Two-way parent-child paging system

• US 6,593,851 B1
• Filed: 11/21/2000
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aimee Bornstein
• Original Assignee: Aimee Bornstein
• Inventors: Bornstein, Aimee
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/717,582
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 340/325, 340/539, 340/568.1, 340/568.6, 340/571, 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/738, 340/7.53, 340/7.57, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.15, 340/531
• US Class Current: 340/539.15
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units

Abstract

A two-way, parent-child communication system includes a parent unit and at least one child unit. The parent and child units are capable of both sending and receiving signals to and from the corresponding unit to cause any number of alerts or messages to be communicated to the parent, child and/or guardian. Each unit may include a number of different alert mechanisms, including an audible alert, a visual alert, a vibratory alert or voice messages.

Claims

1. A two-way paging system to locate either a parent or a child, the system comprising:

a parental paging unit including a first portable housing adapted to readily connect to clothing of a parent, a first transmission assembly positioned within the first housing to provide at least one of a first signal and a first emergency signal, a first receiver assembly positioned within the first housing to receive at least one of the following a second signal and a second emergency signal, a first transducer assembly positioned within the first housing to produce an audible alert upon receipt of at least one of the second signal and the second emergency signal by the first receiver assembly, a first alert mechanism associated with the first housing and in electrical contact with the first transmission assembly to cause the first transmission assembly to transmit at least one of the first signal and the first emergency signal, a first power source associated with the first housing to provide power at least to the first transmission assembly, the first receiver assembly, and the first transducer assembly, and a first alert switch responsive to the parent, connected to the first housing, and in electrical contact with the first transmission assembly to cause the first transmission assembly to transmit the first signal when the first alert switch is activated by a user for a first preselected time period to thereby indicate a first emergency condition whereby the parent needs assistance and a first emergency signal when the first alert switch is activated by the user for a second preselected time period to thereby indicate a second emergency condition whereby the parent needs immediate assistance, the second preselected time period being longer than the first preselected time period; and

a child paging unit including a second portable housing adapted to readily connect to clothing of a child, a second transmission assembly positioned with the second housing to provide the at least one of a second signal and a second emergency signal to the first receiver assembly of the parental paging unit, a second receiver assembly positioned within the second housing to receive at least one of the first signal and the first emergency signal from the first transmission assembly of the parental paging unit, a second transducer assembly positioned within the second housing to produce an audible alert upon receipt of the first signal by the second receiver assembly, a second alert mechanism associated with the second housing and in electrical contact with the second transmission assembly to cause the assembly to transmit at least one of the second signal and the second emergency signal, a second power source associated with the second housing to provide power at least to the second transmission assembly, the second receiver assembly, and the second transducer assembly, and a second alert switch responsive to the child, connected to the second housing, and in electrical contact with the second transmission assembly to cause the second transmission assembly to transmit the second signal when the second alert switch is activated by a user for a first preselected time period to thereby indicate a first child emergency condition whereby the child needs assistance and the second emergency signal when the second alert switch is activated by the user for a second preselected time period to thereby indicate a second child emergency condition whereby the child needs immediate assistance, the second preselected time period being longer than the first preselected time period.

2. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the parent paging unit further includes a first voice synthesis module positioned within the first housing and in electrical contact with the first transducer assembly, the first voice synthesis module including a memory and a set of speech phrasing stored in the memory to thereby allow the parent paging unit to reproduce the set of speech phrasing so that the parent is alerted by the set of speech phrasing of a predetermined condition for the child.

3. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the child paging unit further includes a second voice synthesis module positioned within the second housing and in electrical contact with the second transducer assembly, the second voice synthesis module including a memory and a set of speech phrasing stored in the memory to thereby allow the parent paging unit to reproduce the set of speech phrasing so that the child is alerted by the set of speech phrasing of a predetermined condition for the parent.

4. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the parent paging unit further includes a first microcontroller assembly positioned within the first housing and in electrical connection with the first transmission assembly, the first receiver assembly, and the first transducer assembly, and wherein the first power source comprises a rechargeable battery.

5. A system as defined in claim 4, further including a plurality of first visible indicators connected to the first housing and in electrical contact with the first microcontroller assembly to indicate a plurality of parental conditions, each of the plurality of parental conditions having a distinct first visible indicator, the plurality of parental conditions being selected from at least one of the following:

that the parental paging unit is on and operating properly, that the first power source is low, that the parental paging unit has not received at least one of the second signal and the second emergency signal, that the child paging unit is not operating, and that the parental paging unit has received at least one of the second signal and the second emergency signal.

6. A system as defined in claim 5, further including a first channel selection mechanism and a first encryption mechanism, the first channel selection mechanism allows the user to set the parental paging unit to a same channel as the child paging unit, the first encryption mechanism ensures that the parental paging unit and child paging unit are in continuous communication, if continuous communication is lost one of the plurality of first visible indicators will indicate that the child paging unit is not operating.

7. A system as defined in claim 4, wherein the first microcontroller assembly includes a first data port connected to the first housing and in electrical contact with the first microcontroller assembly to allow a first input from a personal computer to be sent to the parental paging unit, the first input being selected from at least one of a parental paging unit channel and a child paging unit channel, the first data port allowing the parental paging unit to be tested prior to use and allowing executable firmware to be uploaded to the parental paging unit.

8. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the child paging unit further includes a second microcontroller assembly positioned within the second housing and in electrical connection with the second transmitter assembly, the second receiver assembly, and the second transducer assembly, and wherein the second power source comprises a rechargeable battery.

9. A system as defined in claim 8, further including a plurality of second visible indicators connected to the second housing and in electrical contact with the second microcontroller assembly to indicate a plurality of child conditions, each of the plurality of child conditions having a distinct second visible indicator, the plurality of child conditions being selected from at least one of the following:

that the child paging unit is on and operating properly, that the second power source is low, that the child paging unit has not received at least one of the first signal and the first emergency signal, that the parental paging unit is not operating, and that the child paging unit has received at least one of the first signal and the first emergency signal.

10. A system as defined in claim 9, further including a second channel selection mechanism and a second encryption mechanism, the second channel selection mechanism allows the user to set the child paging unit to a same channel as the parental paging unit, the second encryption mechanism ensures that the parental paging unit and child paging unit are in continuous communication, if continuous communication is lost one of the plurality of the second visible indicators will indicate that the parental paging unit is not operating.

11. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the parental paging unit includes a mute toggle switch positioned within the first housing and in electrical connection with the first receiver assembly, the mute toggle switch being adapted to be moved between a first position and a second position, the first position producing an audible alert tone upon receipt of at least one of the second signal and the second emergency signal, and the second position producing visual and vibratory alerts upon receipt of at least one of the second signal and the second emergency signal.

12. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the second housing of the child paging unit has a plate member having indicia thereon including information about the child selected from at least one of the following:

child emergency contact information, instructions for a locator of the child, and combinations thereof.

13. A system as defined in claim 1, further including an attachment device connected to the second housing of the child paging unit, the attachment device comprising at least a pair of spaced apart child inhibiting connectors adapted to connect to various areas of a child'"'"'s clothing and to inhibit the child from readily disconnecting the child paging unit.

14. A system as defined in claim 1, further including a first power button positioned on the first housing and a second power button positioned on the second housing, and wherein the first alert switch and the first power button are countersunk from the first housing and the second alert switch and the second power button are countersunk from the second housing.

15. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first transducer assembly is capable of producing at least two parent distinct tones, with a first parent distinct tone corresponding to receipt of the second signal and a second parent distinct tone corresponding to receipt of the second emergency signal and the second transducer assembly is capable of producing at least two child distinct tones, with a first child distinct tone corresponding to receipt of the first signal and a second child distinct tone corresponding to receipt of the first emergency signal.

16. A two-way paging system to locate either a-parent or a child, the system comprising:

a parental paging unit including a first portable housing adapted to readily connect to clothing of a parent, a first transmission assembly positioned within the first housing to provide at least one of a first signal and a first emergency signal, a first microcontroller assembly positioned within the first housing and in electrical connection with the first transmission assembly, a first receiver assembly positioned within the first housing to receive at least one of the following a second signal and a second emergency signal, a first transducer assembly positioned within the first housing to produce an audible alert upon receipt of at least one of the second signal and the second emergency signal by the first receiver assembly, a first alert mechanism associated with the first housing and in electrical contact with the first transmission assembly to cause the first transmission assembly to transmit at least one of the first signal and the first emergency signal, a first power source associated with the first housing to provide power at least to the first transmission assembly, the first receiver assembly, and the first transducer assembly, and a first alert switch responsive to the parent, connected to the first housing, and in electrical contact with the first transmission assembly to cause the first transmission assembly to transmit the first signal when the first alert switch is activated by a user for a first preselected time period to thereby indicate a first emergency condition whereby the parent needs assistance and a first emergency signal when the first alert switch is activated by the user for a second preselected time period to thereby indicate a second emergency condition whereby the parent needs immediate assistance, the second preselected time period being longer than the first preselected time period, a plurality of first visible indicators connected to the first housing and in electrical contact with the first microcontroller to indicate that the parental paging unit has not received at least one of the second signal and the second emergency signal, that the child paging unit is not operating, and that the parental paging unit has received at least one of the second signal and the second emergency signal; and

a child paging unit including a second portable housing adapted to readily connect to clothing of a child, a second transmission assembly positioned with the second housing to provide the at least one of a second signal and a second emergency signal to the first receiver assembly of the parental paging unit, a second microcontroller assembly positioned within the second housing and in electrical connection with the second transmission assembly, a second receiver assembly positioned within the second housing to receive at least one of the first signal and the first emergency signal from the first transmission assembly of the parental paging unit, a second transducer assembly positioned within the second housing to produce an audible alert upon receipt of the first signal by the second receiver assembly, a second alert mechanism associated with the second housing and in electrical contact with the second transmission assembly to cause the assembly to transmit at least one of the second signal and the second emergency signal, a second power source associated with the second housing to provide power at least to the second transmission assembly, the second receiver assembly, and the second transducer assembly, and a second alert switch responsive to the child, connected to the second housing, and in electrical contact with the second transmission assembly to cause the second transmission assembly to transmit the second signal when the second alert switch is activated by a user for a first preselected time period to thereby indicate a first child emergency condition whereby the child needs assistance and the second emergency signal when the second alert switch is activated by the user for a second preselected time period to thereby indicate a second child emergency condition whereby the child needs immediate assistance, the second preselected time period being longer than the first preselected time period, a plurality of second visible indicators connected to the second housing and in electrical contact with the second microcontroller to indicate that the child paging unit has not received at least one of the first signal and the first emergency signal, that the parental paging unit is not operating, and that the child paging unit has received at least one of the first signal and the first emergency signal.

17. A system as defined in claim 16, wherein the parent paging unit further includes a first voice synthesis module positioned within the first housing and in electrical contact with the first transducer assembly, the first voice synthesis module including a memory and a set of speech phrasing stored in the memory to thereby allow the parent paging unit to reproduce the set of speech phrasing so that the parent is alerted by the set of speech phrasing of a predetermined condition for the child and wherein the child paging unit further includes a second voice synthesis module positioned within the second housing and in electrical contact with the second transducer assembly, the second voice synthesis module including a memory and a set of speech phrasing stored in the memory to thereby allow the parent paging unit to reproduce the set of speech phrasing so that the child is alerted by the set of speech phrasing of a predetermined condition for the parent.

18. A method of locating either a caregiver or a child, the method comprising the steps of:

activating an alert switch associated with at least one of a pair of pager units by a user for at least a first preselected time period to thereby indicate a first emergency condition whereby at least one of a caregiver associated with one of the pair of pager units and a child associated with the other one of the pair of pager units needs assistance; and

activating the same alert switch by a user for at least a second preselected time period to thereby indicate a second emergency condition whereby at least one of a caregiver and a child needs immediate assistance, the at least a second preselected time period being longer than the at least a first preselected time period.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, further including visually indicating a plurality of status conditions on one of the pair of pager units, the status conditions being selected from at least one of the following:

activation of the alert switch associated with the other one of the pair of pager units indicating a first emergency condition, activation of the alert switch associated with the other one of the pair of pager units indicating a second emergency condition, non-activation of the alert switch associated with the other one of the pair of pager units, confirmation that the one of the pair of pager units is on and operating properly, confirmation that a power source associated with the one of the pair of pager units is low, and confirmation that the child paging unit is not operating.

20. A method as defined in claim 18, further including audibly indicating receipt of a signal corresponding to activation of the alert switch by activating a voice synthesizing module to reproduce a set of speech phrasing stored in a memory of the voice synthesizing module so that at least one of a caregiver associated with one of the pair of pager units and a child associated with the other one of the pair of pager units is alerted by the set of speech phrasing of a predetermined condition.