PERSONAL ALARM SYSTEM FOR OBTAINING ASSISTANCE FROM REMOTE RECIPIENTS

• US 20090160641A1
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Celphinder Technologies Incorporated, International Health Technology Company, LLC
• Original Assignee: Celphinder Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: STANNERS, Sydney Devlin, FUNG, Kam Keung
• Granted Patent: US 7,928,851 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.130
• 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

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A personal alarm system comprising:

a cell phone for transmitting a signal to at least one recipient, the cell phone including a user interface for programming the at least one recipient'"'"'s contact information and situational information and user-programmable memory for storing the contact information and situational information; and

a triggering key for transmitting a signal to the cell phone to cause the cell phone to transmit the signal to the recipient, the signal including the situational information.

22. The personal alarm system as in claim 21 wherein user interface is used to add addressing information to the user-programmable memory to be sent as part of the signal to be transmitted to the recipient for advising the recipient where to look up the particular information or data.

23. A personal alarm system as in claim 21 wherein the user interface includes programming keys for entering the recipient'"'"'s contact information and the situational information.

24. A personal alarm system as in claim 21 wherein the cell phone includes GPS capabilities for including locator information in the signal transmitted to the recipient.

25. A personal alarm system as in claim 21 wherein the user interface is programmed to cause the cell phone to transmit the signal to at least one additional recipient.

26. A personal alarm system as in claim 21 wherein the triggering key includes a timer for automatically triggering a transmission to the recipient from the cell phone if the user does not activate the triggering key.

27. A personal alarm system as in claim 21 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.

28. A personal alarm system as in claim 27 where the detectable substances are substances which would be deleterious to the user when present in the user'"'"'s local environment.

29. A personal alarm system as in claim 21 wherein the triggering key includes an attitude sensor for automatically triggering the cell phone when a user wearing the triggering key is prone or semi-prone.

30. A personal alarm system as in claim 21 wherein the triggering key and the cell phone each include a Bluetooth™

chip for allowing the triggering key to remotely activate the cell phone.

31. A personal alarm system as in claim 21 wherein the triggering key controls the cell phone by first determining the cell phone'"'"'s on/off state, switching on the cell phone if necessary and then causing the cell phone to transmit the signal to the recipient.

32. A personal alarm system as in claim 21 wherein the user interface includes programming keys for programming rules under which the cell phone will transmit the signal.

33. A personal alarm system as in claim 21 wherein the cell phone and the triggering key each include transceivers and the triggering key includes a test button, the transceivers and test button for allowing a user to send a test signal from the triggering key to the cell phone for determining if the cell phone is within an effective range of the triggering key.

34. A personal alarm system as in claim 21 wherein the triggering key includes an encoder for securely encoding a triggering signal prior to sending it to the cell phone and the cell phone includes a decoder for decoding the encoded triggering signal.

35. A personal alarm system for transmitting a signal from a user to at least one recipient comprising:

a communication device for transmitting the signal to the at least one recipient; and

a triggering key for transmitting a triggering signal to the cell phone to cause the communication device to transmit the signal to the at least one recipient, the triggering key including a user interface for programming the at least one recipient'"'"'s contact information and situational information and a user programmable memory for storing the contact information and the situational information and the triggering signal including the recipient'"'"'s contact information and the situational information.

36. The personal alarm system as in claim 35 wherein the user interface includes a speaker for allowing the recipient to communicate directly with the user.

37. The personal alarm system as in claim 35 wherein the user interface includes a speaker and a microphone for allowing the recipient and the user to communicate.

38. The personal alarm system as in claim 35 wherein the user interface is used to add addressing information to the user-programmable memory to be sent as part of the signal to be transmitted to the recipient for advising the recipient where to look up the particular information or data.

39. A personal alarm system as in claim 35 wherein the user interface includes programming keys for entering the recipient'"'"'s contact information and the situational information.

40. A personal alarm system as in claim 35 wherein the communication device includes GPS capabilities for including locator information in the signal transmitted to the recipient.

41. A personal alarm system as in claim 35 wherein the user interface is programmed to cause the communication device to transmit the signal to at least one additional recipient.

42. A personal alarm system as in claim 35 wherein the triggering key includes a timer for automatically triggering a transmission to the recipient if the user does not activate the triggering key.

43. A personal alarm system as in claim 35 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.

44. A personal alarm system as in claim 43 wherein the detectable substances are substances which would be deleterious to the user when present in the user'"'"'s local environment.

45. A personal alarm system as in claim 35 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.

46. A personal alarm system as in claim 35 wherein the triggering key and the communication device each include a Bluetooth™

chip for allowing the triggering key to remotely activate the communication device.

47. A personal alarm system as in claim 35 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.

48. A personal alarm system as in claim 35 wherein the user interface includes programming keys for entering programming rules for determining when the interface module will activate the communication device.

49. A personal alarm system as in claim 35 wherein the communication device and the triggering key each include transceivers and the triggering key includes a test button, the transceivers and test button for allowing a user to send a test signal from the triggering key to the communication device for determining if the communication device is within an effective range of the triggering key.

50. A personal alarm system as in claim 35 wherein the triggering key includes an encoder for securely encoding a triggering signal prior to sending it to the communication device and the communication device includes a decoder for decoding the encoded triggering signal.