Personal emergency, safety warning system and method

• US 6,028,514 A
• Filed: 10/30/1998
• Issued: 02/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Deceased, Jerome H. Lemelson, Dorothy Lemelson, Robert D. Pedersen
• Original Assignee: Deceased, Jerome H. Lemelson, Dorothy Lemelson, Robert D. Pedersen
• Inventors: Lemelson, deceased, Jerome H., Lemelson, executrix, by Dorothy, Pedersen, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US09/183,361
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539, 340/531, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 340/573.1, 128/903, 128/904, 600/300, 342/357, 342/457, 379/37, 379/38, 702/19
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/028 Communication between parent and child units via remote transmission means, e.g. satellite network
• 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 27/001 Signalling to an emergency team, e.g. firemen
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

A comprehensive system and method for monitoring a geographic person location, periodically warning a person of emergency situations in the geographic location, and transmitting requests for assistance in emergency situations. The system comprises a warning unit 12 that is carried by the person or that is located in mobile units 20 or in buildings or houses 19. The warning unit 12 includes a geographic satellite receiver 38, a receiver circuit that receives broadcast warning signals defining dangerous situations and geographic locations of the situations, a computer controller including a processor 42 and a memory 44, an alarm indicator 64 or 66 that indicates when the person is in danger, and a transmission circuit that generates and transmits signals requesting assistance and signals warning of the dangerous situations in a vicinity of the person carrying the portable warning unit 12 along with the current geographic location of the person. The system further comprises a command center 10. The command center 10 includes a database computer 102 having a database storage unit 104, a transmitter for broadcasting signals to the unit(s) 12, a receiver for receiving signals, a transmitter for transmitting signals to emergency response units and centers, and other such communication devices. The system uses the unit(s) 12 to monitor and communicate with the person using it. The unit(s) 12 interfacingly communicate with the command center 10. Signals indicative of a dangerous situation and a geographic situation location are transmitted from the command center 10 to the unit(s) 12. The geographic person location is compared with the geographic situation location indicated in the received signal from the command center 10. Expert system rules are used to determine the dangerous situation and a degree(s) of danger index for the person(s) near or at the geographic situation location.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a geographic person location, periodically warning a person of emergency situations in the geographic location, and transmitting requests for assistance in emergency situations comprising:

(a) a portable warning unit that is carried by the person, the portable warning unit including;

(1) a satellite receiver that receives and analyzes communication signals from a satellite positioning system and determines a current geographic location of the person;

(2) a receiver circuit that receives broadcasted warning signals defining dangerous situations and geographic situation locations of the situations;

(3) a computer controller including a processor and a memory, wherein the processor is configured to monitor and store in the memory data defining the geographic person location as the person moves from location to location over a period of time, and to compare the geographic person location with location information from the received warning signals to determine a degree of danger for the person carrying the portable warning unit;

(4) an alarm indicator that indicates when the person is in danger; and

(5) a transmission circuit that generates and transmits signals requesting assistance and signals warning of the dangerous situations in a vicinity of the person carrying the portable warning unit along with the current geographic location of the person

(b) a command center including;

(1) a database computer having a database storage unit and configured to monitor and track an existence and status of emergency situations and locations of emergency response centers and units in a geographic region;

(2) a transmitter for broadcasting emergency warning signals corresponding to dangerous situations along with the geographic situation locations;

(3) a receiver for receiving emergency assistance requests and signals indicating existence of dangerous situations; and

(4) a transmitter for transmitting signals to emergency response units and centers;

(c) wherein;

(1) the receiving circuit of the portable warning unit carried by the person receives the signals transmitted from the command center that are indicative of a dangerous situation and a geographic situation location;

(2) the computer controller of the portable warning unit compares the geographic person location with the geographic situation location indicated in the received signal from the command control center, and using expert system rules determines a degree of danger index for the person carrying the portable warning unit;

(3) generates a warning signal for the person carrying the warning unit; and

(4) the portable warning generates and transmits signals requesting emergency assistance and warning of emergency situations along with signals indicating a location of the portable warning unit.

2. The system of claim 1 comprising a plurality of portable warning units carried by a plurality of persons, and the command center is configured to broadcast warning signals to be simultaneously received by the portable warning units within radio signal range of the command control center.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the satellite positioning system is a Global Positioning System, the satellite receiver of the warning unit is compatible with the Global Positioning System, and the current geographic position of the person is defined by Global Positioning System coordinates of the person.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer controller of the portable warning unit comprises a fuzzy logic controller and the portable warning unit expert system rules comprise fuzzy logic inference rules in order to compute the degree of danger index for the person carrying the portable warning unit.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the fuzzy logic controller generates and stores data defining normal behavior patterns of the person wearing the portable warning unit in the memory of the computer controller.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the computer controller of the portable warning unit compares the data stored in the memory defining the normal behavior patterns to the data defining the current geographic location of the person wearing the warning unit, and if a predefined variance exists between the data defining the current geographic location and the data defining the normal behavior patterns, an alarm signal is generated and transmitted to the command control center.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein the computer controller of the portable warning unit generates and stores data defining dangerous areas for persons to travel.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the computer controller of the portable warning unit compares the data stored in the memory defining the dangerous areas to the data defining the current geographic location of the person wearing the warning unit, and if the person is in a dangerous area, an alarm signal is generated and transmitted to the command control center.

9. The system of claim 4 wherein the warning unit carried by the person further includes a medical monitoring system that monitors and generates signals defining selected current medical conditions of the person wearing the portable warning unit.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the portable warning unit computer controller memory includes data defining normal medical conditions, the computer is programmed to compare the signals generated by the medical monitoring system to the data stored in the memory defining abnormal medical conditions, and if a variance of predefined degree exists between the current medical conditions and the normal medical conditions, the computer generates and causes the transmission circuit to transmit signals defining the variance to the command control center.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the medical monitoring system detects the normal medical conditions for blood condition of the person, the medical monitoring system alerts the command control center of the geographic person location and the current medical conditions, and the command control center determines emergency severity of the current medical conditions and dispatches proper emergency assistance.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the medical monitoring system detects the normal medical conditions for circulatory system of the person, the medical monitoring system alerts the command control center of the geographic person location and the current medical conditions, and the command control center determines emergency severity of the person and dispatches proper emergency assistance.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the medical monitoring system detects the normal medical conditions for respiratory system of the person, the medical monitoring system alerts the command control center of the geographic person location and the current medical conditions, and the command control center determines emergency severity of the person and dispatches proper emergency assistance.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the medical monitoring system detects the normal medical conditions for nervous system of the person, the medical monitoring system alerts the command control center of the geographic person location and the current medical conditions, and the command control center determines emergency severity of the person and dispatches proper emergency assistance.

15. The system of claim 4 wherein the portable warning unit carried by the person further includes a sound recognition system configured to recognize and generate electrical signals defining selected sounds.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the memory of the computer controller includes data defining select emergency conditions, the computer is programmed to compare the signals generated by the sound recognition system to the data defining the select emergency conditions, and if one of the select emergency conditions exists, the computer generates and causes a transmission circuit to transmit signals defining the one of the select emergency conditions to the command control center.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the sound recognition system comprises a speech recognition circuit and the selected sounds comprise words spoken by the person wearing the warning unit.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the sound recognition system detects specific pre-programmed speech, the warning unit alerts the central command center, and the central command center dispatches appropriate distress assistance to the person.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the sound recognition system detects loud noises, riot sounds, or gunshots, the warning unit alerts the central command center, and the central command center dispatches the appropriate distress assistance to the person.

20. The system of claim 4 wherein the command control center receives the transmitted signals from the portable warning unit generated using fuzzy logic and defining an emergency condition based on the degree of danger index for the person and wherein the command control center generates and transmits signals to an emergency response unit defining type of the emergency condition, the fuzzy logic degree of danger, and the current geographic person location.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein the command center transmits to the portable warning unit warning messages based on information received from weather reports, police radio, and other auxiliary information sources.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein the command center transmits warning messages to persons carrying warning units based on information received from other persons carrying portable warning units.

23. The system of claim 4 wherein the computer controller of the portable warning unit generates and stores data defining dangerous types of motion based on the received warning signals.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the dangerous type of motion being generated and stored by the portable warning unit is dangerous acceleration, the warning unit alerts the central command center of the dangerous acceleration, and the central command center dispatches appropriate distress assistance to the person.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the dangerous type of motion being generated and stored by the portable warning unit is a dangerous change in elevation, the warning unit alerts the central command center of the dangerous change in elevation, and the central command center dispatches appropriate distress assistance to the person.

26. The system of claim 23 wherein the dangerous type of motion being generated and stored by the portable warning unit is a dangerous speed, the warning unit alerts the central command center of the dangerous speed, and the central command center dispatches appropriate distress assistance to the person.

27. The system of claim 23 wherein the dangerous type of motion being generated and stored by the portable warning unit is a dangerous deceleration, the warning unit alerts the central command center of the dangerous deceleration, and the central command center dispatches distress assistance to the person.

28. The system of claim 4 wherein the fuzzy logic inference rules include fuzzy variables defining a distance between the portable warning unit and the dangerous situation.

29. The system of claim 4 wherein the fuzzy logic inference rules include variables defining vulnerability of the person carrying the portable warning unit to the dangerous situation.

30. The system of claim 4 wherein the fuzzy logic inference rules include variables defining a relative velocity between the portable warning unit and the dangerous situation.

31. The system of claim 4 wherein the fuzzy logic inference rules include fuzzy variables defining a distance between the portable warning unit and the dangerous situation, a vulnerability level of the person carrying the portable warning unit to the dangerous situation, and a relative velocity between the portable warning unit and the dangerous situation.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the fuzzy logic controller derives a fuzzy variable defining the degree of danger of the person carrying the portable warning unit and defuzzifies the fuzzy variable to derive a singular degree of danger.

34. The method of claim 1 wherein the using expert system step further comprises the step of:

using fuzzy logic inference rules in order to compute the at least one degree of danger index for the at least one person.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the using fuzzy logic inference rules further comprises the steps of:

defining normal behavior patterns of the at least one person,

comparing the normal behavior patterns to the current location of the at least one portable warning unit, and

generating and transmitting an alarm to the command center if a predefined variance exists between the data defining the current location and the normal behavior patterns.

36. The method of claim 34 further comprising the step of:

generating and storing data defining dangerous areas for persons to travel.

37. The method of claim 36 further comprising the step of:

comparing the data defining the dangerous areas to the current location of the at least one portable warning unit, and

generating and transmitting an alarm signal to the command center if the at least one person is in the dangerous areas.

33. A method for monitoring at least one person of a geographic person location, periodically warning the at least one person of emergency situations in the geographic location, and transmitting requests for assistance in emergency situations comprising the steps of:

(a) using at least one portable warning unit to monitor and communicate with the at least one person,

(b) having the at least one portable warning unit interfacingly communicate with a command center,

(c) receiving the at least one portable warning unit signals transmitted from the command center that are indicative of a dangerous situation and a geographic situation location,

(d) comparing the geographic person location with the geographic situation location indicated in the received signal from the command control center,

(e) using expert system rules to determine the dangerous situation and at least one degree of danger index for the at lease one person near the geographic situation location,

(f) generating an appropriate warning signal for the at least one person when the dangerous situation has been assessed and the at least one degree of danger index has been reached, and

(g) generating and transmitting signals within the appropriate warning signal that indicate requests for emergency assistance and warning of emergency situations along with signals indicating a current location of the at least one portable warning unit.

38. The method of claim 33 wherein the using at least one portable warning unit step further comprises the step of:

monitoring and detecting medical conditions of the at least one person using the at least one portable warning unit.

39. The method of claim 33 wherein the using at least one portable warning unit step further comprises the step of:

recognizing and detecting sounds and speech of the at least one person and near the at least one person using the at least one portable warning unit in determining the dangerous situation that the at least one person may be involved.

40. The method of claim 33 wherein the using expert system rules step further comprises the steps of:

defining an emergency condition based on the at least one degree of danger index for the at least one person, and

defining type of the emergency condition, fuzzy logic degree of danger of the emergency condition, and the current location of the at least one portable warning unit.

41. The method of claim 33 wherein the generating an appropriate warning signal step further comprises the step of:

generating the appropriate warning signal based on weather reports, police radio, and other auxiliary information sources.

42. The method of claim 33 wherein the generating an appropriate warning signal step further comprises the step of:

generating the appropriate warning signal based on information received from other persons carrying other portable warning units.

43. The method of claim 33 wherein the using at least one portable warning unit step further comprises the step of:

defining and detecting types of motion of the at least one person using at least one portable warning unit.