Telephone reassurance, activity monitoring and reminder system

• US 9,123,232 B1
• Filed: 03/11/2014
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Henry Sik-Keung Chan
• Original Assignee: Henry Sik-Keung Chan
• Inventors: Chan, Henry Sik-Keung
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US13/999,612
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 379/38, 379/39, 379/40, 379/41, 379/45, 379/46, 379/48, 379/49, 379/50, 379/51, 379/42, 700/244, 340/286.06, 340/286.07, 340/309.16, 340/539.11, 340/539.12, 340/573.4, 221/9
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

A communication apparatus and method to provide timed monitoring and reminder function using a telephone switch to make calls to a subscriber with the option to repeat each call one or more times to allow the subscriber to answer any one of the calls to signal activity. If the subscriber is not responding to any one of the calls, the apparatus will communicate to someone related to the subscriber such as a friend or a member of the family to report the subscriber'"'"'s inactivity. Alternatively, the subscriber can signal activity before the call occurs to avoid the call. Allowing a subscriber multiple opportunities to respond to a call and to take action proactively is an improvement over existing methods to provide telephone reassurance. With switches and motion sensors connecting to a phone device to initiate and to respond to phone calls, the apparatus can be used effectively as an alert system where motion or movement of an object serves as a trigger to report or to suppress the reporting of an event that is of concern to the subscriber and others who share the subscriber'"'"'s interests.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus to facilitate telephone reassurance, activity monitoring and reminder, comprising:

a first memory device, for storing a program having codes, when executed by a microprocessor, to automate calls to a plurality of registered devices;

a telephone switch for receiving a first service-request-number (SRN) call from at least one of said plurality of registered devices subscribed for said telephone reassurance with said telephone switch, causing said program to initiate one or more calls directed back to said at least one registered device at a future time in response to said first SRN call, and communicating a status of said call to one or more predetermined registered devices when any one said call is not answered;

a second memory device, for storing a scheduler module having codes, when executed by said microprocessor, to cause said calls to be changed from said scheduler module if said at least one registered device initiates a second SRN call with a provision of a time-code of a plurality of time-codes corresponding to a plurality of dial plans to said telephone switch prior to said future time.

2. Apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said program repeats said one or more calls to said at least one registered device when a special command (SNOOZE) is entered in response to said call.

3. Apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein an accelerating scale is used by said plurality of dial plans to compute said future time from a time-code of said plurality of time-codes.

4. Apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said first SRN call with a provision of time-code of said plurality of time-codes from said at least one registered device is initiated by a call-request-switch (CRS) activating an autodialer associated with said at least one registered device having a call-answer-switch (CAS) to answer one or more said calls resulting from said first SRN call.

5. Apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said first SRN call with a provision of time-code of said plurality of time-codes from said at least one registered device is initiated by a CRS activating an autodialer associated with said at least one registered device using said CRS activating said autodialer to initiate a second SRN call prior to said future time to change said call resulting from said first SRN call.

6. Apparatus set forth in claim 5, wherein said CRS activates an autodialer in response to movement of a subject.

7. Apparatus set forth in claim 6, wherein a delay timer is set to disable said CRS from initiating said second SRN call prior to said future time.

8. Apparatus set forth in claim 1, further including a third memory device, for storing a scheduler module having codes, when executed by said microprocessor, to initiate one or more said first SRN calls with said provision of time-code of said plurality of time-codes from said at least one registered device one or more times according to a schedule.

9. Apparatus set forth in claim 8, wherein said call is answered by said at least one registered device with a CAS.

10. Apparatus set forth in claim 8, wherein a CRS activates an autodialer associated with said at least one registered device prior to said future time to change said call.

11. Apparatus set forth in claim 10, wherein said CRS operates with a motion detector responding to movement of a subject.

12. Apparatus set forth in claim 11, wherein a delay timer is set to disable said CRS from initiating said second SRN call prior to said future time.

13. Apparatus set forth in claim 1, further including a third memory device, storing one auto-SNOOZE instruction for each auto-SNOOZE call of said call to be initiated by said program responding to said first SRN call.

14. Apparatus set forth in claim 13, wherein said program further having codes, when executed on said microprocessor, selects one or more email addresses from said third memory device in place of at least one of said plurality of registered devices to communicate said status.

15. Apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said predetermined registered device triggers an alarm in a security system connecting to said predetermined registered device to report said status.

16. Apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein the Internet provides connection for said telephone switch with at least one of said plurality of registered devices having an analog telephone adaptor (ATA).