Personal safety system, method, and apparatus

• US 9,177,455 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2010
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PerpCast, Inc.
• Original Assignee: PerpCast, Inc.
• Inventors: Remer, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Adnan, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US12/775,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20100283609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,007 Days
• Field of Search: 340/541
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Abstract

A personal safety system, method, and apparatus provides image, audio, and data capture and transport system (IADCTS) features wherein an electronic device placed on a user can capture data associated with a potential perpetrator of a crime against the user. The electronic device sends the captured data (such as images or audio) to a secure and remote storage location. The capturing and sending of the data cannot be reversed or canceled by the user or potential perpetrator. The potential perpetrator is notified that the potential perpetrator'"'"'s data has been captured by the electronic device, thereby discouraging the potential perpetrator from further proceeding with the crime.

Claims

1. A method for discouraging a crime against a user, comprising:

capturing, by a mobile phone held or worn by the user, images of current environment surrounding the user, the capturing occurring at predetermined time intervals;

subsequent to the capturing, receiving, by the mobile phone, information indicating an activation event; and

in response to the information indicating an activation event,

capturing, by the mobile phone, data associated with the potential perpetrator of the crime against the user holding or wearing the mobile phone, including one or more images and audio of the potential perpetrator;

contemporaneously sending, by the mobile phone, the image and audio data associated with the potential perpetrator and a subset of the images of environment captured during a predetermined time period that is immediately preceding a time the information is received, to a secure and remote storage location, wherein said capturing and sending cannot be reversed nor canceled by the user nor the potential perpetrator, and wherein the secure and remote storage location is configured to certify that the captured image and audio data are stored in a format that is admissible in a court of law by meeting evidentiary standards; and

contemporaneously notifying, by the mobile phone, the potential perpetrator that the image and audio data associated with the potential perpetrator has been irreversibly captured and sent to a secure and remote storage location, by the mobile phone, so as to attempt to discourage the potential perpetrator from further proceeding with the crime, wherein contemporaneously notifying includes contemporaneously emitting audible notifications from the mobile phone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information indicating an activation event includes receiving information indicating activation of the mobile phone from in inactive state to trigger said capturing, contemporaneous sending and contemporaneous notifying the data.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein activation includes activation of the mobile phone in response to voluntary user activation of the mobile phone.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein activation includes activation of the mobile phone in response to involuntary user activation of the mobile phone.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending, by the mobile phone, a message to law enforcement or 911 or to some other third party to indicate that said sending of the captured image and audio data and the subset of the images of environment captured during a predetermined time period that is immediately preceding the time the information is received, has occurred.

6. An article of manufacture, comprising a non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon and executable by a processor of a mobile phone held or worn by a user, to perform the method of claim 1.

7. An apparatus for discouraging a a crime against a user, comprising:

a mobile phone to be held or worn by a user, wherein the mobile phone is configured to;

capture images of environment surrounding the user, the capturing occurring at predetermined time intervals;

subsequent to the capture, receive information indicating an activation event; and

in response to the information indicating an activation event,

capture data associated with a potential perpetrator of a crime against the user holding or wearing the mobile phone, including one or more images and audio of the potential perpetrator;

contemporaneously send the captured image and audio data and a subset of the images of environment captured during a predetermined time period that is immediately preceding a time of the receiving of the information indicating activation event to a secure and remote storage location, wherein said capture and send cannot be reversed nor canceled by the user nor potential perpetrator, and wherein the secure and remote storage location is to certify that the captured image and audio data are stored in a format that is admissible in a court of law by meeting evidentiary standards; and

contemporaneously notify the potential perpetrator that the image and audio data associated with the potential perpetrator has been captured and sent to a secure and remote storage location by the mobile phone, so as to attempt to discourage the potential perpetrator from further proceeding with the crime, wherein contemporaneous notify includes contemporaneous emitting audible notifications from the mobile phone.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said captured image and audio data of the potential perpetrator includes date, time, and location with respect to when and where the image and audio data were captured.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the mobile phone is to receive the information indicating an activation event, in response to voluntary or involuntary action of the user.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the mobile phone is to further send a message to law enforcement or to 911 or to some other third party to indicate that the captured data has been sent to the secure and remote storage location.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the mobile phone includes a plurality of sensors configured to sense biometric information, motion, location information, environmental information, and hand pressure applied to the mobile phone;

and in response, provide the information indicating the activation event.