Lone worker gas safety alarm system and method
First Claim
1. A personal monitor system for monitoring a safety of a person that might be exposed to a gas or other hazards while at a worksite or while traveling to or from the worksite, the personal monitor system comprising:
- a central base system;
a portable transceiver unit carried by the person and being movable thereby to a remote location relative to the central base system, the portable transceiver unit includes a logic circuit;
a wireless communication link placing the portable transceiver unit in communication with the central base system;
a gas sensor borne by the portable transceiver unit, operatively coupled to the logic circuit, and being responsive to the gas;
a user interface borne by the portable transceiver unit, the user interface being operatively coupled to the logic circuit and being responsive to a plurality of manual manipulations by the person;
a notification system borne by the portable transceiver unit and being operatively coupled to the logic circuit;
an alarm emanating from the notification system if a concentration of the gas, as sensed by the gas sensor, exceeds a predetermined limit;
an alarm message displayed by the central base system as a result of the concentration of gas (as sensed by the gas sensor) exceeding the predetermined limit;
a plurality of prompt signals periodically emanating from the notification system, wherein the plurality of prompt signals includes a first prompt signal;
a first check-in signal conveyed by the wireless communication link from the portable transceiver unit to the central base system in response to a first manual manipulation of the user interface, wherein the first manual manipulation is one of the plurality of manual manipulations; and
a warning message displayed by the central base system if the central base system fails to receive a subsequent check-in signal within a certain time span following at least one of the first check-in signal and the first prompt signal.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A person-carried portable transceiver unit informs a remote home base of the person'"'"'s activities, location, and/or exposure to a toxic gas. The person uses the portable transceiver unit for sending different predetermined chosen text messages to the home base. In some examples, the particular message is chosen by the number of times the person sequentially triggers a single switch on the unit. In cases where the single switch is a pushbutton, pressing the button three times, for example, could indicate the person is heading to a worksite, and pressing the button four times could indicate the person arrived at the worksite. For the home base to determine whether the person is still conscious and alert while at the worksite, the home base periodically sends to the portable unit reminder signals that prompt the person for a certain response, such as, for example, the person pressing the button twice in succession.
16 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A personal monitor system for monitoring a safety of a person that might be exposed to a gas or other hazards while at a worksite or while traveling to or from the worksite, the personal monitor system comprising:
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a central base system; a portable transceiver unit carried by the person and being movable thereby to a remote location relative to the central base system, the portable transceiver unit includes a logic circuit; a wireless communication link placing the portable transceiver unit in communication with the central base system; a gas sensor borne by the portable transceiver unit, operatively coupled to the logic circuit, and being responsive to the gas; a user interface borne by the portable transceiver unit, the user interface being operatively coupled to the logic circuit and being responsive to a plurality of manual manipulations by the person; a notification system borne by the portable transceiver unit and being operatively coupled to the logic circuit; an alarm emanating from the notification system if a concentration of the gas, as sensed by the gas sensor, exceeds a predetermined limit; an alarm message displayed by the central base system as a result of the concentration of gas (as sensed by the gas sensor) exceeding the predetermined limit; a plurality of prompt signals periodically emanating from the notification system, wherein the plurality of prompt signals includes a first prompt signal; a first check-in signal conveyed by the wireless communication link from the portable transceiver unit to the central base system in response to a first manual manipulation of the user interface, wherein the first manual manipulation is one of the plurality of manual manipulations; and a warning message displayed by the central base system if the central base system fails to receive a subsequent check-in signal within a certain time span following at least one of the first check-in signal and the first prompt signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A personal monitor method that involves the use of a central base system and a portable transceiver unit for monitoring a safety of a person that might be exposed to a gas or other hazards while at a worksite or while traveling to or from the worksite, wherein the worksite is at a remote location relative to the central base system, the personal monitor method comprising:
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during a chosen period of monitoring, maintaining the portable transceiver unit in proximity with the person such that the portable transceiver unit and the person generally travel and move with each other during the chosen period of monitoring; at least periodically establishing wireless communication between the portable transceiver unit and the central base system; sensing the gas via a gas sensor borne by the portable transceiver unit; the portable transceiver unit notifying the person when a concentration of the gas exceeds a predetermined limit; during a first period within the chosen period of monitoring, the person and the portable transceiver unit traveling to the worksite; during a second period within the chosen period of monitoring, the person and the portable transceiver unit moving with each other at the worksite; at least one of the portable transceiver unit and the central base determining whether the portable transceiver unit is traveling to the worksite or is at the worksite; and the portable transceiver unit periodically prompting the person to manually manipulate a user interface on the transceiver unit when the portable transceiver unit is at the worksite. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A personal monitor method that involves the use of a central base system and a portable transceiver unit for monitoring a safety of a person that might be exposed to a gas or other hazards while at a worksite or while traveling to or from the worksite, wherein the worksite is at a remote location relative to the central base system, the personal monitor method comprising:
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maintaining the portable transceiver unit in proximity with the person such that the portable transceiver unit and the person generally travel and move with each other; at least periodically establishing wireless communication between the portable transceiver unit and the central base system; sensing the gas via a gas sensor borne by the portable transceiver unit; the portable transceiver unit notifying the person when a concentration of the gas exceeds a predetermined limit; during a first period, the person and the portable transceiver unit traveling to the worksite; during a second period, the person and the portable transceiver unit moving with each other at the worksite; at least one of the portable transceiver unit and the central base system determining whether the portable transceiver unit is traveling to the worksite or is at the worksite; the portable transceiver unit periodically prompting the person to push a push button on the transceiver unit when the portable transceiver unit is at the worksite; the person selectively pressing the push button on the portable transceiver unit a first given number of times to indicate that the person has arrived at the worksite; the person selectively pressing the push button a second given number of times to indicate that the person is departing the worksite; the person selectively pressing the push button a third given number of times to indicate that the person is okay; and the person selectively pressing the push button a fourth given number of times to indicate that the person is requesting assistance, the given numbers being equal to at least one, the given numbers being distinguishable from each other, and the person pressing the push button the given number in succession if the given number is greater than one. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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Specification