Locator beacon system having global communication capability

• US 7,830,305 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2007
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PROCON Incorporated (RCM Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: PROCON Incorporated (RCM Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bishop, Ronald D., Boling, Brian M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mull; Fred H
• Application Number:
  US11/693,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20090224966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,321 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.1, 342/357.07, 342/357.09, 340/539.13, 340/539.32, 340/825.49, 340/7.5, 455/404.2
• US Class Current: 342/357.55
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/002 Generating a prealarm to the central station
• 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 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/00 Alarm systems in which the alarm condition is signalled from a central station to a plurality of substations

Abstract

The invention provides an emergency communication device capable of transmitting an emergency alert signal using more than one wireless communication system. When a commercial wireless carrier network is available, the device transmits the emergency alert signal to a central monitoring service via the wireless carrier network. When no wireless carrier network is available, the device transmits the emergency alert signal to an emergency search and rescue (SAR) satellite system. The device includes a first transmitter for transmitting the emergency alert signal to the SAR satellite system, a receiver for receiving location determination signals from Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, and a second transmitter for transmitting the emergency alert signal by way of the wireless carrier network. In preferred embodiments, the first transmitter is a personal locator beacon transmitter compatible with the Cospas-Sarsat satellite system and the second transmitter is a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) transmitter.

Claims

1. An emergency communication apparatus for transmitting an emergency alert signal in an emergency situation, the apparatus comprising:

a portable housing;

a first transmitter disposed in the portable housing for transmitting the emergency alert signal to a COSPAS-SARSAT search and rescue satellite system used in providing assistance in search and rescue operations;

a first receiver disposed in the portable housing for receiving location determination signals from a second satellite system used in determining location information;

a second receiver disposed in the portable housing for receiving wireless communication signals from a wireless communication network;

a second transmitter disposed in the portable housing for transmitting the emergency alert signal by way of the wireless communication network; and

a logic module disposed in the portable housing for determining whether the wireless communication network is available based at least in part on the signals received by the second receiver.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first transmitter further comprises a personal locator beacon transmitter for transmitting the emergency alert signal at about 406 megahertz.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first receiver further comprises a Global Positioning System receiver.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second transmitter further comprises a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) transmitter.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising the first transmitter for transmitting the emergency alert signal including a code for identifying the first transmitter.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising the first transmitter for transmitting the emergency alert signal including location information based on the location determination signals received by the first receiver.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising the first transmitter for transmitting the emergency alert signal including an event code for providing information regarding the emergency situation.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second transmitter and second receiver are components of a wireless communication transceiver module.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the wireless communication transceiver module comprises a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) transceiver module.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first transmitter transmits the emergency alert signal when the logic module determines that the wireless communication network is unavailable.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second transmitter transmits the emergency alert signal when the logic module determines that the wireless communication network is available.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a single activation button for initiating activation of the apparatus to transmit the emergency alert signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a microphone and a recording device for recording audio signals received by the microphone.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a sensor interface for receiving at least one sensor signal indicative of whether an emergency situation exists; and

the logic module for initiating activation of the apparatus to transmit the emergency alert signal when the at least one sensor signal indicates the existence of an emergency situation.

15. An emergency communication apparatus for transmitting an emergency alert signal in an emergency situation, the apparatus comprising:

a portable housing;

a personal locator beacon transmitter disposed in the portable housing for transmitting the emergency alert signal to one or more COSPAS-SARSAT satellites;

a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver disposed in the portable housing for receiving location determination signals from one or more Global Positioning System satellites;

a wireless transceiver disposed in the portable housing for receiving wireless communication signals from a wireless communication network and for transmitting the emergency alert signal by way of the wireless communication network; and

a logic module disposed in the portable housing for determining whether the wireless communication network is available based at least in part on the signals received by the wireless transceiver.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the wireless transceiver comprises a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) transceiver.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the personal locator beacon transmitter transmits the emergency alert signal at about 406 MHz.