Home emergency warning system

• US 6,313,743 B1
• Filed: 04/06/2000
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Seifert, Henrich, Reichenberger, Helmut, Abraham-Fuchs, Klaus, Birkhoelzer, Thomas, Schmidt, Volker, Herold, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US09/463,915
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 340/505, 340/506, 340/541, 340/552, 340/553, 340/554, 340/555, 340/556, 340/557, 340/565, 340/566, 340/567
• US Class Current: 340/505
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0415 detecting absence of activity per se
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0469 Presence detectors to detect unsafe condition, e.g. infrared sensor, microphone G08B21/0476 takes precedence

Abstract

In an autonomous emergency monitoring system, wherein the user need not carry any signaling devices whatsoever, an emergency situation can be reported to an external receiver by voice input via microphones via a communication interface. Further, a monitoring of the person can ensue via sensor systems that can likewise setup an external connection via the communication interface.

Claims

1. An emergency monitoring system for a dwelling, comprising:

a plurality of signal pick-ups for non-contacting passive interaction with a person within a dwelling, said signal pick-ups having respective pick-up ranges for covering an entire area of said dwelling and including a plurality of position sensors, each generating a signal dependent on a position of said person in said dwelling;

a signal evaluation unit connected to said signal pick-ups, including a position and motion analysis unit for analyzing the respective signals from said sensors to identify the position of said person in said dwelling and to determine if an emergency situation exists based on the position of said person in said dwelling; and

a communication interface connected to said signal evaluation unit for transmitting a signal to an external receiver if said emergency situation is found to exist.

2. a system claimed in claim 1 wherein said signal pick-ups are stationarily mounted in said dwelling.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an answerback unit for communication with a person, connected to said voice command recognition unit, and wherein said voice command recognition unit causes said communication interface to communicate with said external receiver only after said answerback unit receives an answer back from a person.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a pre-alarm unit connected to said answerback unit, which informs a person that said communication interface will communicate with said external receiver, and wherein said voice command recognition unit allows said communication interface to communicate with said external receiver only in an absence of an answer back via said answerback unit.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an answerback unit for communication with a person, connected to said voice command recognition unit, and wherein said voice command recognition unit causes said communication interface to communicate with said external receiver only in an absence of an answer back via said answerback unit.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a pre-alarm unit connected to said position and motion analysis unit, and an answerback unit connected to said pre-alarm unit for communicating with said person, and wherein said position and motion analysis unit allows said communication interface to communicate with said external receiver only after receiving an answer back from said person via said answerback unit.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of signal pick-ups for non-contacting active communication with said person within said dwelling, including a plurality of microphones for receiving voice commands from said person, and wherein said signal evaluation unit includes a voice command recognition unit for identifying and evaluating voice commands.