Emergency report terminal device and system

• US 7,274,924 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2004
• Issued: 09/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshioka, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Phu; Sanh D.
• Application Number:
  US10/758,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20040166828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,348 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/344, 455/345, 455/569.1, 455/569.2
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

A structure of a wireless communication device for calling an emergency report center via a cellular phone network is simplified. Further, provision is made so that voice communication can be established with the emergency report center from anywhere. To provide such an advantage, a built-in wireless communication section is used to transmit data, including a phone number of a cellular phone possessed by a user in a vehicle when an emergency report is made to the emergency report center via the cellular phone network. An operator in the emergency report center uses the phone number of the cellular phone to establish voice communication with the user. Since the built-in wireless communication section does not require a voice communication circuit, the wireless communication device structure can be simplified to reduce a size and cost of the device. Further, the emergency report center can establish voice communication with the user even when the user has to stay away from the vehicle depending on a situation.

Claims

1. An emergency report system, comprising:

an emergency report terminal device mounted in a vehicle, the terminal device being configured to perform an emergency report communication process via a cellular phone network, the communications process being configured to call an emergency report center in the event of an emergency, to transfer positional information about said vehicle, and to establish voice communication to convey the information about the emergency;

wherein said emergency report terminal device includes built-in wireless communication means for performing said emergency report communication process and control means for transmitting a phone number of a cellular phone, not in communication with said emergency report terminal device, to said emergency report center when data is transmitted by said built-in wireless communication means, and said emergency report center uses the phone number of said cellular phone, which is transmitted from said emergency report terminal device, to place a call directly to said cellular phone and establish voice communication to obtain the information about a situation in which an emergency report has been made to thereby establish communications by said built-in wireless communication means and said cellular phone.

2. The emergency reporting system of claim 1, wherein the emergency report terminal device comprises a storage section storing therein the phone number of said cellular phone.

3. The emergency reporting system of claim 1, further comprising a portable cellular phone not electrically connected to the emergency report terminal device.

4. The emergency reporting system of claim 3, further comprising control means for transmitting a phone number of the cellular phone to said emergency report center when data is transmitted by said built-in wireless communication means.

5. The emergency report terminal device of claim 1, wherein said emergency terminal device further includes an emergency signal button for actuating the wireless communicating means to call the emergency report center through the built-in wireless communication means.