Panic button IP device

• US 6,807,564 B1
• Filed: 06/02/2000
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moton, Robert T. Jr., Enzmann, Mark J., Zellner, Samuel N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Application Number:
  US09/586,067
• Time in Patent Office: 1,600 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 370/310, 370/312, 370/338, 600/300, 379/36, 379/37, 379/45
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications

Abstract

A device for requesting emergency assistance having a built-in panic button that may be implemented in hardware or software. The device may be in a wearable configuration so that the user in need of emergency help can carry the device on the user'"'"'s person, or the device may be located at a fixed location accessible by the user. Activation of the panic button by the user results in the device automatically transmitting one or more TCP/IP messages over the Internet to an emergency service center requesting emergency help and identifying the user requesting such help. The emergency service center may also communicate, e.g., via Internet e-mail, with the device (and, hence, with the user) prior to dispatching emergency help. The resources of the Internet may thus be advantageously harnessed to allow users to request emergency help using the device of the present invention. Internet-based emergency help message delivery may be useful in many situations, for example, when the person in need of help is mute, disabled or in a situation that prevents that person from orally requesting emergency help.

Claims

1. A device for requesting emergency assistance, comprising:

a processing unit;

a panic button coupled to the processing unit, wherein the panic button is configured to send a first indication to the processing unit, wherein the sending of the first indication is in response to a user of said device activating the panic button; and

a web browser module coupled to the processing unit,

wherein the processing unit is configured to send a second indication to said web browser module, wherein the sending of the second indication is in response to the first indication, and wherein said web browser module is configured to deliver a help request message in a TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) format to an emergency service center (ESC), wherein the delivering of the help request message is in response to the second indication.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the help request message contains one or more of the identity of the user, the location of the user, medical information about the user, the time when the user activated the panic button, and an indication of a probable cause as to why the user activated the panic button.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a user location identifier coupled to the processing unit, wherein the user location identifier is configured to ascertain a location of the user activating said panic button.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the user location identifier includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the web browser module is configured to establish an instant connection with said ESC over the Internet prior to delivering said help request message thereto.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the web browser module is configured to deliver said help request message to said ESC using at least one of a wireline telecommunication network and a wireless telecommunication network.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the wireline telecommunication network includes one or more of the following:

a PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network);

an ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network);

a POTS (Plain Old Telephone System);

a wired LAN (Local Area Network); and

the Internet.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the wireless telecommunication network includes one or more of the following:

an analog wireless network;

a digital wireless network;

a cellular network;

a wireless LAN (Local Area Network); and

a wireless local loop (WLL).

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the web browser module includes an HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) browser.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the web browser module includes a WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) browser.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising a memory unit coupled to the processing unit, wherein the memory unit is configured to store therein said help request message in one of said TCP/IP format and a non-TCP/IP format.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display screen; and

a display logic unit coupled to said processing unit and said display screen, wherein the display logic unit is configured to display text of said help request message on said display screen in a user-understandable format.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the display screen is touch-sensitive and wherein the display screen displays an icon, wherein the display logic unit is further configured to send a third indication to said processing unit when the user touches the icon, and wherein the processing unit is configured to activate the panic button in response to the third indication.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing further includes:

a keypad; and

keypad interface logic coupled to said processing unit and said keypad, wherein the keypad interface logic is configured to convey to said processing unit one or more commands entered by said user via said keypad.

15. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a microphone; and

an audio logic unit coupled to said microphone and said processing unit, wherein the audio logic unit is configured to receive the user'"'"'s speech signals from said microphone and send the speech signals to said processing unit.

16. The device of claim 15, further comprising a voice recognition unit coupled to the microphone and the processing unit, wherein the voice recognition unit is configured to identify a panic-stricken utterance from the user and to send a third indication thereof to the processing unit, and wherein the processing unit is configured to activate said panic button in response to said third indication.

17. The device of claim 15, further comprising a speaker unit coupled to the audio logic unit, wherein said audio logic unit is configured to send to said speaker unit one or more audio signals received from said processing unit, thereby generating audible sounds therefrom.

18. The device of claim 1, further comprising a sensor coupled to the panic button, wherein the sensor is configured to sense an abnormal physical condition being experienced by the user and to activate the panic button in response thereto.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the abnormal physical condition includes an abnormality in one or more of the user'"'"'s blood pressure level, the user'"'"'s heartbeat, and the user'"'"'s body temperature.

20. The device of claim 1, further comprising an image capture device coupled to the panic button and the processing unit, wherein the image capture device is configured to be activated in response to activation of said panic button, and wherein upon activation said image capture device is further configured to capture one or more images of the physical vicinity of the user and to transmit said one or more images to said processing unit.

21. The device of claim 1, further comprising a network interface unit (NIU) coupled to the web browser module, wherein the NIU is configured to provide electrical interface when the web browser module is connected to a wireline carrier network during delivery of said help request message.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the NIU includes a data modem configured to connect said web browser module to said wireline carrier network.

23. The device of claim 1, further comprising a wireless data communication module coupled to the web browser module to transmit the help request message over a wireless carrier network.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the wireless data communication module includes:

a wireless modem coupled to said web browser module to facilitate transmission of the help request message over said wireless carrier network;

an RF (Radio Frequency) transceiver unit coupled to the wireless modem to receive therefrom the help request message and to transmit the help request message to the wireless carrier network using RF modulation; and

an RF antenna coupled to the RF transceiver unit to receive an RF-modulated help request message therefrom and to propagate said RF-modulated help request message over said wireless carrier network.