Personal safety accessory device

• US 20090289763A1
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Timekeeping Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Timekeeping Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Chriss, Dean M., Markwitz, Barry J.
• Application Number:
  US12/154,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20090289763A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/7.500
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/025 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses absence of reply signal after an elapsed time
• 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 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

A personal safety accessory device that is worn or carried by the user along with a communication device, such as a cellular telephone, is disclosed. In an emergency situation, the personal safety accessory device is actuated causing the accessory device to emit a short range radio frequency signal that is received by the communication device which attempts to establish a connection to a predetermined address. If a connection is established, the communication device transmits a message, which may consist of voice and/or data to the predetermined address. The connection may be automatically terminated after successful transmission of the message or the connection may remain intact until it is manually terminated. If the connection is not successfully established, the communication device will repeatedly attempt to establish the connection until it is successfully established or the connection has been manually terminated. Alternatively, the communication device will attempt to sequentially establish a connection to a predetermined list of addresses in order to transmit a message, which may consist of voice and/or data, to same.

Claims

1. ) A personal alert safety system comprising a personal safety accessory device capable of producing an output signal, a wireless device actuatable by said output signal produced by said personal safety accessory device and transmitting a wireless notification in response thereto, a receiving device having means responsive to said wireless notification, and means for transmitting said wireless notification produced by said wireless device to said receiving device.

2. ) The system as defined in claim 1 wherein said wireless device is a cellular telephone or other device having cellular telephone communication capabilities and said transmitting means comprises a cellular telephone network.

3. ) The system as defined in claim 1 wherein said wireless device is a cellular telephone or other device having cellular telephone communication capabilities and said transmitting means comprises a cellular telephone network and a landline-based telephone network.

4. ) The system as defined in claim 1 wherein said wireless device is a cellular telephone or other device having Wi-Fi communication capabilities and said transmitting means comprises a Wi-Fi network.

5. ) The system as defined in claim 1 wherein said wireless device is a cellular telephone or other device having Wi-Fi communication capabilities and said transmitting means comprises a Wi-Fi network and the Internet.

6. ) The system as defined in claim 1 further including a computer device which processes said wireless notification and transmits commands to said receiving device in response thereto.

7. ) The system as defined in claim 6 wherein said receiving device comprises various types of peripheral equipment.

8. ) A personal alert safety system comprising a personal safety accessory device capable of producing an output signal, a wireless device actuatable by said output signal produced by said personal safety accessory device and producing a synthesized voice message signal in response thereto, means responsive to said synthesized voice message signal, and means for transmitting said synthesized voice message signal to said synthesized voice message signal responsive means.