Method, apparatus, and computer program product for an assistance transponder

• US 6,892,066 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2002
• Issued: 05/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Detweiler, Samuel Roy, Detweiler, Keely RaNae, Hall, Helen S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Persino, Raymond B.
• Application Number:
  US10/112,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20040203349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/414.1, 455/415, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/41.2, 455/41.1
• US Class Current: 455/414.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

In a method for providing customized services to a person having a disability, a first message is transmitted by a wireless client device and is received by a server device. The client device is operable by the person with the disability. The first message is transmitted by using a close-range, standard-protocol radio signal. The server device sends a first response message to the client device by using the protocol. The first response identifies a contact phone number. The person with disability dials the contact phone number, thereby generating a second message that uniquely identifies the person. The server device receives the second message on the wireless carrier network. The server device performs a search on a database for a record matching the person. On finding a match, a second response is sent to the client device describing a list of customized services configured for the person with disabilities.

Claims

1. A method of providing customized services to a person having a disability, the method comprising:

receiving a first message transmitted by a client device, the client device being operable by the person with the disability, the first message being transmitted by a close-range, standard-protocol radio signal from a physical location;

sending a first response message to the client device, the first response being transmitted by the close-range, standard-protocol radio signal, wherein the first response identifies a contact phone number;

receiving on a wireless carrier network, a second message including a caller identifier to uniquely identify the person with the disability;

searching a database for a record matching the caller identifier, wherein the matching record indicates a physical disability of the caller and wherein the database stores customized services corresponding to the person with the disability and to the physical location; and

sending a second response to the client device, wherein the second response is in a format responsive to the indicated physical disability of the caller and identifies the customized services for the physical location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the close-range, standard-protocol radio signal is based on a Bluetooth wireless network communications standard.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising the person with the disability selecting at least one customized service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message includes a position of the client device, the position being identified by a global positioning system included in the client device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the contact phone number identified is specific to the position of the client device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the second response comprises information further customizing the customized services in response to the position.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the responses sent to the client device includes assistance information formatted for visual display on the client device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the responses sent to the client device includes assistance information formatted for audible transmission on the client device.

9. A wireless device operable to provide customized services to a person having a disability, the wireless device comprising:

telecommunications circuitry operable to communicate on a wireless carrier network;

close-range communications circuitry capable of communicating by a standard-protocol;

user input circuitry operable to receive an input from a special needs button; and

a processor coupled to the telecommunications circuitry, the close-range circuitry and the user input circuitry, wherein the processor is operable for;

sending a first message in response to the person having the disability activating the special needs button, the first message being transmitted by the close-range circuitry from a physical location;

receive a first response message, the first response being received by the close-range circuitry, wherein the first response identifies a contact phone number;

dial the contact phone number on the wireless carrier network, wherein the telecommunications circuitry dials the contact phone number, wherein the wireless device is uniquely identified by a caller identifier;

receive information describing customized services corresponding to the disability and to the physical location in response to dialing the contact phone number; and

presenting the received information to the caller in a format responsive to the indicated disability of the caller.

10. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein the standard-protocol radio signal is based on a Bluetooth wireless network communications standard.

11. The wireless device of claim 9 comprising the person with the disability selecting at least one customized service.

12. The wireless device of claim 9 comprising a global positioning system to identify a position of the wireless device, wherein the first message includes the position.

13. The wireless device of claim 12, wherein the contact phone number identified is specific to the position.

14. The wireless device of claim 12, wherein the second response comprises information further customizing the customized services in response to the position.

15. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein at least one of the responses sent to the wireless device includes assistance information formatted for visual display on the client device.

16. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein at least one of the responses sent to the wireless device includes assistance information formatted for audible transmission.

17. A computer system for providing customized services to a person having a disability, the computer system comprising:

telecommunications circuitry operable to communicate on a wireless carrier network;

close-range communications circuitry capable of communicating by a standard-protocol; and

a processor coupled to the telecommunications circuitry, and the close-range circuitry, wherein the processor is operable for;

receiving a first message transmitted by a client device, the client device being operable by the person having the disability, the first message being transmitted by a close-range communications circuitry from a physical location;

sending a first response message to the client device, the first response being transmitted by the close-range communications circuitry, wherein the first response identifies a contact phone number;

receiving on the wireless carrier network a second message, wherein the second message is received by the telecommunications circuitry, wherein the second message includes a caller identifier to uniquely identity the client device;

searching a database coupled to the processor for a record matching the caller identifier, wherein the matching record indicates a physical disability of the caller and wherein the database stores customized services corresponding to the person having the disability and to the physical location; and

sending a second response to the client device, wherein the second response is in a format responsive to the indicated physical disability of the caller and identifies the customized services for the physical location.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the standard-protocol radio signal is based on a Bluetooth wireless network communications standard.

19. The computer system of claim 17 comprising the person with the disability selecting at least one customized service.

20. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the first message includes a position of the client device, the position being identified by a global positioning system included in the client device.

21. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the contact phone number identified is specific to the position of the client device.

22. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the second response comprises information further customizing the customized services in response to the position.

23. The computer system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the responses sent to the wireless device includes assistance information formatted for visual display on the client device.

24. The computer system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the responses sent to the client device includes assistance information formatted for audible transmission on the client device.

25. A computer program product for an assistance transponder system, the assistance transponder system including a client device coupled to a server device, wherein the computer program product resides on a computer usable medium having computer readable program code and the assistance transponder system is operable to provide customized services to a person having a disability, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for receiving a first message transmitted by the client device, the client device being operable by the person with the disability, the first message being transmitted by a close-range, standard-protocol radio signal from a physical location;

instructions for sending a first response message to the client device, the first response being transmitted by the close-range, standard-protocol radio signal, wherein the first response identifies a contact phone number;

instructions for receiving on a wireless carrier network, a second message including a caller identifier to uniquely identify the person with the disability;

instructions for searching a database coupled to the server device for a record matching the caller identifier, wherein the matching record indicates a physical disability of the caller and wherein the database stores customized services corresponding to the person with the disability and to the physical location; and

instructions for sending a second response to the client device, wherein the second response is in a format responsive to the indicated physical disability of the caller and identifies the customized services for the physical location.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the close-range, standard-protocol radio signal is based on a Bluetooth wireless network communications standard.

27. The computer program product of claim 25 comprising the person with the disability selecting at least one customized service.

28. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the first message includes a position of the client device, the position being identified by a global positioning system included in the client device.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the contact phone number identified is specific to the position of the client device.

30. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the second response comprises information further customizing the customized services in response to the position.

31. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein at least one of the responses sent to the wireless device includes assistance information formatted for visual display on the client device.

32. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein at least one of the responses sent to the client device includes assistance information formatted for audible transmission on the client device.