Emergency dispatching system

• US 6,696,956 B1
• Filed: 11/06/2001
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Junji Uchida, Kyoko Uchida
• Original Assignee: Junji Uchida, Kyoko Uchida
• Inventors: Uchida, Kyoko, Uchida, Junji
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US09/979,675
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/531, 600/539.18, 600/300, 600/504, 361/679, 379/37, 379/38, 379/40, 379/41, 379/42, 379/43, 379/44, 379/45, 379/46, 379/47, 379/48, 379/49, 379/51, 455/404.1, 455/404.2
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0423 detecting deviation from an expected pattern of behaviour or schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/043 detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0469 Presence detectors to detect unsafe condition, e.g. infrared sensor, microphone G08B21/0476 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0484 Arrangements monitoring consumption of a utility or use of an appliance which consumes a utility to detect unsafe condition, e.g. metering of water, gas or electricity, use of taps, toilet flush, gas stove or electric kettle
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0492 Sensor dual technology, i.e. two or more technologies collaborate to extract unsafe condition, e.g. video tracking and RFID tracking
• 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 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

An emergency dispatching system which can reduce the occurrence of false reports, reliably send the first report to relatives or the like in an emergency, and automatically detect even the occurrence of an internal danger. Emergency dispatching system 10 comprises a communication device 12 for a monitored person, a sensor 14 for sensing the vital reaction or the like of the monitored person, contact address storage means 18 where a telephone number to contact in case of emergency is stored, message storage means 22 where a message to be sent in case of emergency is stored, safety judging means 16 for judging the safety of the monitored person based on the output of the sensor 14, dispatch notifying means 28 for warning the monitored person of the emergency when it is assumed by the safety judging means 16 that an emergency has occurred, automatic dialing means 20 for generating a dialing signal and outputting it to the communication device 12 in case where a safety confirmation input is not detected within a certain time since warning, and message dispatching means 26 for dispatching the message to a communication device 38 at a contact address after establishment of a communication line between the communication device 12 and the communication device 38.

Claims

1. An emergency dispatching system characterized by comprising:

a communication device on a monitored person side which is connectable to a communication line;

at least one sensor for sensing a vital reaction of a monitored person or an external, danger thereof;

contact address storage means where at least one telephone number to contact in case of emergency is stored;

message storage means at least one message to be sent in case of emergency is stored;

safety judging means for judging a safety of said monitored person based on an output of said sensor;

dispatch notifying means for warning said monitored person of an emergency when it is assumed by said safety judging means that said emergency has occurred;

automatic dialing means for generating a dialing signal corresponding to a telephone number of the contact address and outputting said dialing signal to said communication device on said monitored person side, thereby establishing a call to a communication device at said contact address, in case where a safety confirmation input is not detected within a certain time since warning made by said dispatch notifying means; and

message dispatching means for sending an emergency message stored in said message storage means to said communication device at said contact address via said communication device on said monitored person side after establishment of a communication line between said communication device on said monitored person side and said communication device at said contact address, and in that

said communication device on said monitored person side is a radio telephone,

said contact address storage means, said message storage means, said safety judging means, said dispatch notifying means, said automatic dialing means and said message dispatching means are retained in a charger of said radio telephone, and

said sensor is connected to said safety judging means by a cable or wirelessly.

2. The emergency dispatching system according to claim 1, characterized by comprising charging state detecting means for detecting whether or not said radio telephone is set in said charger, and in that

a safety monitoring operation of said safety judging means starts at a same time said radio telephone is set in said charger, and

said safety monitoring operation is temporarily canceled at a same time said radio telephone is detached from said charger.

3. The emergency dispatching system according to claim 2, characterized by comprising call detecting means for detecting a ring-back tone or ringing vibration when a call is made to said radio telephone, and in that

said safety monitoring operation of said safety judging means is temporarily canceled in case where said ring-tone or ring vibration of said radio telephone continues for a predetermined time or longer.

4. The emergency dispatching system according to claim 3, characterized by comprising temporal condition storage means in which a valid time zone for said sensor is set beforehand, and in that said safety judging means judges a safety of said monitored person based on an output result from said sensor acquired during said valid time zone.

5. The emergency dispatching system according to claim 4, characterized in that a safe interval in said valid time zone is set in said temporal condition storage means, and said safety judging means assumes an occurrence of an emergency in case where an output indicating a vital reaction of said monitored person is not obtained during said safe interval.

6. The emergency dispatching system according to claim 2, characterized by comprising temporal condition storage means in which a valid time zone for said sensor is set beforehand, and in that said safety judging means judges a safety of said monitored person based on an output result from said sensor acquired during said valid time zone.

7. The emergency dispatching system according to claim 6, characterized in that a safe interval in said valid time zone is set in said temporal condition storage means, and said safety judging means assumes an occurrence of an emergency in case where an output indicating a vital reaction of said monitored person is not obtained during said safe interval.

8. The emergency dispatching system according to claim 1, characterized by comprising temporal condition storage means in which a valid time zone for said sensor is set beforehand, and in that said safety judging means judges a safety of said monitored person based on an output result from said sensor acquired during said valid time zone.

9. The emergency dispatching system according to claim 8, characterized in that a safe interval in said valid time zone is set in said temporal condition storage means, and said safety judging means assumes an occurrence of an emergency in case where an output indicating a vital reaction of said monitored person is not obtained during said safe interval.

10. The emergency dispatching system according to claim 8, characterized in that a plurality of messages associated with outputs of individual sensors are stored in said message storage means in advance, and

said message dispatching means dispatches a message corresponding to that sensor output which has become a basis for judgment of an occurrence of an emergency by said safety judging means to said communication device at said contact address.

11. The emergency dispatching system according to claim 10, characterized by comprising:

caller-number identifying means for identifying a telephone number of a caller when a call is made to said communication device on said monitored person side; and

emergency-dispatch requesting right holder storage means where a telephone number of a person who has been authorized beforehand as an emergency-dispatch requesting right bolder is stored, and in that

said safety judging means judges whether or not said caller is said emergency-dispatch requesting right holder by comparing said telephone number stored in said emergency-dispatch requesting right holder storage means with a telephone number output from said caller-number identifying means,

when said caller is said emergency-dispatch requesting right holder and calling from said caller matches with a preset pattern, it is assumed that an emergency has occurred and said monitored person is warned of that emergency via said dispatch notifying means, and

when said safety confirmation input is not detected within a certain time since warning made by said dispatch notifying means, said message dispatching means dispatches an emergency message to said communication device at said contact address.

12. The emergency dispatching system according to claim 8, characterized by comprising:

caller-number identifying means for identifying a telephone number of a caller when a call is made to said communication device on said monitored person side; and

emergency-dispatch requesting right holder storage means where a telephone number of a person who has been authorized beforehand as an emergency-dispatch requesting right holder is stored, and in that

said safety judging means judges whether or not said caller is said emergency-dispatch requesting right holder by comparing said telephone number stored in said emergency-dispatch requesting right holder storage means with a telephone number output from said caller-number identifying means,

when said caller is said emergency-dispatch requesting right holder and calling from said caller matches with a preset pattern, it is assumed that an emergency has occurred and said monitored person is warned of that emergency via said dispatch notifying means, and

when said safety confirmation input is not detected within a certain time since warning made by said dispatch notifying means, said message dispatching means dispatches an emergency message to said communication device at said contact address.

13. The emergency dispatching system according to claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of messages associated with outputs of individual sensors are stored in said message storage means in advance, and

said message dispatching means dispatches a message corresponding to that sensor output which has become a basis for judgment of an occurrence of an emergency by said safety judging means to said communication device at said contact address.

14. The emergency dispatching system according to claim 1, characterized by comprising:

caller-number identifying means for identifying a telephone number of a caller when a call is made to said communication device on said monitored person side; and

emergency-dispatch requesting right holder storage means where a telephone number of a person who has been authorized beforehand as an emergency-dispatch requesting right holder is stored, and in that

said safety judging means judges whether or not said caller is said emergency-dispatch requesting right holder by comparing said telephone number stored in said emergency-dispatch requesting right holder storage means with a telephone number output from said caller-number identifying means,

when said caller is said emergency-dispatch requesting right holder and calling from said caller matches with a preset pattern, it is assumed that an emergency has occurred and said monitored person is warned of that emergency via said dispatch notifying means, and

when said safety confirmation input is not detected within a certain time since warning made by said dispatch notifying means, said message dispatching means dispatches an emergency message to said communication device at said contact address.

15. The emergency dispatching system said having a radio telephone on a monitored person side which is connectable to a communication line, and at least one sensor for sensing a vital reaction of a monitored person or an external danger thereof, characterized in that said radio telephone comprises:

contact address storage means where at least one telephone number to contact in case of emergency is stored;

message storage means where at least one message to be sent in case of emergency is stored;

safety judging means for judging a safety of said monitored person based on a output of said sensor;

dispatch notifying means for warming said monitored person of an emergency when it is assumed by said safety judging means that said emergency has occurred;

automatic dialing means for generating a dialing signal corresponding to a telephone number of the contact address, thereby establishing a call to a communication device at said contact address, in case where a safety confirmation input is not detected within a certain time since warming made by said dispatch notifying meaus; and

message dispatching means for sending an emergency message stored in said storage means to said communication device at said contact address after establishment of a communication line with said communication device at said contact address; and

said sensor is connected to said safety judging means by a cable or wirelessly.

16. An emergency dispatching system according to claim 15, characterized in that said radio telephone has present-position identifying means for identifying a present position of said radio telephone, and

present position information output from said present-position identifying means is dispatched to said communication device at said contact address at a time of the emergency dispatching.

17. The emergency dispatching system according to claim 16, characterized by comprising temporal condition storage means in which a valid time zone for said sensor is set beforehand, and in that said safety judging means judges a safety of said monitored person based on an output result from said sensor acquired during said valid time zone.

18. The emergency dispatching system according to claim 17, characterized in that a safe interval in said valid time zone is set in said temporal condition storage means, and said safety judging means assumes an occurrence of an emergency in case where an output indicating a vital reaction of said monitored person is not obtained during said safe interval.

19. The emergency dispatching system according to claim 15, characterized by comprising temporal condition storage means in which a valid time zone for said sensor is set beforehand, and in that said safety judging means judges a safety of said monitored person based on an output result from said sensor acquired during said valid time zone.

20. The emergency dispatching system according to claim 19, characterized in that a safe interval in said valid time zone is set in said temporal condition storage means, and said safety judging means assumes an occurrence of an emergency in case where an output indicating a vital reaction of said monitored person is not obtained during said safe interval.

21. The emergency dispatching system according to claim 19, characterized in that a plurality of messages associated with outputs of individual sensors are stored in said message storage means in advance, and

said message dispatching means dispatches a message corresponding to that sensor output which bas become a basis for judgment of an occurrence of an emergency by said safety judging means to said communication device at said contact address.

22. The emergency dispatching system according to claim 21, characterized by comprising:

caller-number identifying means for identifying a telephone number of a caller when a call is made to said communication device on said monitored person side; and

emergency-dispatch requesting right holder storage means where a telephone number of a person who has been authorized beforehand as an emergency-dispatch requesting right holder is stored, and in that

said safety judging means judges whether or not said caller is said emergency-dispatch requesting right holder by comparing said telephone number stored in said emergency-dispatch requesting right holder storage means with a telephone number output from said caller-number identifying means,

when said caller is said emergency-dispatch requesting right holder and calling from said caller matches with a preset pattern, it is assumed that an emergency has occurred and said monitored person is warned of that emergency via said dispatch notifying means, and

when said safety confirmation input is not detected within a certain time since warning made by said dispatch notifying means, said message dispatching means dispatches an emergency message to said communication device at said contact address.

23. The emergency dispatching system according to claim 19, characterized by comprising:

caller-number identifying means for identifying a telephone number of a caller when a call is made to said communication device on said monitored person side; and

emergency-dispatch requesting right holder storage means where a telephone number of a person who has been authorized beforehand as an emergency-dispatch requesting right holder is stored, and in that

said safety judging means judges whether or not said caller is said emergency-dispatch requesting right holder by comparing said telephone number stored in said emergency-dispatch requesting right holder storage means with a telephone number output front said caller-number identifying means,

when said caller is said emergency-dispatch requesting right holder and calling from said caller matches with a preset pattern, it is assumed that an emergency has occurred and said monitored person is warned of that emergency via said dispatch notifying means, and

when said safety confirmation input is not detected within a certain time since warning made by said dispatch notifying means, said message dispatching means dispatches an emergency message to said communication device at said contact address.

24. The emergency dispatching system according to claim 15, characterized in that a plurality of messages associated with outputs of individual sensors are stored in said message storage means in advance, and

said message dispatching means dispatches a message corresponding to that sensor output which has become a basis for judgment of an occurrence of an emergency by said safety judging means to said communication device at said contact address.

25. The emergency dispatching system according to claim 15, characterized by comprising:

caller-number identifying means for identifying a telephone number of a caller when a call is made to said communication device on said monitored person side; and

emergency-dispatch requesting right holder storage means where a telephone number of a person who has been authorized beforehand as an emergency-dispatch requesting right holder is stored, and in that

said safety judging means judges whether or not said caller is said emergency-dispatch requesting right holder by comparing said telephone number stored in said emergency-dispatch requesting right holder storage means with a telephone number output from said caller-number identifying means,

when said caller is said emergency-dispatch requesting right holder and calling from said caller matches with a preset pattern, it is assumed that an emergency has occurred and said monitored person is warned of that emergency via said dispatch notifying means, and

when said safety confirmation input is not detected within a certain time since warning made by said dispatch notifying means, said message dispatching means dispatches an emergency message to said communication device at said contact address.