Personal alerting apparatus and methods

• US 20030067386A1
• Filed: 10/05/2001
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Building Management Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Skinner, Davey N.
• Granted Patent: US 6,703,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42391 where the subscribers are hearing-impaired persons, e.g. telephone devices for the deaf

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for detecting the occurrence of an event and notifying a user of the event as well as the nature of the event. The user can be in practically any local or remote location relative to the location of the event. The user can establish criteria in accordance with which an alerting message is routed to any of various destinations which can be various types of communication devices monitored by the user. The user can also establish criteria in accordance with which the mode of the alerting message is presented to the user.

Claims

1. A personal alerting apparatus, comprising:

a sensor configured to detect an event, and further configured to transmit a signal in response to the event, wherein the event is selected from the group consisting of emergency event, operational event, and notification event; and

,

a communication device which is configured to receive the signal from the sensor and which is configured to, in response to receipt of the signal, alert the user as to nature of the event, wherein the communication device is selected from the group consisting of telephone, cellular phone, pager, mobile computer, personal computer, personal digital assistant, internet-enabled device, and watch device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising a controller which is configured to be connected in signal communication with the sensor and the communication device and which is further configured to route the signal, along with a message indicative of the event, to the communication device in response to the receipt of the signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, and wherein the controller can be configured to determine a mode of the message, and wherein the mode is selected from the group consisting of visual, audible, mechanical, and electrical sensory-based.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising a communication network which is configured carry the signal between the sensor and the communication device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, and wherein the communication network is selected from group consisting of pager network, telephone network, cellular telephone network, local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), ethernet system, satellite system, cable system (including analog, digital, and ISDN), Digital Subscriber Lines (“

DSL”

), and the Internet.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising:

a controller which is configured to be connected in signal communication with the sensor and the communication device, and which is further configured to route the signal, along with a message indicative of the event, to the communication device in response to the receipt of the signal; and

,

a communication network which is configured carry the signal and the message between the controller and the communication device.

7. The apparatus of claim 7, and wherein the controller can be configured to select the type of communication network to carry the signal and the message, and wherein the communication network is selected from group consisting of pager network, telephone network, cellular telephone network, local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), ethernet system, satellite system, cable system (including analog, digital, and ISDN), Digital Subscriber Lines (“

DSL”

), and the Internet.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, and wherein the controller can be configured to determine a mode of the message, and wherein the mode is selected from the group consisting of visual, audible, mechanical, and electrical sensory-based.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, and wherein:

the controller can be configured to select the type of communication network to carry the signal and the message, and wherein the communication network is selected from group consisting of pager network, telephone network, cellular telephone network, local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), ethernet system, satellite system, cable system (including analog, digital, and ISDN), Digital Subscriber Lines (“

DSL”

), and the Internet; and

,

the controller can be configured to determine a mode of the message, and wherein the mode is selected from the group consisting of visual, audible, mechanical, and electrical sensory-based.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, and further comprising an interface device which is configured to be connected in signal communication with the controller, wherein the interface device is employable to configure the controller with regard to selecting the type of communication network and determining the mode of the message.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 and wherein the user is a physically impaired person.

12. A personal alerting apparatus, comprising:

a first sensor configured to detect a first event, and further configured to transmit a first signal in response to the first event;

a second sensor configured to detect a second event, and further configured to transmit a second signal in response to the second event;

a first set of communication devices, wherein each of the first set of communication devices is configured to receive the first signal and the second signal; and

,

a second set of communication devices, wherein each of the second set of communication devices is configured to receive the first signal and the second signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, and further comprising:

a first controller which is configured to be connected in signal communication with the first sensors, and which is further configured to selectively route the first signal, along with a message indicative of the first event, to the first set of communication devices in response to the first signal; and

,

a second controller which is configured to be connected in signal communication with the second sensors, and which is further configured to selectively route the signal, along with a message indicative of the second event, to the second set of communication devices in response to the second signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, and wherein:

the first and second controllers are further configured to be connected in signal communication with one another;

the first controller is further configured to selectively route the first signal to the second controller; and

,

the second controller is further configured to receive the first signal from the first controller and to selectively route the first signal to the second set of communication devices.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, and further comprising:

a first communication network which is configured to carry the first signal between the first sensors and the first set of communication devices; and

,

a second communication network which is configured to carry the second signal between the second sensors and the second set of communication devices.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, and further comprising:

a first controller which is configured to be connected in signal communication with the first sensors, and which is further configured to selectively route the first signal, along with a message indicative of the first event, to the first set of communication devices in response to the first signal;

a second controller which is configured to be connected in signal communication with the second sensors, and which is further configured to selectively route the second signal, along with a message indicative of the second event, to the second set of communication devices in response to the second signal;

a first communication network which is configured to carry the first signal between the first sensors and the first set of communication devices; and

,

a second communication network which is configured to carry the second signal between the second sensors and the second set of communication devices; and

,

wherein;

the first and second controllers are further configured to be connected in signal communication with one another;

the first controller is further configured to selectively route the first signal to the second controller;

the second controller is further configured to receive the first signal from the first controller and selectively route the first signal to the second set of communication devices;

the first communication network is further configured to carry the first signal between the first controller and the second controller; and

,

the second communication network is further configured to carry the first signal between the first controller and the second controller.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, and wherein the first signal is routed by way of the first communication network.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, and wherein the first signal is routed by way of the first communication network and the second communication network.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, and wherein the first signal is routed by way of the second communication network.

20. A personal alerting method, comprising:

detecting the occurrence of an event;

transmitting a signal in response to the event;

generating a message indicative of the event in response to the signal;

routing the message in accordance with pre-established criteria;

determining the mode of the message in accordance with pre-established criteria.

21. A personal alerting apparatus, comprising an internet-enabled communication device configured to:

be worn about the wrist of the user;

receive alerting messages by way of a communication network; and

,

display the alerting message in a mode selectable by the user.