EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION WITHIN AN ALARM COMMUNITY

• US 20170294109A1
• Filed: 06/19/2017
• Published: 10/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRezQ AB
• Original Assignee: iRezQ AB
• Inventors: Hilliges, Werner, Sjdin, Tor
• Granted Patent: US 10,037,681 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/08 with conversion into electric or magnetic values
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/043 detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• 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 25/018 Sensor coding by detecting magnitude of an electrical parameter, e.g. resistance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process of detecting if a handheld device (10) has been exposed to acceleration above a predetermined threshold by receiving a signal from an accelerometer (13) comprised in the handheld device and comparing the signal from the accelerometer with the predetermined threshold, and if the handheld device have been exposed to acceleration above the predetermined threshold sending, an alarm signal, via a wireless communication unit (16) comprised in the handheld device, to an alarm server, indicating that the handheld device has been subjected for an accident, the process being implemented as a program recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, the program being executed on the handheld device having processing capabilities.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program which when executed on a handheld device having processing capabilities is arranged for implementing:

detecting if the handheld device has been exposed to acceleration above a predetermined threshold by receiving a signal from an accelerometer comprised in the handheld device and comparing the signal from the accelerometer with the predetermined threshold; and

sending, if the handheld device has been exposed to acceleration above the predetermined threshold, an alarm signal, via a wireless communication unit comprised in the handheld device, to an alarm server, indicating that the handheld device has been subjected for an accident.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the program is further arranged for implementing:

receiving information regarding an activity mode of the user of the handheld device, wherein the predetermined threshold is set depending on the activity mode of the user of the handheld device.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the program is further arranged for implementing:

receiving, via the wireless communication unit, a verification message from the alarm server asking the user of the handheld device to confirm the accident; and

sending, to the alarm server and via the wireless communication unit, a response to the verification message.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 3, wherein the sending of a response to the verification message comprises detecting a simultaneous shaking of the handheld device and a pressing of a button on the handheld device.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the program is further arranged for implementing:

determining a type of accident by analyzing characteristics of the signal from the accelerometer of the handheld device.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the program is further arranged for implementing:

verifying that the handheld device has been exposed for acceleration above a predetermined threshold as a response to an accident by analyzing over time a positioning signal from a position determining unit comprised in the handheld device.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the handheld device is a smartphone, wherein the program is an application downloadable to the smartphone via an application providing service.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the program is further arranged for implementing:

establishing a hands-free call with a rescue service.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 6, wherein the program is further arranged to determine if the handheld device has moved after the alarm signal has been sent from the handheld device based on said analysing of the position signal.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 6, wherein the program is further arranged to determine if the handheld device has moved after the alarm signal has been sent from the handheld device and to compare the position when the alarm occurred with the position before and after the alarm based on said analysing of the position signal.

11. A method for informing about an accident within an alarm community having a plurality of members comprising a plurality of emergency notifying apparatuses, wherein at least one of the emergency notifying apparatuses is a handheld device, an alarm server and a rescue service, wherein the handheld device comprises, an accelerometer, a wireless communication unit and a position determining unit, the method comprising:

detecting if the handheld device has been exposed for acceleration above a predetermined threshold by receiving a signal from the accelerometer comprised in the handheld device and comparing the signal from the accelerometer with the predetermined threshold;

sending, if the handheld device has been exposed for acceleration above the predetermined threshold, an alarm signal, via a wireless communication unit comprised in the first handheld device, to the alarm server;

verifying that the handheld device has been exposed for acceleration above a predetermined threshold as a response to an accident;

determining a subgroup of members within the alarm community being located within a predetermined distance from the handheld device; and

informing the members within the subgroup about the accident.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising receiving information pertaining to an activity mode of the user of the handheld device, wherein the predetermined threshold is set depending on the activity mode of the user of the handheld device.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising receiving information pertaining to an activity mode of the user of the handheld device, wherein the determining of the subgroup of members is dependent upon the activity mode of the user of the handheld device.

14. The method according to claims 11, wherein the verifying of that the handheld device has been exposed for acceleration above a predetermined threshold as a response to an accident comprises data processing over time of the signal from the accelerometer comprised in the first handheld device.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the verifying of that the handheld device has been exposed for acceleration above a predetermined threshold as a response to an accident comprises data processing of a positioning signal from a position determining unit comprised in the handheld device.

16. The method according to claim 11, further comprising providing, to the alarm server, medical data pertaining to the user of the handheld device.

17. The method according to claim 11, further comprising informing the rescue service about the accident.

18. The method according to claim 11, further comprising providing, to the alarm server, medical data pertaining to the user of the handheld device, informing the rescue service about the accident and informing the rescue service about the medical data pertaining to the user of the handheld device.

19. The method according to claim 11, further comprising providing, to the alarm server, data pertaining to medical and or technical skills of a user of an emergency notifying apparatus of the alarm community.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein determining a sub group of members is dependent upon the data pertaining to medical and or technical skills of the user of the emergency notifying apparatus.