Pacifier with onboard drop sensor and notifications

Abstract

A baby pacifier having a means to sense when it is dropped from an infant's mouth. The invention being comprised of a conventional, flexible pacifier with an onboard drop sensor therein. When the pacifier is dropped and contacts the ground or floor, the device senses the resulting vibration and sends a small audible sound along with a flash from a light emitting diode (LED) to notify the parent it has been dropped. Other embodiments of the invention can include different forms of notifications when they are droppedfor example, some can vibrate; some can activate when hearing a parents voice, a baby's cry, or to clapping. Still other embodiments allow parents to customize their own sound notifications when the device is dropped. An object of the invention is to minimize lost pacifiers by getting a parent's attention when the pacifier falls from an infant's mouth so they can recover it.

Claims

1. An infant pacifier comprised of the following main parts: (a) a rigid case; (b) a microcontroller; (c) a shock sensor; (d) a speaker; (e) an audible alarm; (f) a LED; (g) a battery; (h) a flexible nipple; and wherein said microcontroller and said shock sensor are configured to detect a bounce when said infant pacifier is dropped such that detecting the bounce generates an audible alert and a visual alert.

2. The infant pacifier of claim 1, wherein the rigid case having a waterproof and childproof lid.

3. The infant pacifier of claim 2, wherein the lid is configured to be removable.

4. The infant pacifier of claim 1, wherein the rigid case having a recess to receive said microcontroller, shock sensor, LED, and speaker.

5. A method for notifying when a pacifier is dropped, the method comprising: providing a pacifier having a rigid case, a microcontroller, a shock sensor, a speaker, an audible alarm, a LED, a battery and a flexible nipple; sensing a bounce when the pacifier drops; generating an audible alert and a visual alert after the shock sensor and microcontroller detect the pacifier drops.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the audible alert is emanated from the speaker.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the visual alert is emanated from said LED.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein generating the audio and visual alerts are activated for a specific timeframe.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate some, but not the only or exclusive, examples of embodiments and/or features.

(2) FIG. 1 showing a perspective view of the invention in use.

(3) FIG. 2 showing a front perspective view of the invention.

(4) FIG. 3 showing a rear perspective view of the invention.

(5) FIG. 4 showing a section view of the invention.

(6) FIG. 5 showing a view of the invention being used by an infant.

(7) Other aspects of the present invention shall be more readily understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and the following detailed description, neither of which should be considered limiting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

(8) In this description, the directional prepositions of up, upwardly, down, downwardly, front, back, top, upper, bottom, lower, left, right and other such terms refer to the device as it is oriented and appears in the drawings and are used for convenience only; they are not intended to be limiting or to imply that the device has to be used or positioned in any particular orientation.

(9) FIG. 1 showing the invention 2 being used by a toddler and illustrating how when the device is bounced it makes an audible alert. The sound can include but not limited to a boing sound, a bird chirp etc. In some embodiments, sounds can be programmed by a user or uploaded the device to accommodate sound files from the internet. Other embodiments of the invention can include different forms of notifications when they are droppedfor example, some can vibrate; some can activate when hearing a parents voice, a baby's cry, or to clapping. Still other embodiments allow parents to customize their own sound notifications when the device is dropped. FIGS. 2 and 3 showing a close-up perspective view of the invention 2 being comprised of a conventional pacifier with a recessed cavity inside to receive components (to be discussed in another figure) and receive front lid 4. Said invention pacifier being made of a flexible yet rigid material such as but not limited to rubber, silicone and the like. FIG. 4 showing section view of the invention with font lid 4, speaker 5, LED 6, and microcontroller 3 therein. Said microcontroller having but not being limited to: an onboard shock sensor, flash memory to store the audible sound and a replaceable batterysuch as but not limited to nickel hydride, lithium ion and the like. The speaker and LED operating for a period to include but not be limited to 30-60 seconds after a drop is detected. Said front lid 4 having a childproof and waterproof perimeter connection and being selectively removable to allow access to microcontroller 3 to replace said battery. Other embodiments of the invention may have but are not limited to vibrations, geo-location capabilities along with related software app for mobile devices. FIG. 5 showing an infant using the invention. The pacifier being used by a wide array of youngsters including but not limited to infants, babies, toddlers, young children and the like.

(10) It is additionally noted and anticipated that although the device is shown in its most simple form, various components and aspects of the device may be differently shaped or slightly modified when forming the invention herein. As such those skilled in the art will appreciate the descriptions and depictions set forth in this disclosure or merely meant to portray examples of preferred modes within the overall scope and intent of the invention, and are not to be considered limiting in any manner. While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the invention have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features of the invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.