GB2380040A

GB2380040A - Apparatus for monitoring a bathing person

Info

Publication number: GB2380040A
Application number: GB0218488A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Lucas; John Cooledge
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-08-10
Filing date: 2002-08-09
Publication date: 2003-03-26
Also published as: GB0218488D0; WO2003015045A1; GB0119536D0

Abstract

Apparatus comprising a transmitter device 1 to be worn by the bather and a receiver device 2 for alerting a person remote from the bather, characterised by the transmitter device 1 comprising means 7 for detecting a variation in the behaviour or the physiological state of the bather indicative of danger of drowning and for emitting a signal 8 in response to such variation, said detecting means 7 and emitting means 8 being included in an electrical circuit which can be completed only when the transmitter device 1 is fully or partially immersed in water, and the receiver device 2 comprising an alarm (16,17,21 Fig.2) which is actuated in response to reception of said signal.

Description

Apparatus for monitoring a bathing person The present invention relates to

apparatus for monitoring a bathing person, and more particularly to apparatus which will alert an adult that a bathing child is in difficulties.

Us Approximately 360,000 people drown each year around the world, with 21, 000 of those deaths occurring within the European Union.

A consumer product safety commission report in August 2001 in the United States concluded l o that 77% of the children who drowned were out of sight from their parents for five minutes or less. It is likely that in many of the above cases, the individual or child experiencing difficulty was out of ear shot of potential rescuers or simply was unable to call for help because already 5 unconscious and in the process of drowning.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a relatively cheap and simple apparatus which will give timely warning of a dangerous situation.

20 In accordance with the present invention, there is provided apparatus for monitoring a bathing person, comprising a transmitter device to be worn by the bather and a receiver device for alerting a person remote from the bather, the transmitter device comprising means for detecting a variation in the behaviour or the physiological state of the bather indicative of danger of drowning and for emitting a signal in response to such variation, said detecting means and 5 emitting means being included in an electrical circuit which can be completed only when the transmitter device is fully or partially immersed in water and the receiver device comprising an alarm which is actuated in response to reception of said signal.

Such an arrangement will alleviate the problem of probable death by drowning by alerting a 30 potential rescuer or guardian that is remote fiom the bather and raising the alarm when the bather is physically unable to do so.

Unless it is safeguarded against there is a possibility that the means for detecting a variation in the physiological state of a bather will sometimes detect a variation indicative of danger of drowning, when in fact no such danger exists.

5 Such a situation may occur if, for example, the detecting means detects the cessation of motion, as the bather may be motionless naturally for short periods. Alternatively, if the detecting means monitors a change in oxygen level of the blood or heart beat variation a false alarm may be triggered by the bather simply taking a deep breath, holding it and diving under water.

I o Preferably therefore, the transmitter device further comprises means to prevent a signal being emitted, once a variation in the behaviour or physiological state of the bather has been detected; if said variation is for less than a specified time period. Said means to prevent a signal being sent is preferably in the form of time delay circuitry operatively connected to the means for detecting a variation in behaviour or the physiological state of the bather.

The time delay is preferably within the range of 10 seconds to one minute and could be arranged to be set by the bather or a guardian, in increments of ten seconds i.e., the time delay circuitry could be set at 10, 20,3O,40,50 or 60 seconds. Time delay circuitry and means for including it in a monitoring circuit are well known per se and will not be described further.

The receiving device is preferably provided with a means of resetting the alarm if the alarm has been triggered accidentally The components of the transmitter device are preferably located wholly or partially within a 25 housing capable of being worn. The housing may be multi-compartmented, at least one of the compartments being waterproof. The housing may be apertured to permit the ingress of water to and the ingress of water from another of said compartments.

The transmitter device may be adapted to be worn on the wrist or on the upper arm, on a 30 swimming hat, costume or any other attire worn when in or near water, or on a lower limb, e.g. by the provision of one or more straps.

The transmitter device and receiver device may be worry on the body or clothing of the bather and guardian, respectively, in several different ways. A strap might be worn around the chest or upper arm of the bather., or it may be worn on the wrist like a wrist watch. The receiver device may be free standing. Either device, or its housing, may be stylised in shape or have a pattern s or ornament applied to it to appear as a fashion item. This will encourage a young person to wear it. It may have sufficient space to incorporate corporate sponsorship.

There are several means available for detecting a variation in the behaviour or the physiological state of a bather, for example a pulse monitor, a monitor to detect the expansion and contraction 0 of the chest during breathing, or a device which monitors the oxygen level in the body. In a preferred embodiment, the means for detecting a variation in the behaviour or the physiological state of the bather is a motion sensor.

There are several ways of powering the apparatus. The transmitter device and the receiver 5 device, need not necessarily be independently powered by the same type of power source such as a battery. For example, the transmitter device could be solar powered whilst the receiver device is powered from a mains electrical supply.

The use of different power sources may mean that only the receiver device or only the 20 transmitter device is adapted to be re-chargeable. Preferably, however, the power sourcea of both the transmitter device and receiver device are adapted to be re-chargeable.

Preferably, both the transmitter device and the receiver device are provided with sockets to enable the devices to be re-charged from a an external source of electricity.. Ideally, these power 25 sources are rechargeable batteries.

If using re-chargeable batteries, the apparatus when sold, could include a charger kit.

The receiver device may be adapted to receive signals from more than one transmitter device.

30 This would enable a single guardian to monitor several bathers each wearing a different transmitter device. If the respective signals of the transmitter devices are different and if the receiver device is adapted to respond differently to the different signals the guardian may have a meals of knowing which of a number of children is in difficulties.

Preferably, the receiver device is provided with a switch to turn the device off when it is not in use. This is important if it is battery operated to avoid attempted use of the apparatus when the battery is exhausted.

s Preferably the receiver device comprises a plurality of means of emitting an alarm.

Means may be provided to enable the selection of any one or combination of the alarms.

0 The alarm could be audible, visual (e.g. flashing lights) or vibrating (in a similar manner to a mobile phone). A switching device could be incorporated into the receiver device to enable the alarm to be switched from an audible to a visual or to a vibrating alaml or any appropriate combination of the three.

15 The receiver device may be adapted to respond to one signal only, i.e. a distress signal sent by the transmitter device. Alternatively the receiver device may be responsive to more than one signal sent from the transmitter device. One type of signal could for example, alert a guardian to the fact that a bather wearing the transmitter device has entered a body of water. Another type of signal, if in the form of pulses separated by a time delay, could indicate to a guardian that all is 20 well with the bather and a third could be a distress signal.

The receiving device may be f tted with an alarm signal output socket, to enable the receiving device to be connected to an external alarm unit (e. g. a loudspeaker more powerful than that, if any, built into the receiver) .

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: I;igure I schematically illustrates the components of a transmitter device.

3( lo Figure 2 schematically illustrates components of a receiver device and

Figure 3 illustrates a transmitter device to be Groin like a wrist watch emitting a signal to a portable receiving device.

The transmitter device generally indicated at 1 in Figure I is to be worn by a bather. The s transmitter device 1 consists of a two compartment box housing 3,6. The first compartment 3 is in the form of a dome that is apertured at 4 about its periphery. The apertures allow the ingress of water to the chamber 3 when the device is immersed and allow water to drain out of the chamber 3 when the device is taken out of water.

lo A sensor 5 adapted to complete an electrical circuit when in the presence of a sufficient amount of water is located within both the chamber 3 and the remaining compartment 6. Those components of the sensor 5 designed to detect the presence of water to enable the electrical circuit to be completed are located within the chamber 3 whilst the remaining components are located within the compartment 6. The components designed to detect the presence of water 5 may detect a change in capacitance in the presence of water or the completion of an electrical circuit in the presence of water provided by two pins or any other means of water detection.

The compartment 6 is waterproof and further located within it are motion sensing device such as a tilt switch 7' a radio frequency transmitter 8, a control and timer circuit 9, a battery l O and a 20 DC input socket 11. The sensor 5 is connected by wiring to the tilt switch 7, the control and timer circuit 9 and the battery 10.

The motion sensing device 7 is adapted to make or break an electrical connection within it, depending on the angle of rotation of the tilt switch 7 about a particular axis, the arc of which in 25 degrees is determined by the sensitivity of the tilt switch. The tilt switch 7 is connected by wiring to the control and timer circuit 9 and the battery 10. The control and timer circuit 9 is adapted inter alla to receive signals from the tilt switch 7. These signals are generated by the movement of the tilt switch 7 caused by the movement of the bather wearing the transmitter device. The control and timer circuit is fitted with a time delay circuit that can be set in increments of ten 30 second delays within the range of ten seconds to one minute by the bather or guardian. This is necessary when using a tilt switch 7 because a bather can be motionless naturally for several seconds without being in any need of assistance from a guardian. Such natural inactivity would cause the signal sent from the tilt switch 7 to the control and timer circuitry 9 to cease and

without the built in time delay circuitry, the transmitter device l would send a false alann signal to the receiver device 2. However, if the control and timer circuit 9 does not receive a signal from the tilt switch 7, after a given length of time (beyond that set) the control and timer circuitry 9 connected by wiring to the battery 10 and the radio frequency transmitter 8 is adapted 5 to send a signal to the radio frequency transmitter 8. The battery 10 is connected by wiring to the DC input socket I 1 thus enabling the transmitter device I to be rechargeable from a mains electrical supply.

The receiver device shown in Fig 2 and generally referenced 2 comprises a housing within which lo are a loud speaker 16, a vibrator unit 21, a signal generator 14, a radio frequency receiver 12 that is tuned to the radio frequency transmitter of the transmitter device 1, a reset button 20, a battery 3, an amplifier 15, an alarm signal output socket 19, an LED circuit Wand a DC input socket 18. 5 The reset button 20 once actuated, is adapted to stop an alarm signal being sent and to reset the receiver device to the condition it was poor to the alarm signal being sent.

The alarm signal output socket l 9 is present to enable the receiving device 2 to be connected to an external alarm unit, not illustrated, (e.g. a more powerful loudspeaker), if, for example, the 20 audible range of the alarm in the receiver device was not great enough.

The vibrator 21 is maintained wholly within the housing, whilst the LED circuit 17 and the loudspeaker 16 are maintained partially within the housing. The arr plifier 15, is connected by wiring to the signal generator 14, battery 15, vibrator 21 and loud speaker 16. The receiver 12 is 25 connected by wiring to the reset button 20, the LED circuit 17, the battery 13 and wiring from the LED circuit 17 that is connected to the battery. The signal generator 14 is connected by wiring to the alarm signal output socket 19 and wiring from the amplifier 15 to the battery 13.

The DC input socket 18, is connected by wiring to the battery 13, thus enabling the receiver device 2 to be rechargeable from a mains electrical supply.

Figure 3 shows a preferred embodiment of the transmitter device (1) and the receiver device (2), the former being intended to be worn in the manner of a wrist watch.

In operation, the apparatus is in a dormant phase when the transmitter device 1 is not immersed in a body of water. During this phase, the transmitter device is not able to transmit a signal as the electrical circuit of the sensor 5 has not been completed. As a result the receiver device 2 receives no signal.

The apparatus moves from the dormant phase to a standby phase when the transmitter device is immersed in water and the chamber 3 is filled sufficiently with water to enable the sensor 5 to complete an electrical circuit. The completion of this electrical circuit sends an electrical signal to the control and timer circuit 9. This signal coupled with the signal that the control and timer I o circuit 9 receives from the tilt switch 7 resulting from the motion of the bather causes the transmitter device I to transmit a radio signal in short pulses to the receiver device 2. Upon receiving the signal, the receiver device 2 converts this signal into short pulses for output through the alarm 16,17 or 21. The alarm 16,17 or 21, operates over a ten second period arid serves to notify an individual wearing or in proximity to the receiver device 2 that the bather 5 wearing the transmitter device l has entered a body of water. After this notification, the transmitter device Isends no further signals to the receiving device 2 unless the apparatus moves into an alert phase.

The apparatus moves into an alert phase when the electrical circuit within the sensor 5 is still 20 complete due to the presence of water within the chamber 3 and the tilt switch 7 ceases to send a signal to the control and timer circuit 9 for more than the pre-set time delay, or alternatively sends a continuous signal to the control and timer circuit 9. This causes the control and timer circuit 9 to send a signal to the radio frequency transmitter 8 which emits a continuous radio signal to the receiver device 2. The receiver 12, upon receiving the radio signal, activates the 2s alarms 16,17 and 21 continuously.

Once such an alarm signal has been sent from the transmitter device 1, should the tilt switch 7 be activated again by movement of the bather and the chamber 3 still contains water, the control and timer circuit 9 is adapted to ensure that the transmitter device 1, will still transmit a 30 continuous radio signal to the receiver device 2, for a specified length of time set by a separate timing device within the control and timer circuit 9. Thus the alarm 16,17 or 21, will continue to operate for a set time, e.g. fifteen minutes. Once the transmitter device l, is removed from the

body of water and the chamber 3 is drained, the electrical circuit of sensor 5 will be broken and the apparatus will revert back to its dormant mode.

In the embodiment described, the short pulse alarm facility which indicates first entry into the 5 water need not be present, although for small children and those with an aversion to water, it may be desirable.

Although in the preferred embodiment of the invention described the signals sent and received are radio signals, the invention is not restricted solely to this type of signal. Other appropriate o types of signal available within the electromagnetic spectrum can be used, for example microwave or infra red.

Claims

1. Apparatus for monitoring a bathing person, the apparatus comprising a transmitter device (1) to be worn by the bather and a receiver device (2) for alerting a person remote from the bather, s characterised in that the transmitter device (1) comprises means (7) for detecting a variation in the behaviour or the physiological state of the bather indicative of danger of drowning and for emitting a signal (8) in response to such variation, said detecting means (7) and emitting means (8) being included in an electrical circuit which can be completed only when the transmitter device (1) is fully or partially immersed in water and the receiver device (2) comprising an alarm 0 (16,17,21) which is actuated in response to reception of said signal.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the transmitter device further comprises means (9) to prevent a signal being emitted, once a variation in the behaviour or physiological state of the bather has been detected, if said variation is for less than a specified 5 time period.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the means (9) to prevent a signal being sent, is in the form of time delay circuitry operatively connected to the means for detecting a variation in behaviour or the physiological state of the bather (7).

4. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the emitted signal is a radio signal.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the means for detecting a 25 variation in the behaviour or the physiological state of the bather (7) is a motion sensor, an oxygen level sensor or a pulse sensor or any combination of such sensors.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the components of the transmitter device are located wholly or partially within a housing capable of 30 being wom.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that the housing is multi-compartmented, at least one of the compartments being waterproof.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that the housing is apertured to permit the ingress of water to and the ingress of water from another of said compartments.

5

9. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the transmitter device (1) is adapted to be worn on the part of the body or on apparel!.

10. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that both the transmitter device (1) and the receiver device (2) are provided with sockets (11,18) to enable the devices i o (1,2) to be re-charged from an external source of electricity.

11. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the power source for either the transmitter device ( I) or the receiver device (2) is a re-chargeable battery.

l s

12. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the receiver device (2) is provided with a plurality of different alarm means (16,17,21) any one or combination of which is adapted to be activated by said signal.

13. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the receiver device (2) is 20 adapted to receive a signal from more than one transmitter device (1).

14. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claims, characterised in that the transmitter device (1) is adapted to transmit to more than one receiver device (2).

25

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14, characterised in that different transmitter devices emit different signals and in that the receiver device is adapted to respond differently to respective signals.

16. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the receiving device (2) is 30 provided with a means (20) of resetting the alarm (16,17,21) if the alarm (16,17,21) has been triggered accidentally.

17. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the receiver device (2) is

provided with a switch to turn the device off when it is not in use.

18. Apparatus for monitoring a bathing person substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

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