Device, system and method for confidentially communicating a security alert

• US 20090264093A1
• Filed: 04/16/2008
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LMR Inventions, L.L.C. (Leigh M. Rothschild)
• Original Assignee: LMR Inventions, L.L.C. (Leigh M. Rothschild)
• Inventors: Rothschild, Leigh M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.200
• 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 25/005 Alarm destination chosen according to a hierarchy of available destinations, e.g. if hospital does not answer send to police station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A device, system and method for confidentially communicating a security alert to a monitoring service or other entity are provided. A mobile device of the present disclosure, e.g., a cellular phone, GSM phone, media player, personal digital assistant (PDA), etc., will enable a user to send a security alert or emergency communication to another party, e.g., an alerting such a monitoring service, where the user can accomplish this alert without letting anyone know that they are sending the alert so that the user does not put themselves in further danger by alerting the perpetrator of the crime to the alert. Moreover, the user will be able to send the monitoring service information on the nature of the alert including a geographic location of the user.

Claims

1. A mobile device for communicating an alert, the device comprising:

a housing;

a trigger module operative to receive a trigger signal from a user of the mobile device;

a storage module operative to store at least one contact;

a processing module operative to receive the trigger signal and, upon receipt of the trigger signal, to access the storage module to retrieve the at least one contact; and

a communication module operative to communicate an alert to the at least one contact.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising at least one input key disposed on the housing operative to generate the trigger signal.

3. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the trigger signal is generated in response to a predetermined combination of the at least one input key.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a peripheral device located remotely from the housing operative to generate the trigger signal.

5. The mobile device of claim 4, wherein the peripheral device is wirelessly coupled to the mobile device.

6. The mobile device of claim 4, wherein the peripheral device is a wireless headset.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a microphone operative to receive a voice commend and generate the trigger signal therefrom.

8. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the microphone is disposed in a wireless headset coupled to the mobile device.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the storage module stores the at least one contact in a predetermined order for attempting communication therewith.

10. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the communication module is operative to receive confirmation that the alert has been sent.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, furthering comprising a vibration module to vibrate the device upon confirmation of the alert.

12. The mobile device of claim 10, furthering comprising a light module to indicate confirmation of the alert.

13. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the communication module is operative to receive confirmation that the alert has been sent and to send the confirmation of the alert to the wireless headset for annunciation to the user.

14. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the alert includes at least one of an identifier, a telephone number of the user and at least one prestored message from the storage module.

15. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a locational information module operative to determine a geographic location of the mobile device, wherein the communicated alert include the determined geographic location.

16. A system for communicating an alert comprising:

a mobile device comprising;

a housing;

a trigger module operative to receive a trigger signal from a user of the mobile device;

a storage module operative to store an address of at least one server;

a processing module operative to receive the trigger signal and, upon receipt of the trigger signal, to access the storage module to retrieve the address of at least one server; and

a communication module operative to communicate an alert to the at least one server;

the at least one server configured for receiving the alert from the mobile device along with an identifier and for retrieving information relating to a user of the mobile device based on the identifier; and

a communications network for coupling the mobile device to the at least one server.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the identifier is a phone number of the mobile device.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the retrieved information includes an address of the user, special medical conditions of the user, and designated persons to be contacted.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least on server sends commands to the mobile device for controlling the mobile device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the commands include turn on/off a microphone of the mobile device, turn on/off a speaker of the mobile device, and capture an image or images including video via a capture module of the mobile device.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the mobile device further comprises at least one input key disposed on the housing operative to generate the trigger signal.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the trigger signal is generated in response to a predetermined combination of the at least one input key.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the mobile device further comprises a peripheral device located remotely from the housing operative to generate the trigger signal.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the peripheral device is wirelessly coupled to the mobile device.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the peripheral device is a wireless headset.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein the mobile device further comprises a microphone operative to receive a voice commend and generate the trigger signal therefrom.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the microphone is disposed in a wireless headset coupled to the mobile device.

28. The system of claim 16, wherein the mobile device further comprises a locational information module operative to determine a geographic location of the mobile device, wherein the communicated alert include the determined geographic location.