Personalized security system

• US 5,714,931 A
• Filed: 02/22/1996
• Issued: 02/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Statsignal IPC LLC (Statsignal)
• Original Assignee: J. W. Hosmer, Thomas D. Petite
• Inventors: Petite, Thomas D., Hosmer, J. W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US08/605,649
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.49, 340/573, 340/574, 340/539, 340/825.72, 340/531, 455/54.2
• US Class Current: 340/539.17
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

The present invention relates to a personalized security system, in which a portable transmitter may be carried or worn by an individual and activated by the individual in need of assistance to transmit data relating specifically to the individual. The data is received by a transceiver located nearby to the individual and transmitted with additional data to a remote receiver. The remote receiver then forwards information relating to the data to emergency personnel who use the information to determine the location of the individual, as well as particulars relating specifically to the individual, such as a name and a physical description.

Claims

1. For use in combination with a self-service bank transaction facility, an assistance procuring system comprising:

a totable transmitter including means for activation by a user, and means responsive to said activation means for transmitting a first signal, said first signal being encoded to uniquely identify the transmitter;

a transceiver installed in close proximity to the self-service bank transaction facility including means for receiving said first signal, and means for transmitting a second signal encoded to include transceiver location information and transmitter identification information derived from said first signal;

a remote station including a database having a plurality of updateable data elements including personal information relating to the user, the remote station further including means responsive to the second signal for indexably retrieving one or more of the data elements.

2. The assistance procuring system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of data elements are selected from the group consisting of:

(a) the user'"'"'s address;

(b) a description of the user;

(c) a digitized picture of the user;

(d) the user'"'"'s vehicle tag number;

(e) the user'"'"'s vehicle identification number;

(f) the user'"'"'s vehicle LOJACK number;

(g) the user'"'"'s nearest relatives or friends;

(h) the addresses of the user'"'"'s nearest relative or friend;

(i) medical information of the user;

(j) an I.D. number assigned to the user; and

(k) the user'"'"'s name.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said database includes one or more updateable elements relating to emergency personnel in the vicinity of said transceiver.

4. The assistance procuring system of claim 1 wherein said totable transmitter includes a memory device adapted to store data for producing said encoded signal.

5. The assistance procuring system of claim 1, wherein the totable transmitter further includes means for transmitting a set of one or more data elements representative of the nature of the assistance needed.

6. For use in an assistance procuring system for a bank self-service facility, said system including a totable transmitter adapted to transmit a first signal containing a first set of one or more data elements representative of personal information relating to a user, and a transceiver located in close proximity to the bank self-service facility and adapted to receive said first signal and further adapted to transmit a second signal including said first set of said data elements and one or more additional data elements;

a remote station comprising;

a memory device adapted to store a plurality of updateable data elements corresponding to personal information relating to the user;

means for receiving said second signal; and

means for generating a third signal corresponding to said first set of said one or more data elements, said one or more additional data elements, and said plurality of data elements.

7. The remote station according to claim 6, wherein said plurality of data elements is organized in a searchable data base.

8. The remote station of claim 6 where said memory device is further adapted to store updateable information relating to emergency personnel located in the vicinity of said transceiver.

9. A method of procuring assistance, said method comprising the steps

(a) accepting, at a totable transmitter, a first signal from a user, said signal indicating assistance is needed;

(b) transmitting a second signal from the totable transmitter to a transceiver located at a bank self-service facility, wherein said second signal includes user identifying information;

(c) transmitting a third signal from said transceiver to a receiver, wherein said third signal includes location identifying information;

(d) receiving said third signal from said transceiver at a remote station;

(e) accessing a storage device at the remote station retrieve a plurality of updateable data elements relating to the user; and

(f) forwarding from the remote station a fourth signal corresponding to said plurality of data elements and the location of the transceiver.

10. The assistance procuring method of claim 9, wherein said plurality of updateable data elements is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) the user'"'"'s address;

(b) a description of the user;

(c) a digitized picture of the user;

(d) the user'"'"'s vehicle tag number;

(e) the user'"'"'s vehicle identification number;

(f) the user'"'"'s vehicle LOJACK number;

(g) the user'"'"'s nearest relatives or friends;

(h) the addresses of the user'"'"'s nearest relatives or friends;

(i) an ID number assigned to the user;

(j) medical information of the user; and

(k) the user'"'"'s name.