# US 2015/0294553 A1 · Methods and apparatus notifying a remotely located user of the operating condition of a household appliance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2015/0294553 A1 - Document ID: US20150294553A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/682,152 - Filed: 2015-04-09 - Published: 2015-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2014-04-10 - Assignees: Twin Harbor Labs, LLC - Applicants: Twin Harbor Labs, LLC - Inventors: James D. Logan; Eric Carr; Richard A. Baker, JR. - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20150294553A1 ## CPC - G05B 19/0428: {Safety, monitoring (G05B19/0423 takes precedence)} - G05B 19/042: using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence) - G07C 3/00: Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles - G08B 21/00: Alarms responsive to a single specified undesired or abnormal condition and not otherwise provided for - G05B 2219/24015: Monitoring - G05B 2219/24048: Remote test, monitoring, diagnostic - G05B 2219/24107: Display centrally detected user, function changes of remote device - G05B 2219/2613: Household appliance in general - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS ## Abstract Sounds, alarms or other indications of conditions of potential interest that are produced by appliances and other household devices are detected by one or more sensors to trigger a notification signal that is sent to a remotely located user. The signals produced by the sensors are advantageously compared with a database of signals representing conditions of potential interest produced by known appliances and devices, producing the appropriate notification signal when a match is found. Notifications may be relayed to one or more selected users only when predetermined conditions are satisfied. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-19. (canceled) ### Claim 20 A method of notifying a user when a sound in the household indicates a condition of potential interest to said user comprising, in combination, the steps of: employing one or more sensors to convert ambient sounds into an output signal, comparing said output signal to a database of stored control sounds, each of which is associated in the database with status identifying information, said stored control sounds related to household sounds, producing an alert notification indication when said output signal matches one of said stored control sounds, in response to said notification alert indication, transmitting a wireless alert message containing the status identifying information associated with the matched control sound to a remotely located notification unit located near said user, and employing said notification unit to produce an output that is perceptible to said user and that is indicative of the existence of said condition of potential interest. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of notifying a user when a sound in the household indicates a condition of potential interest to said user as set forth in claim 20 wherein at least some of said control sounds are produced by household appliances whose operation is to be monitored and wherein said one or more sensors are positioned on or near said household appliances. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of notifying a user when a sound in a household indicates a condition of potential interest to said user as set forth in claim 21 wherein at least some of said control sounds are alarm sounds produced by at least some of said household appliances. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The method of notifying a user when a sound in a household indicates a condition of potential interest to said user as set forth in claim 21 wherein at least some of said control sounds are sounds produced when the access doors of said household appliances are opened or closed. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The method of notifying a user when a sound in a household indicates a condition of potential interest to said user as set forth in claim 21 wherein at least some of said appliances are used to cook food and wherein at least some of said control sounds are produced by cooking food. ### Claim 25 (depends on 20) The method of notifying a user when a sound in the household indicates a condition of potential interest to said user as set forth in claim 20 wherein said remotely located notification unit is implemented by a programmed smartphone or other handheld computer carried by said user and programmed to produce said output that is perceptible to said user that is indicative of said condition. ### Claim 26 (depends on 20) The method of notifying a user when a sound in the household indicates a condition of potential interest to said user as set forth in claim 20 wherein said wireless alert message is transmitted to one or more selected users only when predetermined conditions are satisfied. ### Claim 27 (depends on 20) The method of notifying a user when a sound in the household indicates a condition of potential interest to said user as set forth in claim 20 wherein said wireless alert message is transmitted to one or more selected users only when no user is proximate to the origin of said sound. ### Claim 28 (depends on 20) The method of notifying a user when a sound in the household indicates a condition of potential interest to said user as set forth in claim 20 further including the step of storing control sounds selected by said user in said database together with the status identification information associated with each of said control sounds. ### Claim 29 (depends on 20) The method of notifying a user when a sound in the household indicates a condition of potential interest to said user as set forth in claim 20 further including the step of storing control sounds recorded by said user in said database together with the status identification information associated with each of said control sounds. ### Claim 30 (depends on 20) The method of notifying a user when a sound in the household indicates a condition of potential interest to said user as set forth in claim 20 further including the step of storing control sounds recorded by a plurality of users in said shared database together with the status identification information associated with each of said control sounds. ### Claim 31 (depends on 20) The method of notifying a user when a sound in the household indicates a condition of potential interest to said user as set forth in claim 20 wherein at least some of said control sounds are produced by household appliances whose operation is to be monitored and further including the step of storing control sounds supplied by the manufacturer of one or more of said appliances in a database together with the status identification information associated with each of said control sounds. ### Claim 32 Apparatus for notifying a user when an event occurs that is accompanied by the production of sounds or vibrations having predetermined properties, said apparatus comprising, in combination: a sensor for converting said sounds or vibrations into an electrical sensor output signal having a time-varying amplitude that represents said sounds or vibrations, a signal comparator for comparing said electrical sensor output signal with a plurality of control signals stored in a database which further stores identification information associated with each of said control signals, said signal comparator producing an alert signal whenever said output signal matches one of said control signals, said control signals related to household sounds, a wireless transmitter responsive to said alert signal for transmitting a wireless notification message including the identification information associated with that control signal that matched said electrical sensor output signal, and a notification unit at a location near said user and remote from said wireless transmitter for producing an output perceptible to said user in response to receiving said wireless notification message. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) Apparatus for notifying a user when an event occurs that is accompanied by the production of sounds or vibrations having predetermined properties as set forth in claim 32 wherein said notification unit comprises a programmable handheld computer carried by said user and programmed to produce said output that is perceptible to said user in response to receiving said wireless notification message. ### Claim 34 (depends on 32) Apparatus for notifying a user when an event occurs that is accompanied by the production of sounds or vibrations having predetermined properties as set forth in claim 32 wherein at least some of said control signals are recorded by said user and stored in said database with identification information identifying the origin of each of said control signals. ### Claim 35 (depends on 32) Apparatus for notifying a user when an event occurs that is accompanied by the production of sounds or vibrations having predetermined properties as set forth in claim 32 wherein said wireless notification message is transmitted to one or more selected users only when predetermined conditions are satisfied.