Personal alarm system for obtaining assistance from remote recipients

• US 20030231115A1
• Filed: 03/11/2003
• Published: 12/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Health Technology Company, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sydney Devlin Stanners
• Inventors: Stanners, Sydney Devlin, Fung, Kam Keung
• Granted Patent: US 7,486,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/574
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/012 using recorded signals, e.g. speech G08B25/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

The present invention provides a personal alarm system including a communication device for transmitting a signal to a recipient such as a signal monitoring center or rescue or other emergency authorities. An interface module, including a user-programmable memory and a user interface, controls the communication device. A triggering key is used to activate the interface module in the case of an emergency, thereby causing the communication device to transmit a signal to the recipient.

Claims

1. A personal alarm system comprising:

a communication device for transmitting a signal to a recipient;

an interface module in operative communication with the communication device for controlling the communication device, the interface module having a user-programmable memory and a user interface; and

a triggering key in operative communication with the interface module for activating the interface module.

2. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the communication device is a cell phone for transmitting a signal to the recipient.

3. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the communication device is a radio for transmitting a radio signal to the recipient.

4. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the communication device is a beacon for transmitting a beacon to the recipient.

5. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the communication device is a personal digital assistant including radio transmitting capabilities for transmitting a radio frequency signal to the recipient.

6. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the communication device is a personal digital assistant including cellular transmitting capabilities for transmitting a cellular signal to the recipient.

7. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the communication device is a SMS System for transmitting an SMS signal to the recipient.

8. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the communication device includes the interface module for invoking all of the interface module functions in the communication device.

9. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the signal identifies the user and the user'"'"'s desire for attention at a user-defined location.

10. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the signal identifies the user and the user'"'"'s desire for the recipient to look up particular information or data.

11. A personal alarm system as in claim 10 wherein the signal includes the particular information or data.

12. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the interface module and the communication device respectively include a radio signal transmitter and a radio signal receiver for allowing the interface module to control the communication device.

13. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the interface module and the communication device respectively include a cellular signal transmitter and a cellular signal receiver for allowing the interface module to control the communication device.

14. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the communication device includes GPS capabilities for including locator information in the signal transmitted to the recipient.

15. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the interface module and the communication device respectively include a Bluetooth™

transmitter and a Bluetooth™

receiver for allowing the interface module to control the communication device.

16. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the interface module and the communication device respectively include an infrared transmitter and an infrared receiver for allowing the interface module to control the communication device.

17. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the user interface is programmed to cause the communication device to transmit the signal to at least one additional recipient.

18. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the interface module includes the triggering key for invoking the triggering key functions in the interface module.

19. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the interface module controls the communication device by first determining the communication device'"'"'s on/off state, switching on the communication device if necessary and then causing the communication device to transmit a signal to the recipient.

20. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the user interface includes at least one programming key for entering the recipient'"'"'s contact information.

21. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the user interface includes at least one programming key for entering the recipient'"'"'s contact information and the contact information for a further recipient.

22. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the programming keys are used for programming rules for determining when the interface module will control the communication device.

23. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the user interface includes a microphone and a recorder for storing a voice message for transmission by the communication device to the recipient, the message stored in the user-programmable memory.

24. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 including a data store at a location accessible by the recipient for storing user data for the recipient to retrieve upon receiving the signal, which signal includes addressing data or information pointing to the data store location.

25. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the interface module includes a backup power supply for providing sufficient power to the interface module and the communication device to transmit a signal to the recipient.

26. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the interface module includes GPS capabilities for transmitting locator information to the communication device for transmission to a recipient with the signal.

27. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the triggering key and the interface module respectively include a cellular signal transmitter and a cellular signal receiver for allowing the triggering key to remotely activate the interface module.

28. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the triggering key and the interface module respectively include a radio signal transmitter and a radio signal receiver for allowing the triggering key to remotely activate the interface module.

29. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the triggering key and the interface module respectively include a Bluetooth™

transmitter and a Bluetooth™

receiver for allowing the triggering key to remotely activate the interface module.

30. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the triggering key and the interface module respectively include an infrared transmitter and an infrared receiver for allowing the triggering key to remotely activate the interface module.

31. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the interface module and the triggering key each include transceivers and the triggering key includes a test button for allowing a user to send a test signal between the interface module and the triggering key for determining if the interface module is within an effective range of the triggering key.

32. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the triggering key includes an encoder for securely encoding a triggering signal for sending to the interface module and the interface module includes a decoder for decoding the triggering signal.

33. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the triggering key includes a transmitter and a button for activating the transmitter for remotely activating the interface module.

34. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the triggering key includes a timer for automatically triggering a transmission to the recipient if the user does not activate the triggering key.

35. A personal alarm system as in claim 34 wherein the triggering key includes a user interface for programming the timer for various time intervals.

36. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the triggering key includes sensors for detecting substances and a switch for automatically triggering the triggering key upon detection by the sensors of the substances.

37. A person alarm system as in claim 36 where the detectable substances are substances which would be deleterious to the user when present in the user'"'"'s local environment.

38. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the triggering key includes at least one additional triggering key for remotely activating the interface module.

39. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the triggering key includes an attitude sensor for automatically triggering the interface module when a user wearing the triggering key is prone or semi-prone.

40. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the triggering key is included within a wristwatch.

41. A personal alarm system as in claim 1 wherein the triggering key is included within jewellery worn by the user.

42. A personal alarm system comprising:

a cell phone for transmitting a signal to at least one recipient;

an interface module operatively connected to the cell phone for controlling the cell phone, the interface module having a user-programmable memory and a user interface for programming the recipient'"'"'s contact information and situational information; and

at least one triggering key in operative communication with the interface module for silently activating the interface module.