Autonomous alert device and associated alert system

Abstract

A mechanical bell that generates an alert signal. A person monitoring system equipped with a bell, the system comprising a microphone and a central unit that analyzes the sound detected by the microphone.

Description

Title of the invention: Autonomous alert device and associated alert system Technical field

[0001] The technical field of the invention is the monitoring of people. PREVIOUS ART

[0002] Currently, monitoring of people, for example elderly people, disabled people, or hospitalized people, is carried out using alert systems, often activated by pressure on an electronic circuit, and sending an alert signal to a wired or wireless network.

[0003] The object of the invention is a particularly simple-to-use bell, making it possible to send an alert signal, not an electric one, but an audible one, to request assistance. Another object of the invention is an alert system, based on a bell, making it possible to alert a person of their need for assistance. Statement of the invention

[0004] A first object of the invention is a bell (1), comprising a housing (2), configured to be held between the palm and the fingers of a user, from which a push button (10) opens, arranged to be activated by a finger of the user, in particular the thumb, the bell being such that: - the push button is movable in translation relative to the housing, so as to be brought closer to the housing to activate the bell, the push button being connected to a first spring (12), maintaining the push button in an equilibrium position in the absence of pressure exerted on the push button; - the push button is connected to a member (11), extending in the housing, so that the translation of the button causes a movement of the member; - the organ has a lug (13);

[0005] the bell also comprising: - a hammer (15), connected to a second spring (16), - a bell (17), configured to emit a sound when struck by the hammer, the hammer being movable in rotation relative to the bell, around an axis of rotation (19), the second spring being configured to keep the hammer away from the bell, in the absence of stress exerted on the hammer.

[0006] The bell can be such that: - the hammer has a contact end (14), arranged facing the organ, so that when the push button occupies the equilibrium position, the lug extends between the contact end (14) and the push button (10), the contact end occupying an initial position; - under the effect of pressure exerted on the push button, the contact end is configured to tilt, around the axis of rotation, being pushed by the lug, so that the contact end gradually moves away from the member during its tilting, until reaching a limit position (P) in which the contact end is no longer in contact with the lug;

[0007] so that - the tilting of the contact end causes the hammer to move back relative to the bell, until the contact end (14) reaches the limit position; - after the limit position is reached, under the effect of the second spring, the contact end returns to the initial position, causing the hammer to rotate up to the bell.

[0008] According to one possibility - the housing extends about a longitudinal axis, being configured to be held between the palm of a user's hand and fingers; - the push button extends, parallel to the longitudinal axis, through an opening made in the housing, so that it can be activated by a user's thumb.

[0009] According to one possibility, the member is movable in translation, in the housing. It may be a rod. According to one possibility, the member is movable in rotation, in the housing. It may be a wheel or a portion of a wheel.

[0010] A second object of the invention is a system for monitoring a person, comprising: - a bell, configured to be activated by the person, so as to emit an audible sound; - a microphone, arranged in a room likely to be occupied by a person, the microphone being configured to detect a sound, for example a sound representative of the activity of the person in the room, and produce a detection signal dependent on the detected sound; - a central unit, configured to receive the detection signal and to analyze said detection signal;

[0011] the system being characterized in that: - the central unit is programmed to recognize, from the detection signal, the sound emitted by the doorbell, and generate an alert signal when the sound emitted by the doorbell is recognized.

[0012] Preferably the doorbell is a mechanical doorbell, the doorbell comprising a bell and a hammer, the bell being configured to emit a sound when struck by the hammer. Thus, preferably, the doorbell is not connected to any power supply (battery or network).

[0013] The doorbell is a doorbell according to the first object of the invention.

[0014] The central unit may be configured to produce a spectrogram of the detection signal, such that analysis of the detection signal is performed based on the spectrogram.

[0015] The central unit can be programmed to determine a spectral power in a previously determined spectral band, corresponding to a spectral band of emission of the doorbell.

[0016] The central unit can be programmed to implement a supervised learning algorithm, in particular a neural network, in particular a convolutional neural network.

[0017] The invention will be better understood upon reading the description of the exemplary embodiments presented in the remainder of the description, in conjunction with the figures listed below. FIGURES

[0018] [Fig.l] shows the main components of a doorbell

[0019] [Fig.2] shows one embodiment of the bell.

[0020] [Fig.3] shows a spectrogram recorded with a bell as described in connection with Figures 1 and 2.

[0021] [Fig.4] represents the main components of a system. PRESENTATION OF SPECIAL METHODS OF IMPLEMENTATION

[0022] [Fig.l] describes an example of a doorbell particularly suitable for monitoring a person. In [Fig.l], only the main components have been shown.

[0023] The bell comprises a push button 10, movable, for example in translation, and capable of being returned to an equilibrium position by a first spring 12. The bell comprises a housing, in which the components shown in [Fig.l] are arranged, with the exception of the push button which emerges from the housing.

[0024] Preferably, the housing is ergonomic. It extends around a longitudinal axis. It is configured to be held between the palm of the hand and the fingers of the hand. Preferably, the push button extends along the longitudinal axis, or parallel to the latter or substantially parallel to the latter. By substantially parallel, we mean parallel to + / - 10° or + / - 20°.

[0025] The doorbell is configured to emit a sound having constant spectral characteristics, or which can be considered as such, regardless of the pressure exerted on the push button 10.

[0026] The push button is connected to a member 11, extending in the housing, so that the translation of the button causes a movement of the member. In this example, the member is a rod, movable in translation. It can also be a member movable in rotation, for example a wheel or a portion of a wheel.

[0027] The member comprises a lug 13. The lug 13 is configured to come into contact with a hammer 15, as described below. The hammer 15 is intended to strike a bell 17, so as to produce a sound. The hammer is rotatable relative to the bell, around an axis of rotation 19. A second spring 16 is configured to keep the hammer away from the bell, in the absence of stress exerted on the hammer.

[0028] The hammer has a contact end 14, arranged facing the member 11. When the push button occupies the equilibrium position, the lug 13 extends between the contact end and the push button. The contact end then occupies an initial position, the latter being shown in [Fig.l]. The contact end 14 extends a short distance from the member, typically a few mm.

[0029] In [Fig.l], the arrow F1 represents pressure exerted on the push button. When it occupies the initial position, the contact end is preferably at a distance of a few mm or 1 or 2 cm from the lug. Thus, after a short stroke of the push button, the lug comes into contact with the contact end. Under the effect of the pressure exerted on the push button, the contact end is configured to tilt, around the axis of rotation 19, being pushed by the lug. During its tilting, the contact end gradually moves away from the member during its tilting, until reaching a limit position in which the contact end is no longer in contact with the lug. In [Fig.l], the tilting of the contact end is represented by an arrow F2. The limit position corresponds to a cross referenced by the letter P.

[0030] Under the effect of the tilting of the contact end towards the limit position, the hammer moves back relative to the bell (arrow F3). More precisely, the rotation axis 19 is arranged between the contact end and a striking end 15' of the hammer, the latter being configured to strike the bell. Thus, under the effect of the tilting of the bell, the striking end moves back relative to the bell 17.

[0031] After the contact end has reached the limit position, under the effect of the second spring 19, the contact end returns to the initial position (arrow F4), while the pressing of the push button continues. The contact end is then arranged between the lug and the push button. The return of the contact end to the initial position causes the hammer to rotate towards the bell (arrow F5). Under the effect of the stiffness of the second spring, the rotation of the hammer towards the bell causes the striking end to strike the latter. The more the rotation axis 19 is the closer the contact end 14 is to the contact end 14, the more the striking effect is amplified, at the cost of increased pressure on the button to move the contact end 14.

[0032] When the pressure on the push button ceases, the latter returns to the equilibrium position (arrow F6). The passage of the lug causes a slight displacement of the contact end, which is not sufficient to move the striking end to the bell.

[0033] Preferably, the shape of the lug is adapted to allow support against the contact end in the translation direction F1, while facilitating sliding of the lug against the contact end in the translation direction F6.

[0034] [Fig.2] represents an integration of the components previously described in an ergonomic housing 2.

[0035] [Fig.3] shows an example of a spectrogram recorded by implementing such a doorbell. Abscissa axis: spectral power. Y axis: frequency. It can be seen that the spectrogram has a high spectral power in narrow frequency bands, for example between 2600 and 2900 Hz or between 7100 and 7400 Hz: this makes it easier for a processing unit to recognize the sound produced by the doorbell, as described below.

[0036] The doorbell is configured to be used in an environment occupied by a monitored person. This may in particular be a room 4, as shown diagrammatically in [Fig.4]. The room comprises a microphone 2. The microphone 2 is configured to generate a detection signal dependent on the detected sound.

[0037] The detection signal is addressed, by wired or wireless means, to a central unit 3, the latter comprising one or more microprocessors and a memory, in which instructions are stored allowing implementation of an algorithm for classification or recognition of the sound produced by the doorbell.

[0038] The classification algorithm may include an analysis of the signal in the previously determined frequency band corresponding to the doorbell. Beyond a certain spectral power threshold, the sound of the doorbell is considered to be detected. An alert signal is sent to personal assistance personnel.

[0039] According to one possibility, the classification algorithm implements a supervised learning artificial intelligence algorithm. For example, a neural network, in particular a convolutional neural network. The algorithm is fed by one or more spectrograms. It has previously been trained, so as to identify the emission of the sound by the bell.

[0040] The previously described bell is advantageous because it is not connected to electrical means and does not include electronic means. It is therefore particularly robust and does not need to be recharged or powered electrically. It can withstand shocks without its operation being affected. It is therefore a robust design.

[0041] However, other bells can be used in the alert system, for example mechanical bells of a different design to that previously described, or electronic bells or buzzers or even whistles, or of the mechanical ratchet type.

[0042] The monitoring system may be a sound monitoring system configured to detect other sounds emitted by the person, for monitoring purposes, for example sounds generated by their daily activity. Thus, the central unit may be configured to classify different sounds into different classes, corresponding respectively to normal noises and abnormal noises, for example a person falling or an object falling. The sound of the doorbell is then classified into a class corresponding to an abnormal noise.

Claims

Claims

1. Doorbell (1), comprising a housing (2), configured to be held between the palm and the fingers of a user, from which a push button (10) opens, arranged to be activated by a finger of the user, in particular the thumb, the doorbell being such that: - the push button is movable in translation relative to the housing, so as to be brought closer to the housing to activate the bell, the push button being connected to a first spring, maintaining the push button in an equilibrium position in the absence of pressure exerted on the push button; - the push button is connected to a member (11), extending in the housing, so that the translation of the button causes a movement of the member; - the organ has a lug (13); the doorbell also including: - a hammer (15), connected to a second spring (16), - a bell (17), configured to emit a sound when it is struck by the hammer, the hammer being movable in rotation relative to the bell, around an axis of rotation (19), the second spring being configured to keep the hammer away from the bell, in the absence of stress exerted on the hammer; the bell being characterized in that: - the hammer comprises a contact end (14), arranged facing the member (11), so that when the push button occupies the equilibrium position, the lug extends between the contact end (14) and the push button (10), the contact end occupying an initial position; - under the effect of pressure exerted on the push button, the contact end is configured to tilt, around the axis of rotation, being pushed by the lug, so that the contact end gradually moves away from the member (11) during its tilting, until reaching a limit position (P) in which the contact end is not no longer in contact with the spur; so that - the tilting of the contact end causes the hammer to move back relative to the bell, until the contact end (14) reaches the limit position; - after the limit position is reached, under the effect of the second spring, the contact end returns to the initial position, causing the hammer to rotate as far as the bell.

2. A doorbell according to claim 1, wherein - the housing extends around a longitudinal axis, being configured to be held between the palm of a user's hand and fingers; - the push button extends, parallel to the longitudinal axis, through an opening in the housing, so as to be able to be activated by a thumb of the user.

3. A bell according to any preceding claim, wherein the member is movable in translation, for example of the rod type, or movable in rotation, for example a wheel or a portion of a wheel.

4. System for monitoring a person, comprising: - a doorbell, configured to be activated by the person, so as to emit an audible sound; - a microphone, arranged in a room likely to be occupied by a person, the microphone being configured to detect a sound and produce a detection signal dependent on the detected sound; - a central unit, configured to receive the detection signal and to analyze said detection signal; the system being characterized in that: - the central unit is programmed to recognize, from the detection signal, the sound emitted by the doorbell, and generate a alert signal when the sound emitted by the doorbell is recognized.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the doorbell is a mechanical doorbell, the doorbell comprising a bell and a hammer, the bell being configured to emit a sound when struck by the hammer.

6. A system according to any one of claims 4 or 5, wherein the doorbell is a doorbell according to any one of claims 1

7. a J. System according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the central unit is configured to produce a spectrogram of the detection signal, such that the analysis of the detection signal is carried out according to the spectrogram.

8. System according to any one of claims 4 to 7, in which the analysis comprises a determination of a spectral power in a previously determined spectral band, corresponding to a spectral band of emission of the doorbell.

9. System according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the analysis comprises an implementation of a supervised learning artificial intelligence algorithm, in particular a neural network, in particular a convolutional neural network.

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