PERSONAL SECURITY SYSTEM

• US 20120252399A1
• Filed: 04/05/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rave Wireless Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Rave Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Saito, Ghen, Desai, Rodger, Rishi, Raju
• Granted Patent: US 9,071,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/61 Time-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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 8/10 between location register and external networks

Abstract

A personal security system takes advantage of location determination capabilities of a mobile communication services to provide personal security features to one or more communities of users. One method includes a user initiating a security period from a mobile device and specifying an end condition for that security period. If the user does not terminate the security period, at the end of the security period a notification is sent with information characterizing the user and a location associated with the user.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A method for providing assistance to each of a plurality of users, each of said users being a member of a community, said method comprising:

receiving a communication from a mobile device associated with a distressed user from said plurality of users, said mobile device being configured to initiate a communication to a designated party associated with said community, displaying, to said designated party associated with said community, information characterizing said distressed user and a location associated with said mobile device, and sending a communication from said designated party associated with said community to said mobile device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving said communication comprises receiving a communication initiated by actuating a panic button on said mobile device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said information characterizing said distressed user comprises medical information associated with said distressed user.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said information characterizing said distressed comprises vital information associated with said distressed user.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein displaying information characterizing said distressed user occurs upon occurrence of an event.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein displaying information characterizing said distressed user occurs following lapse of a security period.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising receiving, from said distressed user, a length of said security period.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising providing a graphical user interface on said mobile device for receiving said length.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising providing a graphical user interface on said mobile device to enable said distressed user to prematurely terminate said security period.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising providing a graphical user interface on said mobile device for soliciting information required to prematurely terminate said security period.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein said community is a college having a campus.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said location of said mobile device is outside said campus.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising transmitting said information to a police department associated with said location of said mobile device.

31. The method of claim 18, wherein said designated member of said community comprises a member of a campus police department.

32. The method of claim 18, further comprising sharing, with a plurality of members of said community, information indicative of a location of said mobile device.

42. A manufacture comprising tangible and non-transitory computer-readable medium having encoded thereon software for causing a processing system to execute said method recited in claim 18.

33. A method of providing assistance to plural users, each of whom is a member of a different community, said method comprising monitoring, at a server, communication from mobile devices associated with users, each user being a member of one of a plurality of communities, each communication being indicative of an event initiated by a corresponding one of said users;

and determining that a first user is a member of a first community from said plurality of communities;

determining a first location reported by a first mobile device, said first mobile device being associated with said first user;

determining a second location reported by a second mobile device, said second mobile device being associated with said second user;

determining that a second user is a member of a second community from said plurality of communities, said second community being a community that is different from said first community from said plurality of communities;

displaying, to a party associated with said first community from said plurality of communities, information characterizing said first user and a location associated with said first user, displaying, to a party associated with said second community from said plurality of communities, information characterizing said second user and a location associated with said second user;

wherein said party associated with said first community causes initiation of communication with said first mobile device; and

wherein said party associated with said second community causes initiation of communication with said second mobile device.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said first and second locations are said same location.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein said party associated with said first community is a member of a first campus police department and said party associated with said second community is a member of a second campus police department.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein said information characterizing said second user comprises medical information associated with said second user.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein displaying information characterizing said first user occurs upon occurrence of an event.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein displaying information characterizing said first user occurs following lapse of a security period.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising receiving, from said first user, a length of said security period.

40. A system for providing assistance to each of a plurality of users, each of said users being a member of a community, said system comprising:

a communication server including a communication link to a location based server for obtaining location information associated with mobile devices for users belonging to a first community, wherein said communication server is configured to;

receive a communication from a mobile device, said mobile device belonging to a distressed user from said plurality of users;

display information to a designated party associated with said community, said information characterizing said distressed user and a location associated with said distressed user; and

a communication system for communicating with said first mobile device.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein said communication server is further configured to receive a communication initiated by said distressed user during a security period, and, in response, to send a notification with information characterizing said distressed user and a location associated with said distressed user.