SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUTOMATED PERSONAL EMERGENCY RESPONSES

• US 20150022342A1
• Filed: 07/16/2013
• Published: 01/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwilli Rmr, LLC.
• Original Assignee: Russell E. Vandevanter
• Inventors: Will, Travis E., VanDevanter, Russell E., Myhre, Steven M., Myhre, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,396,645 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/521
• 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 1/00 Arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received correcting synchronisation H04L7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/00 Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers subscriber services or facilities provided at exchanges H04M3/00; prepayment telephone coin boxes H04M17/00; current supply arrangements H04M19/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/46 Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A personal emergency response system implemented as a conference bridge on a remote computing network. Upon receiving an alert from an individual in need of aid, a conference including audio and/or video connection is established. A predetermined list of parties is coupled to the conference, including friends, caregivers, medical professionals, emergency responders and others as stored in a configuration database specific to the individual via a web interface. The database record may also contain vital information about the individual, in additional to demographic data, location information, history and other factual information. Medical telemetry may be obtained in real-time and disseminated among the conference participants. Other parties may be dynamically joined to the conference as needed upon a conference participant utilizing DTMF codes or other means to request the others to join.

Claims

14. A computer-implemented method for responding to a personal emergency response system alarm event, the method comprising:

detecting an alarm event from a subscriber device;

ascertaining the nature of the alarm event based on a plurality of alarm event types;

triggering one or more responses to the alarm event, the one or more responses depending on the nature of the alarm event;

15. The computer-implemented method for responding to a personal emergency response system alarm event of claim 14, wherein the one or more responses comprise:

ascertaining a class based on the nature of the alarm event, the class comprising one or more parties;

giving notice to the one or more parties, the notice comprising instructions to join a conference network;

16. The computer-implemented method for responding to a personal emergency response system alarm event of claim 14, wherein the one or more responses comprise causing the subscriber device to provide navigation to a waypoint.

17. The computer-implemented method for responding to a personal emergency response system alarm event of claim 14, wherein the one or more responses comprise sending data to a subscriber device, the data comprising instructions to perform a task and to confirm that the task has been performed.

18. The computer-implemented method for responding to a personal emergency response system alarm event of claim 14, wherein the one or more responses comprise remotely interacting with an auxiliary device, the auxiliary device being accessible through a wireless network.

19. The computer-implemented method for responding to a personal emergency response system alarm event of claim 14, wherein the wireless network comprises a link between the auxiliary device and the subscriber device.

20. The computer-implemented method for responding to a personal emergency response system alarm event of claim 14, wherein the alarm event detected was triggered because instructions were transmitted to the subscriber device, and there exists an absence of timely confirmation that the instructions have been executed.

21. The computer-implemented method for responding to a personal emergency response system alarm event of claim 14, wherein the one or more responses are performed in a sequence, the sequence depending on the nature of the alarm event.

22. The computer-implemented method for responding to a personal emergency response system alarm event of claim 21, wherein the sequence comprises:

sending data to a subscriber device, the data comprising instructions to perform a task and to confirm that the task has been performed;

absent confirmation that the task has been performed, ascertaining a class based on the nature of the alarm event, the class comprising one or more parties, and

giving notice to the one or more parties, the notice comprising instructions to join a conference network.

23. The computer-implemented method for responding to a personal emergency response system alarm event of claim 15, wherein the notice is given in a sequence, the sequence comprising:

notifying a first party among the class;

subsequently notifying one or more parties among the class if the preceding one or more parties in the notice sequence do not timely join the conference network; and

escalating the alarm event if all of the one or more parties in the class fail to timely join the conference network, the escalation comprising notifying emergency dispatch.

24. The computer-implemented method for responding to a personal emergency response system alarm event of claim 15, wherein the one or more parties to the conference network are availed of means to give notice to one or more additional parties, the notice comprising instructions to join the conference network.

25. The computer-implemented method for responding to a personal emergency response system alarm event of claim 15, wherein the one or more parties to the conference network are availed of means to remotely interact with an auxiliary device, the auxiliary device being accessible through a wireless network comprising a link between the auxiliary device and the subscriber device.

26. The computer-implemented method for responding to a personal emergency response system alarm event of claim 14, wherein one or more auxiliary devices are accessible through a wireless network, and certain events associated with an auxiliary device will trigger an alarm event.

27. A computer-implemented method for managing care for a subscriber of a personal emergency response system, the method comprising:

registering a subscriber device, the subscriber device configured to enable two-way communications and data transmissions among one or more parties and the subscriber device;

designating a plurality of alarm event types; and

designating for each alarm event type, one or more responses to be triggered when an alarm event is detected, the one or more responses depending on the nature of the alarm event.

1. An automated personal emergency response system comprising:

an alarm server, the alarm server configured to detect alarm events from one or more subscriber devices, to ascertain the nature of an alarm event based on a plurality of alarm event types, and to trigger one or more responses to an alarm event, the one or more responses depending on the nature of the alarm event;

a response server, the response server configured to allow two-way communications and data transmissions among one or more parties and a subscriber device; and

a data warehouse, the data warehouse configured to store data in association with a subscriber device.

2. The automated personal emergency response system of claim 1, wherein the one or more responses comprise:

ascertaining a class based on the nature of the alarm event, the class comprising one or more parties; and

giving notice to the one or more parties, the notice comprising instructions to join a conference network.

3. The automated personal emergency response system of claim 1, wherein the one or more responses comprise causing the subscriber device to provide navigation to a waypoint.

4. The automated personal emergency response system of claim 1, wherein the one or more responses comprise sending data to a subscriber device, the data comprising instructions to perform a task and to confirm that the task has been performed.

5. The automated personal emergency response system of claim 1, wherein the one or more responses comprise remotely interacting with an auxiliary device, the auxiliary device being accessible through a wireless network.

6. The automated personal emergency response system of claim 5, wherein the wireless network comprises a link between the auxiliary device and the subscriber device.

7. The automated personal emergency response system of claim 1, wherein instructions are transmitted to a subscriber device, and an alarm event is triggered absent timely confirmation that the instructions have been executed.

8. The automated personal emergency response system of claim 1, wherein the one or more responses are performed in a sequence, the sequence depending on the nature of the alarm event.

9. The automated personal emergency response system of claim 8, wherein the sequence comprises:

sending data to a subscriber device, the data comprising instructions to perform a task and to confirm that the task has been performed;

absent confirmation that the task has been performed, ascertaining a class based on the nature of the alarm event, the class comprising one or more parties, and

giving notice to the one or more parties, the notice comprising instructions to join a conference network.

10. The automated personal emergency response system of claim 2, wherein the notice is given in a sequence, the sequence comprising:

notifying a first party among the class;

subsequently notifying one or more parties among the class if the preceding one or more parties in the notice sequence do not timely join the conference network; and

escalating the alarm event if all of the one or more parties in the class fail to timely join the conference network, the escalation comprising notifying emergency dispatch.

11. The automated personal emergency response system of claim 1, wherein the response server is further configured to enable a party to the conference network to give notice to one or more additional parties, the notice comprising instructions to join the conference network.

12. The automated personal emergency response system of claim 1, wherein the response server is further configured to enable a party to the conference network to remotely interact with an auxiliary device, the auxiliary device being accessible through a wireless network comprising a link between the auxiliary device and the subscriber device.

13. The automated personal emergency response system of claim 1, wherein one or more auxiliary devices are accessible through a wireless network, and certain events associated with an auxiliary device will trigger an alarm event.

28. The computer-implemented method for managing care for a subscriber of a personal emergency response system of claim 27, the method further comprising:

designating for one or more of the alarm event types, a class based on the nature of the alarm event, the class comprising one or more parties; and

wherein the one or more responses corresponding to the one or more of the alarm event types comprise giving notice to the one or more parties, the notice comprising instructions to join a conference network.

29. The computer-implemented method for managing care for a subscriber of a personal emergency response system of claim 27, the method further comprising:

designating for one or more of the alarm event types, a waypoint; and

wherein the one or more responses corresponding to the one or more of the alarm event types comprise causing the subscriber device to provide navigation to the waypoint.

30. The computer-implemented method for managing care for a subscriber of a personal emergency response system of claim 27, the method further comprising:

designating for one or more of the alarm event types, a task to be performed; and

wherein the one or more responses corresponding to the one or more of the alarm event types comprise sending data to the subscriber device, the data comprising instructions to perform the task and to confirm that the task has been performed.

31. The computer-implemented method for managing care for a subscriber of a personal emergency response system of claim 27, the method further comprising:

associating an auxiliary device with the subscriber device; and

wherein the one or more responses corresponding to the one or more of the alarm event types comprise remotely interacting with the auxiliary device, the auxiliary device being accessible through a wireless network.

32. The computer-implemented method for managing care for a subscriber of a personal emergency response system of claim 27, wherein the wireless network comprises a link between the auxiliary device and the subscriber device.

33. The computer-implemented method for managing care for a subscriber of a personal emergency response system of claim 27, the method further comprising:

designating a set of instructions to be transmitted to the subscriber device; and

designating for one or more of the alarm event types, an absence of timely confirmation that the instructions have been executed.

34. The computer-implemented method for managing care for a subscriber of a personal emergency response system of claim 27, the method further comprising designating for one or more of the alarm event types, a sequence by which to initiate the one or more responses.

35. The computer-implemented method for managing care for a subscriber of a personal emergency response system of claim 34, wherein the sequence comprises:

sending data to the subscriber device, the data comprising instructions perform a task and to confirm that the task has been performed; and

absent confirmation that the task has been performed, ascertaining a class based on the nature of the alarm event, the class comprising one or more parties, and

giving notice to the one or more parties, the notice comprising instructions to join a conference network.

36. The computer-implemented method for managing care for a subscriber of a personal emergency response system of claim 28, wherein the notice is given in a sequence, the sequence comprising:

notifying a first party among the class;

subsequently notifying one or more parties among the class if the preceding one or more parties in the notice sequence do not timely join the conference network; and

escalating the alarm event if none of the one or more parties in the class do not timely join the conference network, the escalation comprising notifying emergency dispatch.

38. The computer-implemented method for managing care for a subscriber of a personal emergency response system of claim 28, wherein upon having joined the conference network, the one or more parties are availed of means to give notice to one or more additional parties, the notice comprising instructions to join the conference network.

39. The computer-implemented method for managing care for a subscriber of a personal emergency response system of claim 28, wherein upon having joined the conference network, the one or more parties are availed of means to remotely interact with an auxiliary device, the auxiliary device being accessible through a wireless network comprising a link between the auxiliary device and the subscriber device.

40. A non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor in a computing system, causes the computing system to perform the computer-implemented method for responding to a personal emergency response system alarm event of claim 13.

41. A non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor in a computing system, causes the computing system to perform the computer-implemented method for managing care for a subscriber of a personal emergency response system of claim 27.

36-1. The computer-implemented method for managing care for a subscriber of a personal emergency response system of claim 27, the method further comprising:

associating an auxiliary device with the subscriber device;

designating for one or more of the alarm event types, a condition associated with the auxiliary device.