MOBILE TELEPHONE EQUIPPED FOR ACTIVATION OF AN EMERGENCY MODE

• US 20120238238A1
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrzej Jaroslaw Galuszka
• Original Assignee: Andrzej Jaroslaw Galuszka
• Inventors: Galuszka, Andrzej Jaroslaw
• Granted Patent: US 8,565,717 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72424 with manual activation of emergency-service functions

Abstract

The invention relates to a mobile telephone (10) equipped for activation of an emergency mode. It comprises a housing (12), a detection circuit configured for being triggered, especially interrupted, from outside the housing and a strap member (14) cooperating with the detection circuit for triggering, especially interrupting, the detection circuit upon pulling the strap member (14) off the housing. An electronic control unit of the telephone (10) is configured to monitor triggering of the detection circuit, to activate an emergency mode in case of such triggering and to automatically perform emergency operations in the emergency mode. The strap member (14) comprises a strap (16), a first connector (18) attached to the strap and a bridging circuit portion (20). The housing (12) comprises a second connector (24) that cooperates with the first connector (18) for fastening the strap member to the housing. According to the invention the connectors (18, 24) are configured as mating snap-fit connectors, with the connector or of the strap member comprising at least two bridging circuit terminals (22, 23). The detection circuit includes at least two cooperating detection circuit terminals (26, 27) arranged in or adjacent the second connector (24). Further according to the invention, the bridging circuit portion (20) passes from one of the two bridging circuit terminals (22, 23) via the first connector (18), and preferably inside and through the strap (16), to the other of the two bridging circuit terminals (22, 23). Accordingly, when the strap member (14) is fastened to the housing (12), the bridging circuit terminals (22, 23) respectively connect to the detection circuit terminals (26, 27) so as to close the detection circuit. Conversely, when the strap member (14) is pulled off the housing (12) or when the strap itself is ripped, the bridging circuit portion (20) is interrupted or removed so that the detection circuit is triggered.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A mobile telephone equipped for activation of an emergency mode, said mobile telephone comprising

a housing,

a detection circuit configured for being triggered from outside said housing,

a strap member cooperating with said detection circuit for triggering said detection circuit and

an electronic control unit configured to monitor triggering of said detection circuit, to activate an emergency mode in case of such triggering and to automatically perform emergency operations in said emergency mode;

said strap member comprising a strap, a bridging circuit portion and a first connector attached to said strap ;

said housing comprising a second connector cooperating with said first connector for fastening said strap member to said housing;

wherein said first connector and said second connector are respectively configured as mating snap-fit connectors;

wherein said first connector comprises at least two bridging circuit terminals, said bridging circuit portion passing from one of said two bridging circuit terminals via said first connector to the other of said two bridging circuit terminals;

wherein said detection circuit includes at least two detection circuit terminals arranged for cooperating with said bridging circuit terminals;

wherein said bridging circuit terminals respectively connect to said detection circuit terminals so as to close said detection circuit when said strap member is fastened to said housing, and

wherein said detection circuit is interrupted when said strap member is pulled off said housing or when said strap is cut or ripped.

17. The mobile telephone according to claim 16, wherein said bridging circuit portion and at least a terminal portion of said detection circuit are made of optical waveguides.

18. The mobile telephone according to claim 16, wherein said strap is loop-shaped and has two end portions that are individually attached to said first connector.

19. The mobile telephone according claim 16, wherein said bridging circuit portion is removed so as to interrupt said detection circuit when said strap member is pulled off said housing.

20. The mobile telephone according to claim 17, wherein said bridging circuit portion is removed so as to interrupt said detection circuit when said strap member is pulled off said housing and wherein said bridging circuit portion passes internally through said loop-shaped strap and is made of optical fiber.

21. The mobile telephone according to claim 20, wherein said strap comprises a flexible sheathing for protecting said optical fiber.

22. The mobile telephone according to claim 16, wherein said first connector and said second connector are configured to disconnect at a pulling force in the range of m·

6N/kg to m·

14N/kg, with m being the net weight of the mobile telephone.

23. The mobile telephone according to claim 16, wherein said first connector and said second connector are configured to disconnect at a pulling force in the range of 10N to 30N.

24. The mobile telephone according to claim 16, wherein said first connector is a male plug connector and wherein said second connector is a female socket connector.

25. The mobile telephone according to claim 16, wherein said strap is flexible.

26. The mobile telephone according to claim 16, wherein said mobile telephone comprises a transmitter connected to one of said detection circuit terminals for emitting signals to said one detection circuit terminal and a receiver connected to the other of said detection circuit terminals for receiving signals emitted by said transmitter and received at said other detection circuit terminal, said electronic control unit being connected to said transmitter for controlling said transmitter to periodically emit signals and to said receiver for monitoring reception of said periodically emitted signals.

27. The mobile telephone according to claim 16, wherein said electronic control unit is configured to perform emergency operations that include automatically transmitting preprogrammed and/or cyclically obtained information via a mobile communication service to a preprogrammed destination.

28. The mobile telephone according to claim 27, wherein said electronic control unit is configured to cyclically obtain and store information related to a current environment of said mobile telephone.

29. The mobile telephone according to claim 16, further comprising a removable main battery and a non-removable buffer battery that is dimensioned to warrant emergency operations in said emergency mode when said removable main battery is removed.

31. The mobile telephone according to claim 16, wherein said bridging circuit portion passes from one of said two bridging circuit terminals via said first connector inside and through said strap.

32. The mobile telephone according to claim 20, wherein said sheathing is manually tearable.

33. The mobile telephone according to claim 32, wherein said sheathing comprises a predetermined breaking point.

34. The mobile telephone according to claim 25, wherein said strap is configured as a wrist strap.

35. The mobile telephone according to claim 28, wherein said information related to a current environment of said mobile telephone comprises at least one of audio data obtained using a microphone of said mobile telephone, video data obtained using a camera of said mobile telephone and position data obtained using a navigation device of said mobile telephone.

30. Kit of parts for a portable mobile communication device that is equipped for activation of an emergency mode and comprises

a housing,

a detection circuit configured for being interrupted from outside said housing and

an electronic control unit configured to monitor interruption of said detection circuit, to activate an emergency mode in case of such interruption and to automatically perform emergency operations in said emergency mode,

said kit comprising:

a strap member that comprises a strap, a first connector, which is attached to said strap and comprises at least two bridging circuit terminals, and a bridging circuit portion that passes from one of said two bridging circuit terminals via said first connector to the other of said two bridging circuit terminals, said first connector being a snap-fit mating with a second snap-fit connector provided in the housing of said mobile device,

said strap member being configured so that said bridging circuit terminals respectively connect to and cooperate with at least two detection circuit terminals at said second connector so as to close said detection circuit when said strap member is fastened to said housing, and so that removal or interruption of said bridging circuit portion interrupts said detection circuit when said strap member is pulled off said housing or when said strap is cut or ripped.

36. The kit of parts according to claim 30, wherein said bridging circuit portion passes from one of said two bridging circuit terminals via said first connector inside and through said strap.