Abstract:
The soothing device is a portable waterproof device that can be worn by a baby or a dog as well as positioned on the baby&#39;s cradle or the dog house. Audio sounds can be dynamically recorded and stored in the soothing device which is powered by a built-in replaceable battery. The recorded audio sounds are automatically played by the soothing device through a built-in speaker when the soothing device detects through a built-in audio sensor a sudden large noise from some external source or by the baby&#39;s crying or by the dog&#39;s barking so as to calm the baby or the dog down quickly and automatically.

Description:
(a) TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention generally relates to devices for calming down a crying baby or a baking dog, and more particularly to such a soothing device that is automatically activated by the noise of the baby&#39;s crying or the dog&#39;s barking. 
       (b) DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
       [0002]    A common problem to pet dog owners is that, when the dogs are agitated or excited by some disturbance without their being around to control the dogs, the dog&#39;s continuous and loud barking quite often gets them into trouble with the neighbors. 
         [0003]    Similarly, when a baby is disturbed and the baby sitter or the parent does not respond quickly to comfort the baby, the baby&#39;s continuous and sometime horrible crying is equally annoying. 
         [0004]    However, people are all aware that the baby or the pet dog could be quickly and easily calmed down most of the times if the parent or the owner could utter or produce some audible sounds that are familiar to the baby or the dog. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    Accordingly, a novel soothing device for calming down a disturbed crying baby or barking dog is provided herein. 
         [0006]    The soothing device is designed to be a portable waterproof device so that it can be worn by a baby or a dog as well as positioned on or in the baby&#39;s cradle or the dog house. According to the present invention, audio sounds can be dynamically recorded and stored in the soothing device which is powered by a built-in replaceable battery. The recorded audio sounds are automatically played by the soothing device through a built-in speaker when the soothing device detects through a built-in audio sensor a sudden large noise from some external source or by the baby&#39;s crying or by the dog&#39;s barking so as to calm the baby or the dog down quickly and automatically. 
         [0007]    The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts. 
         [0008]    Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective exploded view showing the various components of a soothing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the soothing device of  FIG. 1  after it is assembled. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram showing the control circuit of the soothing device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram showing an operation scenario of the soothing device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram showing an application of the soothing device of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0014]    The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 
         [0015]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a soothing device  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention has a front cover  11  and a base  12  joined together to form a hollow casing. Inside the casing thus formed, an audio sensor  16 , a speaker  17 , and a control circuit on a circuit board  14  are provided and constitute the major operational mechanism of the soothing device  10 . 
         [0016]    The front cover  11  and the base  12  are securely and tightly locked together by fastening a number of screws (not numbered) through bolt holes  122  of the base  12  into the front cover  11 . Two U-shaped handles  111  are fixedly attached to two opposing sides of the front cover  11  so that a strap (not shown) can be threaded through the handles  111  for reliably tying the soothing device  10  to the body of a baby or a dog. 
         [0017]    The base  12  has a battery chamber  124  for housing a battery  13 . The base  12  further has a removable cap  121  that, once removed, allows convenient access to the battery chamber  124  for replacing the battery  13 . The soothing device  10  can further contains a waterproof cover  18  that can be tightly joined to a back side of the front cover  11  and thereby houses the base  12  completely inside so as to prevent water or moist to permeate into the soothing device  10  rough the bolt holes  122 , the interface between the cap  121  and the battery chamber  124 , the interface between the front cover  11  and the base  12 , etc. Please note that, in  FIG. 2 , the waterproof cover  18  is shown by dashed lines. 
         [0018]    The audio sensor  16  and the speaker  17  are fixedly attached to an inner wall of a front side of the front cover  11 . A number of through openings (not numbered) are provided on the front side of the front cover  11  in front of the speaker  17  so as to allow the speaker&#39;s produced sounds to pass through. The speaker  17  is treated to be waterproof and the speaker  17  is tightly fixed to the front cover  11  so that water and moist cannot permeate into the soothing device  10  via the through openings and the speaker  17 . 
         [0019]    The audio sensor  16  and the speaker  17  are then electrically and signally connected to the control circuit on the circuit board  14  via a number of cables (not numbered). Also on the circuit board  14  and as part of the control circuit is a power switch  15  that is accessible from outside of the soothing device  10  via a trough opening  123  on the base  12 . The power switch  15  is for turning on or off the operation of the soothing device  10 . 
         [0020]    The audio sensor  16  is for turning external air vibrations caused by some audio source into corresponding electrical signals. One typical example of the audio sensor  16  is a microphone. The circuit board  14  can contain an additional recording microphone  146  for recording the voices or sounds for calming down a baby or a dog. The recording function of the soothing device  10  is turned on or off by a recording button  145  on the circuit board  14 . The recording microphone  146  and the recording button  145  are also parts of the control circuit on the circuit board  14 , and are also exposed from the base  12  via through openings (not numbered) of the base  12 . Again, the waterproof cover  18  prevents water or moist from permeating into the soothing device  10  via these trough openings. 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram showing the control circuit of the soothing device of  FIG. 1 . As illustrated, the control circuit further contains an activation circuit  141 , a recording and playing circuit  142 , and an amplification circuit  143 , whose required electricity are drawn from the battery  13  under the control of the power switch  15 . 
         [0022]    The electrical signals produced by the audio sensor  16  in accordance with external audio sounds are delivered to the activation circuit  141 . When the signal level reaches a threshold, the activation circuit  141  triggers the recording and playing circuit  142  which in turn drives the amplification circuit  143  to play out the pre-recorded voices or sounds via the speaker  17 . 
         [0023]    The recording microphone  146  and the recording button  145  are also electrically and signally connected to the recording and playing circuit  142 . When the recording button  145  is depressed and held down, the recording and playing circuit  142  enters a recording mode from a default playing mode and the voices or sounds captured by the recording microphone  146  are stored in a non-volatile memory (not shown) of the recording and playing circuit  142  for later playback until the recording button  145  is released. 
         [0024]    The control circuit can further contain an indicator lamp  144  such as a light emitting diode electrically connected to the recording and playing circuit  142  to show the status of the soothing device  10 . 
         [0025]    To use the soothing device  10 , the cap  121  is removed to place the battery  13  into the battery chamber  124  and the cap  121  is fastened again. The power switch  15  is then turned on and the indicator lamp  144  is lit by the control circuit to signal that the soothing device  10  is ready for operation. A user then can depress the recording button  145  to record a segment of voices, sounds, or music into the recording and playing circuit  142  until the recording button  145  is released. After the recording is done, the waterproof cover  18  is installed to the back of the top cover  11  to house the base  12  completely inside. 
         [0026]    The soothing device  10  can be positioned inside or hanged on a dog house. As shown in  FIG. 4 , when a disturbing noise occurs or when the dog barks, the soothing device  10  is activated to play the recorded audio segment so as to calm the dog down. Please note that the waterproof cover  18  prevents rain water from entering and damaging the soothing device  10  if the soothing device  10  is in outdoor use. Similarly, the soothing device  10  can be placed inside a baby&#39;s cradle or hanged besides the cradle. Again, when a disturbing noise occurs or when the baby cries, the soothing device  10  is activated to play the recorded audio segment so as to calm the baby down. 
         [0027]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , a strap  19  can be threaded through the handles  111  to tie the soothing device  10  around the neck of a dog  20 , just like a collar. As such, no matter where the dog  20  is, the soothing device  20  can function to calm the dog  20  down whenever it barks. Again, the waterproof cover  18  prevents water from entering and damaging the soothing device  10  when the dog  20  catches rain or drinks water or plays with water. 
         [0028]    It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above. 
         [0029]    While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.