Emergency notification system for notifying a predetermined contact information of an emergency situation

• US 6,774,784 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2002
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Allied Telesis Holdings KK
• Original Assignee: Allied Telesis Holdings KK
• Inventors: Satoh, Kazuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US10/109,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20030102973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 340/286.06, 340/505, 340/506, 340/692, 340/3.1, 340/3.52, 340/5.6, 340/5.81, 340/10.52, 379/38, 379/40, 379/41, 379/88.01, 379/106.01, 235/38, 235/380
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

When an IC card 1 is inserted into an IC card reader 2 of an emergency notification box 101, the name and so on of an aged person are read to be inputted to a controlling section 4, and this information is sent out as an emergency notification signal from a communication section 6 by a controlling section 4 via a public telephone line 7 to a receiving device 102 of a place to be contacted which is stored in advance. In the receiving section 102, the name and so on of an aged person is outputted from a speaker 12, and furthermore, a warning light 13 is lighted and a vibrator 14 is vibrated to notify an emergency.

Claims

1. An emergency notification system for notifying a predetermined contact information of an emergency situation occurring in a home, using a public telephone line, the emergency notification system comprising:

an emergency notification box disposed in the home; and

a receiving device disposed in a place of the predetermined contact information,

connected to the emergency notification box via the public telephone line,

wherein the emergency notification box comprising;

an interconnecting device for sending a predetermined signal to the receiving device via the public telephone line;

an IC card reader for reading the predetermined contact information stored in an IC card inserted therein;

a memory for storing a predetermined digital audio signal regarding personal information of a user and the predetermined contact information; and

a voice detecting section for detecting a voice of the user,

wherein the emergency notification box is structured to, if the IC card is inserted into the IC card reader, read the predetermined contact information from the IC card and send an emergency notification signal to the receiving device based on the predetermined contact information, and, if the IC card is not inserted into the IC card reader and the voice detecting section detects the voice of the user, send at least the digital audio signal regarding the personal information based on the predetermined contact information, and

wherein the receiving device is structured to reproduce the digital audio signal sent from the emergency notification box.

2. The emergency notification system according to claim 1, the receiving device further comprising:

a plurality of warning devices; and

a driving device for driving the plurality of warning devices respectively,

wherein the receiving device is structured to, if receiving at least one of the predetermined signal other than the digital audio signal from the emergency notification box, selectively control at least one of the plurality of warning devices in accordance with the received signal.

3. The emergency notification system according to claim 2, wherein one of the plurality of warning devices is any one of a speaker, a warning light, and a vibrator.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the issuing step reproduces the predetermined digital audio signal sent from the emergency notification box.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the receiving device comprises a plurality of warning devices, and drives at least one of the plurality of the warning devices based on the signal sent from the emergency notification box.

4. A method of notifying an emergency situation occurring in a home of a user, using a public telephone line, the method comprising:

storing a predetermined contact information into a IC card to be owned by the user;

disposing an emergency notification box in the home, while disposing a receiving device in a place of the predetermined contact information,

wherein the emergency notification box comprises an interconnecting device for sending a predetermined signal to the receiving device, an IC card reader for reading the predetermined contact information stored in the IC card, a memory for storing a predetermined digital audio signal regarding personal information of the user and the predetermined contact information, and a voice detecting section for detecting a voice of the user;

judging whether the IC card is inserted into the IC card reader,

judging whether the voice detecting section detects the voice of the user if judged the IC card is not inserted into the IC card reader;

reading the predetermined contact information from the inserted IC card if judged the IC card is inserted, and sending an emergency notification signal to the receiving device;

reading the predetermined digital audio signal from the memory if judged the bare voice is detected, and sending the predetermined digital audio signal to the receiving device via the public telephone line; and

issuing a warning based on the signal sent from the emergency notification box.