Programmable emergency communication system including automatic dialer
First Claim
1. A programmable emergency communication system for communicating between a home system and another party, comprising:
- an automatic dialer programmed to dial at least one telephone number upon command;
means for transmitting a first control signal in response to an external condition;
a speakerphone coupled with a telephone line for enabling hands free reception and transmission of voice-to-voice communications when interconnected with said telephone line; and
a reprogrammable central controller, connected to said speakerphone and to said automatic dialer, for controlling the operations of said home system in accordance with a selected set of reprogrammable options;
wherein said central controller, upon receipt of said first control signal, connects said automatic dialer to a telephone line and generates said command to cause said automatic dialer to dial said at least one telephone number, andwherein said central controller, upon receipt of an interrogation from a central station, transmits information indicating said selected set of reprogrammable options to said central station.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A programmable emergency communication system for dialing an emergency number, such as a number for a central station, a 911 exchange, or third parties, permits voice-to-voice communication between a home system and the called number. The home system automatically dials one of the stored telephone numbers in response to a signal from a hand held medallion, a signal from a sip/puff switch, a signal from a paddle switch, a signal from a smoke detector, or a signal from a front panel of the home system. The home system reports emergency signals and also reports non-emergency signals, such as a low battery condition, to the central station. The home system has many options which may be programmed to suit the particular desires of the user. The home system may be programmed by any telephone which has access to the telephone line to which the home system is connected. The central station receives data from the home system and can determine the subscriber ID, the device which initiated the call, and the battery level of the device. The central station can also distinguish between emergency and non-emergency calls. A printer at the central station prints a record of all data transmitted between the central station and the home system.
332 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A programmable emergency communication system for communicating between a home system and another party, comprising:
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an automatic dialer programmed to dial at least one telephone number upon command; means for transmitting a first control signal in response to an external condition; a speakerphone coupled with a telephone line for enabling hands free reception and transmission of voice-to-voice communications when interconnected with said telephone line; and a reprogrammable central controller, connected to said speakerphone and to said automatic dialer, for controlling the operations of said home system in accordance with a selected set of reprogrammable options; wherein said central controller, upon receipt of said first control signal, connects said automatic dialer to a telephone line and generates said command to cause said automatic dialer to dial said at least one telephone number, and wherein said central controller, upon receipt of an interrogation from a central station, transmits information indicating said selected set of reprogrammable options to said central station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A programmable emergency communication system, for communicating between a home system and another party, comprising:
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an automatic dialer programmed to dial at least one telephone number upon command; means for transmitting a first control signal in response to an external condition; a speakerphone coupled with a telephone line for enabling hands free reception and transmission of voice-to-voice communications when interconnected with said telephone line; and a reprogrammable central controller, connected to said speakerphone and to said automatic dialer, for controlling the operations of said home system in accordance with a selected set of reprogrammable options; wherein said central controller, upon receipt of said first control signal, connects said automatic dialer to a telephone line and generates said command to cause said automatic dialer to dial said at least one telephone number, and wherein if no sound is detected after said telephone number is dialed and the call is answered, said central controller transmits a handshake tone, transmits a data string, hangs up, and then causes said automatic dialer to dial a second telephone number, and further comprising a plurality of audio and visual indicators to aid a programmer in programming said selected set of reprogrammable options, to indicate when an emergency signal has been received by said central controller, to indicate when a battery level is below a reference level, and to indicate whether said central controller will automatically answer incoming calls.
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21. A programmable emergency communication system, for communicating between a home system and another party, comprising:
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an automatic dialer programmed to dial at least one telephone number upon command; means for transmitting a first control signal in response to an external condition; a speakerphone coupled with a telephone line for enabling hands free reception and transmission of voice-to-voice communications when interconnected with said telephone line; and a reprogrammable central controller, connected to said speakerphone and to said automatic dialer, for controlling the operations of said home system in accordance with a selected set of reprogrammable options; wherein said central controller, upon receipt of said first control signal, connects said automatic dialer to a telephone line and generates said command to cause said automatic dialer to dial said at least one telephone number, and wherein if no sound is detected after said telephone number is dialed and the call is answered, said central controller transmits a handshake tone, transmits a data string, hangs up, and then causes said automatic dialer to dial a second telephone number; and wherein if said dial tone is not detected, said central controller will hang up and listen for up to two more times for a dial tone and if no dial tone is detected, said central controller then causes said automatic dialer to go ahead and dial said one telephone number; and further comprising a plurality of audio and visual indicators to aid a programmer in programming said selected set of reprogrammable options, to indicate when an emergency signal has been received by said central controller, to indicate when a battery level is below a reference level, and to indicate whether said central controller will automatically answer incoming calls.
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22. A programmable emergency communication system, for communicating between a home system and another party, comprising:
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an automatic dialer programmed to dial at least one telephone number upon command; means for transmitting a first control signal in response to an external condition; a speakerphone coupled with a telephone line for enabling hands free reception and transmission of voice-to-voice communications when interconnected with said telephone line; and a reprogrammable central controller, connected to said speakerphone and to said automatic dialer, for controlling the operations of said home system in accordance with a selected set of reprogrammable options; wherein said central controller, upon receipt of said first control signal, connects said automatic dialer to a telephone line and generates said command to cause said automatic dialer to dial said at least one telephone number, and wherein said central controller is placed into a programming mode, where said selected set of reprogrammable options may be programmed, when a telephone which has accessed said telephone line generates a certain sequence of tones, whereby said central controller may be programmed by a telephone connected to said central controller or by a remote telephone.
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Specification