Mobile communications devices including environmental hazard monitoring

• US 7,848,732 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2007
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thomas, Robert P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor; Barry W
• Application Number:
  US11/782,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20090029716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/556.1
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0075 for multiple spatially distributed sensors, e.g. for environmental monitoring transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

Mobile communications devices include sensors for monitoring for environmental hazards that an individual carrying the mobile communications device may encounter when moving from place to place. Examples of such environmental hazards are smoke, poisonous gases including carbon monoxide, and the like. Upon detecting an environmental hazard, the mobile communications device of the individual may take some action. The mobile communications device may generate a local alert to call the attention of the individual to the environmental hazard. The mobile communications device may originate an outbound emergency communication to inform other parties such as emergency personnel that the environmental hazard exists.

Claims

1. A mobile communications device, comprising:

a portable body;

a transceiver within the portable body that sends and receives wireless communication signals to a mobile communications network;

an environmental hazard sensor within the portable body that produces a signal value based on sensing at least one characteristic of an environmental hazard;

a processor that interacts with the transceiver to establish communications with the mobile communications network and that interacts with the environmental hazard sensor to analyze the signal value against a reference and to originate an outbound communication to the mobile communications network upon detecting that the signal value exceeds the reference;

a portable power source that is affixed to the portable body and that provides electrical power to the transceiver, the environmental sensor, and the processor; and

an input component within the portable body that receives user input, and wherein the processor interacts with the input component to receive and act upon the user input;

and wherein the processor maintains a home location and provides an indicator of whether the home location or a custom location is active, and wherein the processor receives the user input via the input component to activate the home location or the custom location.

2. The mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein the environmental hazard sensor comprises at least one carbon monoxide sensor.

3. The mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein the environmental hazard sensor comprises at least one smoke detector.

4. The mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein the processor periodically interacts with the environmental hazard sensor to analyze the signal value against the reference.

5. The mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein the processor implements an off mode during which incoming communications from the mobile communications network are not accepted, the environmental hazard sensor continues to produce the signal value, and the processor continues to analyze the signal value against the reference and originate the outbound communication to the mobile communications network upon detecting that the signal value exceeds the reference.

6. The mobile communications device of claim 1, further comprising:

an output component within the portable body that produces an output that is perceivable by a user, and wherein the processor interacts with the output component to produce the perceivable output.

7. The mobile communications device of claim 6, wherein the processor instructs the output component to produce an alarm as the perceivable output upon detecting that the signal value exceeds a local alarm reference that is lower than the reference that causes the outbound communication to be originated.

8. The mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein the processor instructs the output component to produce an alarm as the perceivable output upon detecting that the signal value has exceeded the reference and then originates the outbound call if no user input via the input component is received within a set amount of time after having produced the alarm.

9. The mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein the output component is at least one of a display screen and a speaker and wherein the input component is at least one of a keypad and a microphone.

10. The mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein the processor receives user input specifying a custom location from the input component and outputs the custom location during the outbound communication to the mobile communications network.

11. The mobile communications device of claim 1, further comprising a location detector within the body and wherein the processor receives information from the location detector that specifies a current location and outputs the current location in addition to the home location or the custom location during the outbound communication to the mobile communications network.

12. The mobile communications device of claim 1, further comprising a location detector within the body and wherein the processor receives information from the location detector that specifies a current location and outputs the current location during the outbound communication to the mobile communications network.

13. A method of alerting to a hazardous environment using a mobile communications device present within the hazardous environment, comprising:

producing via an environmental hazard sensor within the mobile communications device a signal value;

determining via the mobile communications device whether to originate an outbound communication to a mobile communications network on the basis of the signal value;

originating the outbound communication from the mobile communications device when the outbound communication is determined to be appropriate;

providing information stored at the mobile communications device regarding a location of the hazardous environment during the outbound communication;

wherein the information stored at the mobile communications device comprises at least one of a home location and a custom location; and

receiving a selection from a user of the home location or the custom location in advance of determining to originate the outbound communication.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining whether to originate an outbound communication comprises generating a local alarm via the mobile communications device and determining whether user input to acknowledge the alarm is received within a set amount of time.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising detecting at the mobile communications device a current location and wherein the information provided during the outbound communication comprises the current location.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing instructions encoded thereon that perform acts comprising:

producing via an environmental hazard sensor within a mobile communications device a signal value;

determining via the mobile communications device whether to generate an alarm on the basis of the signal value;

determining whether to originate an outbound communication to a mobile communications network if no acknowledgement to the alarm is received at the mobile communications device within a set period of time;

originating the outbound communication from the mobile communications device to the mobile communications network upon determining that no acknowledgement has been received at the mobile communications device within the set period of time,

providing information stored at the mobile communications device regarding a location of the hazardous environment during the outbound communication, wherein the information comprises at least one of a home location and a custom location; and

receiving a selection from a user of the home location or the custom location in advance of determining to originate the outbound communication.