Portable communications device

• US 7,907,931 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2004
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TLCD LLC
• Original Assignee: SECURECOM TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
• Inventors: Hartigan, Patrick Francis, O'Connor, Michael Joseph, Brosnan, George Michael, Swiechowicz, Jaroslaw Irenesz
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Doan, Kiet
• Application Number:
  US10/558,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20070082652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,484 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.07, 340/539.1, 340/572.1, 340/457, 340/539, 455/567, 455/456
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0277 Communication between units on a local network, e.g. Bluetooth, piconet, zigbee, Wireless Personal Area Networks [WPAN]
• 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

Abstract

A portable communications device (1) for wearing by a person and for use in conjunction with a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone (3) for communicating a signal indicative of the existence of an emergency to a base station comprises a pendant shaped housing (5) within which is located a first interface circuit (12) which comprises a pair of activating switches (14) operable by panic buttons (15) for facilitating inputting a signal to the device (1) indicative of the existence of an emergency. A microprocessor (18) reads signals from the first interface circuit (12) and reads the last determined position of the device from a GPS positioning circuit (8) in the housing (5), and also reads the identity of the device (1), a phone number of the base station to which a message indicative of the emergency is to be communicated and a message indicative of the emergency from a programmable memory (10). The microprocessor (18) prepares an activating signal which comprises the identity and position of the device (1), the phone number of the base station and the message, which is transmitted with a time label through a Bluetooth transmitter/receiver (20) to the mobile phone (3). The activating signal activates the mobile phone (3) to relay the data contained in the activating signal to the base station.

Claims

1. A portable communications device for wearing on a person for communicating a signal indicative of the location of the person to a predetermined location, wherein the communications device is operable in conjunction with a wireless enabled telecommunications terminal equipment device for communicating the signal indicative of the location of the person to the predetermined location, and the portable communications device comprises a position determining circuit for communicating with an external electronic positioning system for determining the location of the device, an input interface for receiving an input signal, a wireless transmitter for transmitting a signal from the device to the wireless enabled telecommunications terminal equipment device via a wireless communications link, a microprocessor responsive to an input signal entered through the input interface for reading a signal indicative of the location of the device from the position determining circuit, and for operating the wireless transmitter for transmitting an activating signal to the wireless enabled telecommunications terminal equipment device, the activating signal comprising a signal indicative of the identity of the device and the signal indicative of the location of the device, the activating signal being provided for activating the wireless enabled telecommunications terminal equipment device for communicating the signals indicative of the identity and location of the device to the predetermined location via a telecommunications network.

2. A portable communications device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the input interface comprises an activating switch for facilitating inputting of an input signal, and the microprocessor is responsive to the input signal.

3. A portable communications device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the activating switch is a bi-state activating switch, and is operable from one of the states to the other for facilitating the inputting of the input signal, and preferably, the bi-state activating switch is stable in one state, and the input signal is inputted through the activating switch by operating the switch from the stable state to the other state, and advantageously, the activating switch is a button operated activating switch.

4. A portable communications device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the input interface comprises a voice signal interface circuit for receiving a voice input signal, the microprocessor being responsive to the voice input signal, and preferably, the voice signal interface circuit comprises a microphone, and advantageously, the voice signal interface circuit comprises a loudspeaker for facilitating bi-directional voice communication with the portable communications device.

5. A portable communications device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a storing means is provided for storing the identity of the device, and the microprocessor is responsive to the input signal for reading the identity of the device from the storing means, and preferably, the storing means is adapted for storing at least one message for transmission in the activating signal through the wireless transmitter under the control of the microprocessor, and advantageously, the storing means is adapted for storing a plurality of selectable messages, and the microprocessor is responsive to the input signal for selecting at least one of the stored messages for transmission in the activating signal through the wireless transmitter under the control of the microprocessor, and preferably, one of the selectable messages stored in the storing means is an alerting message indicative of an emergency status event.

6. A portable communications device as claimed in claim 5 wherein one of the messages stored in the storing means is a message indicative of the nature of the emergency.

7. A portable communications device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the storing means is programmable for permitting storing of the messages, and preferably, an input means is provided for inputting data and messages to the storing means, and advantageously, the storing means is adapted for storing data indicative of the destination of the predetermined location, and preferably, the storing means is adapted for storing data indicative of a plurality of predetermined locations.

8. A portable communications device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the data indicative of at least one of the predetermined locations which is stored in the storing means is a telephone number of the locationdestination of the signal.

9. A portable communications device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the data indicative of at least one of the predetermined locations which is stored in the storing means is a Uniform Resource Locator of the location, and preferably, the data indicative of at least one of the predetermined locations which is stored in the storing means is an IP address of the location, and advantageously, the wireless transmitter is adapted for facilitating voice communication between the portable communications device and the wireless enabled telecommunications terminal equipment device, and preferably, the input interface comprises a wireless receiver for receiving a signal from the wireless enabled telecommunications terminal equipment device via a wireless communication link for facilitating reception of an input signal received via the telecommunications network by the wireless enabled telecommunications terminal equipment device, and advantageously, the wireless transmitter and receiver co-operate for facilitating bi-directional communication between the portable communications device and the wireless enabled telecommunications terminal equipment device, and preferably, the wireless receiver is adapted for facilitating voice communication between the wireless enabled telecommunications terminal equipment device and the portable communications device.

10. A portable communications device as claimed in claim 9 wherein data and messages to be stored in the storing means are inputted through the wireless receiver, and the microprocessor is responsive to signals received through the wireless receiver for storing data and messages.

11. A portable communications device as claimed in claim 9 wherein the microprocessor is responsive to an interrogation signal received through the wireless receiver for transmitting the signals indicative of the identity and location of the device through the wireless transmitter, and preferably, the wireless receiver is a radio frequency receiver, and advantageously, the wireless transmitter is adapted to communicate with the wireless enabled telecommunications terminal equipment device using Bluetooth standard.

12. A portable communications device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the input interface comprises a data interface for acquiring data signals from a patient monitoring device worn by the person, and the microprocessor is responsive to data signals acquired through the data interface, and preferably, the microprocessor time labels at least some of the transmissions through the wireless transmitter with the current time of the transmission, and advantageously, the microprocessor time labels each of the transmissions through the wireless transmitter with the current time of the transmission, and preferably, a visual display means is provided on the portable communications device for displaying data, and advantageously, at least some of the messages to be transmitted are displayed on the visual display means, and preferably, each message to be transmitted is displayed on the visual display means, and advantageously, the microprocessor is responsive to a message received through the wireless receiver for displaying the message on the visual display means, and preferably, the microprocessor is responsive to an input signal received through the input interface for displaying data inputted through the input interface, and advantageously, the visual display means comprises a visual display screen.

13. A portable communications device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the microprocessor controls the telecommunications terminal equipment device for displaying data on a visual display means of the telecommunications terminal equipment device, and preferably, the wireless transmitter is a radio frequency transmitter, and advantageously, the wireless receiver is adapted to communicate with the wireless enabled telecommunications terminal equipment device using Bluetooth standard, and preferably, the position determining circuit for communicating with an external electronic positioning system is adapted for communicating with a satellite positioning system for determining the position of the device, and preferably, the position determining circuit for communicating with an external electronic positioning system is adapted for communicating with a terrestrial positioning system for determining the position of the device.

14. A portable communications device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the position determining circuit is adapted for determining the position of the portable communications device from a satellite system with or without supplemental transmissions from a terrestrial positioning system.

15. A portable communications device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is initially responsive to the input signal for operating the wireless transmitter for transmitting a preliminary activating signal to the wireless enabled telecommunications terminal equipment device, the preliminary activating signal comprising a signal indicative of the identity of the device, the activating signal being provided for activating the wireless enabled telecommunications terminal equipment device for communicating the signal indicative of the identity of the device to the predetermined location via the telecommunications network, and preferably, the preliminary activating signal comprises the emergency message.

16. A portable communications device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the microprocessor is responsive to the input signal for operating the wireless transmitter for outputting a homing signal containing the identity of the device for facilitating location of the device.

17. A portable communications device as claimed in claim 16 wherein the strength of the homing signal transmitted by the wireless transmitter is stronger than the strength of the activating signal transmitted by the wireless transmitter, and preferably, the homing signal is transmitted under the Bluetooth standard, and preferably, the homing signal is transmitted for a predetermined time period, and advantageously, the homing signal is transmitted at predetermined intervals.

18. A portable communications device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the input interface is adapted for receiving signals from a digital, still or moving camera, optical scanner, fingerprint reader, barcode reader, smart card reader or an environment sensor, and the microprocessor is responsive to input signals received from such devices for transmitting an appropriate message through the wireless transmitter to the wireless enabled telecommunications terminal equipment device, and preferably, an audible alarm is provided, and the microprocessor is responsive to an input signal received through the input interface for activating the audible alarm in the event of an input signal indicating the existence of an emergency, and advantageously, the range of the wireless transmitter of the portable communications device lies in the range of 0 meters to 100 meters, and preferably, the range of the wireless transmitter of the portable communications device is approximately 10 meters.

19. A portable communications device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the wireless enabled telecommunications terminal equipment device with which the portable communications device is adapted to communicate is a mobile phone carried on the person, and preferably, the portable communications device is housed within a housing, and preferably, the housing is a pendant type housing, and the portable communications device is adapted for wearing as a pendant around the neck of a person, wrist, ankle or other convenient location on or in proximity to the person.

20. In combination a portable communications device as claimed in claim 1 and a wireless enabled telecommunications terminal equipment device, the wireless enabled telecommunications terminal equipment device being adapted for communicating with the portable communications device, and being responsive to an activating signal from the portable communications device for communicating a signal received from the portable communications device to a predetermined location via a telecommunications network, and preferably, the wireless enabled telecommunications terminal equipment device is a mobile phone.