Abstract:
A monitoring system includes at least one detector having a housing which carries at least one ambient condition sensor. Control circuits carried by the housing are coupled to the sensor. A separate audio input transducer carried by the housing is coupled to the control circuits, wherein the circuits include signal processing circuits, coupled to the transducer. The signal processing circuits cancel predetermined audio received from the transducer and output a processed speech signal which is coupled to speech recognition circuitry. The speech recognition circuitry recognizes selected speech to implement predetermined functions.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The application pertains to ambient condition detectors such as smoke, gas detectors, or the like. More particularly, the application pertains to such detectors which incorporate noise cancelation circuits and speech recognition circuitry to detect incoming verbal commands which direct the unit to perform a predetermined function. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Smoke detector alarms may be triggered by cooking, incense, or other sources that are not dangerous. Often the smoke detector is on the ceiling and requires a ladder to reach. This is inconvenient and potentially dangerous. In addition, nothing is more annoying than going to bed and hearing a low battery chirp. 
         [0003]    Another problem is once a low battery chirp occurs, because it is so infrequent it is often very difficult to identify where the chip is coming from, particularly with multiple devices in a home or business. 
         [0004]    Silencing smoke detectors is currently done by pressing a button on the detector to mute the device for a period of time, or in some cases by a remote control. In all cases you need to either go to the device or find the remote to silence the alarm or low battery chirp. Often the quickest way to silence a false alarm is to open the case and remove the battery. Removing the battery is dangerous because if the battery is not replaced, no protection is provided. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an exemplary detector; and 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a system including a plurality of detectors as in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0007]    While disclosed embodiments can take many different forms, specific embodiments hereof are shown in the drawings and will be described herein in detail with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles hereof, as well as the best mode of practicing same, and is not intended to limit the claims hereof to the specific embodiment illustrated. 
         [0008]    Various embodiments of ambient condition detectors are discussed herein. Those of skill will understand that these are exemplary only and other types of ambient condition detectors come within the spirit and scope hereof. 
         [0009]    By adding speech recognition to a detector, a user can silence the detector quickly and easily with nothing more than their voice. By adding speech recognition to a smoke detector, or in the case of a detector that is part of a speech enabled security panel or control unit, the ability to mute sounds from a detector verbally from the security panel or voice enabled keypad would be simple, intuitive and very convenient. Being able to stop a low battery chip without getting out of bed would be a welcome feature. 
         [0010]    The speech recognition enabled smoke detector or security system could identify a key word such as “Hello Smoke Detector” to recognize a command is coming and eliminate false triggers. The device would recognize a number of commands and act on them such as: ‘Quiet’ to mute the device for a period of time. This time would vary based on the state of the smoke detector. For an alarm silence the mute would be for, say, 15 minutes. For a low battery chirp the mute would be for, say, 8 hours to allow a good night sleep. 
         [0011]    Other functions can include, ‘Find Low battery’ for a device having a low battery which could respond by rapid chirping so the device can be easily identified. Status or maintenance functions can also be implemented in noisy environments. 
         [0012]    One method of recognizing speech commands while an alarm is in process would be to use ‘noise cancellation’ circuitry or processing. For example, cancellation, or subtraction (using either analog or digital techniques) could be implemented to delete the alarm audio from the microphone input of the device. The known alarm signature would be eliminated or suppressed and not be processed by the speech recognition circuitry. Advantageously, this processing would allow detection of an individual&#39;s speech command even in the presence of a high decibel active alarm. Those of skill will understand that a variety of noise cancelation circuits and processes could be used without departing from the spirit and scope hereof. 
         [0013]    In the case of a speech enabled security system the same approach could be taken as above. In addition, since a microphone could be located near the alarm panel or near a speech enabled keypad and displaced from the smoke or gas detectors, the physical separation can be used to advantage. In this case an acoustic beam forming microphone array (two or more microphones) could be used to attenuate a high decibel alarm from one direction and the detector or system control unit could accept an individual&#39;s voice from a different location than the location where the alarm originated. 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary detector  10 . The components of detector  10  are carried by a housing  12  and include one or more ambient condition sensors  14  from a class that includes at least smoke, fire, gas, temperature, humidity, and motion sensors, all without limitation. Other types of sensors come within the spirit and scope hereof. 
         [0015]    Signals from sensors  14  are coupled to control circuits  16  which could be implemented in part with hard wired circuitry and in part with a programmable processor  16   a  and associated control software  16   b.    
         [0016]    Housing  12  also carries an audio input transducer, such as a microphone,  20 . Signals from microphone  20  can be coupled to signal processor  22  which can carry out noise canceling functions. Signal processor  22  could be implemented with hardwired circuitry in part and in part with a programmable processor and executable control software such as  16 , b. Processed audio can be coupled, via line  22   a  to speech recognition circuitry  24 . Output signals, from speech recognition circuitry  24 , indicative of commands or requests for a service as described above, can be coupled on line  24   a  to control circuits  16  for implementation. 
         [0017]    Detector  10 , in another embodiment can include an audio output device  18 , for example a speaker or a piezo based tonal output device. Device  18  can be driven by control circuits  16 , via signal path  18   a.  Additionally, this driving signal, for example an output voltage, can be coupled, via signal path  18   b,  as an input to signal processing circuitry  22 . In this configuration, signal processing circuitry  22  receives two audio inputs, audio from microphone  20 , and drive signals to output device  18 . Since signal processor  22  now has two inputs to use in carrying out a noise canceling function, incoming microphone voice, from a local user received at microphone  20 , can more accurately be separated from the ambient noise picked up by microphone  20  as well as audio output from device  18 , which might be synthetic speech or a tonal output than is the case where only a single input, from microphone  20  is available. 
         [0018]    Control circuits  16  can communicate, via communications circuits  28  with other detectors or with a system control unit via a wireless medium  28   a,  or, a wired medium  28   b  as would be understood by those of skill in the art. The detector  10  can be Internet enabled and via medium  28   a  can communicate using one or more computer networks with other similar detectors or system control units as discussed in more detail relative to  FIG. 2 . 
         [0019]    Those of skill will understand that a variety of hardware and/or software based devices can be used to implement the noise canceling signal processing circuitry  22 . All such variations come within the spirit and scope hereof. 
         [0020]    Those of skill will understand that a variety of hardware and/or software based devices can be used to implement the speech recognition circuitry  24 . All such variations come within the spirit and scope hereof. 
         [0021]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2  a plurality of detectors  10 - 1 , - 2  . . . -n each of which is substantially identical to the detector  10  can be installed in a region R being monitored. The detectors, such as  10 -I, can communicate wirelessly, directly with one another, or, internet I. A displaced system control unit  30  can be in communication with the detectors  10 -i via wired or wireless media such as internet I. 
         [0022]    The system control unit  30  can include and be coupled a local microphone  30   a.  A voice enabled keypad  32  also with a microphone  32   a  can be displaced from the control unit  30 . Either or both of control unit  30  and keypad  32  can include respective noise cancelation, and/or speech recognition circuits as at  30   b,    32   b.    
         [0023]    As described above, the two microphones can be used to attenuate high decibel audio, for example a fire alarm, from a detector such as  10 - 1  which is emitting non-speech audio so that speech identification circuitry in the unit  30  can determine an audible command or function request from an adjacent user U for purposes on controlling one or more of the detectors  10 -i. 
         [0024]    From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims. 
         [0025]    Further, logic flows depicted in the figures do not require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results. Other steps may be provided, or steps may be eliminated, from the described flows, and other components may be add to, or removed from the described embodiments.