Advanced alert, notification, and response device

• US 7,979,094 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2005
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jeff Whattam
• Original Assignee: Jeff Whattam
• Inventors: Whattam, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz; Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): El-Zoobi; Maria
• Application Number:
  US12/090,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20090128359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,093 Days
• Field of Search: 455/567, 379/52
• US Class Current: 455/567
• 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 27/00 Alarm systems in which the alarm condition is signalled from a central station to a plurality of substations

Abstract

Contemplated devices and methods employ a system in which at least two receivers are configured to receive at the same time a first and a second emergency signal via a first and a second communication pathway, respectively. The device further has a control unit that is programmed to assign priority to one channel of one communication pathway over at least one channel of the other communication pathway, wherein priority assignment is performed on the basis of geographic location and a set of predefined rules. Most preferably, the location of the device is automatically determined using global positioning signals and/or digital television signals.

Claims

1. An alert and notification device, comprising:

a first receiver that is configured to receive a first emergency signal via a first communication path having a first plurality of channels, wherein the first communication path is accessible within a plurality of jurisdictions;

a second receiver that is configured to receive a second emergency signal via a Second communication path having a second plurality of channels, wherein the second communication path is accessible in at least one of the plurality of jurisdictions;

wherein in each of the at least one jurisdictions each channel of the second plurality of channels has a predetermined priority rank relative to the first plurality of channels;

a third receiver that is configured to receive a position signal;

a control unit that is configured to (a) correlate the position signal with position of the device within one jurisdiction of the plurality of jurisdictions, (b) identify the priority rank of each channel of the second plurality of channels in the one jurisdiction, and (c) control output of the first or second emergency signal to an output device based on the priority rank; and

wherein the first, second, and third receivers and the control unit are at least partially enclosed in a single housing and are configured to allow prioritization of the first and second emergency signals without user intervention, and wherein the prioritization is based on the position signal of the device.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the first communication path comprises a NOAA or an EAS frequency band.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the first plurality of channels are frequencies selected from the group consisting of 162.400 MHz, 162.425 MHz, 162.450 MHz, 162.475 MHz, 162.500 MHz, 162.525 MHz, and 162.550 MHz.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein the second communication path comprises at least one of an UHF frequency band, a VHF frequency band, a microwave frequency band, an IR frequency band, a cellular communication frequency band, a cable TV transmission system, an optical network system, and a high-speed digital data transmission system.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured as a mobile device.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is coupled to TV cable or computer to thereby receive the second emergency signal.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the device further comprises a signal generator that is configured to provide a feedback signal from a user to an operator in response to at least one of the first and second emergency signals.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the third receiver is configured to receive a signal from a global positioning satellite or from a digital TV transmitter.

9. The device of claim 1 further comprising an input port that is electronically coupled to the control unit, and wherein the control unit is configured to allow reprogramming of the device using the input port.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the first and second receivers are configured to operate simultaneously.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the output device is at least one of a strobe light, a speaker, an active control device, and a display.

12. The device of claim 1 further comprising at least one of a CD-player, a DVD player, an MP3 player, a cassette player, an AM radio, a FM radio, a short wave radio, and a two-way radio.

13. An alert and notification device comprising:

a microprocessor that is programmed to prioritize at least one channel of a second communication path relative to at least one channel or a first communication path, wherein prioritization is based on a positional signal;

wherein the microprocessor is further programmed to associate the positional signal with presence of the device in a jurisdiction in which first and second communication paths are accessible; and

wherein the notification device is configured as mobile device and is configured to provide a first and second emergency signal to a user via the first and second communication path; and

wherein the notification device is further configured to prioritize the first and second emergency signals based on the position signal of the device without user intervention.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the first communication path comprises a NOAA or an EAS frequency band.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the second communication path comprises at least one of an UHF frequency band, a VHF frequency band, a microwave frequency band, an IR frequency band, a cellular communication frequency band, a cable TV transmission system, an optical network system, and a high-speed digital data transmission system.

16. The device of claim 13 wherein the positional signal is provided by at least one of a manual entry device, a global positioning signal, and a digital TV signal.

17. The device of claim 13 wherein microprocessor is further programmed such that association of the positional signal with presence of the device in the jurisdiction is performed without user intervention.

18. A method of providing an alert system to a recipient, comprising:

assigning in a plurality of jurisdictions each channel of a plurality of second channels in a second communication path a predetermined priority rank relative to a first plurality of channels of a first communication path;

configuring a device to allow receiving positional information of an alert and notification device, and to further allow correlating the positional information with a position of the device in one of the plurality of jurisdictions;

configuring the device to allow using the positional information to determine the priority rank of each of the second channels in the one jurisdiction, wherein determination of the priority rank is performed without user intervention;

configuring the device to allow alerting the recipient using the first or second channel based on the priority rank; and

wherein the device is further configured to include within a single housing a first and a second receiver that are configured to receive a signal from the first and second communication paths, respectively.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of assigning is performed by programming a control unit in a alert and notification device.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of receiving positional information includes operation of a manual entry device, or use of at least one of a global positioning signal, and a digital TV signal.