motion and activity parameters of a subject wearing the collar device. The
subject may comprise an
animal but embodiments are not so limited. Under this embodiment, the collar
device includes one or
more of the following monitoring/sensing devices:
[0088] --the collar device may include a heart rate sensor for monitoring
heart rate.
[0089] --the collar device may include an Electrocardiogram to monitor a
heart's electrical activity
(EKG or ECG).
[0090] --the collar device may include one or more blood pressure sensors to
monitor blood pressure
levels.
[0091] --the collar device may include one or more respiration rate sensors
for monitoring respiration
rates.
[0092] --the collar device may include one or more temperature sensors for
monitoring body
temperature.
[0093] --the collar device may include an accelerometer and/or gyroscope in
order to monitor activity
levels and activity types.
[0094] --the collar device may include one or more acoustic sensors or one or
more sensors for
detecting frequency, amplitude, and origin of audio signals.
[0095] --the collar device may include one or more piezoelectric sensors
and/or transducers. Such
sensor/transducers are devices that uses the piezoelectric effect to measure
changes in pressure,
acceleration, temperature, strain, or force by converting them to an
electrical charge.
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[0096] --the collar device may include one or more lightning sensors for the
detection of lightning.
[0097] It should be noted that a collar device is not limited to traditional
configurations of a collar.
Rather, a collar device may comprise any wearable device that may position
sensor devices at various
physical locations on the subject wearing the device. Further, the collar may
be communicatively
coupled with one or more of the sensors described above and which are also
positioned at various
physical locations on the subject external to the collar device. As just one
example, a transducer may
located against the neck of an animal and may detect a bark, howl, or other
sounds generated by the
animal.
[0098] Environmental Sensors
[0099] Environmental sensors may be distributed throughout the premises of a
monitoring/tracking/detection system. These sensors monitor and detect
environmental parameters of
a premises. Environmental sensors may include temperature sensors, moisture
sensors, humidity
sensors, air pressure sensors and/or air quality condition sensors.
Environmental sensors may include
one or more acoustic sensors or one or more sensors for detecting frequency,
amplitude, and origin of
audio signals.. Environmental sensors may include one or more piezoelectric
sensors and/or
transducers. Such sensor/transducers are devices that uses the piezoelectric
effect to measure changes
in pressure, acceleration, temperature, strain, or force by converting them to
an electrical charge.
Environmental sensors may include one or more lightning sensors for the
detection of lightning
[00100] However, a monitoring/tracking/detection system may clearly
incorporate fewer or additional
numbers and types of environmental sensors. Such environmental sensors may be
directly attached to
or incorporated within a beacon. Under this embodiment, environmental sensors
are electronically
connected to a beacon. Alternatively, environmental sensors may be located in
proximity to beacons.
Under this embodiment, environmental sensors may be in wired or wireless
communication with
beacons. Under another embodiment, environmental sensors may be located in a
position to detect an
overall condition of an environment. Under the embodiments described above,
environmental sensors
(i) may communicate directly with a collar device or (ii) may communicate with
a collar device
through an intermediate beacon device. Environmental sensors are Bluetooth
enabled under an
embodiment and capable of Bluetooth Low Energy protocol communications.
(00101] Activity Devices
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[00102] Activity or action devices may be distributed throughout the premises
of a
monitoring/tracking/detection system. Under one embodiment, an activity device
may be electrically
connected to or incorporated within another device. For example, activity
devices may represent
switches which control the operation or function of yet other devices, e.g.
the flow of water in a
dispensing device, the management of food volume/type in a food dispensing
device, etc. Further, an
activity device may represent a switch that monitors thermostat levels. As
another example, an activity
device may itself comprise a toy or audio playback device. Such devices are
Bluetooth enabled under
an embodiment and capable of Bluetooth Low Energy protocol communications.
[00103] Further, collar devices and/or activity devices described herein may
include a microphone for
emitting signals or for receiving, interpreting, and performing audible
instruction using voice
recognition. It should be noted that any of the sensors described herein may
be equipped with
transceiver and may be communicatively coupled to one or more transceiver
enabled microphones.
Accordingly, such sensors may be subject to voice control, i.e. may receive
instructions originally
received by one or microphones. The disclosed microphones may under one
embodiment interpret
such instructions using voice recognition and then forward such instructions
to one or more
communicatively coupled sensors.
[00104] Of course it should be noted that fewer or additional numbers and/or
types of collar device
sensors, environmental devices and activity devices may be included in the
monitoring/tracking/detection system of an embodiment.
[00105] Figure 12 shows the components of a monitoring/tracking/detection
system including the
additional devices and sensors that provide pro-active health and well being
functionality under one
embodiment. The wireless network 1200 of Figure 12 comprises under one
embodiment a collar
device 1210, a beacon device 1240, and a mobile device 1230 running a
smartphone application. The
collar device includes collar device sensors 1220. Figure 12 shows
environmental sensor 1250
communicatively connected with beacon 1240 and environmental sensor 1260
communicatively
connected with beacon 1240. Figure 12 also shows activity device 1270
communicatively connected
with beacon 1240 and activity device 1280 communicatively connected with
beacon 1240. Figure 12
also shows that environmental sensors 1250, 1260 and activity devices 1270,
1280 may be directly
communicatively connected with a collar device 1210 and may also communicate
with the collar
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device 1210 through beacon 1240. The mobile device of Figure 12 is
communicatively coupled with
components 1240, 1250, 1260, 1270, and 1280 through wireless network 1200.
[00106] Note that Figure 12 shows the components of a
monitoring/tracking/detection system that
includes a single beacon and a single collar device. Of course, such system
may include a plurality of
beacons and a plurality of collar devices. Further note that Figure 12
discloses environmental sensors
positioned in a location remote to the beacon. Alternatively, the beacon
itself includes one or more
environmental sensors. Under this embodiment, such environmental sensors are
electronically
connected to and incorporated within the beacon. Further, Figure 12 shows a
monitoring/tracking/detection system featuring collar device sensors,
environmental sensors, and
activity devices. However, a monitoring/tracking/detection system may include
any individual or
combined use of sensors/devices from any sensor/device category (i.e. collar,
environmental, or
activity) or any combination of categories.
[00107] Operation of a "pro-active health and well being"
monitoring/tracking/detection system
involves the interaction of Bluetooth enabled collar device sensors,
environmental sensors and/or
activity devices. As indicated above, the collar device itself includes
sensors that monitor biological,
physiological, and motion parameters of a subject roaming the environment of a
monitored premises.
The environmental sensors simultaneously monitor and detect the environmental
conditions of the
premises. Each environmental sensor then periodically transmits such
monitored/detected data. Each
such environmental sensor may pair (or be associated) directly with a
corresponding beacon, i.e. a
particular beacon may detect, receive and store data periodically transmitted
by an associated
environmental sensor data. The beacon may then bundle the received sensor data
into its own periodic
broadcast transmissions. Recall from the discussion above that beacons and
collar devices interact
within a premises under a collar defined mode or beacon defined mode. Under a
collar defined mode,
a beacon periodically transmits an identification number (along with other
data). A collar moving
within communications range of a beacon receives the transmission and extracts
the identification
number. The collar device then uses internal data tables to match the
identification number with
avoidance/interaction functions. Alternatively, the beacon may itself
determine the behavior of the
collar device, i.e. the beacon may transmit identification and function data
to an "in range" collar
device. Under either configuration, a beacon may simply incorporate collected
environmental sensor
data into its periodic transmission such that "in range" collar devices in
turn detect environmental
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sensor data associated with a particular beacon. Alternatively, each
environmental sensor may
periodically transmit data for detection by any -in range" collar device
roaming within the wireless
communications network of the overall monitoring/tracking/detection system.
Environmental sensor
transmissions may under an embodiment include unique identification numbers
for use by components
of a monitoring/tracking/detection system
[00108] Environmental sensors may be associated with particular beacons or may
be positioned to
monitor an overall environmental condition of a premises. In this manner,
environmental sensors may
monitor micro-environmental conditions near or with respect to particular
beacons or macro-
environmental conditions within a premises.
[00109] In operation of a "proactive health and well-being"
monitoring/tracking/detection system, a
collar device collects a wealth of information as it roams throughout the
monitored premises. First, the
collar device may collect data with respect to avoidance/tracking events
(otherwise referred to herein
as avoidance/interaction events) triggered by proximity to particular beacons.
(Note that
avoidance/tracking events and the logging of information related thereto are
disclosed in great detail
above). Second, the collar device includes one or more sensors for
monitoring/tracking/detecting
physiological and motion metrics associated with a subject wearing the collar.
Third, the collar device
detects and receives data from environmental sensors that are (i) distributed
throughout the premises
and/or (ii) located within a beacon. The collar device may collect and process
avoidance/interaction
data, collar device sensor data (including physiological and motion activity
data of a subject wearing
the collar), and/or environmental sensor data to determine particular needs.
As just one example and as
further described below, the combination of avoidance/interaction data,
physiological condition data,
and/or environmental sensor data may indicate that an animal wearing the
collar is not eating or
drinking appropriate quantities of food/water.
[00110] Based on a determination of need, i.e. the need to induce increased
intake of food/water, the
collar device may interact with action or activity devices distributed
throughout the premises, i.e. the
collar device may activate functional changes in activity devices in order to
address the need. For
example, an activity device may represent Bluetooth enabled switches which
control the operation or
function of yet other devices. For example, if the collar device determines a
need to induce increased
intake of water, the collar device may communicate with a Bluetooth enabled
switch that toggles a
fountain motor of a water bowl. The communication may activate the fountain
motor in order to
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encourage drinking of water. Under this embodiment, the collar device is
communicatively coupled to
the activity device through the WPAN network described above with respect to
Figure 12. The collar
device may exchange data directly with activity devices or may communicate
with activity devices
through beacons associated or paired with such activity devices.
[00111] As indicated above, a collar device may collect and process
avoidance/interaction data, collar
device sensor data (including physiological conditions and motion activity of
a subject wearing the
collar), and environmental sensor data to determine particular needs. It
should be noted that a collar
device may determine a need using any single type of data, i.e.
avoidance/interaction, collar device
sensor, and environmental, or using any combination of data types. Once a need
is determined, the
collar device may determine and direct functional changes of activity devices
within the premises of a
monitoring/tracking/detecting system. The collar device may exchange data
directly with
action/activity devices or may communicate with action/activity devices
through beacons associated or
paired with such activity devices. Accordingly, data collection and analysis
may be conducted by a
collar device. However, data collection and analysis may also take place at a
cloud computing level.
[00112] As described above with respect to Figure 12, a pet collar device,
beacons, smartphone,
environmental sensor and activity devices may be communicatively coupled via
WPAN compatible
communications (e.g. Bluetooth communications protocols under an embodiment)
to a local router or
communications hub providing a communicative coupling with wide area networks,
metropolitan area
networks and with the broader intern& in general. Each such networked device
within the
monitoring/tracking/detection system may therefore be communicatively coupled
to a remote cloud
computing platform comprising one or more applications running on at least one
processor of a remote
server. Accordingly, the collar/beacons/smartphone, environmental sensors,
and/or activity devices
may transmit data to and/or receive data from a cloud computing platform.
Under this embodiment, a
collar device may collect and forward avoidance/interaction data, collar
device sensor data (including
physiological conditions and/or motion activity of a subject wearing the
collar), and/or environmental
sensor data. In other words, a collar device may collect and forward such data
to a remote application
running on a remote computing platform which may then itself analyze the data
to determine a
particular need of a subject wearing the collar device. Once a need is
determined, the remote
application may determine and direct functional changes of activity devices
within a premises of a
monitoring/tracking/detecting system. The remote application may communicate
with a collar device
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which then transmits function change information to activity devices to
trigger actions designed to
address the identified need (as described above). Alternatively, the remote
application may
communicate functional change information directly to beacons which then
communicate with and
control activity devices accordingly. Further, the remote application may
communicate directly with
activity devices.
[00113] As described above, the collar/beacons/smartphone, environmental
sensors, and/or activity
devices may transmit data to and/or receive data from a cloud computing
platform. Under this
embodiment, a collar device may collect and forward avoidance/interaction
data, collar device sensor
data (including physiological conditions and/or motion activity of a subject
wearing the collar), and/or
environmental sensor data. In other words, a collar device may collect and
forward such data to a
remote application running on a remote computing platform. The remote
application may then
transmit this data to an application running on a smartphone or other mobile
computing platform. The
smartphone application may then analyze the data to determine a particular
need of a subject wearing
the collar device. Once a need is determined, the smartphone application may
determine and direct
functional changes of activity devices within a premises of a
monitoring/tracking/detecting system.
The smartphone application may then transmit functional change information to
the remote application
running on at least one processor of a remote server.
[00114] Under one embodiment, the smartphone application determines a need
based on any single
type of data, i.e. avoidance/interaction, collar device sensor, and
environmental, or based on any
combination of data types. The smartphone application may present the user an
interface alerting the
user of any currently identified need. The interface may also recommend a
course of action to address
the need, i.e. recommend particular action or operation of an activity device
to address the need. The
user may select or ignore recommend courses of action. The smartphone
application may then
communicate function change information to the remote computing platform which
may then process
such information in a manner already described above.
[00115] The user may use the smartphone application to configure automated
cloud computing
platform or collar device responses to identified needs. As already indicated
above, a collar device,
remote computing platform, or smartphone application may analyze
avoidance/interaction data, collar
device sensor data, and/or environmental sensor data. A collar device, remote
computing platform, or
smartphone application may determine a need using any single type of data,
i.e. avoidance/interaction,
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collar device sensor, and environmental, or using any combination of data
types. In other words, a
need may comprise any single instance or combination of avoidance/interaction
data, collar device
sensor data, and environmental data. The user may use the smartphone
application to associate activity
device action with defined instances or combinations of avoidance/interaction
data, collar device
sensor data, and environmental data. The smartphone application, collar device
or remote computing
platform may then automatically apply remedies, i.e. activity device action,
upon
detection/identification of corresponding needs.
[00116] The smartphone application may provide the user with remote activity
device control. As
opposed to automating activity device responses and as opposed to accepting or
rejecting activity
device recommendations, the user may simply manually control premises activity
devices. As already
indicated above (and further described in great detail below), the user may be
alerted of premises
activity, i.e. detected/identified needs, through a smartphone application
interface. The user may then
manually direct in premises activity devices to perform specific functions or
operations in order to
address the detected/identified need.
[00117] The following disclosure provides Use Case Examples of a "proactive
health and well-being"
monitoring/tracking/detection system. For purposes of providing the Use Case
Examples, assume the
collar device includes the following sensors for measuring biological and
physiological metrics of a
subject wearing the collar device: Heart Rate Sensor, Electrocardiogram, Blood
Pressure Sensor,
Respiration Rate Sensor and Temperature Sensor. Such devices indicate
physiological conditions in
real time. The collar device may also include an Activity Monitor (e.g.
accelerometer and gyroscope)
which indicates real time physical activity levels of the subject wearing the
collar device. Further with
respect to the Use Case Examples described below, assume that environmental
sensors are distributed
throughout a premises of a monitoring/tracking/detection system. With respect
to the examples
provided below, environmental sensors include temperature, moisture, humidity,
air pressure and/or
air quality condition sensors. In addition, activity devices are also
distributed throughout the premises.
Activity devices may control the function, operation, or performance of
additional devices. For
example, an activity device may control the level of a thermostat or a
dispensing mechanism of a
food/water dispenser. As already described in great detail above, a collar
device (including collar
device sensors), beacons, environmental sensors, and activity devices are
communicatively coupled
through a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN). Under this embodiment, the
WPAN enables
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wireless communications among such devices using Bluetooth Low Energy
communication protocols.
It should be noted that Use Case Examples may include additional types and
numbers of collar
sensors, environmental sensors and activity devices as required by the
particular example.
[00118] Use Case Example
[00119] The collar device receives, monitors and collects
avoidance/interaction data, collar device
sensor data (including physiological condition data and activity level data),
and/or environmental
sensor data. The collar device may combine a subset of physiological
conditions, physical activity
levels, environmental sensor data, and/or interaction events (with respect to
food and water bowls) to
determine if intake requirements are being met. If not, then . . .
[00120] --the collar device may trigger a water dispensing device to
encouraged drinking with the
addition of flavorings;
[00121] --the collar device may encourage drinking of water by activating a
fountain motor;
[00122] --the collar device may trigger dispensing of treats by food
dispensing device to encourage
eating.
[00123] Use Case Example
[00124] The collar device receives, monitors and collects
avoidance/interaction data, collar device
sensor data (including physiological condition data and activity level data),
and/or environmental
sensor data. Accordingly, the collar device may monitor the physical activity
sensor to determine if too
much or too little physical activity is occurring. If change is needed, then.
. .
[00125] --the collar device may active toys (i.e., activity devices) to
encourage activity;
[00126] --the collar device may communicate with temperature control devices
to adjust temperature so
as to encourage or discourage activity;
[00127] --the collar device may activate audio playback devices to provide
calming or stimulating
environmental sounds, noises, tones, music, etc.
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[00128] --the collar device may communicate with activity devices that control
opening/closing of
doors, i.e. doors may be locked or unlocked to encourage or discourage
physical activity in proximity
to a given beacon.
[00129] Use Case Example
[00130] The collar device receives, monitors and collects
avoidance/interaction data, collar device
sensor data (including physiological condition data and activity level data),
and/or environmental
sensor data. Accordingly, the collar device may monitor the number of
avoidance events encountered.
If a limit is exceeded, then.
[00131] --the collar device may communicate with and activate toys to
encourage wearer of the collar
device to engage in alternative activities.
[00132] --the collar device may trigger treat dispensers to dispense treats as
a distraction.
[00133] Use Case Example
[00134] The collar device receives, monitors and collects
avoidance/interaction data, collar device
sensor data (including physiological condition data and activity level data),
and/or environmental
sensor data. Accordingly, the collar device may monitor a subset of
physiological conditions and
physical activity levels to determine if medicine should be introduced. If so,
the collar device may
cause an automatic dispenser to release medication.
[00135] Use Case Example
[00136] The collar device receives, monitors and collects
avoidance/interaction data, collar device
sensor data (including physiological condition data and activity level data),
and/or environmental
sensor data. Accordingly, a collar device may process data from a water bowl
sensor indicating the
water bowl level. If the level indicates low levels, then the collar device
may communicate with and
command a valve to open within the water bowl to refill (i.e. increase) the
water level.
[00137] Use Case Example
[00138] The collar device receives, monitors and collects
avoidance/interaction data, collar device
sensor data (including physiological condition data and activity level data),
and/or environmental
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sensor data. Accordingly, a collar device may receive/process data from a food
dispenser sensor
indicating that the food dispenser is in a jammed state. The collar may then
report the condition to at
least one application running on a remote server, i.e. the cloud computing
platform. In turn the cloud
computing platform may use general internet connectivity to forward alerts
regarding the condition to
a smartphone application. The cloud computing platform may provide such alerts
via text message,
email, or smartphone application interface. In such manner, a user may
remotely monitor the status of
the food dispenser.
[00139] Use Case Example
[00140] The collar device receives, monitors and collects
avoidance/interaction data, collar device
sensor data (including physiological condition data and activity level data),
and/or environmental
sensor data. Accordingly, a collar device may process data from a body weight
scale. If the weight is
above or below an ideal value, then. . .
[00141] --the collar device may communicate with and activate toy (i.e.,
activity) devices within the
premises to encourage activity while also monitoring subject response using
collar device activity
monitor;
[00142] --the collar device may interact with food dispenser to limit the
amount of food dispensed via a
feeder if the measured weight is too high; alternatively the collar device may
interact with food
dispenser to provide excessive food amounts if the measured weight is too low;
[00143] --the collar device may interact with a food weight scale to monitor
the actual amount of food
consumed;
[00144] --the collar device may monitor subject response to the environmental
changes via the
physiological sensors within the collar.
[00145] Use Case Example
[00146] The collar device receives, monitors and collects
avoidance/interaction data, collar device
sensor data (including physiological condition data and activity level data),
and/or environmental
sensor data. Accordingly, the collar device may process data from a noise
monitor sensor within the
premises. If the noise level is over a prescribed limit, then. . .
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[00147] --the collar device may communicate with and activate toys to provide
a distraction;
[00148] --the collar device may communicate with and activate a treat
dispenser to provide a
distraction;
[00149] --the collar device may communicate with and activate an Active Noise
Cancellation system to
minimize noise level.
[00150] Use Case Example
[00151] The collar device receives, monitors and collects
avoidance/interaction data, collar device
sensor data (including physiological condition data and activity level data),
and/or environmental
sensor data. Accordingly, the collar device may monitor and process data from
co-located biological
sensors indicating health status. Such sensors may be external to the subject
and may monitor
biological features of a subject from a distance. The collar may then report
the monitored features to at
least one application running on a remote server, i.e. the cloud computing
platform. In turn the cloud
computing platform may use general internet connectivity to forward alerts
regarding such features to
a smartphone application. The cloud computing platform may provide such alerts
via text message,
email, or smartphone application interface.
[00152] It should be noted that in the Use Case Examples provided above, the
collar device analyzes
avoidance/interaction data, collar device sensor data, and environmental
sensor data to identify
conditions and needs within the monitored premises. The collar device may then
communicate with
and command activity devices to perform certain functions to address such need
or condition. In each
Use Case Example, the collar device may then report the conditions, needs, and
actions to at least one
application running on a remote server, i.e. the cloud computing platform. In
turn the cloud computing
platform may use general internet connectivity to forward conditions, needs,
and actions in the form of
alerts or notifications to a smartphone application. The cloud computing
platform may provide such
alerts or notifications via text message, email, or smartphone application
interface. In such manner, a
user may remotely monitor the status of a monitoring/tracking/detecting system
in real time.
[00153] It should be noted that in the Use Case Examples above, the collar
device collects and analyzes
avoidance/interaction data, collar device sensor data (including physiological
conditions of a subject
wearing the collar), and environmental sensor data in order to determine
needs. The collar device then
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interacts with action/activity devices to address the need. However, the
collar device may simply
collect and forward such critical data to a remote application running on a
remote computing platform
which may then analyze the data to determine a particular need of a subject
wearing the collar device.
Once a need is determined, the remote application may determine and direct
functional changes of
activity devices within a premises of a monitoring/tracking/detecting system.
The remote application
may communicate with a collar device which then transmits function change
information to activity
devices to trigger actions designed to address the identified need. Further
(and as already described
above), the smartphone application may itself analyze collar device,
environmental, and/or avoidance
interaction data to diagnose needs and may itself direct function changes
within the premises.
[00154] It should be noted that in the disclosure and examples provided above,
activity devices
generally control operation and performance of certain other devices with the
monitored premises.
However, such activity devices may themselves function as environmental
sensors in the embodiments
described above.
[00155] The wireless network of Figure 12 may comprise a Wireless Personal
Area Network (WPAN).
A wireless personal area network (WPAN) is a personal area network for
interconnecting devices
usually centered within an individual person's living space or workspace. A
wireless PAN is based on
the standard IEEE 802.15. One type of wireless technology used for a WPAN
includes the Bluetooth
low energy (BLE) standard for personal area networks. Bluetooth low energy
communication uses
short-range radio waves to connect devices such as keyboards, pointing
devices, audio headsets,
printers, laptops, computers, embedded microcontrollers, personal digital
assistants (PDAs), smart
phones, tables, routers, sensor devices, monitoring devices, smart
televisions, and streaming devices
Alternatively, a WPAN may also enable communications among networked
components using
Wireless USB, Zigbee or Z-Wave communication protocols. WPANs can be used for
communication
among the personal devices themselves (intiapei sonal communication), or for
connecting to a higher
level network and the Internet (an uplink).
[00156] Figure 13 shows a system for monitoring a subject in a premises. The
system includes 1310 at
least one communications module, a wearable device, and an application running
on a processor of a
mobile computing device, wherein the at least one communications module, the
wearable device, and
the mobile device application are communicatively coupled. The system includes
1320 at least one
application running on one or more processors of a server remote from the at
least one
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communications module, the wearable device, and the mobile device application,
wherein the at least
one application is communicatively coupled with the at least one
communications module, the
wearable device, and the mobile device application. The system includes 1330
placing each
communications module at a location in a premises, wherein each communications
module
periodically transmits a unique number, wherein the mobile device application
detects each unique
number of the at least one communications module. The system includes 1340 the
mobile device
application organizing linking information, the organizing linking information
compi ising linking each
unique number of the at least one communications module with a function,
wherein the mobile device
application transmits the linking information to the wearable device. The
system includes 1350 the
wearable device detecting a transmission of a communications module of the at
least one
communications module, the wearable device using information of the detected
transmission to
identify the unique number of the communications module, the wearable device
using the linking
information to identify the function corresponding to the unique number, the
wearable device
performing the function when at least one criterion is met. The system
includes 1360 the wearable
device transmitting premises information to one or more of the at least one
application and the mobile
device application, wherein the premises information includes information of
the performed function.
The system includes 1370 one or more of the wearable device, the at least one
application and the
mobile device application using the premises information to determine a need
of the subject wearing
the wearable device
[00157] Figure 14 shows a system for monitoring a subject in a premises. The
system includes 1410 at
least one communications module, a wearable device, an application running on
a processor of a
mobile computing platform, and a plurality of activity devices, wherein the at
least one
communications module, the wearable device, the application, and the plurality
of activity devices are
communicatively coupled through wireless communications. The system includes
1420 the at least one
communications module including at least one environmental sensor, wherein the
at least one
environmental sensor detects environmental sensor information of a premises.
The system includes
1430 placing each communications module at a location in the premises, wherein
each
communications module periodically transmits a unique number and the detected
environmental
sensor information, wherein the application detects each unique number of the
at least one
communications module. The system includes 1440 the application organizing
linking information, the
organizing linking information comprising linking each unique number of the at
least one
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communications module with a distance value and a function, wherein the
application transmits the
linking information to the wearable device. The system includes 1450 the
wearable device including
one or more sensors that monitor physiological and motion data of a subject
wearing the wearable
device. The system includes 1460 the wearable device detecting a transmission
of a communications
module of the at least one communications module, the wearable device using
information of the
detected transmission to extract the detected environmental sensor
information, to identify the unique
number of the communications module and to estimate a distance from the
wearable device to the
location of the communications module, the wearable device using the linking
information to identify
the corresponding function and distance value, the wearable device performing
the function when the
estimated distance meets at least one criterion with respect to the distance
value. The system includes
1470 the wearable device using at least one of information of the detected
environmental sensor
information, information of the performed function, and information of the
monitored physiological
and motion data to determine a need of the subject wearing the wearable
device, wherein the wearable
device communicates with at least one activity device of the plurality of
activity devices to address the
need through an action of the at least one activity device.
[00158] The components of a monitoring/tracking/detection system are described
above. Under an
embodiment of such system, a beacon located in a home environment periodically
transmits data A
Bluetooth enabled receiver, i.e. an RF receiver, may roam within the
environment and detect the data
when the receiver is in close proximity to the beacon. The data comprises a
beacon identification
number. The receiver may then perform an action through use of a lookup table
to associate a
particular beacon identification number with a function. Under an alternative
embodiment, the receiver
may simply perform a function encoded in the transmitted data itself. In
either case, RF beaconing
enables the wireless exchange of information.
[00159] RF beaconing comprises a method of transferring data from one RF
device to another. Under
an embodiment the beaconed data is intended for RF receivers in close
proximity to the RF beacon
transmitter. An example of this is the iBeacon protocol standardized by Apple.
This technology
enables smartphones, tablets, and other devices to perform actions when in
close proximity to an
iBeacon. Under one embodiment, a shopper may walk down an aisle of a grocery
store with
smartphone in hand. A Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) receiver in the shopper's
phone may pick up
iBeacon data being transmitted from store shelves announcing specials on
nearby items. The receiver
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typically monitors its "Received Signal Strength Indicator" (RSSI) to indicate
an approximate distance
from the beacon which itself positioned near a particular item. If the
receiver determines that the
shopper is within a certain threshold distance from a particular item, the
smartphone may report
detected information regarding the item to a user through one or more
smartphone applications. The
shopper can then scan the nearby shelves for the specific item announced in
the special.
[00160] The RF receiver may need to know without the intervention of human
intelligence the actual
range to a beacon, or even discriminate between two nearby beacon
transmissions that are received
simultaneously. Systems and methods for discriminating between two nearby
beacon transmissions
that are received simultaneously are described below.
[00161] Typically, the actual range from a receiver to a transmitter may be
estimated based on the RSSI
values on the receive side. The problem is that this value can vary greatly
based on antenna
orientation, environment, obstructions, receiver proximity to a body, and many
other factors. It is
possible to mitigate the variances by averaging RSSI values across multiple
beacon transmissions.
This method serves to reduce, but not eliminate the variances. A functional
system takes these RSSI
variances into account when determining an expected activation range. For
example, it must be
understood that an RSSI value may represent a distance of anywhere from 1
meter to 3 meters
depending on orientation of a beacon transmitter with respect to a nearby body
and position of the RF
receiver on the body itself.
[00162] This method is acceptable in some use cases, but not all. For example,
it may be required that a
system only activate upon very close proximity to a beacon; alternatively, it
may be required that a
system determine whether it is very close to a first beacon device when
another beacon device is in
close proximity. In other words, the first beacon may serve as a location
proxy for a first location and
the second beacon may serve as a location proxy for a second location. In
receiving transmissions
from both beacons simultaneously, simple RSSI distance estimation may generate
false positive
detection events, i.e. false detection of an "at" proximity with respect to
one or both locations.
[00163] A pet monitoring system provides an example of the problem under one
embodiment. In
operation of the system, assume that a dog collar includes a Bluetooth Low
Energy (BLE) receiver.
Further assume that various products distributed throughout the monitored
environment are outfitted
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with BLE beacons. Each beacon broadcasts data about a corresponding device.
Examples of beacon-
enabled devices may include under one embodiment:
[00164] --a pet food bowl that broadcasts the following: function
(food bowl; log pet
proximity), battery level, and transmit power (to help the receiver calibrate
RSSI from different power
level beacons);
[00165] --a pet water bowl that broadcasts the following: function
(water bowl; log pet
proximity) and transmit power (to help the receiver calibrate RSSI from
different power level
beacons),
[00166] --a beacon buried under a couch cushion that broadcasts
the following: function
(avoidance, correct pet if it gets too close), battery level, and transmit
power (to help the receiver
calibrate RSSI from different power level beacons).
[00167] Some applications of the pet monitoring system only require crude RSSI
resolution. As one
example, a pet roams the monitored environment of the pet monitoring system
and approaches an
avoidance beacon buried under the couch cushion. The BLE-enabled pet collar,
i.e. receiver, monitors
under an embodiment beacon transmissions and associated RSSI levels. When the
RSSI level
surpasses a designated threshold, a determination is made that the pet has
entered a region where a
correction is to be applied to encourage the pet to back away. This region
does not have to be an exact
distance, as long as it is sufficient enough to keep the pet off of the couch
cushion.
[00168] As the pet, i.e. the BLE enabled pet collar of the pet monitoring
system, continues to roam the
monitored environment, it may approach an area where a beacon-enabled water
bowl and beacon-
enabled food bowl reside. Under one embodiment, a pet collar logs duration of
proximity to the water
bowl, periods of time when the pet wearing the collar is drinking water from a
water bowl (i.e. in very
close proximity), and duration of proximity to a food bowl, periods of time
when the pet wearing the
collar is eating from the food bowl (i.e. in very close proximity) This is a
very difficult task to
perform utilizing RSSI signal levels as the standard of error inherent to RSSI
distance estimation blurs
the distinction between "near the bowl" and "at the bowl". If both the water
bowl and food bowl are in
close proximity to each other, the collar receiver may detect both signals in
a closely overlapping
region making discrimination between the signal sources impossible. Under an
embodiment, the
receiver may know that a first transmission is from the food bowl because the
transmission includes
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identification data. Likewise the receiver may know that a second transmission
is from the water bowl
because the transmission includes identification data. But the receiver cannot
discriminate just how
close it is to either one meaning that the receiver cannot determine that it
is very close to one object
but not the other.
[00169] RSSI is commonly used for proximity determination between a receiver
and advertising
beacon. However, RSSI estimations may be affected by positioning,
obstructions, environment, and
many other factors. Variance in detected RSSI levels may lead to one or more
of the following:
[00170] --over-sampling and averaging of multiple readings
over time which then extends
proximity determination time;
[00171] --allowing large tolerances in proximity
determination, i.e. allowing a wide range
of RSSI values to map onto a discrete distance estimate;
[00172] --failure to discriminate between nearby objects
outfitted with beacons due to
similarity of RSSI values simultaneously detected from collocated beacons.
[00173] Under one embodiment the typical, imprecise Received Signal Strength
Indicator (RSSI) based
proximity determination capability of an RF receiver may be augmented with
range-determination
technologies. Such technologies may be located within the circuitry of the
broadcasting beacons. The
range-determination technologies detect environmental data within a range of
the beacon. The RF
beacon may include information of these data, i.e. conditions, distance
determinations, time
determinations, occurrences, and environmental phenomena, in the RF beacon's
data transmission.
The RF receiver may use this information to more precisely calculate the range
between the beacon
and RF receiver.
[00174] Examples of range-determination technologies include under one
embodiment one or more of
the following:
[00175] --Capacitive sensor: detecting the presence of an object
that is conductive or has a
dielectric different from air including human and animal bodies.
[00176] --Inductive sensor: detecting the presence of a metallic
object.
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[00177] --Infrared ranging: a first type detecting the presence of
an object within a specified
range from the transmitter.
[00178] --Infrared Ranging: a second type measuring the range of
an object from the transmitter
using two-way ranging.
[00179] --Passive Infrared (PIR) sensor: detecting an object in
motion within the field of view.
[00180] --Ultrasonic Ranging: measuring the range of an object
from the transmitter.
[00181] --Laser: precisely measuring the range of an object from
the transmitter.
[00182] --Magnetic sensor: detecting the presence of a magnetic
object.
[00183] The RSSI proximity estimate proceeds under one embodiment as follows:
[00184] --An RF beacon transmits a data packet on a schedule (i.e.
once per second; once per
200mS; etc.)
[00185] --An RF receiver detects transmissions of a beacon.
[00186] --An RF receiver decodes the transmissions.
[00187] --An RF receiver calculates an RSSI of the RF Beacon
transmission. Note that for
applications requiring greater accuracy, RSSI values corresponding to multiple
packets from the
beacon of interest are averaged together.
[00188] --An RF receiver determines an estimated range between the
RF Receiver and RF
Beacon based on the calculated RSSI result.
[00189] --The range determination based on this calculated RSSI
value may be imprecise as
such values are significantly affected by positioning, obstructions and
environment. If the range
and/or beacon discrimination based on the RSSI reading(s) is acceptable for an
application, the
process is complete, and the RF receiver performs an action if a ranging
threshold is surpassed.
[00190] If the distance estimation and/or beacon discrimination based on the
RSSI readings is not
acceptable for a given application, the RF Beacon circuitry may be enhanced
with the addition of one
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or more presence/ranging technologies capable of detecting the presence and/or
range of nearby
objects. The RF Beacon may include the results of the detected
presence/ranging data in the RF
Beacon transmission. The RF Receiver may analyze its range relative to the RF
Beacon utilizing both
the initial RSSI distance determination and the presence/ranging data included
in the RF Beacon
transmission. If the enhanced range determination meets the ranging threshold
of an RF Receiver
application, then the RF Receiver may perform its prescribed action.
[00191] Figure 15 shows an RF Beacon 1510 sending repetitive transmissions
1530. The RF Beacon
includes a presence/technology 1520. Such technology may comprise a capacitive
sensor, inductive
sensor, infrared ranging detector, passive infrared (PIR sensor), ultrasonic
ranging, laser, and/or a
magnetic sensor. An RF Receiver 1540 detects the repetitive transmissions of
the beacon. RF Beacon
and RF Receiver communicate under one embodiment using a Bluetooth Low Energy
standard.
[00192] Figure 16 shows the content of an RF Beacon data packet 1600. The data
packet includes
device type 1610, device id 1620, battery level 1630, firmware version 1640,
transmit power level
1650, proximity indication 1660, and function 1670. Proximity indication
comprises data
corresponding to the presence/ranging technologies. For example, if a
capacitive sensor detects a close
proximity of a pet body, then the corresponding RF Beacon transmits data of
the event, i.e. proximity
indication, as a component of its repetitive communications.
[00193] Figure 17 shows example antennae patterns 1710, 1720, 1730
demonstrating differing signal
strength levels depending on the approach angle of an RF Receiver relative to
the respective RF
Beacon.
[00194] Figure 18 shows a transmitting RF Beacon XO. Figure 18 also shows RF
Receivers X1-X11
positioned at various locations around the RF Beacon, i.e. positioned at
differing approach angles. The
RF Receivers detect the following signal strength (RSSI) levels.
[00195]
X1 -67dB X7
-66dB
X2 -71dB X8
-73dB
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X3 -72dB X9
-71dB
X4 -66dB X10
-70dB
-70dB X11
-68dB
X6 -70dB
[00196] Figure 19 shows a dog with a collar 1910 that includes an RF Receiver.
The RF Receiver of
course repositions itself relative to the pet body over time as the pet and
collar move around within an
environment. Figure 19 also shows an RF Beacon 1920 periodically transmitting
1930 RF Beacon
data. The various RF receiver collar positions (X1-X3, shown; X4-X6, not
shown) register the
following RSSI signal strength levels:
[00197]
X1 -67dB X4
-72dB
X2 -70dB X5
-71dB
X3 -65dB X6
-66dB
[00198] Under one embodiment of a pet monitoring system, a pet collar includes
an RF Receiver. The
receiver communicates with an RF Beacon incorporated into or affixed to a
water bowl. The receiver
logs close-proximity interactions between a pet wearing the collar and the
beacon equipped water
bowl.
[00199] Once a specified RSSI threshold value is surpassed, the RF Receiver
knows that it is close to
the water bowl; however, the RSSI distance estimate is not precise enough to
establish with
confidence that the pet is close enough to be drinking water versus just
"nearby" the water bowl.
Imprecision in the estimate may be due to one or more of an approach angle of
the pet to the water
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bowl, position of the RF Receiver on the pet's neck, and the position of the
RF Beacon on the water
bowl. However, it is imperative that the log entry only occur upon very close
proximity.
[00200] In order to increase the precision of the RSSI proximity estimate, a
capacitive sensor is under
one embodiment added to the circuitry of the RF Beacon. Upon very close
approach of the pet body to
the water bowl, the capacitive sensor begins to react. The reaction (sensor
data) may be included in the
data packet sent out by the RF Beacon. Once the RSSI threshold has been
surpassed, AND the sensor
data packet from the RF Beacon includes confirmation that a pet body is very
nearby, the RF Receiver
may confidently log the interaction.
[00201] With reference to Figure 20, assume that an RF Receiver roams in
proximity to two RF
Beacon equipped bowls--a food bowl 2010 and a water bowl 2020. The food bowl
2010 features
beacon 2080. Water bowl 2020 features beacon 2090. Each bowl also comprises a
capacitive sensor
2030, 2040 for detecting near proximity of the pet wearing the RF Receiver. As
the pet approaches the
bowls, RF Receiver 2050 detects similar RSSI levels from the first RF Beacon
2060 and the second
RF Beacon 2070. These RSSI levels surpass a threshold to indicate close
proximity. However, the first
capacitive sensor 2030 detects near proximity of the pet body while the second
first capacitive sensor
2040 does not. This means that the first RF Beacon transmission 2060 contains
capacitive sensor data
indicating proximity while the second RF Beacon transmission 2070 does not.
Despite reading
identical RSSI levels from both RF Beacons, the RF receiver is now aware of
close proximity to the
food bowl but not the water bowl.
[00202] Assume that an RF Receiver approaches an RF Beacon equipped trash can.
Depending on the
position of the RF Receiver on the pet's neck, the approach angle of the pet
to the trash can, and the
position of the RF Beacon on the trash can, the RSSI value can vary
significantly. Once a specified
RSSI threshold value is surpassed, the RF Receiver knows that it is close to
the trash can, however,
not precisely enough to confidently apply a stimulus to the pet to discourage
interaction between the
pet and trash can.
[00203] With reference to Figure 21, trash can 2110 is equipped with an RF
Beacon 2120 which itself
includes a capacitive sensor 2130. As the pet wearing the RF Receiver 2170
approaches the trash can,
the receiver passes through a first position 2140 on its way to a second
position 2150 in close
proximity to the trash can 2110. However, possibly due to a change in the
pet's position, the RF
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receiver 2170 detects similar RF readings at both positions. However at the
second position the
capacitive sensor 2130 senses close proximity of the pet body. When the pet is
at the second position,
the RF Beacon transmissions 2160 include capacitive sensor data indicating
close proximity. The
combination of RSSI level and confirmed capacitive sensor event causes a pet
collar to apply a
stimulus encouraging the pet to exit an avoidance area surrounding the trash
can.
[00204] Under one embodiment, RF Receiver/Beacon components interact to
provide a product coupon
when an in store shopping consumer is directly in front of the product for a
given period of time.
Under this embodiment, the consumer uses a smartphone that supports RF
Receiver capability (likely
Bluetooth Low Energy) while the store shelf itself comprises an RF Beacon
positioned near the
product of interest.
[00205] With reference to Figure 22 a consumer 2210 with smartphone 2220
approaches a product
shelf to inspect an array of products. The shelf displays a first product
2230, a second product 2240,
and a third product 2250. An RF Beacon 2260 may be placed directly behind,
underneath or above the
second product. Once a specified RSSI threshold value is surpassed, the RF
Receiver within the
consumer's cell phone knows that it is close to an advertising beacon.
However, the smartphone RF
receiver may detect similar RSSI levels when in front of any of the three
products. The smartphone RF
receiver does not detect RSSI levels precisely enough to confidently know that
the consumer is
directly in front of the product that is coupon-enabled by an RF Beacon. It is
imperative that the
notification of the consumer occur only when the consumer is directly in front
of the product for a
specified period of time indicating the consumer has an interest in the
product.
[00206] Under an embodiment, the RF Beacon of an embodiment includes an
ultrasonic ranging
sensor 2270. Upon approach of the consumer to the RF Beacon, within the tight
field-of-view of the
ultrasonic ranging sensor, the ultrasonic ranging sensor 2270 calculates the
precise distance between
the ultrasonic ranging sensor and consumer and includes this value within the
data packet of the
advertising RF Beacon. Once the RSSI threshold has been surpassed, and the
data packet from the RF
Beacon includes the further confirmation that the consumer has been stationary
within close range for
a sufficient time, an electronic coupon may be sent to the consumer's
smartphone.
[00207] Under one embodiment, RF Receiver/Beacon components interact to
provide a driver vehicle
position information relative to an interior wall of a garage. With reference
to Figure 23, a driver
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moves a vehicle 2310 forward to position it within a garage space. The vehicle
includes an RF
Receiver 2320 located in a forward position while the interior wall of the
garage includes an RF
Beacon 2330. In approaching the interior wall, the vehicle moves from a first
position 2340 to a
second position 2350. In the first position a closing garage door will strike
the back end of the vehicle
In the second position the front end of the car is sufficiently near to the
interior wall (without risk of
any collision between vehicle and wall) to provide clearance between the back
end of the vehicle and a
closed garage door.
[00208] However, the RF Receiver detects similar RSSI levels at the first
position and the second
position. The vehicle RF receiver does not detect RSSI levels precisely enough
to confidently establish
the vehicle's position within the garage space. It is imperative that the
vehicle pull up a fairly precise
point to avoid contact with the wall and to allow the garage door to close
behind the car.
[00209]Under an embodiment, the RF Beacon may include an inductive sensor 2360
within its
circuitry. The inductive sensor may detect nearby metal. Upon approach of the
metallic vehicle toward
the interior garage wall, the inductive sensor 2360 begin to reacts. The
reaction data may be included
in the data packets transmitted 2370 by the RF Beacon. Once an RSSI level
threshold has been
surpassed and the corresponding data packets from the RF Beacon include
further confirmation of an
inductive sensor event, i.e. that the vehicle is within a range of the
inductive sensor, the RF receiver
may notify the driver that the vehicle is in a proper location. The RF
Receiver may cooperate with
sound emitting devices to provide the notification. Alternatively, the RF
Receiver may cooperate with
electronics within the vehicle to provide the notification via audible or
visible alerts.
[00210] With reference to Figure 24, a cook 2410 at a restaurant may work near
a dangerously hot
surface 2420. The cook may be outfitted with a wrist-mounted RF receiver 2430,
while the hot surface
2420 may be outfitted with an RF beacon 2440. The cook may move from a first
position 2450 to a
second position 2460. The second position represents dangerous proximity to
the hot surface.
[00211] Figure 25 shows a system for enhancing RF Beacon proximity
determination. The system
comprises 2510 a communications device periodically transmitting a radio
frequency signal, wherein
the periodically transmitted signal includes data. The system comprises 2520 a
receiver detecting the
periodically transmitted signal, the detecting including measuring strength of
the periodically
transmitted signal, the detecting including using the signal strength to
provide a first estimate of the
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receiver's distance from the communications device. The system comprises 2530
the communications
device including at least one location sensor for determining an additional
distance indication, wherein
the data includes the additional distance indication. The system comprises
2540 the receiver
performing a function when the first estimate meets at least one criterion and
when the additional
distance indication indicates a first state.
[00212] However, the RF Receiver detects similar RSSI levels at the first
position and the second
position. The RF receiver does not detect RSSI levels precisely enough to
confidently establish the
cook's location with respect to the hot surface. Under an embodiment, the RF
Beacon may include an
infrared ranging sensor 2470 within its circuitry. Upon the cook's approach
toward the dangerous
region, the infrared ranging sensor 2470 will measure the distance from the
hot surface to the cook and
place the result in the data packet sent out by the RF Beacon. In other words,
the infrared ranging
sensor data may be included in the data packets transmitted 2480 by the RF
Beacon. Once an RSSI
level threshold has been surpassed and the corresponding data packets from the
RF Beacon include
further confirmation of an infrared ranging sensor event, i.e. confirmation
that the cook is in the
second position or rather within a dangerous range of the infrared ranging
sensor, the RF Receiver
may notify the cook of danger.
[00213] Use of Monitoring/Tracking/Detection System to Provide a Sound Masking
Environment
[00214] Systems and methods for monitoring a subject in a premises are
described above in detail.
Under the systems and methods described above, a monitoring/tracking/detection
system includes one
or more collar devices, one or more beacons, and at least one smartphone
running an application and
providing user interaction with such system. Figure 2 shows one embodiment of
a system for
monitoring/tracking/detecting activities of a subject within a premises.
Figure 2 shows a mobile
device 210 running a smartphone application. The smartphone application is
communicatively coupled
to collar devices 220, 230. The smartphone application may transmit data to
and control certain
functions of the collar devices 220, 230 as described above. The smartphone
application may also
receive data from collar devices as described above. Figure 2 shows collar
devices 220, 230
communicatively coupled to beacons 240, 250, 260. The collar devices receive
data periodically
transmitted by beacons 240, 250, 260 and otherwise communicate with beacons
240, 250, 260 as
described above. The smartphone application 210 may assign certain
functionality directly to beacons
240, 250, 260 and otherwise communicates with beacons as described above.
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[00215] An additional embodiment of the monitoring/tracking/detection system
may include additional
sensors or devices that proactively monitor and manage the health and well
being of a subject under
observation within the protected/monitored premises. These additional
sensors/devices include collar
device sensors, environmental sensors, and action or activity sensors. A
monitoring/tracking/detection
system including the devices and sensors described above provide pro-active
health and well being
functionality under one embodiment. Such system may provide a sound masking
environment under
an embodiment.
[00216] A monitoring/tracking/detection system directed to a sound-masking
embodiment is described
below. Such system comprises under an embodiment a wearable sound-masking
component created to
deliver various noise types to mask other distracting noises such as;
thunderstorms, passing vehicles,
newspaper deliveries, fireworks, other pets, raccoons, birds, possums, wind,
etc. Under an
embodiment, the collar device of the monitoring/tracking/detection system
includes the sound masking
component as further described below.
[00217] Dogs can hear much higher frequencies than humans. The hearing of dogs
can also be more
than four times greater than their owners. Canines can tilt, rotate, raise,
and lower their ears to hone in
on sounds. They can even hear with each ear independently. This gifted sense
of hearing may also be a
source of barking, whining, anxiety, and worry due to increased stimulus
levels. The small, normal,
non-threatening noises of an animal's environment may cause a dog anxiety and
induce barking
events.
[00218] A wearable sound masking system includes an article wearable by a dog,
i.e. a collar with a
sound masking source/component. Note that under an alternative embodiment, a
sound masking
component may be located elsewhere on the animal. Under such embodiment the
sound masking
component is external to the collar and also communicatively coupled to the
collar device. As another
example, the sound masking dog component may be implemented as a small
attachment for clipping
on any collar when the need arises and easily removed as needed. (It should be
noted that the sound
masking component may simply be referred to below as a sound masking collar,
sound masking collar
device, sound masking dog collar, or sound masking dog collar device). The
sound masking source
operates by "covering up" or masking, "anxiety-causing" and "bark-inducing"
sounds such as:
thunderstorms, passing vehicles, newspaper deliveries, fireworks, other pets,
raccoons, birds, possums,
wind, etc. The focus is not on delivering music or tones to a dog's ears.
Rather, the system of an
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embodiment is designed to accomplish quite the opposite. It is created to mask
bark-provoking, or
anxiety-inducing sounds from ever being detected. The sound masking dog collar
is designed to
humanely mask such causes of anxiety through the "Power-Spectrum of frequency
signals". A familiar
method of sound masking is the use of "white noise". The "color" of noise also
includes brown noise,
pink, red, blue, violet, grey, etc The aforementioned colors are similar to
white noise, but with more
energy concentrated at various areas of the sound spectrum, which subtly
changes the nature of the
signal. Pink noise, for example, is like white noise with more energy
concentrated at the lower end of
the frequency spectrum. Sound waves have two fundamental characteristics:
frequency, which is how
fast the waveform is vibrating per second (one hertz is one vibration per
second), and amplitude,
which is the power or size of the waves. The noise types are named for a loose
analogy to the colors of
light: White noise, for example, contains all of the audible frequencies, just
like white light contains
all of the frequencies in the visible spectrum.
[00219] While "sound machines" or "white noise machines" may be helpful if
placed near your pet,
most dogs choose to move around their environment. They explore, drink water,
eat food, and wander.
But, by placing the sound masking dog collar on your dog, the masking remains
constant for the
animal as he moves around his home. The volume and noise type (i.e. white,
pink, etc.) can be
adjusted by the owner based on their individual dog's response. Alternatively,
the noise variables can
set automatically by the software based on the type of sound causing a problem
for the pet. The
distracting-sound-type may be set by the pet owner or automatically detected
by connected sensors (as
further described below).
[00220] The sound masking dog collar is designed under an embodiment to
prevent a dog from hearing
these distractions at all. It is meant to mask the detection of sound. It
actually delivers a constant buzz
that is meant to vibrate the eardrum in such a way that the dog does not
detect distractions, anxiety
causing sounds, or bark-provoking noises.
[00221] The mechanism of sound masking can be explained by analogy with light.
In a dark room
where someone is turning a lamp on and off, the light will be obviously
noticeable. However, if the
overhead lights are turned on, turning on the lamp may no longer be as
distracting because it has been
"masked". Sound masking operates by masking unwanted sounds, similar to
perfume that covers up
other odors. This is in contrast to attempts toward eliminating unwanted music
or tones.
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[00222] Similarly, certain noise types may reduce the effects of unwanted
sounds by calming the pet.
Pink noise has a calming effect on pets. Even if distracting noises are not
totally masked by the sounds
being generated by the collar (as further described below) the collar can keep
a pet from having an
adverse reaction to the unwanted sounds.
[00223] The masking sound emitted by the sound masking collar may comprise
pink noise, under an
embodiment. The frequency spectrum of pink noise is linear in logarithmic
scale; it has equal power in
bands that are proportionally wide. This means that pink noise would have
equal power in the
frequency range from 40 to 60 Hz as in the band from 4000 to 6000 Hz. Since
humans hear in such a
proportional space, where a doubling of frequency (an octave) is perceived the
same regardless of
actual frequency (40-60 Hz is heard as the same interval and distance as 4000-
6000 Hz), every octave
contains the same amount of energy and thus pink noise is often used as a
reference signal in audio
engineering. The spectral power density, compared with white noise, decreases
by 3 dB per octave
(density proportional to 1/f). For this reason, pink noise is often called
"1/f noise".
[00224] The masking sound emitted by the sound masking collar may comprise
white noise, under an
embodiment. White noise is a signal (or process), named by analogy to white
light, with a flat
frequency spectrum when plotted as a linear function of frequency (e.g., in
Hz). In other words, the
signal has equal power in any band of a given bandwidth (power spectral
density) when the bandwidth
is measured in Hz. For example, with a white noise audio signal, the range of
frequencies between 40
Hz and 60 Hz contains the same amount of sound power as the range between 400
Hz and 420 Hz,
since both intervals are 20 Hz wide. Note that spectra are often plotted with
a logarithmic frequency
axis rather than a linear one, in which case equal physical widths on the
printed or displayed plot do
not all have the same bandwidth, with the same physical width covering more Hz
at higher frequencies
than at lower frequencies. In this case a white noise spectrum that is equally
sampled in the logarithm
of frequency (i.e., equally sampled on the X axis) will slope upwards at
higher frequencies rather than
being flat.
[00225] The masking sound emitted by the sound masking collar may comprise
Brownian noise, under
an embodiment. The terminology "red noise", also called Brown noise or
Brownian noise usually
refers to a power density which decreases 6 dB per octave with increasing
frequency (density
proportional to 1/f 2) over a frequency range which does not include direct
current (in a general sense,
does not include a constant component, or value at zero frequency). In areas
where terminology is
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used loosely, "red noise" may refer to any system where power density
decreases with increasing
frequency.
[00226] The masking sound emitted by the device may comprise blue noise, under
an embodiment.
Blue noise is also called azure noise. Blue noise's power density increases 3
dB per octave with
increasing frequency (density proportional to f) over a finite frequency
range.
[00227] The masking sound emitted by the sound masking collar may comprise
violet noise, under an
embodiment. Violet noise is also called purple noise. Violet noise's power
density increases 6 dB per
octave with increasing frequency (density proportional to r) over a finite
frequency range. It is also
known as differentiated white noise, due to its being the result of the
differentiation of a white noise
signal.
[00228] The masking sound emitted by the sound masking collar may comprise
grey noise, under an
embodiment. Grey noise is random white noise subjected to a psychoacoustic
equal loudness curve
(such as an inverted A-weighting curve) over a given range of frequencies,
giving the listener the
perception that it is equally loud at all frequencies.
[00229] In operation of a "proactive health and well-being"
monitoring/tracking/detection system
directed to a sound masking embodiment, a collar device collects a wealth of
information as it roams
throughout the monitored premises. First, the collar device may collect data
with respect to
avoidance/tracking events (otherwise referred to herein as
avoidance/interaction events) triggered by
proximity to particular beacons. (Note that avoidance/tracking events and the
logging of information
related thereto are disclosed in great detail above). Second, the collar
device includes one or more
sensors for monitoring/tracking/detecting physiological and motion metrics
associated with a subject
wearing the collar. Third, the collar device detects and receives data from
environmental sensors that
are (i) distributed throughout the premises and/or (ii) located within a
beacon. The collar device may
collect and process avoidance/interaction data, collar device sensor data
(including physiological and
motion activity data of a subject wearing the collar), and/or environmental
sensor data to determine
particular needs. As just one example and as further described below, the
combination of
avoidance/interaction data, physiological condition data, and/or environmental
sensor data may
indicate that an animal wearing the collar may be experiencing an audio
disturbance, i.e. that the
animal may benefit from sound masking.
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[00230] As indicated above, a collar device may collect and process
avoidance/interaction data, collar
device sensor data (including physiological conditions and motion activity of
a subject wearing the
collar), and environmental sensor data to determine particular needs. It
should be noted that a collar
device may determine a need using any single type of data, i.e.
avoidance/interaction, collar device
sensor, and environmental, or using any combination of data types.
Accordingly, data collection and
analysis may be conducted by a collar device. However, data collection and
analysis may also take
place at a cloud computing level or on a smartphone device as described below.
[00231] As described above with respect to Figure 12, a pet collar device,
beacons, smartphone,
environmental sensor and activity devices may be communicatively coupled via
WPAN compatible
communications (e.g. Bluetooth communications protocols under an embodiment)
to a local router or
communications hub providing a communicative coupling with wide area networks,
metropolitan area
networks and with the broader interne in general. Each such networked device
within the
monitoring/tracking/detection system may therefore be communicatively coupled
to a remote cloud
computing platform comprising one or more applications running on at least one
processor of a remote
server. Accordingly, the collar/beacons/smartphone, environmental sensors,
and/or activity devices
may transmit data to and/or receive data from a cloud computing platform.
Under this embodiment, a
collar device may collect and forward avoidance/interaction data, collar
device sensor data (including
physiological conditions and/or motion activity of a subject wearing the
collar), and/or environmental
sensor data. In other words, a collar device may collect and forward such data
to a remote application
running on a remote computing platform which may then itself analyze the data
to determine a
particular need of a subject wearing the collar device, i.e. that the animal
may benefit from sound
masking.
[00232] As described above, the collar/beacons/smartphone, environmental
sensors, and/or activity
devices may transmit data to and/or receive data from a cloud computing
platform. Under this
embodiment, a collar device may collect and forward avoidance/interaction
data, collar device sensor
data (including physiological conditions and/or motion activity of a subject
wearing the collar), and/or
environmental sensor data. In other words, a collar device may collect and
forward such data to a
remote application running on a remote computing platform. The remote
application may then
transmit this data to an application running on a smartphone or other mobile
computing platform. The
smartphone application may then analyze the data to determine a particular
need of a subject wearing
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the collar device. Under an alternative embodiment, the smartphone device or
other mobile computing
platform may receive such data directly from the collar device and/or beacons
through the network
shown in Figure 12 (and described in corresponding disclosure material).
[00233] Any combination of collar sensor data (including audio sensor data
and/or piezo transducer
data) and environmental data (including audio sensor data and/or piezo
transducer data) may be used
to determine the occurrence and characteristics of auditory events in the
environment of a monitored
animal. Further, any combination of collar sensor data (including audio sensor
data and/or piezo
transducer data) and environmental data (including audio sensor data and/or
piezo transducer data)
may be used to determine one or more behaviors indicating that an animal is
experiencing an auditory
disturbance. Note that information of the auditory event and/or animal
behavior may be used (by a
collar device, smartphone device, or remote computing platform) to
automatically select one or more
sound masking signals for delivery through a sound masking device and
corresponding time intervals
for delivery of such sound masking signals.
[00234] Any computing resource described above including collar device
computing resources,
smartphone application, and remote computing resources may be used to monitor
the success of any
delivered sound masking signal. The monitoring of each delivered sound masking
signal includes
monitoring the unwanted pet response before, during, and after delivery of the
signal and logging any
observed cessation, diminishment, or continuation of the unwanted pet
response. Logged success data
(i.e., cessation or diminishment data) may be used to determine future
selections of sound masking
signals.
(00235] Note that the sound masking collar device may provide a user with a
direct interface for
programming the device, i.e. selecting the time, duration, and type of sound
masking signal.
[00236]Note that a user may predetermine whether a disturbing auditory
condition exists based on the
detection of certain auditory events. As just one example, a user of a
monitoring/tracking/detection
system (directed to a sound masking embodiment) may use a smartphone
application or one or more
applications communicatively coupled to the cloud computing environment
(described above) to
designate traffic noise (i.e. the sound of car horns) as a trigger for sound
masking. When the systems
and methods described above determine the occurrence of such traffic noise
(i.e. the sound of car
horns), the sound masking component emits a specified sound masking signal.
Alternatively, a user
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may simple instruct the sound emitting component to emit selected sound
masking signals at
predetermined times or simply upon command.
[00237] On-collar sounds may be used to train and modify the behavior of
domesticated animals,
namely dogs.
[00238] A technique to train animals involves sprays, both as canisters worn
on the animal or held by
the trainer or pet parent. While the pressurized canister spray is effective
to modify a dog's behaviors,
it has been discovered that the sound of the spray alone can be used to
distract a motivated dog. This
specific sound is audible to both dogs and humans and most akin to FM radio
interference. It is
composed of a wide range of frequencies. One example of this is white noise.
White noise consists of
equal levels of all frequencies in the audible range. Other noise types, for
example pink noise, may
also be effective.
[00239] The electronically-developed sound may be generated in a multitude of
ways. It may be
generated using an analog white-noise generator. Under another embodiment, a
digital signal
processor (DSP) may develop the sound utilizing advanced filters.
[00240] The sound is even more effective when it originates from the collar
compared to being driven
by a remote speaker. The decibel level can vary based on the level of
escalation and will max out at a
level to meet safety criteria for both human and dog ears.
[00241] The speaker can be paired with an onboard sensor like a bark detector,
a remote trainer, or a
pet containment system. In its simplest form it is a speaker playing an audio
file on command while
the dog is wearing the speaker.
[00242]Developing the core device into a product requires integration with
internal software. This
software may initiate a corrective stimulus at low decibels in response to an
offensive behavior. If the
behavior continues, the volume can be increased. Additionally, the sound
duration, pulse, burst,
pattern, and turn-on profile (immediate versus ramped), can be modified.
(00243] By switching between various noise types, it is possible to mitigate
the dog's acclimation to a
single sound type
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[00244] A monitoring/tracking/detection system directed to delivery of various
broadband noise types
to an animal for prevention, modification, and/or elimination of unwanted
behaviors (e.g. unwanted
barking episodes) is described herein. A device and method are disclosed
herein that utilize broadband
noise, driven from an enclosure attached to an animal, as an auditory startle
stimulus to elicit animal
behavior modification. Broadband noise, also called wideband noise, is noise
whose energy is
distributed over a wide section of the audible range. A number of broadband
noises have been
assigned colors based on their power spectrum. As described above, two such
examples are white and
pink noise. White noise contains equal intensity levels throughout the audible
spectrum, giving it a
constant power spectral density (energy per frequency interval). The power
spectral density of pink
noise is inversely proportional to the frequency. Each subsequent octave has
an equal amount of noise
energy. These two broadband noise types are very well defined. Broadband
noises do not have to be
this well defined. A broadband noise has a wide variety of frequency
components that may have a
narrow or wide range of power levels.
[00245] An auditory stimulus may be activated in an automated or manual
manner. Under an
embodiment, a bark collar may automatically activate an auditory stimulus.
Such bark collar may
include a microphone or vibration sensor to detect the signature of a dog
vocalization. If the
vocalization signature matches the signature of a dog bark, a stimulus is
activated. An example of a
manual stimulus activation is a remote trainer, where a pet owner activates a
stimulus via some type of
RF signal.
[00246] Broadband noise is under one embodiment driven from an enclosure
attached to an animal
body with a steep ramp to full Sound Pressure Level (SPL) sufficient trigger
an auditory startle
reflex/response. The auditory startle reflex/response causes a distraction
sufficient enough to elicit a
modification of the animal behavior and likely stop the unwanted behavior by
distracting the animal
from what currently holds its attention.
[00247] The SI unit of audio frequency is the hertz (Hz). It is the property
of sound that most
determines pitch. The generally accepted standard range of audible frequencies
for humans is 20 to
20,000 Hz, although the range of frequencies individuals hear is greatly
influenced by environmental
factors. High frequencies are the first to be affected by hearing loss due to
age or prolonged exposure
to very loud noises. Although human hearing is limited to this frequency
range, many animals have a
wider range of sounds of which they can hear, like dogs for example. The
frequency range of dog
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hearing is approximately 40 Hz to 60,000 Hz, of course depending on the breed
of dog as well as its
age.
[00248] Sound pressure or acoustic pressure is the local pressure deviation
from the ambient (average
or equilibrium) atmospheric pressure, caused by a sound wave. In air, sound
pressure can be measured
using a microphone. Sound pressure, like other kinds of pressure, is commonly
measured in units of
Pascals (Pa). The quietest sound that most people can hear has a sound
pressure of 2 x 1O Pa, so this
pressure is called the threshold of human hearing.
[00249] Sound pressure level (SPL) uses a logarithmic scale to represent the
sound pressure of a sound
relative to a reference pressure. The reference sound pressure is typically
the threshold of human
hearing: remember that it's 2 x 10-5Pa. Sound pressure level is measured in
units of decibels (dB) and
is calculated using the following equation, where p is the sound pressure of
the sound wave and po is
the reference sound pressure:
[00250] Lp = 20log10(L)dB
Po
[00251] The acoustic startle response to a delivery of full SPL is a defensive
reaction to a sudden
audible stimulus that serves to protect animals from a potential threat. The
onset of the startle response
is a startle reflex reaction. The startle reflex involves an involuntary
brainstem reaction that involves
stiffening of the limbs, contraction of the facial and skeletal muscles, and
closing of the eyes. This
reaction can begin 3-8 mS after the acoustic stimulus reaches the ear. This
immediate response serves
to protect animals from a sudden or threatening stimuli in the brief period
before a calculated response
can be developed and acted upon.
[00252] The response also involves changes in respiration and heart rate. The
muscular reactions
subside in seconds while the respiration and heart rate reactions can take
significantly longer. In dogs,
an additional response may be flight.
[00253] In humans, the acoustic startle response typically occurs with
acoustic stimuli that exceeds a
threshold of 80-85dB. The acoustic startle response occurs in dogs at a
similar SPL when the sound
has a steep amplitude rise time.
[00254] The value of 80-85dB SPL needs to reach the ears of the animal.
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[00255] Speaker ratings are typically rated in dBA: rated at 0.1 meters with a
power input of 1 watt.
Therefore, for a small dog, if the speaker is directed towards the ear, a
speaker rated at 85dBA would
be sufficient if driven at 1W as 85dB SPL will reach the ear at approximately
0.1m.
(00256] For a larger dog, for example one who has a 0.2 meter distance from
the collar speaker to ears,
more sound pressure must be driven from the speaker.
[00257] SPL delta = 20/ogio(¨RR1)
[00258] Where:
[00259] SPL delta = difference in SPL between two distances
[00260] R2 = distance from the source to location 2
[00261] R1 = distance front the source to location 1
[00262] SPL delta = 20/ogio = 6.02db
[00263] Therefore, if the speaker is directed towards the ear, a speaker rated
at 85dBA + 6.02dB =
91dBA would be sufficient if driven at 1W as 85dB SPL will reach the ear at
approximately 0.2m.
[00264] The example disclosed above assumes a speaker directed at the ear from
the collar with no
obstructions in the path. In practice, multiple factors may affect the sound
level:
[00265] Background noise;
[00266] Path blockage by the dog's body;
[00267] Speaker aim (i.e., the speaker may not be pointed directly at the ear
either due to design or
collar shift);
[00268] Reflected sound from nearby objects; and/or
[00269] Differences between individual dogs and dog breeds.
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[00270] To solve the issue with these unknown factors, provisions may be
implemented in the design to
control SPL. Under an embodiment, the SPL value may be tuned manually by a
user based on animal
reaction for a user-controlled platform. Under another embodiment, the SPL
value may be
automatically tuned by the collar processor based on automatically detected
responses of the animal to
the stimulus.
[00271] Broadband noise is a noise whose energy is distributed over a wide
section of the audible
spectrum. The broadband noise utilized for the device and method for
delivering auditory stimulus (as
described herein) is in the human and animal audible range of frequencies.
This range of frequencies is
typically considered 20Hz to 20kHz.
[00272] Under an embodiment, a collar or other enclosure worn by an animal
includes one or more
processors, audio drive circuitry, a speaker, and a receiver (or alternatively
a transceiver). The
processor and audio drive circuitry include one or more memory components. The
processor is under
one embodiment a Cortex-M4 class processor. One or more applications running
on one or more
processors are configured to control audio drive circuitry and speaker in
delivering a broadband noise
pattern. The audio drive circuitry may comprise an analog noise source driven
into an audio amplifier.
The audio drive circuitry may comprise processor-developed digital patterns
driven into an audio
amplifier. As one example, the amplifier may be an LM386 low power audio
amplifier. (The
application(s), the processor(s), the audio device circuitry, memory, and
speaker may hereinafter be
referred to collectively as the sound delivery device, the sound device, the
sound delivery collar
device, or the sound collar device). The broadband noise pattern is driven to
a sound pressure level
(SPL) sufficient to initiate an auditory startle response in an animal. The
broadband noise pattern may
comprise a steep ramp to full SPL, under one embodiment. The broadband noise
pattern comprises a
duration of sufficient length so as to initiate an auditory startle response
in the animal.
[00273] Figure 35 shows components of a sound delivery device, under an
embodiment. Figure 35
shows one or more applications 3510 running on at least one processor 3520.
Figure 35 illustrates a
receiver/transceiver 3530 component, audio drive circuitry (including speaker)
3540, and memory
3550. Figure 35 also shows detection sensors 3560 (for use in detecting
unwanted animal behaviors as
further described below). All components seen in Figure 35 are communicatively
coupled.
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[00274] A minimum effective level SPL comprises 85 dBA as determined when a
signal reaches the
animal's ears. A maximum effective level SPL comprises a 115dBA value as
determined when a
signal reaches the animal's ears. This maximum level is considered safe to
protect the animals hearing.
The sound delivery device may drive a signal between a minimum of 85 dBA and a
maximum of
115dBA or may randomly change the SPL between such minimum and maximum values.
For
reference, 110dBA is considered uncomfortable and 120dBA is considered painful
for humans.
115dBA is a safe level, and will overcome a typical household environment
(50dBA), even with a
vacuum cleaner (70dBA) operating. The sound delivery device may drive a signal
between the
minimum and maximum values. The broadband noise pattern ramps to selected SPL
in less than 10
milliseconds, under an embodiment.
[00275] The sound delivery device drives a signal within the SPL range
disclosed above for at least 40
milliseconds. This amount of time comprises a minimum duration of sound
delivery sufficient to cause
an auditory startle response. Further, this amount of time comprises a
standard duration for broadband
startle stimuli across human and animal literature. The sound delivery device
may drive a signal up to
a maximum time of four seconds so as to not habituate the animal to the sound
in the short-term. The
sound delivery device may drive a signal for a randomly determined period of
time between 40
milliseconds and four seconds. The embodiments described herein are not
limited to these durations,
and shorter or longer delivery durations may be implemented.
[00276] The sound delivery device may drive a signal for 100% of the stimulus
duration. The sound
delivery device may cycle the signal on and off (either periodically or
randomly) during the stimulus
duration.
[00277] The sound delivery device may transmit multiple signals using a
different configuration of
SPL, duration, and/or noise pattern. As one example, a first broadband noise
pattern is driven out of
the speaker prior to a second broadband noise pattern. Under this embodiment,
there is at least a
100mS gap between the first broadband noise pattern and the second broadband
noise pattern, Further
the first broadband noise pattern is 30dB SPL below the SPL of the second
broadband noise pattern.
[00278] The sound delivery device may include one or more sensors for
detecting unwanted behaviors
of the animal. As one example, a sensor may detect the unwanted behavior of
barking. The sound
delivery device may include bark detection technology as described in US
Patent Application No.
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15/871,846, filed January 15, 2018. (Note that other detection events may
trigger activation of the
sound delivery device. For example, the sound delivery device/collar may
detect proximity to a
boundary wire and thereby trigger activation of the sound delivery
device/collar. Examples of such
containment systems are provided in US Patent No. 3,753,421, issued August 21,
1973 and US Patent
No. 8,047,161, issued November 1, 2011). Upon detecting the unwanted behavior,
one or more
applications running on one or more processors of the sound delivery device
activates the audio drive
circuitry to drive the broadband noise pattern from the speaker. A processor
of the sound delivery
device may be communicatively coupled to memory for tracking animal response
to delivered
auditory stimuli. The sound delivery device may track and log the time between
subsequent unwanted
behavior episodes (and corresponding configurations of auditory stimulus). The
time between
unwanted behavior episodes may indicate that the broadband noise pattern is
successfully suppressing
the unwanted behavior (e.g. the time between episodes may be above a threshold
value or may be
increasing). The particular efficacious broadband noise pattern is under an
embodiment stored in the
device memory and may be recalled and utilized upon subsequent episodes of the
same behavior. The
time between unwanted behavior episodes may indicate that the broadband noise
pattern is not causing
an auditory startle response sufficient enough to elicit a modification of the
animal's unwanted
behavior (e.g. the time between unwanted behavior episodes may fall below a
threshold value or may
be decreasing). If a determination of inefficacy is made, the device is
configured to make one or more
of the following adjustments.
[00279] Change the broadband noise pattern to a new pattern;
[00280] Change the SPL to a new level;
[00281] Increase the applied duration of the broadband noise pattern; and/or
[00282] Change the on/off cycling pattern of the delivered broadband noise
signal.
[00283] As indicated above, the sound delivery device may include one or more
sensors for detecting
unwanted behaviors of the animal. The device may then then automatically
deliver a broadband noise
pattern. However the sound delivery device may also include a manual
activation option. The manual
SPL configuration approach may include activation of a button. This manual
method may be utilized
to stop an unwanted behavior when the pet is in close proximity to the pet
owner. The sound delivery
device may comprise a receiver for receiving an activation signal from a
remote handheld device as
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further described in US Patent No. 7,017,524, issued March 28, 2006. Under
such embodiment, the
sound delivery device may delivery an auditory stimulus upon receipt of an
activation signal from a
remote handheld device.
[00284] The sound delivery device is under another embodiment configured with
a transceiver to send
and receive communications with remote devices (using under one embodiment
wireless
communications methods already described above). The sound delivery device may
therefore be
communicatively coupled with an application running on a processor of a
smartphone device. The
smartphone application provides under an embodiment an electronic interface
allowing a user to
activate the sound device remotely. The sound delivery device may receive an
activation
communication from the smartphone and thereafter apply an auditory stimulus.
The interface may also
allow a user to select among the various configurations of the auditory signal
as described above. The
sound delivery device may also receive RF communications from a remote control
device. A user may
initiate an activation command using the remote device. As indicated above,
the sound delivery device
includes a transceiver (or an RF receiver) for receiving commands sent from a
remote RF transmitter.
Upon detecting an RF transmitted command, the sound device delivers the
auditory stimulus.
[00285] The method and sound delivery device described above are directed to
delivery of broadband
noise patterns. However, the sound delivery device may include a static
stimulation circuit. If a
delivered broadband noise pattern does not cause an auditory startle response
sufficient to elicit animal
behavior modification, the device may deliver a static stimulus.
[00286] According to the disclosure above directed to a method and device for
delivery of broadband
noise signals, the SPL may be automatically modified based on detected
behavior of the animal. Under
an embodiment, the SPL may be automatically modified based on look-up tables
associating dog size,
dog breed, dog ear type, and/or dog temperament with effective SPL values.
[00287] Figure 26 shows a sound collar device, under an embodiment. The
circular feature 2610
houses the speaker. In this case the probes 2620 perform the function of
interfacing to a piezoelectric
element for bark detection as further described in US Patent Application No.
15/871,846, filed January
15, 2018. Another example of bark detection is set forth in US Patent No.
5,927,233, issued July 27,
1999.
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[00288] Figure 27 shows a sound collar device, under an embodiment. The
circular feature 2710
houses the speaker.
[00289] Figure 28 shows an animal wearing a sound collar device, under an
embodiment.
[00290] Figure 29 shows an audio spectrum of a broadband noise pattern, under
an embodiment. The
screenshot features 100Hz ¨ 20kHz / 10dB per division. The X2 and X1 borders
define a frequency
range between 3.340 kHz and 9.100 kHz. A majority of energy in the displayed
signal is under 10kHz.
[00291] Figure 30 shows an audio spectrum of a broadband noise pattern, under
an embodiment. The
screenshot features 100Hz ¨ 20kHz / 10dB per division The X2 and X1 borders
define a frequency
range between 5.000 kHz and 14.360 kHz. A majority of energy in the displayed
signal is under
15kHz.
[00292] Figure 31 shows an audio spectrum of a broadband noise pattern, under
an embodiment. The
screenshot features 100Hz ¨ 20kHz / 10dB per division. The X2 and X1 borders
define a frequency
range between 8.700 kHz and 3.380 kHz. A majority of energy in the displayed
signal is under 12kHz.
[00293] Figure 32 shows a time domain representation of the start of a
broadband sound correction,
under an embodiment. The figure demonstrates that the sound deliver device
ramps the delivered
signal to full power immediately and well under the desired 10mS. The screen
shot of Figure 32
implements the following parameters: 2V/div along the Y-axis and 5mS/div along
the X-axis.
[00294] Figure 33 shows a time domain representation of a subset of a
broadband sound correction,
under an embodiment. The figure demonstrates the variety of individual pulses
which contribute to the
broadband frequency pattern. The pulses alternate around zero volts. The
screen shot of Figure 32
implements the following parameters: 2V/div along the Y-axis and lmS/div along
the X-axis.
[00295] Figure 34A, Figure 34B, and Figure 34C show a time domain
representation of a series of
broadband correction packets. As the pet continues the unwanted behavior, a
longer duration packet is
driven out of the speaker of the sound delivery device. This continues to a
maximum duration or the
pet stops the unwanted behavior. The series of screens also show maintenance
of the full SPL
throughout all of the packet lengths. The screen shots implement the following
parameters: 2V/div
along the Y-axis and 500mS/div along the X-axis.
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[00296] A device is described herein comprising under one embodiment one or
more applications
running on at least one processor. The device includes a sound generation
component and a receiver,
wherein the sound generation component, the receiver, and the one or more
applications are
communicatively coupled The device includes the receiver for receiving a
wireless activation signal
The device includes the one or more applications configured to activate the
sound generation component
upon receipt of the wireless activation signal by the receiver, wherein the
activated sound generation
component delivers an auditoiy stimulus at a sound pressure level, for a
duration, and using a noise
pattern.
[00297] The device of an embodiment is worn by an animal.
[00298] The auditory stimulus of an embodiment comprises a broadband noise
signal.
[00299] The noise pattern of an embodiment comprises periodically cycling the
broadband noise signal
on and off throughout the duration.
[00300] The noise pattern of an embodiment comprises randomly cycling the
broadband noise signal on
and off throughout the duration.
[00301] The sound pressure level of an embodiment is equal to or greater than
85dBA.
[00302] The sound pressure level of an embodiment is equal to or less than
120dBA.
[00303] The delivering the auditory stimulus comprises ramping the auditory
stimulus to the sound
pressure level in 10 milliseconds or less, under an embodiment.
[00304] The delivering the auditory stimulus comprises periodically changing
the sound pressure level
throughout the duration, under an embodiment.
[00305] The delivering the auditory stimulus comprises randomly changing the
sound pressure level
throughout the duration, under an embodiment.
[00306] The duration of an embodiment is equal to or greater than 40
milliseconds.
[00307] The duration of an embodiment is equal to or less than 4 seconds.
[00308] The sound generation component of an embodiment comprises audio drive
circuitry and speaker.
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[00309] The audio drive circuitry of an embodiment comprises an analog noise
source driven into an
audio amplifier.
[00310] The audio drive circuitry of an embodiment comprises digital patterns
driven into an audio
amplifier.
[00311] A device is described herein comprising under an embodiment one or
more applications running
on at least one processor. The device includes a sound generation component,
at least one sensor, and a
memory, wherein the sound generation component, the at least one sensor, the
memory, and the one or
more applications are communicatively coupled. The device includes the at
least one sensor for detecting
auditory events. The device includes the one or more applications configured
to activate the sound
generation component upon detection by the at least one sensor of an auditory
event of the auditory
events, wherein the activated sound generation component delivers an auditory
stimulus at a sound
pressure level, for a duration, and using a noise pattern, wherein the
activating the sound generation
device includes storing in the memory a time of the delivered auditory
stimulus and parameters of the
delivered auditory stimulus, wherein the parameters include the sound pressure
level, the duration, and
the noise pattern.
[00312] The device of an embodiment is worn by an animal.
[00313] The auditory events of an embodiment include bark events.
[00314] The auditory stimulus of an embodiment comprises a broadband noise
signal.
[00315] The one or more applications monitor elapsed time between occurrences
of auditory events,
under an embodiment.
[00316] The one or more applications of an embodiment are configured to change
at least one of the
parameters when the elapsed time between occurrences falls below a threshold
value.
[00317] The one or more applications of an embodiment are configured to change
the broadband noise
pattern when the elapsed time between occurrences falls below a threshold
value.
[00318] The one or more applications of an embodiment are configured to mark
parameters of a delivered
auditory stimulus as effective when the elapsed time between occurrences
exceeds a threshold value.
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[00319] The activated sound generation component of an embodiment delivers an
auditory stimulus
using the effective parameters of sound pressure level, duration, and noise
pattern upon a subsequent
occurrence of an auditory event.
[00320] The noise pattern of an embodiment comprises periodically cycling the
broadband noise signal
on and off throughout the duration
[00321] The noise pattern of an embodiment comprises randomly cycling the
broadband noise signal on
and off throughout the duration
[00322] The sound pressure level of an embodiment is equal to or greater than
85dBA
[00323] The sound pressure level of an embodiment is equal to or less than
120dBA
[00324] The delivering the auditory stimulus comprises ramping the auditory
stimulus to the sound
pressure level in 10 milliseconds or less, under an embodiment.
[00325] The delivering the auditory stimulus comprises periodically changing
the sound pressure level
throughout the duration, under an embodiment.
[00326] The delivering the auditory stimulus comprises randomly changing the
sound pressure level
throughout the duration, under an embodiment.
[00327] The duration of an embodiment is equal to or greater than 40
milliseconds.
[00328] The duration of an embodiment is equal to or less than 4 seconds.
[00329] The sound generation component of an embodiment comprises audio drive
circuitry and speaker.
[00330] The audio drive circuitry of an embodiment comprises an analog noise
source driven into an
audio amplifier.
[00331] The audio drive circuitry of an embodiment comprises digital patterns
driven into an audio
amplifier.
[00332] Computer networks suitable for use with the embodiments described
herein include local area
networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), Internet, or other connection
services and network
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variations such as the world wide web, the public internet, a private
internet, a private computer
network, a public network, a mobile network, a cellular network, a value-added
network, and the like.
Computing devices coupled or connected to the network may be any
microprocessor controlled device
that permits access to the network, including terminal devices, such as
personal computers,
workstations, servers, mini computers, main-frame computers, laptop computers,
mobile computers,
palm top computers, hand held computers, mobile phones, TV set-top boxes, or
combinations thereof.
The computer network may include one of more LANs, WANs, Inteinets, and
computers. The
computers may serve as servers, clients, or a combination thereof.
[00333] The apparatus and method for delivering an auditory stimulus can be a
component of a single
system, multiple systems, and/or geographically separate systems. The
apparatus and method for
delivering an auditory stimulus can also be a subcomponent or subsystem of a
single system, multiple
systems, and/or geographically separate systems. The components of the
apparatus and method for
delivering an auditory stimulus can be coupled to one or more other components
(not shown) of a host
system or a system coupled to the host system.
[00334] One or more components of the apparatus and method for delivering an
auditory stimulus
and/or a corresponding interface, system or application to which apparatus and
method for delivering
an auditory stimulus are coupled or connected includes and/or runs under
and/or in association with a
processing system. The processing system includes any collection of processor-
based devices or
computing devices operating together, or components of processing systems or
devices, as is known in
the art. For example, the processing system can include one or more of a
portable computer, portable
communication device operating in a communication network, and/or a network
server. The portable
computer can be any of a number and/or combination of devices selected from
among personal
computers, personal digital assistants, portable computing devices, and
portable communication
devices, but is not so limited. The processing system can include components
within a larger
computer system.
[00335] The processing system of an embodiment includes at least one processor
and at least one
memory device or subsystem. The processing system can also include or be
coupled to at least one
database. The term "processor" as generally used herein refers to any logic
processing unit, such as
one or more central processing units (CPUs), digital signal processors (DSPs),
application-specific
integrated circuits (ASIC), etc. The processor and memory can be
monolithically integrated onto a
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single chip, distributed among a number of chips or components, and/or
provided by some
combination of algorithms. The methods described herein can be implemented in
one or more of
software algorithm(s), programs, firmware, hardware, components, circuitry, in
any combination.
[00336] The components of any system that include the apparatus and method for
delivering an
auditory stimulus can be located together or in separate locations.
Communication paths couple the
components and include any medium for communicating or transferring files
among the components.
The communication paths include wireless connections, wired connections, and
hybrid wireless/wired
connections. The communication paths also include couplings or connections to
networks including
local area networks (LANs), metropolitan area networks (MANs), wide area
networks (WANs),
proprietary networks, interoffice or backend networks, and the Internet.
Furthermore, the
communication paths include removable fixed mediums like floppy disks, hard
disk drives, and CD-
ROM disks, as well as flash RAM, Universal Serial Bus (USB) connections, RS-
232 connections,
telephone lines, buses, and electronic mail messages.
[00337] Aspects of the apparatus and method for delivering an auditory
stimulus and corresponding
systems and methods described herein may be implemented as functionality
programmed into any of a
variety of circuitry, including programmable logic devices (PLDs), such as
field programmable gate
arrays (FPGAs), programmable array logic (PAL) devices, electrically
programmable logic and
memory devices and standard cell-based devices, as well as application
specific integrated circuits
(ASICs). Some other possibilities for implementing aspects of the apparatus
and method for
delivering an auditory stimulus and corresponding systems and methods include:
microcontrollers
with memory (such as electronically erasable programmable read only memory
(EEPROM)),
embedded microprocessors, firmware, software, etc. Furthermore, aspects of the
apparatus and
method for delivering an auditory stimulus and corresponding systems and
methods may be embodied
in microprocessors having software-based circuit emulation, discrete logic
(sequential and
combinatorial), custom devices, fuzzy (neural) logic, quantum devices, and
hybrids of any of the
above device types. Of course the underlying device technologies may be
provided in a variety of
component types, e.g., metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor
(MOSFET) technologies like
complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS), bipolar technologies like
emitter-coupled logic
(ECL), polymer technologies (e.g., silicon-conjugated polymer and metal-
conjugated polymer-metal
structures), mixed analog and digital, etc.
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[00338] It should be noted that any system, method, and/or other components
disclosed herein may be
described using computer aided design tools and expressed (or represented), as
data and/or instructions
embodied in various computer-readable media, in terms of their behavioral,
register transfer, logic
component, transistor, layout geometries, and/or other characteristics.
Computer-readable media in
which such formatted data and/or instructions may be embodied include, but are
not limited to, non-
volatile storage media in various forms (e.g., optical, magnetic or
semiconductor storage media) and
carrier waves that may be used to transfer such formatted data and/or
instructions through wireless,
optical, or wired signaling media or any combination thereof. Examples of
transfers of such formatted
data and/or instructions by carrier waves include, but are not limited to,
transfers (uploads, downloads,
e-mail, etc.) over the Internet and/or other computer networks via one or more
data transfer protocols
(e.g., HTTP, FTP, SMTP, etc.). When received within a computer system via one
or more computer-
readable media, such data and/or instruction-based expressions of the above
described components
may be processed by a processing entity (e.g., one or more processors) within
the computer system in
conjunction with execution of one or more other computer programs.
[00339] Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the
description and the claims, the
words "comprise," "comprising," and the like are to be construed in an
inclusive sense as opposed to
an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in a sense of "including,
but not limited to" Words
using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number
respectively.
Additionally, the words "herein," "hereunder," "above," "below," and words of
similar import, when
used in this application, refer to this application as a whole and not to any
particular portions of this
application. When the word "or" is used in reference to a list of two or more
items, that word covers
all of the following interpretations of the word. any of the items in the
list, all of the items in the list
and any combination of the items in the list.
[00340] The above description of embodiments of the apparatus and method for
delivering an auditory
stimulus and corresponding systems and methods is not intended to be
exhaustive or to limit the
systems and methods to the precise forms disclosed. While specific embodiments
of, and examples
for, the apparatus and method for delivering an auditory stimulus and
corresponding systems and
methods are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent
modifications are possible
within the scope of the systems and methods, as those skilled in the relevant
art will recognize. The
teachings of the apparatus and method for delivering an auditory stimulus and
corresponding systems
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and methods provided herein can be applied to other systems and methods, not
only for the systems
and methods described above.
[00341] The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can
be combined to
provide further embodiments. These and other changes can be made to the
apparatus and method for
delivering an auditory stimulus and corresponding systems and methods in light
of the above detailed
description.
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