Life safety device with integrated Wi-Fi and GPS capability

• US 8,004,399 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2007
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Albert, Reyes, Javier E., Yuk, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George
• Assistant Examiner(s): WANG, JACK K
• Application Number:
  US11/870,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20090096602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/506, 340/321, 455/404.2
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

This invention relates to a central security and alarm system that provides an ability to respond to an emergency signal sent from a personal life safety device to a system central monitoring location using Wi-Fi, where the emergency signal include GPS coordinates of a location of the personal life safety device so that emergency responders can be sent to investigate and/or respond to the emergency. The system includes at least a personal life safety device including GPS and Wi-Fi capability, and an ability to respond to a user input to generate and transmit an emergency signal and a central monitoring station constructed to receive and respond to the emergency signal by identifying the user GPS coordinates, and initiate a response by emergency responders.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring for emergency notification by use of a personal life safety device at a central monitoring station where the personal life safety device is constructed to provide coordinates of the device'"'"'s location upon actuation of an emergency notification feature by a device user in an emergency, comprising the steps of:

the user activating the emergency notification feature to summon emergency responders to the device'"'"'s location at said coordinates;

the personal life safety device responding to the user activating by automatically generating and sending a signal comprising said coordinates to a local panel at the instant the signal is sent;

the local panel relaying the signal to the central monitoring station;

the central monitoring station responding to the signal by summoning the emergency responders; and

at least one of the central monitoring station and the local panel automatically initiating a direct two-way VoIP communication channel with the personal life safety device providing direct communication between personnel at the central monitoring station or local panel and a user of the personal safety device thereby allowing the personnel to determine details relating to the emergency upon activation of the emergency notification feature.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of activating includes that said coordinates are GPS coordinates.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of receiving and responding includes that the central monitoring station immediately determines the exact location of the personal life safety device and communicates same to the emergency responders.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein upon establishing the communication channel, the central monitoring Station continuously receives updates of said coordinates, and continually provides said updates to said emergency responders in a case where it is deterimined from said coordinates that the personal safety device has changed, or is changing location.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein in response to receipt of the relayed signal, the central monitoring station opens a communication channel with the local panel, and the local panel attempts to extend the open channel to the personal life safety device.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein VoIP channel is enabled using Wi-Fi technology.

7. A central security and alarm system that includes responding to an emergency signal sent from a personal life safety device to a system central monitoring location via a local monitoring station using Wi-Fi, where the emergency signal includes GPS coordinates of a location of the personal life safety device, the system comprising:

a personal life safety device including GPS and Wi-Fi capability, and an ability to respond to a user input to generate and transmit an emergency signal including GPS coordinates at the instant the emergency signal is sent;

a local monitoring station constructed to receive the emergency signal from the personal life safety device and relay the emergency signal to a central monitoring station; and

when the central monitoring station receives said emergency signal from the local monitoring station, the central monitoring station constructed to receive and respond to said emergency signal from the local monitoring station by identifying the user GPS coordinates, and initiating a response by emergency responders, where in response to the received emergency signal, at least one of the central monitoring station and the local panel automatically initiates a direct, two-way VoIP communication channel with the personal life safety device providing direct communication between personnel at the central monitoring station or local panel and a user of the personal safety device thereby allowing the personnel to determine details relating to the emergency upon activation of the user input.

8. The central security and alarm system as set forth in claim 7, wherein the personal life safety device includes a panic button.

9. The central security and alarm system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the personal life safety device includes a microphone and speaker for VoIP communications.

10. The central security and monitoring station as set forth in claim 7, wherein the local monitoring station supports establishing and maintaining a VoIP communication channel between the central monitoring station and the personal life safety device.