Emergency alert device with mobile phone

• US 8,249,547 B1
• Filed: 06/16/2011
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Albert Fellner
• Original Assignee: Albert Fellner
• Inventors: Fellner, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US13/134,757
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 4554141-4144, 455418-420, 4554561-457, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 4555561-558, 455/566, 455/567, 455/569.1, 4555751-5759, 340287-309, 379 37- 51
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3861 carried in a hand or on fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72424 with manual activation of emergency-service functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

A wearable emergency alert device includes a wearable member and a separately encased mobile phone member that is selectively attachable to the wearable member. The wearable member includes an attachment member for attaching the wearable member to a body part of the user, a first transmitter for sending a first signal to the mobile phone member, a power source for the first transmitter and a first actuator operable by a user for actuating the first transmitter to send a signal to the mobile phone member. The mobile phone member includes a mobile phone transceiver for establishing a first communication link between the mobile phone transceiver and the first transmitter; and the second communication link between the mobile phone transceiver and a remote receiver for transmitting and receiving at least one of data, voice and messages between the mobile phone transceiver and a remote receiver. A mounting member is provided for selectively removably mounting the mobile phone member to the wearable member, and permitting the mobile phone member to engage the first actuator to actuate an emergency signal.

Claims

1. A wearable emergency alert device comprising a wearable member and a separately encased mobile phone member selectively attachable to the wearable member,

the wearable member including an attachment member for attaching the wearable member to a body part of a user, a first transmitter for sending a first signal to the mobile phone member, a power source for the first transmitter, and a first actuator operable by a user for actuating the first transmitter to send a signal to the mobile phone member,

the mobile phone member including a mobile phone transceiver for establishing a first communication link between the mobile phone transceiver and the first transmitter, and a second communication link between the mobile phone transceiver and a remote receiver for transmitting and receiving at least one of data, voice and messages between the mobile phone transceiver and the remote receiver,

a mounting member for selectively removably mounting the mobile phone member to the wearable member, and while the mobile phone member is mounted to the wearable member, permitting the mobile phone member to move between a first position wherein the mobile phone member does not engage the first actuator of the wearable member, and a second position wherein the mobile phone member engages the first actuator to cause the first actuator to actuate the first transmitter to transmit the first signal to the mobile phone transceiver.

2. The wearable emergency alert device of claim 1 wherein the attachable member comprises a wrist band and the wearable member includes an outwardly facing surface wherein the first actuator comprises a depressible switch facing outwardly from the outwardly facing surface.

3. The wearable emergency alert device of claim 2 where the first transmitter comprises a radio frequency transmitter actuable by the first actuator between a normally off position where no signal is being transmitted and an on position where a radio signal is transmitted to the mobile phone transceiver.

4. The wearable emergency alert device of claim 2 wherein the mobile phone member includes a first surface and a second surface, the second surface including at least one control member for controlling operation of the mobile phone.

5. The wearable emergency alert device of claim 4 wherein the control member includes an emergency alert control member for causing the mobile phone to begin an emergency alert notification procedure, and wherein the display member includes a time display function.

6. The wearable emergency alert device of claim 5 wherein the control member includes a phone call begin member and a phone call end member, and the display member includes a touch screen dial pad function.

7. The wearable emergency alert device of claim 5 wherein the mobile phone includes a speaker phone, and wherein the emergency alert control member causes the mobile phone to begin an emergency alert procedure that includes automatically placing a call to a help desk operator and actuating the speaker phone for permitting a user to communicate by voice with the help desk.

8. The wearable emergency alert device of claim 7 wherein the help desk operator comprises at least one of an emergency call center based operator, an emergency responder operator and a friend, and wherein the device includes an accelerometer capable of detecting a fall by the user and reporting the fall to the help desk operator.

9. The wearable emergency alert device of claim 7 wherein the mobile phone includes a GPS function, wherein the emergency control member causes the mobile phone to begin an emergency alert procedure that includes using the GPS function to send the user'"'"'s location data to the help desk.

10. The wearable emergency alert device of claim 1 wherein the device includes an accelerometer capable of detecting a fall by the user and reporting the fall to the help desk, and the mobile phone includes a GPS function.

11. The wearable emergency alert device of claim 1 wherein the mobile phone include a GPS reporting function including a receiver capable of receiving a message from a third party, a confirming function capable for determining whether the third party is a party authorized to receive GPS information about the user, and a transmitter for transmitting location data about the user'"'"'s location derived from the GPS function.

12. The wearable emergency alert device of claim 10 wherein the GPS function includes a GPS status determining function to determine current GPS status data for determining whether current GPS data possessed by the GPS function comprises current location data, last known position GPS data, or data derived from a malfunction of the GPS function, and wherein the GPS function includes a report function for reporting location data of the user that includes current GPS status data.

13. The wearable emergency alert device of claim 1 wherein the first transmitter comprises a radio frequency transmitter actuable between a normally off state where no signal is being transmitted and an on state where a signal is transmitted from the radio frequency transmitter to the mobile phone transceiver.

14. The wearable emergency alert device of claim 1 further comprising a charger having a coupling for electrically coupling the mobile phone transceiver to the charger and wherein the mobile phone is fully detachable from the wearable member to permit the wearable member to be positioned remotely from the cell phone transceiver, but within a signal transmission range of the radio frequency transmitter.

15. The wearable emergency alert device of claim 1 wherein the alert device is capable of sending an emergency signal to a care provider in each of a first, second, and third signaling protocol wherein

the first signaling protocol includes the mobile phone member being mounted to the wearable member by the mounting member, the mobile phone member being moved to and from the first position to the second position to engage the first actuator of the wearable member, wherein the engagement of the first actuator causes the first transmitter to transmit the first signal to the mobile phone transceiver, and wherein the first signal actuates the mobile phone transceiver to transmit a mobile telephone signal to a care giver.

16. The wearable emergency alert device of claim 15 where the second signaling protocol includes the mobile phone member including a control member for controlling operation of the mobile phone and a speaker phone, and wherein the second signaling protocol includes actuation of the control member by a user to begin the second emergency alert protocol procedure that includes automatically placing a call to a remote care giver and activating the speaker phone for permitting voice communication between a user and a care giver.

17. The wearable emergency device of claim 16 wherein the third signaling protocol includes the mobile phone member being detached from, and remotely positioned from the wearable member, wherein the third emergency alert signaling protocol is commenced by a user actuating the first actuator to cause the first transmitter to send a radio signal to the remote mobile phone transceiver, wherein reception of the radio signal causes the mobile phone transceiver to automatically commence a mobile telephone call between the mobile phone transceiver and a care giver.

18. The wearable emergency alert device of claim 17 wherein at least one of the wearable member and the mobile phone member include a global positioning device for determining a location of the at least one of the wearable member and mobile phone member, and wherein each of the first, second and third signaling protocols include attempts to send user location data to a care giver.

19. The wearable emergency device of claim 1 wherein the device is capable of sending an emergency signal in each of a first, a second and a third emergency signaling protocol, wherein the third signaling protocol includes the mobile phone member being detached from, and remotely positioned from the wearable member, wherein the third emergency signaling protocol is commenced by a user activating the first actuator to cause the first transmitter to send a radio signal to the remote mobile phone transceiver, wherein reception of the radio signal causes the mobile phone transceiver to automatically commence a mobile telephone call between the phone transceiver and a care giver.

20. The wearable emergency alert device of claim 1 wherein the device is capable of sending an emergency signal to a care provider in each of a first, second and third signal protocol, and wherein at least one of the wearable member and phone member include a global positioning sensor device for determining a location of the at least one of the wearable member and mobile phone member, and wherein each of the first, second and third signaling protocol includes using the global positioning sensor device to attempt to provide user location data to a care giver.