Personalized security system

• US 5,926,103 A
• Filed: 10/06/1997
• Issued: 07/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Statsignal IPC LLC (Statsignal)
• Original Assignee: Statsignal Systems Incorporated (Statsignal)
• Inventors: Petite, T. David
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US08/943,773
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.19, 340/539, 340/573, 340/531, 340/825.72, 340/825.49, 358/93, 348/143
• US Class Current: 340/8.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

A personalized security system in which a portable transmitter may be carried or worn by an individual and activated by the individual when in need of assistance to transmit data relating specifically to the individual. The data is received by a transceiver located in close proximity to the individual such as at an ATM, pay phone, gas pump or personal computer and is transmitted with additional data to a remote receiver. The remote receiver then forwards information relating to the data to emergency personnel who use the information to determine the location of the individual, as well as particulars relating specifically to the individual, such as name and physical description.

Claims

1. An assistance procuring system for use in combination with a pay telephone, the system comprising:

a portable transmitter including means for activation by a user, and means responsive to said activation means for transmitting a first signal, said first signal being encoded to uniquely identify the transmitter;

a transceiver integral with the pay phone and including means for receiving said first signal, and means for transmitting a second signal encoded to include transceiver location information and transmitter identification information derived from said first signal;

a remote station including a database having a plurality of updateable data elements including personal information relating to the user, the remote station further including means responsive to the second signal for indexably retrieving one or more of the data elements.

2. The assistance procuring system of claim 1, further comprising at least one repeater for receiving signals transmitted by said transmitter and retransmitting said signals to said transceiver.

3. The assistance procuring system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of data elements are selected from the group consisting of:

(a) the user'"'"'s address;

(b) a description of the user;

(c) a digitized picture of the user;

(d) the user'"'"'s vehicle tag number;

(e) the user'"'"'s vehicle identification number;

(f) the user'"'"'s vehicle LOJACK number;

(g) the user'"'"'s nearest relatives or friends;

(h) the addresses of the user'"'"'s nearest relative or friend;

(i) medical information of the user;

(j) an ID number assigned to the user; and

(k) the user'"'"'s name.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said database includes one or more updateable elements relating to emergency personnel in the vicinity of said transceiver.

5. The assistance procuring system of claim 1 wherein said portable transmitter includes a memory device for storing data for producing said encoded signal.

6. The assistance procuring system of claim 1, wherein the portable transmitter further includes means for transmitting a set of one or more data elements representative of the nature of the assistance needed.

7. An assistance procuring system for use in combination with a pay telephone, said system including:

a portable transmitter for transmitting a first signal containing a first set of one or more data elements representative of personal information relating to a user;

a transceiver integral with said pay phone for receiving said first signal and for transmitting a second signal including said first set of said data elements and one or more additional data elements; and

a remote station comprising;

a memory device adapted to store a plurality of updateable data elements corresponding to personal information relating to the user;

means for receiving said second signal; and

means for generating a third signal corresponding to said first set of said one or more data elements, said one or more additional data elements, and said plurality of updateable data elements.

8. The remote station according to claim 7, wherein said plurality of data elements is organized in a searchable data base.

9. The remote station of claim 7 wherein said memory device further stores updateable information relating to emergency personnel located in the vicinity of said transceiver.

10. An assistance procuring system for use in combination with a personal computer, the system comprising:

a portable transmitter including means for activation by a user, and means responsive to said activation means for transmitting a first signal, said first signal being encoded to uniquely identify the transmitter;

a transceiver integral with the personal computer and including means for receiving said first signal, and means for transmitting a second signal encoded to include transceiver location information and transmitter identification information derived from said first signal;

a remote station including a database having a plurality of updateable data elements including personal information relating to the user, the remote station further including means responsive to the second signal for indexably retrieving one or more of the data elements.

11. The assistance procuring system of claim 10, further comprising at least one repeater for receiving signals transmitted by said transmitter and retransmitting said signals to said transceiver.

12. The assistance procuring system of claim 10, wherein one or more of the plurality of data elements are selected from the group consisting of:

(a) the user'"'"'s address;

(b) a description of the user;

(c) a digitized picture of the user;

(d) the user'"'"'s vehicle tag number;

(e) the user'"'"'s vehicle identification number;

(f) the user'"'"'s vehicle LOJACK number;

(g) the user'"'"'s nearest relatives or friends;

(h) the addresses of the user'"'"'s nearest relative or friend;

(i) medical information of the user;

(j) an ID number assigned to the user; and

(k) the user'"'"'s name.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein said database includes one or more updateable elements relating to emergency personnel in the vicinity of said transceiver.

14. The assistance procuring system of claim 10 wherein said portable transmitter includes a memory device adapted to store data for producing said encoded signal.

15. The assistance procuring system of claim 10, wherein the portable transmitter further includes means for transmitting a set of one or more data elements representative of the nature of the assistance needed.

17. The remote station according to claim 15, wherein said plurality of data elements is organized in a searchable data base.

16. An assistance procuring system for use in combination with a personal computer, said system including:

a portable transmitter for transmitting a first signal containing a first set of one or more data elements representative of personal information relating to a user;

a transceiver integral with said personal computer for receiving said first signal and for transmitting a second signal including said first set of said data elements and one or more additional data elements; and

a remote station comprising;

a memory device for storing a plurality of updateable data elements corresponding to personal information relating to the user;

means for receiving said second signal; and

means for generating a third signal corresponding to said first set of said one or more data elements, said one or more additional data elements, and said plurality of data elements.

18. The remote station of claim 16 wherein said memory device stores updateable information relating to emergency personnel located in the vicinity of said transceiver.

19. A personal security and monitoring system for notifying emergency personnel of the location and type of emergency condition being encountered by an individual activating the system, comprising:

a portable, battery-operated transmitter having at least one button connected to a RF transmitter for generating a modulated RF signal when said at least one button is pressed, said RF signal being encoded with bits of information including transmitter identification (ID) code and a function code identifying the type of emergency;

a transceiver having a receiver/decoder for receiving and decoding the RF signal from said transmitter via an antenna;

an interface unit coupled to said receiver/decoder and a central processing unit (CPU) which authenticates the transmitter ID code and interprets the function code;

said transceiver CPU further having data storage means which contains a unique transceiver identification code corresponding to the location of said transceiver; and

a modem coupled to said transceiver CPU and a telephone line; and

a receiver at a central monitoring station, said receiver having a modem in communication with said transceiver modem via the telephone line, and a receiver CPU for storing further data related specifically to nearby emergency personnel and users of the personal security and monitoring system.

20. The assistance procuring system of claim 19, further comprising at least one repeater for receiving signals transmitted by said transmitter and retransmitting said signals to said transceiver.

21. The personal security and monitoring system of claim 19, further comprising a video camera in close proximity to said transceiver and connected to said transceiver CPU so that video signals can be transmitted to the receiver at the central monitoring station.

22. The personal security and monitoring system of claim 21 wherein said receiver further includes a video monitor or recorder for viewing or storing said video signals.

23. The personal security and monitoring system of claim 19 wherein said transceiver is located at a facility selected from the group consisting of:

a pay phone, a personal computer, an automatic teller machine, and a gas pump.

24. The assistance procuring system of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of repeaters for receiving signals transmitted by said transmitter and retransmitting said signals to said transceiver.