Apparatus and method for sending emergent rescue signal using mobile communication terminal

• US 20020173328A1
• Filed: 05/14/2002
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Min, Kyung-Moo
• Granted Patent: US 7,224,955 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/521
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72424 with manual activation of emergency-service functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

An apparatus and method for sending an emergent rescue signal using a mobile communication terminal can perform its operation as follows. A rescue requester requests emergent rescue using a mobile communication terminal and an emergent rescue center which received the emergent rescue-requesting checks an approximate position of the rescue requester, and dispatches an emergent rescuer to the position. The emergent rescuer who arrived the approximate position of the rescue requester sends a remote control signal to the mobile communication terminal of the rescue requester so that the mobile communication terminal can send an emergent rescue signal. Then, the mobile communication terminal sends the emergent rescue signal according to the received remote control signal so that the emergent rescuer can rapidly detect an exact location of the rescue requester.

Claims

1. An apparatus for sending an emergent rescue signal using a mobile communication terminal, comprising:

a keypad having a rescue requesting button;

a modem unit for requesting emergent rescue according to adjustment of the rescue requesting button and controlling sending of an emergent rescue signal according to a remote control signal received from an emergent rescuer; and

an emergency rescue signal sending unit for sending the emergent rescue signal for detecting an exact position of a rescue requester according to control of the modem unit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rescue requesting button can use a button between a conventional button additionally having a rescue requesting function and an additional button of the rescue requesting function.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the emergent rescue signal sending unit includes:

an ultrasonic wave module for generating an ultrasonic signal for detecting the exact position of the rescue requester, according to controlling of the modem unit; and

a power supply unit for supplying a power to the ultrasonic wave module according to the controlling of the modem unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the power supply unit includes:

a transistor which is turned on or off, according to controlling of the modem unit; and

a PMOS transistor for supplying a power source to the ultrasonic wave module according to an output voltage of the transistor.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the ultrasonic wave module includes:

an oscillator for oscillating a signal of a predetermined frequency;

a counter for dividing the frequency signal oscillated from the oscillator into a predetermined number of different division ratios;

a multiplexer for multiplexing the predetermined number of counting signals outputted from the counter;

a pre-amplifying unit for amplifying the multiplexed signal using the predetermined number of pre-amplifiers having different amplifying gain;

an analog switch for selectively outputting a signal among the signals outputted from the pre-amplifying unit;

a power amplifier for amplifying the power of the signal outputted from the analog switch, and outputting the power-amplified signal to a speaker; and

a micro-computer for controlling multiplexing of the counting signal and controlling the analog switch, according to controlling of the modem unit.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the emergency rescue signal sending unit includes:

a power supply unit for supplying a power to a flash according to controlling of the modem unit;

a blink control unit for blinking the flash by turning on or off the power applied to the power supply unit at a predetermined time interval; and

a charge detection unit for detecting a charge voltage of the blink control unit and controlling the blink control unit and modem unit according to the detection result.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the power supply unit includes:

a transistor which is turned on or off, according to controlling of the modem unit; and

a PMOS transistor for supplying the power applied by the blink control unit to the flash, according to an output voltage of the transistor.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the blink control unit includes:

a charge circuit having a capacitor and a relay for charging and discharging the capacitor according to controlling of the charge detection unit.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the charge detection unit includes:

a comparator for comparing the charge voltage of the capacitor in the blink control unit and a reference voltage, and outputting a signal of high level into the blink control unit and modem unit, when the charge voltage is higher than the reference voltage.

10. An apparatus for sending an emergent rescue signal using a mobile communication terminal, comprising:

a keypad for inputting rescue requesting from a rescue requester;

a modem unit for requesting emergent rescue according to the input of the rescue requesting and controlling sending of an ultrasonic signal according to a remote control signal received from an emergent rescuer;

an ultrasonic wave module for generating an ultrasonic signal to detect an exact location of the rescue requester, according to controlling of the modem unit; and

a power supply unit for supplying a power to the ultrasonic wave module according to the controlling of the modem unit.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the power supply unit includes:

a transistor which is turned on or off, according to controlling of the modem unit; and

a PMOS transistor for supplying a power to the ultrasonic wave module according to an output voltage of the transistor.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the ultrasonic wave module includes:

an oscillator for oscillating a signal of a predetermined frequency;

a counter for dividing the frequency signal oscillated from the oscillator into a predetermined number of different division ratios;

a multiplexer for multiplexing the predetermined number of counting signals outputted from the counter;

a pre-amplifying unit for amplifying the multiplexed signal using the predetermined number of pre-amplifier having different amplifying gain;

an analog switch for selectively outputting a signal among the signals outputted from the pre-amplifying unit;

a power amplifier for amplifying the power of the signal outputted from the analog switch, and outputting the power-amplified signal to a speaker; and

a micro-computer for controlling multiplexing of the counting signal and controlling the analog switch, according to controlling of the modem unit.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the power supply unit includes:

a transistor which is turned on or off, according to controlling of the modem unit; and

a PMOS transistor for supplying a power to the flash according to an output voltage of the transistor.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the blink control unit includes:

a charge circuit having a capacitor and a relay for charging and discharging the capacitor according to controlling of the charge detection unit.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the charge detection unit includes:

a comparator for comparing the charge voltage of the capacitor in the blink control unit and a reference voltage and outputting a signal of high level into the blink control unit and modem unit when the charge voltage is higher than the reference voltage.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of sending the emergent rescue signal includes the steps of:

receiving a password from the emergent rescuer;

checking whether the received password is identical with a password included in the emergent rescue signal; and

sending an emergent rescue signal according to the received password when the received password is identical with the sent password.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the emergent rescue signal is one between an ultrasonic signal and flash blink signal.

13. An apparatus for sending an emergent rescue signal using a mobile communication terminal, comprising:

a keypad for inputting a rescue requesting from a rescue requester;

a modem unit for requesting emergent rescue to a base station according to the input of the rescue requesting and controlling sending of a flash blink signal according to a remote control signal received from an emergent rescuer;

a power supply unit for supplying a power to a flash according to controlling of the modem unit;

a blink control unit for blinking the flash by turning on or off the power source supplied to the power supply unit at a predetermined time interval; and

a charge detection unit for detecting a charge voltage of the blink control unit and controlling the blink control unit and modem unit according to the detection result.

17. A method for sending an emergent rescue signal using a mobile communication terminal, comprising the steps of:

sending an emergent rescue-requesting signal from a rescue requester to an emergent rescue center, using a mobile communication terminal;

controlling the mobile communication terminal remotely by an emergent rescuer dispatched from the emergent rescue center so that the mobile communication terminal sends an emergent rescue signal;

sending the emergent rescue signal by the mobile communication terminal, according to the remote controlling of the emergent rescuer; and

detecting an exact position of the rescue requester using the emergent rescue signal.

20. A method for sending an emergent rescue signal using a mobile communication terminal, comprising the steps of:

receiving a remote control signal to control remotely sending of an emergent rescue signal in a mobile communication terminal from an emergent rescuer; and

sending an emergent rescue signal according to the remote control signal.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of sending an emergent rescue signal includes the steps of:

checking whether the received password is identical with that of the mobile communication terminal when an emergent rescue-requesting signal is sent; and

sending an emergent rescue signal according to the received password, when the received password is identical with the sent password.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the emergent rescue signal is one between an ultrasonic signal and flash blink signal.

23. A method for sending an emergent rescue signal using a mobile communication terminal, comprising the steps of:

requesting an emergent rescue using a mobile communication terminal from a rescue requester to an emergent rescue center;

transmitting a password for controlling remotely sending of ultrasonic signal of the mobile communication terminal by an emergent rescuer dispatched from the emergent rescue center;

checking whether the received password is identical with that of the mobile communication terminal when an emergent rescue-requesting signal is sent; and

sending an ultrasonic signal according to the received password, when the received password is identical with the sent password.

24. A method for sending an emergent rescue signal using a mobile communication terminal, comprising the steps of:

requesting emergent rescue using a mobile communication terminal from a rescue requester to an emergent rescue center;

transmitting a password for controlling remotely blinking of a flash of the mobile communication terminal by an emergent rescuer dispatched from the emergent rescue center;

checking whether the received password is identical with that of the mobile communication terminal when an emergent rescue-requesting signal is sent; and

blinking the flash for detecting an exact location of the rescue requester, when the received password and the sent password are identical.