WEARABLE MULTI-PROTOCOL SAFETY DEVICE

• US 20170032659A1
• Filed: 02/18/2016
• Published: 02/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: 10Fifty, LLC
• Original Assignee: 10Fifty, LLC
• Inventors: Jordan, Cynthia K., Sarabia, Anne M., Motwani, Lajoo N., Rix, John F.
• Application Number:
  US15/047,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20170032659A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/004 Alarm propagated along alternative communication path or using alternative communication medium according to a hierarchy of available ways to communicate, e.g. if Wi-Fi not available use GSM
• 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 29/16 Security signalling or alarm systems, e.g. redundant systems

Abstract

A wearable device for personal protection is disclosed. The device comprises a mechanical housing, battery, electronic circuit, microphone, speaker, and communication hardware supporting a variety of network communications. The button is used for initiating a request for assistance. The device is capable of providing the user with a means of personal protection via initiating a request for assistance utilizing variations of network protocols to find a connection to a monitoring service via a plurality of network channels.

Claims

1. A personal protection device using network channels to send an alert message, the personal protection device comprising:

an alert button for an alert input initiation;

a microprocessor coupled to the alert button, the microprocessor receiving the alert input and generating an alert message; and

at least one transceiver coupled to the microprocessor for transmitting the alert message via at least one network channel.

2. The personal protection device of claim 1 wherein the personal protection device further comprises a wearable case optionally including a clip.

3. The personal protection device of claim 1 wherein the at least one transceiver comprises a first transceiver, a second transceiver and a third transceiver;

and

wherein at least one network channel comprises a first network channel, a second network channel and a third network channel.

4. The personal protection device of claim 3 wherein the first transceiver transmits the alert message via the first network channel, the second transceiver transmits the alert message via the second network channel and the third transceiver transmits the alert message via third network channel.

5. The personal protection device of claim 4 wherein the first network channel is a personal area networks (PAN) channel, the second network channel is a wireless local area network (WLAN) channel and the third network channel is a mesh network channel.

6. The personal protection device of claim 4 wherein the PAN channel is a Bluetooth channel, the WLAN channel is a Wi-Fi channel and the mesh network channel is a ZigBee Communications Protocol channel.

7. The personal protection device of claim 6 wherein the alert message is transmitted via the Bluetooth channel, the Wi-Fi channel and the ZigBee Communications Protocol channel concurrently or sequentially.

8. The personal protection device of claim 6, further including a microphone and speaker.

9. A method of transmitting alert message for personal protection, the method comprising:

generating an alert message at a wearable personal protection device;

coupling the wearable personal protection device to a monitoring service via at least one network channel; and

transmitting the alert message from the wearable personal protection device to the monitoring service via the at least one network channel or satellite.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one network channel comprises a first network channel, a second network channel and a third network channel.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the first network channel is a personal area networks (PAN) channel, the second network channel is a wireless local area network (WLAN) channel and the third network channel is a mesh network channel.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the PAN channel is a Bluetooth channel, the WLAN channel is a Wi-Fi channel and the mesh network channel is a ZigBee Communications Protocol channel.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the alert message is transmitted via the Bluetooth channel, the Wi-Fi channel and the ZigBee Communications Protocol channel concurrently or sequentially.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said alert message is generated by the wearer'"'"'s voice.

15. A method of transmitting alert messages via multiple network channels, the method comprising:

coupling a wearable personal protection device to a monitoring service via a plurality of network channels comprising at least a personal area networks (PAN) channel, a wireless local area network (WLAN) channel and a mesh network channel; and

transmitting an alert message from the wearable personal protection device to the monitoring service via at least one of the plurality of network channels or satellite.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the PAN channel is a Bluetooth channel, the WLAN channel is a Wi-Fi channel and the mesh network channel is a ZigBee Communications Protocol channel.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the alert message is transmitted via the Bluetooth channel, the Wi-Fi channel and the ZigBee Communications Protocol channel concurrently or sequentially.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the alert message is transmitted from the wearable personal protection device via the Bluetooth channel first;

wherein if the wearable personal protection device does not receive an alert response via the Bluetooth channel within a first time threshold, the alert message is retransmitted from the wearable personal protection device via the Bluetooth channel; and

wherein if the wearable personal protection device does not receive the alert response via the Bluetooth channel beyond the first time threshold, the alert message is retransmitted from the wearable personal protection device via the Wi-Fi channel.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the alert message is retransmitted from the wearable personal protection device via the Wi-Fi channel if the wearable personal protection device does not receive an alert response via the Wi-Fi channel within a second time threshold;

and

wherein if the wearable personal protection device does not receive the alert response via the Wi-Fi channel beyond the second time threshold, the alert message is retransmitted from the wearable personal protection device via the ZigBee Communications Protocol channel.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the alert message is retransmitted from the wearable personal protection device via the ZigBee Communications Protocol channel if the wearable personal protection device does not receive an alert response via the ZigBee Communications Protocol channel within a third time threshold;

and

wherein if the wearable personal protection device does not receive the alert response via the ZigBee Communications Protocol channel beyond the third time threshold, the alert message is retransmitted from the wearable personal protection device via the Bluetooth channel.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the alert message transmitted is a sound of the wearer'"'"'s voice.