Personal Alarm Apparatus, System, and Method

A method for generating a personal alarm, comprising:

• placing a transmitter adjacent a sound source, the transmitter comprising at least one sound-detecting sensor and control circuitry;
• placing a receiver adjacent a sleeping aid to which a user will apply force, the receiver comprising at least one force-detecting sensor, at least one stimulus-generator, and control circuitry;
• detecting a sound from the sound source via the at least one sound-detecting sensor;
• via the transmitter control circuitry:
• (i) processing the detected sound, (ii) generating detected sound data, and (iii) transmitting, from the transmitter to the receiver, a detected sound transmission based on the generated detected sound data;
• via the receiver control circuitry:
• (i) receiving the transmitted detected sound transmission, (ii) processing data associated with the transmitted detected sound transmission, and (iii) generating a receiver-side sound indicator;
• detecting, via the at least one force-detecting sensor, a force applied to the sleeping aid by at least one body part of the user, and, via the receiver control circuitry:
• (i) processing the detected force, and (ii) generating a receiver-side force indicator;
• and
• when the receiver-side sound indicator and the receiver-side force indicator occur within a predetermined time period of one another, generating, via the at least one stimulus-generator, a local stimulus adjacent the sleeping aid.

An article of manufacture for a personal alarm system configured to be used adjacent a sleeping aid on which a user will apply force, the article of manufacture comprising:

• a first non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of a transmitter having stored thereon first machine-readable code, wherein the first machine-readable code defines operations to be performed by a first processor of the transmitter to cause the first processor to:
• detect a sound from a sound source adjacent the transmitter via at least one sound-detecting sensor of the transmitter;
• process the detected sound;
• generate detected sound data;
• transmit, from the transmitter to a receiver, a detected sound transmission based on the generated detected sound data;
• a second non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of a receiver having stored thereon second machine-readable code, wherein the second machine-readable code defines operations to be performed by a second processor of the receiver to cause the second processor to:
• receive the transmitted detected sound transmission;
• process data associated with the transmitted detected sound transmission;
• generate a receiver-side sound indicator;
• detect, via at least one force-detecting sensor of the receiver, a force applied to the sleeping aid by at least one body part of the user,
• process data based on the detected force;
• generate a receiver-side force indicator, and
• wherein when the receiver-side sound indicator and the receiver-side force indicator are each generated within a predetermined time period of one another, and generate, via a stimulus-generator of the receiver, a local stimulus adjacent the sleeping aid.