Alert device, system and method

An alert system for a hearing-impaired user, the device comprising:

• a plurality of differently colored detecting units;
• a user interface via which a hearing-impaired user can be alerted of the color of the detecting unit having operably detected an event;
• a communications module for, via a wireless communications network, communicating an event signal between the plurality of differently colored detecting units and the user interface;
• and
• one or more processors for:
• (i) with the plurality of differently colored detecting units switched to a sound-detecting mode and the one or more of the plurality of differently colored detecting units detecting a sound greater than a predetermined threshold sound, triggering a transmission of a sound event signal and, on receiving the sound event signal, triggering a first alert on the user interface;
• and
• (ii) with one of the plurality of differently colored detecting units switched to a tracking mode and on the a distance measured between such one detecting unit and the user interface being greater than a pre-set maximum, triggering the transmission of a tracking event signal and, receiving the tracking event signal, triggering a second alert on the user interface.

An alert method for a hearing-impaired user, the method including the steps of:

• (A) positioning one of a plurality of differently colored sound-detecting units in different locations within a predefined area;
• (B) in an event of a sound detected by the one or more of the plurality of differently colored sound-detecting units being higher than a predetermined threshold sound, transmitting a sound event signal from such sound-detecting unit to a wearable unit worn by the hearing-impaired user;
• and
• (C) on receipt of the sound event signal by the wearable unit, activating:
• (i) a vibrator on the wearable unit to generate a vibration for alerting the hearing-impaired user;
• and
• (ii) a colored light source on the wearable unit corresponding with the color of the plurality of differently colored sound-detecting unit from which the sound event signal originated, so as to visually communicate the colored of such sound-detecting unit to the for a hearing-impaired user wearing the wearable unit and consequentially, presents a location at which that sound-detecting unit was previously positioned.