Emergency phone with single button activation

• US 7,251,471 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Issued: 07/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Activecare Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SecureAlert Incorporated
• Inventors: Boling, Brian M., Bernstein, Michael C., Natale, Nicholas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ewart; James D
• Application Number:
  US11/174,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20060003809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 455/90.1, 455/404.1, 455/456.1, 455/564, 455/521, 455/550.1, 455/46, 455/404.2, 455/414.1, 379/37, 379/40, 379/45, 379/38, 379/46, 340/988, 340/989, 340/425.5, 340/426.1, 340/539.13, 340/539.12, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 342/357.01, 342/457
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/00 Identifying, scaring or incapacitating burglars, thieves or intruders, e.g. by explosives
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/004 using portable personal devices hand-held or body-worn self-defence devices using repellent gases or chemicals F41H9/10
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/004 Alarm propagated along alternative communication path or using alternative communication medium according to a hierarchy of available ways to communicate, e.g. if Wi-Fi not available use GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72424 with manual activation of emergency-service functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

An emergency-use-only cellular phone provides for contacting and establishing full-duplex voice communication with emergency personnel at either a public emergency response service or a private roadside assistance service. The phone automatically places a cellular call to the public emergency response service with a single press of a first activation button, and to the private roadside assistance service with a single press of a second activation button. When either activation button is pressed, the following functions are initiated: (1) electrical power from a power supply is provided to a cellular transmitter and receiver, (2) the cellular receiver is activated to search for an available channel from among A or B cellular system channels, (3) an emergency telephone number corresponding to the selected service is accessed from memory, and (4) the cellular transmitter is activated to establish communication with the selected emergency response service. Since all of these functions are initiated by pressing one button, communication with the selected emergency response service may be established simply and speedily, even under stressful conditions. The phone may include a modular GPS receiver unit for providing location information to the public emergency response service or a private roadside assistance service.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a single button accessible through the housing;

a speaker disposed within the housing;

a microphone disposed within the housing; and

a cellular transceiver disposed within the housing and electrically connected to the single button, the speaker, and the microphone, wherein the cellular transceiver, the speaker, and the microphone are adapted to allow voice communications between an operator of the apparatus and a response center when the single button is pressed for a predetermined minimum amount of time, and wherein a contact number associated with a secondary response center is called when the communication apparatus is unable to establish a call with a primary response center.

2. The communication apparatus of claim 1 wherein the single button, when pressed, provides power from a power supply in the apparatus to the cellular transceiver, activates the cellular transceiver to search for an available cellular system channel, and transmit an outgoing cellular signal.

3. The communication apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a microprocessor for controlling the communication apparatus based on execution of a set of operational instructions, wherein the single button causes activation of the microprocessor.

4. The communication apparatus of claim 3 wherein upon application of power from the power supply, the cellular receiver scans for a strongest cellular signal from among available cellular system channels based on the set of operational instructions executed by the microprocessor.

5. The communication apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a signal indicator, wherein the microprocessor is operable to provide an indication of the signal strength of the strongest signal when power is applied to the communications apparatus by the power supply.

6. The communication apparatus of claim 5 wherein the signal indicator includes a low signal light and a high signal light.

7. The communication apparatus of claim 3 wherein the contact number associated with the secondary response center is stored in the communication apparatus, and wherein the microprocessor uses the contact number to place a call using the cellular transceiver to attempt to establish cellular communication with the response center.

8. The communication apparatus of claim 7 wherein the microprocessor determines whether cellular communication with the response center has been successfully established, and, if cellular communication with the response center has not been successfully established, waiting a predetermined period and then activating the cellular transmitter to again attempt to establish cellular communication with the response center.

9. The communication apparatus of claim 3 further comprising an interface port electrically connected to the microprocessor and accessible through the housing, wherein the microprocessor is operable to exchange signals with an external device via the interface port.

10. The communications apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a test button in the housing, the test button operable to call a 911 center.

11. The communication apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a location detection circuit operable to respond location signals indicating a physical location of the communications apparatus.

12. The communication apparatus of claim 11 wherein the location detection circuit comprises a Global Positioning Satellite system receiver.

13. A communication apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a button accessible through the housing;

a speaker;

a microphone;

a location detection circuit disposed in the housing and operable to provide a signal indicative of the location of the communications apparatus;

a cellular transceiver disposed within the housing;

wherein the buttons when pressed, is operable to activate the cellular transceiver to allow an operator of the apparatus to maintain a voice conversation with response center personnel using the speaker and the microphone.

14. The communication apparatus of claim 13 wherein the location detection circuit comprises a Global Positioning Satellite system receiver.

15. The communication apparatus of claim 13 wherein the button, when pressed, calls a primary contact number associated with a primary response center.

16. The communications apparatus of claim 15 wherein a secondary contact number is called when the communication apparatus is unable to establish a call using the primary contact number.

17. The communication apparatus of claim 13 further comprising an interface port electrically connected to a microprocessor and accessible through the housing, wherein the microprocessor is operable to exchange signals with an external device via the interface port.

18. The communications apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a test button in the housing, the test button operable to call a 911 center.

19. The communication apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a microprocessor for controlling the communication apparatus based on execution of a set of operational instructions, wherein the button when pressed causes activation of the microprocessor to begin executing the set of operational instructions.