Patent Publication Number: US-8117699-B2

Title: Sound conditioning system

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     This disclosure relates generally to person-support apparatuses. More particularly, but not exclusively, one illustrative embodiment relates to a sound conditioning device for a person-support apparatus. 
     In a hospital room, sounds from different sources, such as, medical equipment, movement of hospital staff and guests, talking, intercoms, etc., can disturb and/or aggravate a person. In some instances the disturbances cause the recovery time to increase by preventing the person from resting comfortably. While various systems have been developed, there is still room for improvement. Thus a need persists for further contributions in this area of technology. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure includes one or more of the features recited in the appended claims and/or the following features which, alone or in any combination, may comprise patentable subject matter. 
     One illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure can include a person-support apparatus having a sound generating device attached thereon and configured to generate a sound capable of at least one of masking and cancelling an unwanted sound based on the inputs received from a user through a user interface. 
     Additional features alone or in combination with any other feature(s), including those listed above and those listed in the claims and those described in detail below, can comprise patentable subject matter. Others will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Referring now to the illustrative examples in the drawings, wherein like numerals represent the same or similar elements throughout: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective side view of person-support apparatus having a sound generating device attached thereon according to an illustrative embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a sound control system having the sound generating device described in  FIG. 1  according to an illustrative embodiment; and 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of the sound control system having the sound generating device described in  FIG. 1  according to another illustrative embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     While the present disclosure can take many different forms, for the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used to describe the same. No limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Various alterations, further modifications of the described embodiments, and any further applications of the principles of the disclosure, as described herein, are contemplated. 
     One illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure can include a person-support apparatus having a sound generating device attached thereon and configured to generate a sound capable of at least one of masking and cancelling an unwanted sound based on the inputs received from a user through a user interface. 
     A person-support apparatus  10  according to one illustrative embodiment of the current disclosure is shown in  FIG. 1 . The person-support apparatus  10  can be a hospital bed. It should be appreciated that the person-support apparatus  10  can also be a hospital stretcher or an operating table. The person-support apparatus  10  can have a head support section H 1  or first section H 1 , where the head of a person can be positioned, a foot support section F 1  or a second section F 1 , where the feet of the person can be positioned and a seat support section S 1  positioned between the head support section H 1  and the foot support section F 1 . The person-support apparatus  10  can include a lower frame  12  or base  12 , a plurality of supports  14  coupled with the lower frame  12 , and an upper frame  16  supported on the supports  14  above the lower frame  12 , and a sound conditioning system  18 . It should be appreciated that the supports  14  can be lift mechanisms  14  that can move the upper frame  16  with respect to the lower frame  12 . It should also be appreciated that, in one illustrative embodiment, the person-support apparatus  10  can include a person-support surface  20  supported on the upper frame  16 . 
     The upper frame  16  can include an intermediate frame  22 , a deck  24 , siderails  26 , and endboards EB 1  as shown in  FIG. 1 . The intermediate frame  22  can be coupled with the supports  14  and can support the deck  24  thereon as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The deck  24  can include a head portion  28 , a seat portion  30 , and a foot portion  32 . The head portion  28 , the seat portion  30 , and the foot portion  32  can be movably coupled with each other and/or the intermediate frame  22 . 
     The sound conditioning system  18  can be coupled to the lower frame  12  as shown in  FIG. 1  and can be represented by a block diagram as shown in  FIG. 2 . It should be appreciated that the sound conditioning system  18  can also be coupled to other portions of the person-support apparatus  10 , such as, the endboards EB 1  and/or the siderails  26 . The sound conditioning system  18  can be configured to reduce or eliminate unwanted sounds. The unwanted sound can be any sound produced within and/or outside the room the person-support apparatus  10  is located in that the person finds unpleasant or upsetting, such as, for example, the operating sound of air conditioners, fans, ECG machines, talking, foot traffic and/or automobile traffic, and/or various other sounds. 
     The sound conditioning system  18  can reduce or eliminate the unwanted sounds by actively controlling (canceling) and/or masking the unwanted sound. In one illustrative embodiment, the sound conditioning system  18  can mask the unwanted sound by generating a natural or an artificial sound that can be added to the environment to reduce or eliminate a person&#39;s awareness of preexisting sounds in a given area. In one illustrative embodiment, the sound conditioning system  18  can generate white noise. In another illustrative embodiment, the sound conditioning system  18  can generate ocean sounds, summer night sounds, rain or storm sounds, rain forest sounds, waterfall sounds, heartbeat sounds, or other sounds. It should be appreciated that masking unwanted sounds can result in enhanced relaxation and/or can sooth the patient to induce sleep. 
     In another illustrative embodiment, the sound conditioning system  18  can actively control (cancel) the unwanted sound by generating a sound wave with the same amplitude but with inverted phase to the unwanted sound. The combination of the sound wave from the sound generating device and the unwanted sound forms a new sound wave. Since the phase of the sound wave from the sound generating device is inverted compared to phase of the unwanted sound, the sound wave from the sound generating device interferes with that of the unwanted sound and they effectively cancel each other out, i.e, phase cancellation. The resulting sound wave may be so faint as to be inaudible to human ears. It should be appreciated that in some cases the frequency and amplitude of unwanted sounds can be already known, while in other cases the frequency and amplitude of the original sound can be unknown. 
     The sound conditioning system  18  can include at least one sensor  34 , a user interface  36 , and a sound generating device  38 , and a controller  40 . The at least one sensor  34  can be coupled to the upper frame  16  and can be configured to sense ambient sounds. It should be appreciated that the at least one sensor  34  can be coupled to the supports  14 , the lower frame  12 , the siderails  26 , the endboards EB 1 , on equipment (not shown), or anywhere in the hospital room. In one illustrative embodiment, the at least one sensor  34  is a microphone. 
     The user interface  36  can be configured to receive inputs from a user corresponding to a desired operation of the sound conditioning system  18 . It should be appreciated that the user interface  36  can also be configured to control the functions of the person-support apparatus  10  and/or other equipment present in the room. In one illustrative embodiment, the user interface  36  can be configured to allow a user to activate/deactivate the sound conditioning system  18 , select a sound conditioning mode, i.e, masking and/or canceling, and/or the type of sound, volume, tone etc. to be generated by the sound conditioning system  18 . 
     The user interface  36  can be connected to the person-support apparatus  10  via a wired or wireless connection, and/or can be coupled to at least one of the endboards EB 1 , the siderails  26 , a head wall unit (not shown), or other devices or surfaces. The user interface  36  can include a display screen  44  and a plurality of buttons  46 . It should be appreciated that the user interface  36  can be a membrane screen interface or touch screen interface. It should also be appreciated that the user interface  36  can include only buttons  46 . In one illustrative embodiment, the user interface  36  can be a pendant (not shown). In another illustrative embodiment, the user interface  36  can be a touch screen or membrane screen device, such as, for example, a capacitive touch screen configured to light up only the buttons you should press (as opposed to all of the buttons behind the screen). In yet another illustrative embodiment, the user interface  36  can be integrated into a mattress replacement system (not shown) in an endboard EB 1 . In still another illustrative embodiment, the user interface  36  can be integrated into a headwall (not shown). 
     The sound generating device  38  can include an amplifier  48  and a speaker  50 . The amplifier  48  can be in communication with the controller  40  and can receive signals from the controller  40  to be output through the speaker  50 . The speaker  50  can be electrically coupled to the amplifier  48  and can cooperate with the amplifier  48  to generate an audible output configured to mask and/or cancel the undesirable sounds. In one illustrative embodiment, there can be more than one speaker  50  and the speakers  50  can be positioned symmetrically about the head of the occupant, i.e., the distance from a first speaker  50  to the occupant&#39;s first ear is about the same as the distance from a second speaker  50  to the occupant&#39;s second ear. In another illustrative embodiment, the speakers  48  can be positioned in the siderails  28 . In yet another illustrative embodiment, the speakers  48  can be headphones (not shown) that can connect to the sound conditioning system  18  through a connector (not shown) and/or wirelessly. It should be appreciated that the headphones can also be earphones or earbuds. 
     The controller  40  can be placed on at least one of the siderails  26 , the user interface  36 , and/or a mattress replacement system (not shown) in the endboards EB 1 . The controller  40  can be operatively coupled with the at least one sensor  34 , the user interface  36  and the sound generating device  38 . The controller  40  can be configured to receive input signals from the at least one sensor  34  and store them in a memory device  42  that can be integrated into the controller  40 . The controller  40  can control the sound generating device  38  as a function of the inputs from the at least one sensor  34  in response to inputs from the user interface  36 . It should be appreciated that at least one controller  40  can be integrated into the user interface  36  and/or the sound generating device  38 . It should also be appreciated that the controller  40  can be in communication with a hospital network (not shown) or nurse call system (not shown) and can receive inputs there from to control operation of the sound conditioning system  18 . It should further be appreciated that the controller can be configured to control other functions of the person-support apparatus  10 , such as, for example, actuating the lift mechanisms  14  to raise and lower the upper frame  16  with respect to the lower frame  12 , articulate portions of the deck  24 , monitor the position of a person on the person-support apparatus  10 , as well as various other functions. 
     In one illustrative embodiment, the controller  40  can execute control logic  52  stored in the memory device  42  to control the operation of the sound conditioning system  18 . In one illustrative embodiment, the control logic  52  can be illustrated by a flowchart shown in  FIG. 4 . The control logic  52  can include operations/conditionals  54 ,  56 ,  58 ,  60 ,  62 ,  64 ,  66 ,  68 , and  70 . The control logic can begin with operation  54  in which the user interface  36  prompts the user to indicate which mode of operation (i.e., the sound canceling mode and/or the sound masking mode) is desired, and/or whether the volume, tone, etc. of a sound being output by the sound conditioning system  18  should be modified. The user input  36  can generate a user input signal corresponding to the user&#39;s input. 
     In conditional  56 , the controller  40  can receive a first input signal from the user interface  36  and determine what mode the user selected and/or whether the volume, tone, etc. of a sound being output by the sound conditioning system  18  should be modified. If the controller  40  determines that the user selected the masking mode, the controller  40  proceeds to operation  58 . If the controller  40  determines at the user selected the canceling mode, the controller  40  proceeds to operation  60 . If the controller  40  determines at the user indicated that the volume, tone, etc. should be modified, the controller  40  proceeds to operation  62 . It should be appreciated that the user can indicate that they want to utilize both the sound masking and canceling features simultaneously. 
     In operation  58 , the user interface  36  prompts the user to indicate what type of sound they would like to use to mask the unwanted sound. 
     In operation  64 , the controller  40  receives the user input signal from the user interface indicating what sound they would like to use to mask the unwanted noise. The controller  40  retrieves the desired sound signal from the memory device  42  and communicates the sound signal through the amplifier  48  to the speaker  50  to generate the audio signal. 
     In operation  60 , the sensors  34  can sense the undesired sound and communicates an undesired sound signal to the controller  40 . 
     In operation  66 , the controller  40  can receive the undesired sound signal from the sensors and invert the phase of the undesired sound signal. 
     In operation  68 , the controller  40  can communicate the inverted phase undesired sound signal through the amplifier  48  to the speaker  50  to generate the inverted phase undesired sound, which, when combined with the undesired sound (non-inverted phase), can reduce or effectively eliminate the undesired sound. 
     In operation  62 , the controller  40  can increase/decrease the volume, tone, etc. of an audio signal being generated by the sound conditioning system  18  as a function of the user&#39;s input. 
     Many other embodiments of the present disclosure are also envisioned. For example, a person-support apparatus comprises a frame, a sound generating device, a user interface, and a controller. The sound generating device is configured to generate an audible sound. The user interface is configured to receive an input from a user. The input corresponds to at least one of a sound conditioning system mode and an audible sound adjustment. The controller is electrically coupled to the sound generating device and the user interface. The controller is configured to control the operation of the sound generating device in accordance with the input from the user interface. 
     In another example, a person-support apparatus comprises a frame, a sound generating device, a user interface and a controller. The sound generating device is positionable on a person&#39;s head proximate the person&#39;s ears and configured to generate an audible signal. The user interface is configured to receive an input from a user. The controller is operably coupled to the sound generating device and the user interface. The controller is configured to control the operation of the sound generating device in accordance with the input from the user interface. 
     In yet another example, a person-support apparatus comprises a frame, a sound generating device, a user interface and a controller. The sound generating device is configured to generate an audible signal. The graphical user interface is configured to receive an input from a user. The input corresponds to at least one of a sound conditioning system mode and a audible signal adjustment. The controller is electrically coupled to the sound generating device and the user interface. The controller is configured to control the operation of the sound generating device in accordance with the input from the user interface. 
     Any theory, mechanism of operation, proof, or finding stated herein is meant to further enhance understanding of principles of the present disclosure and is not intended to make the present disclosure in any way dependent upon such theory, mechanism of operation, illustrative embodiment, proof, or finding. It should be understood that while the use of the word preferable, preferably or preferred in the description above indicates that the feature so described can be more desirable, it nonetheless can not be necessary and embodiments lacking the same can be contemplated as within the scope of the disclosure, that scope being defined by the claims that follow. 
     In reading the claims it is intended that when words such as “a,” “an,” “at least one,” “at least a portion” are used there is no intention to limit the claim to only one item unless specifically stated to the contrary in the claim. When the language “at least a portion” and/or “a portion” is used the item can include a portion and/or the entire item unless specifically stated to the contrary. 
     It should be understood that only selected embodiments have been shown and described and that all possible alternatives, modifications, aspects, combinations, principles, variations, and equivalents that come within the spirit of the disclosure as defined herein or by any of the following claims are desired to be protected. While embodiments of the disclosure have been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same are to be considered as illustrative and not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Additional alternatives, modifications and variations can be apparent to those skilled in the art. Also, while multiple inventive aspects and principles can have been presented, they need not be utilized in combination, and various combinations of inventive aspects and principles are possible in light of the various embodiments provided above.