Method and system for alerting a person to a situation

• US 7,348,882 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2006
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Adamczyk, Maria, Silver, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): GOINS, DAVETTA WOODS
• Application Number:
  US11/433,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20060202819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 340/432.3, 340/539.13, 340/539.18, 340/539.1, 340/506, 340/517, 340/539, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 455/7, 455/13.1, 455/521, 455/432.3, 379/51, 379/37
• US Class Current: 340/539.18
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/005 Alarm destination chosen according to a hierarchy of available destinations, e.g. if hospital does not answer send to police station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2094 Proximity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• 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 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A method of alerting a person to a situation is disclosed. An alert signal is received from a mobile communication device in signal communication with a wireless communication system and an alert system. In response to the alert signal, a database of an alert service is accessed for information relating to the subscriber of the mobile communication device and for information relating to a contact list associated with the subscriber. Information is obtained from the wireless communication system relating to the location of the subscriber, and a communication is made to a member of the subscriber'"'"'s contact list providing information relating to the subscriber and the situation.

Claims

1. A method for alerting a third party to an emergency event involving a mobile subscriber comprising:

inputting information into a database of an alerting service relating to a subscriber of a mobile communication device;

receiving an alert signal from the mobile communication device in signal communication with a wireless communication system and an alert system; and

accessing the database for information relating to the subscriber of the mobile communication device and for information relating to a contact list associated with the subscriber, in response to the alert signal, the contact list including a list of contacts who are to be contacted upon the occurrence of the alert signal;

wherein the contact list includes a first contact list and a second contact list, the first contact list including first individuals to be contacted in response to the alert signal, the second contact list including second individuals to be contacted in response to the alert signal, wherein only second contacts in the vicinity of the subscriber will be alerted.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining information at least partially from the wireless communication system relating to a location of the subscriber; and

communicating to a member of the subscriber'"'"'s contact list information relating to the subscriber and a situation.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the mobile communication device includes a panic button, the alert signal being generated in response to activation of the panic button.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the mobile communication device self-activates the alert signal in response to a situation.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the situation includes at least one occurrence of an accident, a sudden impact, deployment of an airbag, or an emergency situation.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the mobile communication device is integrated in a vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the contact list associated with the subscriber is provisioned by the subscriber accessing an alert service through a web browser.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the list of contacts includes multiple contact methods for at least one contact.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein:

the multiple contact methods include at least two of a home phone number, mobile phone number, pager number and email address.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:

communicating to a member of the subscriber'"'"'s contact list information relating to the subscriber and the situation includes communications with multiple contacts contemporaneously.

11. A computer program product for alerting a person to a situation, the computer program product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for facilitating a method comprising;

inputting information into a database of an alerting service relating to a subscriber of a mobile communication device;

receiving an alert signal from the mobile communication device in signal communication with a wireless communication system and an alert system; and

accessing the database for information relating to the subscriber of the mobile communication device and for information relating to a contact list associated with the subscriber, in response to the alert signal, the contact list including a list of contacts who are to be contacted upon the occurrence of the alert signal;

wherein the contact list includes a first contact list and a second contact list, the first contact list including first individuals to be contacted in response to the alert signal, the second contact list including second individuals to be contacted in response to the alert signal, wherein only second contacts in the vicinity of the subscriber will be alerted.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising:

obtaining information at least partially from the wireless communication system relating to a location of the subscriber; and

communicating to a member of the subscriber'"'"'s contact list information relating to the subscriber and a situation.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein:

the mobile communication device includes a panic button, the alert signal being generated in response to activation of the panic button.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein:

the mobile communication device self-activates the alert signal in response to a situation.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein:

the situation includes at least one occurrence of an accident, a sudden impact, deployment of an airbag, or an emergency situation.

16. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein:

the mobile communication device is integrated in a vehicle.

17. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein:

the contact list associated with the subscriber is provisioned by the subscriber accessing an alert service through a web browser.

18. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein:

the list of contacts includes multiple contact methods for at least one contact.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein:

the multiple contact methods include at least two of a home phone number, mobile phone number, pager number and email address.

20. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein:

communicating to a member of the subscriber'"'"'s contact list information relating to the subscriber and the situation includes communications with multiple contacts contemporaneously.