WO2005081227A1

WO2005081227A1 - Device for translating messages and mental states between animals and species

Info

Publication number: WO2005081227A1
Application number: PCT/IB2005/000328
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pedro Monagas Asensio
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-02-13
Filing date: 2005-02-10
Publication date: 2005-09-01
Anticipated expiration: 2006-08-13

Abstract

The device comprises: signal receiving means (1, 2, 3); a memory (8) that stores some predetermined parameters; and digital processing means (6) of said signals, which means compare the signals picked up through said receiving means (1, 2, 3) with the predetermined parameters of said memory (8); and it is characterised in that it also includes: means of transmitting signals (9, 12, 13), which transmit said signals in function of the results obtained through said digital processing means (6). It is possible to translate the messages and to determine mental states between animals and species, preferably mammals.

Description

DEVICE FOR TRANSLATING MESSAGES AND MENTAL STATES BETWEEN ANIMALS AND SPECIES

This invention relates to a device for translating messages and mental states between animals and species, which can be used between any animal or species, preferably mammals, and even for displaying to and interacting with a third party (spectator) , preferably in real time.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There currently exist in the market appliances designed and set up to alert to and carry out analyses of the mental state of mammals, and this function was the purpose of the mental-state analysing device disclosed in patent EP-A-1214907 (corresponding to Spanish patent ES- 200002975 from the same holder as this application) , as well as detecting the occurrence of extraneous factors that altered the well-being of babies and of disabled persons, a problem addressed by the detection and alerting device disclosed in patent WO00/21048 (corresponding to Spanish patent ES-9802190 from the same holder as this application) . These devices also incorporate sensors sensitive to a baby' s crying or the groans emitted by a disabled person or by a mammal in general, the device being programmed to identify different intervals, frequencies and intensities of crying or groans, in such a way that it is possible to interpret these parameters and to determine the reason for the crying and/or other sound and the mental state in function of their characteristics. These devices, which fulfil their function perfectly with babies, disabled persons and mammals in general, can nevertheless not be applied as devices for translating messages and mental states between animals and species . This is due to the fact that they are limited as regards the presentation and/or translation of the prognoses to the spectator and/or interlocutor, since they are designed only for people to interpret such messages and not for other types of animal and/or species as interlocutor.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The device of the invention manages to resolve the aforesaid disadvantages, while presenting other advantages as disclosed below. The device of this invention for translating messages and mental states between animals and species comprises : - means of receiving signals; - a memory that stores some predetermined parameters; and - means for digital processing of said signals, which means compare the signals picked up through said receiving means with the predetermined parameters in said memory; and is characterised in that it also includes : - signal transmission means, which transmit said signals in function of the results obtained through said digital processing means. Said means of receiving signals advantageously include at least one of the following elements : a microphone, at least one camera, a physical sensor and a chemical sensor. Said means of transmitting signals preferably include a loudspeaker, a screen, a physical/chemical actuating module and/or remote-means module, such as a mobile phone. Advantageously, said memory is interchangeable, so that it can be changed in order to use the device of this invention with another type of animal or species. If wished, said receiving means and said transmitting means are housed in a portable appliance. The device of this invention can also include means of manual confirmation of the signal emitted by said transmitting means. In this case, said means of confirmation include a plurality of pushbuttons, which include at least one pushbutton for affirmation, another for negation and another for indetermination. The device of this invention also includes a transmission and reception module connected to said processing means. With the device of this invention for translating messages and mental states between animals and species it is possible to translate the messages and to determine mental states between animals and species, preferably mammals. Thanks to the use of digital signal processing means it is possible to pick up, analyse, process and compare noises, sounds and images, as well as to synthesise physical and chemical messages emitted by animals and species with an associated symptomology, in order to discern and alert between different messages and variant mental states, with the advantage that a single device can contain many memory-stored and/or remote patterns for different species. For example, it can be used among farm animals (cows, sheep, goats, etc.), zoo animals (monkeys, cats, herbivores, pachyderms, etc.), marine mammals (cetaceans, delphinidae, etc.), household-pet animals (cats, dogs, etc.) and even disabled persons, babies and elderly persons. The messages and mental states that can be detected are, for example, aggressiveness, hunger, sleepiness, boredom, pain, stress, fertile phases and others. All the types of communication between animals and/or speciess help them to coordinate their principal daily life activities such as food-seeking and/or hunting, territoriality or territorial boundary marking, defence, coupling and/or pollination, rearing of their young, etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of all that has been set out some drawings are attached to show, schematically and solely by way of non-restrictive example, a practical case of embodiment. Figure 1 is a block diagram that shows the components of the device of this invention; and Figure 2 is a schematic view of the portable appliance that includes confirmation means.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As Figure 1 shows, the translating device of this invention includes a microphone 1, a physical and chemical sensor 2 and some picture cameras 3, which make up the signal receiving means, each of which is connected individually to a filter 4 provided with an amplifier which will then connect with an analogical digital converter 5, and, once converted, the signal will go to the digital signal processor 6, while the digital signal processor 6 is in turn connected to a keyboard 7 and to a memory 8, as well as having a connection to signal transmission means such as a loudspeaker, connected through a digital analogical converter 10 and an amplifier 11, a physical-chemical actuator 12, also connected through said digital analogical converter 10, a screen 13, connected by drivers 14 to the digital signal processor 6 or to a mobile telephone (not shown) . A signal transmission module 15 is also connected to the digital signal processor 6 so that the events can also be displayed/activated and monitored in real time. It should be noted that the digital signal processors applied in the translating device of this invention are currently used in a wide variety of spheres and products, such as in mobile telephony, in audio and video appliances, in radio and television transmitters, etc. The preferential utilisation of the device of this invention is the following: Firstly, the animals and species with which the translating device of this invention is to be used must be specified. This can be implemented in different ways, such as by software or by inserting memory cards 8, or simply with the keyboard 7, while in the case of physical/chemical messages the required products suitable for the physical/chemical sensors 2 and actuators 12 will naturally have to be prepared. When a sound, image and/or a physical/chemical signal is detected through the corresponding sensors 1, 2, 3, the signals generated are filtered and amplified, respectively. Said analogue signals are converted into digital signals by means of the corresponding converters 5. Once the digital signal has been obtained it is processed by the digital signal processor 6 by means of the corresponding software, assigning different values to the various frequency and time parameters of the sound, spatial parameters of the image and physical/chemical parameters analysed. Said parameters can clearly be very diverse and depend largely on the animals and species to which the translating device is to be applied and whose mental state is to be analysed. By way of non-restrictive example, however, these parameters can be ones such as frequency, intensity, shape of the envelope, rate of repetition, energy content, pulse duration, wave shape, magnitude, self-correlation, density of zero crossings, etc. in the case of sound, and of course the spatial variations of the image and/or vibrations received at the physical sensors, as well as the catalysing or synthesising of chemical substances in the chemical sensor, which substances will normally be hormonal. These values obtained are compared with the values that had previously been entered into the memory 6, which may be interchangeable and/or remote, so that said comparison will be capable of translating messages and determining mental states between animals and species . When the message and the mental state set for the detected parameters have been determined, this information will be transmitted and will be converted into a message suitable for the other animal and species, whether sound or physical/chemical and in parallel if desired, to a responsible person through the transmission means (loudspeaker 9 and/or screen 13) and/or remotely through the transmission reception module 15. The ways of representing and translating said information to the observer can be very diverse, such as by emitting an acoustic, light or remote signal, or simply by indicating on the screen 13 the message and mental state detected. Preferably, however, said transmission means are housed in a portable appliance, shown in Figure 2. For example, in the simplest and yet also most complex case of translating messages and/or mental states between bottle-nosed dolphins and people, simple in that here the spectator (person) is also the interlocutor and chemical messages can be dispensed with, but complex in that the bottle-nosed dolphin produces a wide spectrum of sounds, described variously as clicks, groans, squeals, laments, barks, snores, gargling noises and grunts, each of which has a function and means something about its physical situation and state of mind, so that for example there exist between its messages clicking and squealing noises used as transmitters-receivers for locating the animal itself and other individual dolphins, predators and even the dolphins' prey by using their particular sonar. A dolphin produces these diverse sounds by blowing air through its nasal passage and the nasal orifice called a spiracle, manipulating at will "languages" located in both passages . Using the translating device of this invention the person can interpret and emit messages in the dolphin's own language. Another example might be the interpretation and transmission of messages and mental states for communicating through the barking of a dog, whereby a salvo of barks with a similar repetition rate and similar energy at a certain frequency and specific self- correlation will indicate nervousness, while continuous panting followed by whines will convey calmness to the interlocutor, or a groaning with a certain repetition rate will indicate sadness, allowing interaction to emit suitable stimulation messages. With farm animals it could be useful to interpret and/or stimulate mating at the suitable time and in the best manner even with the appropriate chemical language. If a check is desired to ensure that the mental state detected is correct, the checking means can be used (shown in the portable appliance of Figure 2) . These confirmation means include the screen 13 mentioned above, a keyboard 16 with built-in on-off button, an affirmation button, a negation button and an indetermination button. These buttons are used for answering the questions and/or figures and/or advice displayed on the screen. Said keyboard 16 can also include a button for deleting the reply and a button for returning to the previous question and/or figure and/or advice. The number of questions and/or figures and/or advice options can vary depending on the animal and species to which the translating device of this invention is applied. For example, if it is used to check the message and/or mental state detected among some animals, the display means might show a series of questions and/or figures relating to visual signals that might be simultaneous, such as a cat's or dog's hair standing on end, or cyclical such as the reddened hind quarters of a female chimpanzee that indicate her readiness to couple, or permanent, such as the scarlet or purple marks a male mandrill uses to intensity its facial expressions. The questions and/or advice might be as simple as asking the colour of a male stickleback's belly, or as complex as asking for details of the ritual whereby a mountain gorilla shows its dominance; rising to an upright stance, beatings its chest, leaning its head to one side and uprooting or shaking vegetation. Different parts of an animal's body might be utilised in visual signals, and the use of a camera to capture certain signals might be difficult, depending both on individual anatomy and the surroundings . Visual communication is used by almost all animals, although those that have limited sight (such as bats that live in caves) do not depend mainly on this sense. And visual signals have some limitations, requiring light and an absence of obstacles that prevent vision if they are to be seen. Although reference has been made to one specific embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to an expert in the subject that the translating device described can lend itself to many variations and modifications, and that all the details mentioned can be replaced by others that are technically equivalent, without departing from the sphere of protection defined in the attached claims .

Claims

C L A I M S

1. Device for translating messages and mental states between animals and species, which comprises: - means of receiving signals (1, 2, 3) ; - a memory (8) that stores some predetermined parameters; and means for digital processing (6) of said signals, which means compare the signals picked up through said receiving means (1, 2, 3) with the predetermined parameters in said memory (8) ; characterised in that it also includes : signal transmission (9, 12, 13), which transmit said signals in function of the results obtained through said digital processing means (6).

2. Device according to Claim 1, characterised in that said means of receiving signals include at least one of the following elements: a microphone (1), at least one camera (3) , a physical sensor and a chemical sensor (2) .

3. Device according to Claim 1, characterised in that said means of transmitting signals include a loudspeaker (9), a screen (13), a physical-chemical actuating module (12) and/or remote-means module.

4. Device according to Claim 1, characterised in that said memory (8) is interchangeable.

5. Device according to Claim 1, characterised in that said receiving means and transmitting means (9, 12, 13) are housed in a portable appliance.

6. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that it also includes means of manual confirmation (16) of the signal emitted by said transmitting means.

7. Device according to Claim 6, characterised in said means of confirmation (16) include a plurality of pushbuttons, which include at least one pushbutton for affirmation, another for negation and another for indetermination.

8. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that it also includes a transmission and reception module (15) connected to said processing means.