Emergency notification within an alarm community

• US 10,037,681 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2017
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRezQ AB
• Original Assignee: iRezQ AB
• Inventors: Hilliges, Werner, Sjodin, Tor
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US15/627,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20170294109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/08 with conversion into electric or magnetic values
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/043 detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• 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 25/018 Sensor coding by detecting magnitude of an electrical parameter, e.g. resistance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process of detecting if a handheld device (10) has been exposed to acceleration above a predetermined threshold by receiving a signal from an accelerometer (13) comprised in the handheld device and comparing the signal from the accelerometer with the predetermined threshold, and if the handheld device have been exposed to acceleration above the predetermined threshold sending, an alarm signal, via a wireless communication unit (16) comprised in the handheld device, to an alarm server, indicating that the handheld device has been subjected for an accident, the process being implemented as a program recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, the program being executed on the handheld device having processing capabilities.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program which when executed on a handheld device having processing capabilities is arranged for implementing:

detecting if the handheld device has been exposed to acceleration above a predetermined threshold by receiving a signal from an accelerometer comprised in the handheld device and comparing the signal from the accelerometer with the predetermined threshold;

sending, if the handheld device has been exposed to acceleration above the predetermined threshold, an alarm signal, via a wireless communication unit comprised in the handheld device, to an alarm server, indicating that the handheld device has been subjected for an accident;

determining a type of accident by analyzing characteristics of the signal from the accelerometer of the handheld device; and

wherein the program is further arranged for implementing;

receiving information regarding an activity mode of the user of the handheld device, wherein the predetermined threshold is set depending on the activity mode of the user of the handheld device.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the program is further arranged for implementing:

receiving, via the wireless communication unit, a verification message from the alarm server asking the user of the handheld device to confirm the accident; and

sending, to the alarm server and via the wireless communication unit, a response to the verification message.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the program is further arranged for implementing:

verifying that the handheld device has been exposed for acceleration above a predetermined threshold as a response to an accident by analyzing over time a positioning signal from a position determining unit comprised in the handheld device.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the handheld device is a smartphone, wherein the program is an application downloadable to the smartphone via an application providing service.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the program is further arranged for implementing:

establishing a hands-free call with a rescue service.

3. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program which when executed on a handheld device having processing capabilities is arranged for implementing:

detecting if the handheld device has been exposed to acceleration above a predetermined threshold by receiving a signal from an accelerometer comprised in the handheld device and comparing the signal from the accelerometer with the predetermined threshold;

sending, if the handheld device has been exposed to acceleration above the predetermined threshold, an alarm signal, via a wireless communication unit comprised in the handheld device, to an alarm server, indicating that the handheld device has been subjected for an accident;

receiving, via the wireless communication unit, a verification message from the alarm server asking the user of the handheld device to confirm the accident;

sending, to the alarm server and via the wireless communication unit, a response to the verification message; and

wherein the sending of a response to the verification message comprises detecting a simultaneous shaking of the handheld device and a pressing of a button on the handheld device.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program which when executed on a handheld device having processing capabilities is arranged for implementing:

detecting if the handheld device has been exposed to acceleration above a predetermined threshold by receiving a signal from an accelerometer comprised in the handheld device and comparing the signal from the accelerometer with the predetermined threshold;

sending, if the handheld device has been exposed to acceleration above the predetermined threshold, an alarm signal, via a wireless communication unit comprised in the handheld device, to an alarm server, indicating that the handheld device has been subjected for an accident;

verifying that the handheld device has been exposed for acceleration above a predetermined threshold as a response to an accident by analyzing over time a positioning signal from a position determining unit comprised in the handheld device; and

determining if the handheld device has moved after the alarm signal has been sent from the handheld device based on said analysing of the position signal.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program is arranged for implementing:

detecting if the handheld device has been exposed to acceleration above a predetermined threshold by receiving a signal from an accelerometer comprised in the handheld device and comparing the signal from the accelerometer with the predetermined threshold;

sending, if the handheld device has been exposed to acceleration above the predetermined threshold, an alarm signal, via a wireless communication unit comprised in the handheld device, to an alarm server, indicating that the handheld device has been subjected for an accident;

verifying that the handheld device has been exposed for acceleration above a predetermined threshold as a response to an accident by analyzing over time a positioning signal from a position determining unit comprised in the handheld device; and

determining if the handheld device has moved after the alarm signal has been sent from the handheld device and to compare the position when the alarm occurred with the position before and after the alarm based on said analysing of the position signal.