Personal emergency communication system
First Claim
1. A personal emergency response communications system comprising:
- a portable communications unit intended to be carried by a user who may require emergency attention, including;
(1) a wireless transmitter and a wireless receiver for respectively transmitting and receiving communication signals,(2) a call button actuatable by the user to initiate a call request signal that will result in placing the user in voice communication with an emergency response center; and
a base communications unit coupled with a dial-up telephone system for establishing voice communication between the user and the emergency response center, the base unit including(3) a wireless transmitter and a wireless receiver for respectively transmitting and receiving communication signals,(4) a memory for storing a telephone number of the emergency response center,(5) a dialer for dialing the emergency response center telephone number,(6) a controller responsive to the call request signal for controlling the dialer to dial the emergency response center telephone number,wherein the base unit includes a speech synthesizer for producing preselected voice messages indicative of the status of the call request, and the controller is operative to deliver the preselected voice messages to the portable unit; and
wherein the preselected voice messages include a first voice message indicating that the emergency response center number is being dialed, and a second voice message indicating that the call to the center is being terminated.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A personal emergency communication system includes a user-carried portable communication unit having a single button, which when depressed by the user, wirelessly sends a call request signal to a base unit. The base unit initiates a telephone call through a dial-up network to an emergency response center and places an operator at the emergency center in wireless voice communication with the portable unit when the call is connected. A speech synthesizer operating in combination with automated voice messages stored in the base unit are used to advise the user of the status of the call, and to provide the user with verbal confirmation that functional systems of the base unit are operating properly.
29 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A personal emergency response communications system comprising:
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a portable communications unit intended to be carried by a user who may require emergency attention, including; (1) a wireless transmitter and a wireless receiver for respectively transmitting and receiving communication signals, (2) a call button actuatable by the user to initiate a call request signal that will result in placing the user in voice communication with an emergency response center; and a base communications unit coupled with a dial-up telephone system for establishing voice communication between the user and the emergency response center, the base unit including (3) a wireless transmitter and a wireless receiver for respectively transmitting and receiving communication signals, (4) a memory for storing a telephone number of the emergency response center, (5) a dialer for dialing the emergency response center telephone number, (6) a controller responsive to the call request signal for controlling the dialer to dial the emergency response center telephone number, wherein the base unit includes a speech synthesizer for producing preselected voice messages indicative of the status of the call request, and the controller is operative to deliver the preselected voice messages to the portable unit; and wherein the preselected voice messages include a first voice message indicating that the emergency response center number is being dialed, and a second voice message indicating that the call to the center is being terminated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A personal emergency response communications system comprising:
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a portable communications unit intended to be carried by a user who may require emergency attention, the portable unit including a call button actuatable by the user to transmit a call request signal; and a base communications unit for wirelessly communicating with the portable unit, the base unit being coupled with a dial-up telephone system and responsive to the call request signal for establishing voice communications between the user and the emergency response center, the base unit including at least one stored voice message indicating the status of the communications with the emergency response center and a controller for controlling the transmission of the voice message to the portable unit in order to advise the user of the communications status; wherein the base unit includes two stored voice messages respectively indicating the status of the communications with the emergency response center when the base unit begins dialing a telephone number of the center, and when the base unit terminates communications with the emergency response center. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of calling an emergency response center from a user-carried, portable communication unit, comprising the steps of:
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(A) transmitting a call request signal from the portable unit to a base unit; (B) receiving the call request signal at the base unit; (C) using the base unit to place a call to a telephone number of the emergency response center in response the call request signal; (D) storing at least a first voice message at the base unit indicating the status of the call placed in step (C); (E) transmitting the first voice message from the base unit to the portable unit to advise the user of the call status; wherein the first voice message notifies the user that the call is being placed. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification