Wireless security device and method to place emergency calls

• US 8,351,895 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2009
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZOMM, LLC
• Original Assignee: ZOMM, LLC
• Inventors: Penix, Henry A., Penix, Laurie L., Penix, Zachry A., Hauser, Peter E. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): MUMMALANENI, MRUNALINI YERNENI
• Application Number:
  US12/554,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20110059720A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 4554561-4566
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/004 using portable personal devices hand-held or body-worn self-defence devices using repellent gases or chemicals F41H9/10
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A wireless security device and method includes implementing, by a wireless security device, one or more Bluetooth™ wireless protocol profiles for connecting to one or more Bluetooth™ enabled devices. A Bluetooth™ enabled telephony device may be paired with the wireless security device using one or more Bluetooth™ wireless protocol profiles. The wireless security device may send a command to the telephony device over the wirelessly paired Bluetooth™ connection The command may cause the telephony device to place a telephone call to an emergency telephone number. Once the telephone call is placed, a prerecorded emergency message may be sent from the wireless security device to the telephony device, causing the telephony device to play the prerecorded emergency message.

Claims

1. A wireless security device comprising:

a processor;

a wireless transceiver;

a memory; and

computer program instructions stored in the memory, which, when executed by the processor, cause the wireless security device to perform operations comprising;

selecting and implementing a Bluetooth wireless protocol profile from one or more Bluetooth wireless protocol profiles for connecting to one or more Bluetooth enabled devices;

wirelessly pairing, via the wireless transceiver over a personal area network, with a Bluetooth enabled telephony device using the selected Bluetooth wireless protocol profile, thus creating a wirelessly paired Bluetooth connection between the wireless security device and the telephony device;

sending a command to the telephony device requesting one or more of;

a telephone number of the telephony device;

a telephone network providing service to the telephony device; and

a global positioning system (GPS) location of the telephony device;

receiving a response from the telephony device including one or more of;

the telephone number of the telephony device;

the telephone network providing service to the telephony device; and

the GPS location of the telephony device; and

determining a current location of the telephony device based on one or more of the telephone number, the telephone network, and the GPS location;

accessing a lookup table stored in the memory including one or more location codes and one or more emergency telephone numbers associated with the one or more location codes;

correlating the location with at least one of the one or more location codes to obtain at least one of the one or more emergency telephone numbers;

sending a command, over the wirelessly paired Bluetooth connection, to the telephony device to place a telephone call to the at least one of the one or more emergency telephone numbers; and

once the telephone call is placed, sending a prerecorded emergency message to the telephony device over the wirelessly paired Bluetooth connection, causing the telephony device to transmit the prerecorded emergency message.

2. The wireless security device of claim 1 wherein the one or more Bluetooth wireless protocol profiles include one or more of:

a Bluetooth hands-free profile;

a Bluetooth headset profile; and

a Bluetooth advanced audio distribution profile.

3. The wireless security device of claim 1 wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, over the wirelessly paired Bluetooth connection, a location of the Bluetooth enabled telephony device; and

identifying the emergency telephone number based on the location.

4. The wireless security device of claim 1 wherein the wireless security device further comprises:

a speaker; and

a microphone.

5. The wireless security device of claim 4 wherein the operations further comprise providing speakerphone services including:

sending audio data captured by the microphone to the telephony device via the wireless transceiver; and

once the telephone call is placed, audibly playing, by the speaker, audio data received from the telephony device via the wireless transceiver.

6. The wireless security device of claim 4 further comprising:

generating a panic alarm including generating an audible sound through the speaker.

7. The wireless security device of claim 4 further comprising:

a light emitting diode; and

a vibration motor.

8. The wireless security device of claim 7 wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a notification when an incoming telephone call is received by the telephony device, the notification comprising one or more of;

illuminating the light emitting diode;

activating the vibration motor; and

generating an audible sound through the speaker.

9. The wireless security device of claim 7 wherein the operations further comprise:

generating an out-of-range notification when a measurement of a quality parameter of the Bluetooth wireless connection indicates the quality parameter of the Bluetooth wireless connection is outside a predetermined quality threshold, the notification comprising one or more of;

illuminating the light emitting diode;

activating the vibration motor; and

generating an audible sound through the speaker.

10. The wireless security device of claim 9 wherein generating the out-of-range notification comprises:

if more than one Bluetooth enabled devices are paired with the wireless security device, generating a unique out-of-range notification for each Bluetooth enabled device.

11. The wireless security device of claim 7 wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a notification when at least one of the one or more Bluetooth wireless protocol profiles is disconnected by a paired Bluetooth device, the notification including one or more of;

illuminating the light emitting diode;

activating the vibration motor; and

generating an audible sound through the speaker.

12. The wireless security device of claim 1 further comprising a button.

13. The wireless security device of claim 12 wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to an activation of the button, answering, by the telephony device, an incoming telephone call received by the telephony device; and

in response to an activation of the button, canceling, by the telephone device, an incoming telephone call received by the telephony device.

14. The wireless security device of claim 12 wherein the operations further comprise canceling a panic alarm in response to activation of the button.

15. The wireless security device of claim 12 wherein the operations further comprise canceling an out-of-range alarm in response to one of:

activation of the button; and

the Bluetooth wireless connection becoming reconnected.

16. The wireless security device of claim 1 wherein the processor and the wireless transceiver implement Bluetooth low energy technology.

17. A method comprising:

selecting and implementing, by a wireless security device, a Bluetooth wireless protocol profile from one or more Bluetooth wireless protocol profiles for connecting to one or more Bluetooth enabled devices;

wirelessly pairing, via a wireless transceiver of the wireless security device over a personal area network, with a Bluetooth enabled telephony device using the selected Bluetooth wireless protocol profile, thus creating a wirelessly paired Bluetooth connection between the wireless security device and the telephony device;

sending a command to the telephony device requesting one or more of;

a telephone number of the telephony device;

a telephone network providing service to the telephony device; and

a global positioning system (GPS) location of the telephony device;

receiving a response from the telephony device including one or more of;

the telephone number of the telephony device;

the telephone network providing service to the telephony device; and

the GPS location of the telephony device; and

determining a current location of the telephony device based on one or more of the telephone number, the telephone network, and the GPS location;

accessing a lookup table stored in the memory including one or more location codes and one or more emergency telephone numbers associated with the one or more location codes;

correlating the location with at least one of the one or more location codes to obtain at least one of the one or more emergency telephone numbers;

sending a command, by the wireless security device, over the wirelessly paired Bluetooth connection, to the telephony device to place a telephone call to the at least one of the one or more emergency telephone numbers; and

once the telephone call is placed, sending a prerecorded emergency message from the wireless security device to the telephony device over the wirelessly paired Bluetooth connection, causing the telephony device to transmit the prerecorded emergency message.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the one or more Bluetooth wireless protocol profiles include one or more of:

a Bluetooth hands-free profile;

a Bluetooth headset profile; and

a Bluetooth advanced audio distribution profile.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

receiving, over the wirelessly paired Bluetooth connection, a location of the Bluetooth enabled telephony device; and

identifying the emergency telephone number based on the location.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

sending audio data captured by a microphone of the wireless security device to the telephony device via the wireless transceiver; and

once the telephone call is placed, audibly playing, by a speaker of the wireless security device, audio data received from the telephony device via the wireless transceiver.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

generating, by the wireless security device, a notification when an incoming telephone call is received by the telephony device, the notification comprising one or more of;

illuminating at least one light emitting diode of the wireless security device;

activating a vibration motor of the wireless security device; and

generating an audible sound through a speaker of the wireless security device.

22. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

generating, by the wireless security device, an out-of-range notification when a measurement of a quality parameter of the Bluetooth wireless connection indicates the quality parameter of the Bluetooth wireless connection is outside a predetermined quality threshold, the notification comprising one or more of;

illuminating at least one light emitting diode of the wireless security device;

activating a vibration motor of the wireless security device; and

generating an audible sound through a speaker of the wireless security device.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein generating the out-of-range notification comprises:

if more than one Bluetooth enabled devices are paired with the wireless security device, generating a unique out-of-range notification for each Bluetooth enabled device.

24. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

executing, by the telephony device, software instructions configured to generate an out-of-range notification; and

generating, by the telephony device, an out-of-range notification when a measurement of a quality parameter of the Bluetooth wireless connection indicates the quality parameter of the Bluetooth wireless connection is outside a predetermined quality threshold, the notification comprising generating an audible sound through a speaker of the telephony device.

25. The method claim 17 further comprising:

generating a notification when at least one of the one or more Bluetooth wireless protocol profiles is disconnected by a paired Bluetooth device, the notification including one or more of;

illuminating at least one light emitting diode of the wireless security device;

activating a vibration motor of the wireless security device; and

generating an audible sound through a speaker of the wireless security device.

26. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

in response to an activation of a button of the wireless security device, answering, by the telephony device, an incoming telephone call received by the telephony device; and

in response to an activation of the button of the wireless security device, canceling, by the telephone device, an incoming telephone call received by the telephony device.

27. The method of claim 17 further comprising canceling a panic alarm in response to activation of a button of the wireless security device.

28. The method of claim 17 further comprising canceling an out-of-range alarm in response to one of:

activation of a button of the wireless security device; and

the Bluetooth wireless connection becoming reconnected.