System for transmitting an alert

• US 9,324,217 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2013
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Inventors: Daniele, Norbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilson, Brian
• Application Number:
  US14/044,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20140091927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0208 Combination with audio or video communication, e.g. combination with "baby phone" function
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0258 System arrangements wherein both parent and child units can emit and receive
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0294 Display details on parent unit
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/043 detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/22 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

An alert beacon carried directly by a human being is equipped with a transmit circuit able to produce an alert signal transmitted on the same channel as that used by a walkie-talkie. The transmit circuit has a memory containing, for each symbol of the coordinates of the current position of the alert beacon, an audio transcription of the symbol, and a microcontroller able to introduce, into the alert signal produced, the audio transcriptions recorded in the memory corresponding to each symbol of the coordinates in such a way that the coordinates can be played back in the form of a voice message comprehensible to a user of any walkie-talkie that has received this message on a channel that is being listened to.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a system for transmitting an alert even in the absence of a cellular network, said system comprising a walkie-talkie configured to be carried by a first human being, wherein said walkie-talkie comprises a radio-electric transmitter-receiver and a loudspeaker, wherein said radio-electric transmitter-receiver is configured to listen directly to a channel used to exchange audio signals alternately with other walkie-talkies, and wherein said loudspeaker is configured to transform said audio signal received on said channel used to exchange audio signals alternately with other walkie-talkies into a voice message directly perceivable by said first human being, and an alert beacon that is carried, during an outdoor activity, by a second human being, wherein said alert beacon comprises a geo-location module and a transmit circuit, and wherein said transmit circuit comprises a memory and a microcontroller, wherein said geo-location module is configured to generate coordinates, in the form of a succession of numerical symbols, corresponding to a current position of said alert beacon on a terrestrial surface with a resolution of less than 500 meters, wherein said transmit circuit is configured to produce an alert signal containing said generated coordinates and to transmit said produced alert signal as said audio signal on said channel, wherein said memory contains, for each numerical symbol of said generated coordinates, an audio transcription of said numerical symbol, wherein said microcontroller is configured to introduce, into said alert signal produced, said audio transcriptions recorded in said memory, and wherein said audio transcriptions correspond to each numerical symbol of said generated coordinates in such a way that said generated coordinates are played back in the form of a voice message directly perceivable and comprehensible to said first human of said walkie-talkie that has received said audio signal on said channel that is being listened to, wherein the apparatus further comprises a rucksack having a wall, wherein said alert beacon is fixed without any degree of freedom to said wall, and wherein said alert beacon comprises a module for automatic detection of information indicative of an accident, the module for automatic detection of information indicative of an accident comprises a sensor configured to detect the presence of the rucksack on the shoulders of said second human being and a sensor of inclination with respect to vertical to detect if said second human is in a recumbent position, and said module for automatic detection of information indicative of an accident is configured to automatically trigger the transmission of said alert signal if, simultaneously and for a predetermined period of time, said sensor indicates that the rucksack is on the shoulders of said second human being and said sensor of inclination detects that said second human is in a recumbent position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said system further comprises a mapping module configured to receive the alert signal from the alert beacon and to display, on a map, a position that corresponds to said generated coordinates contained in said alert signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said system further comprises a mapping module and a removable electronic key, wherein said mapping module is configured to display, on a map, a position that corresponds to said generated coordinates contained in the alert signal, wherein said removable electronic key is configured to directly receive said alert signal transmitted by said alert beacon, and wherein said removable electronic key is configured to be connected and, alternately, disconnected from said mapping module in a reversible manner.

4. An apparatus comprising an alert beacon configured to be carried directly by a human being during an outdoor activity, said alert beacon comprising a geo-location module configured to generate coordinates in the form of a succession of numerical symbols, said generated coordinates corresponding to a current position of said alert beacon on a terrestrial surface, with a resolution of less than 500 meters, and a transmit circuit configured to produce an alert signal containing said generated coordinates and to transmit said alert signal produced, in the form of an audio signal on a same channel as that used by a walkie-talkie, wherein said transmit circuit comprises a memory containing, for each numerical symbol of said generated coordinates, an audio transcription of said numerical symbol, and a microcontroller configured to introduce into said alert signal, said audio transcriptions, recorded in the memory, corresponding to each numerical symbol of said generated coordinates in such a way that the generated coordinates are played back as a voice message directly perceivable and comprehensible to a user of said walkie-talkie that has received said alert signal on said same channel that is being listened to,

wherein the apparatus further comprises a rucksack having a wall, wherein said alert beacon is fixed without any degree of freedom to said wall, and wherein said alert beacon comprises a module for automatic detection of information indicative of an accident, the module for automatic detection of information indicative of an accident comprises a sensor configured to detect the presence of the rucksack on the shoulders of said human being and a sensor of inclination with respect to vertical to detect if said human being is in a recumbent position, and said module for automatic detection of information indicative of an accident is configured to automatically trigger the transmission of said alert signal if, simultaneously and for a predetermined period of time, said sensor indicates that the rucksack is on the shoulders of said human being and said sensor of inclination detects that said human being is in a recumbent position.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said module for automatic detection of information indicative of an accident further comprises an acceleration sensor, and said module for automatic detection of information indicative of an accident is further configured to automatically trigger said transmission of said alert signal by said transmit circuit in response to detecting that an acceleration measured by said acceleration sensor has crossed a predetermined acceleration threshold.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said transmit circuit for transmitting said alert signal is programmed to automatically transmit said alert signal alternately on each channel configured to be listened to by said walkie-talkie.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said transmit circuit for transmitting the alert signal is programmed to automatically repeat transmission of said alert signal on said same channel.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said transmit circuit is configured to transmit said alert signal in a frequency band selected from the group consisting of the band from 446.00625 MHz to 446.09375 MHz defined by the PMR (Private Mobile Radio) 446 standard, the band from 433.075 MHz to 434.775 MHz defined by the LPD (Low Power Device) standard, the band from 462.5625 MHz to 467.7125 MHz defined by the FRS (Family Radio Service) standard, the band from 26.965 MHz to 27.405 MHz defined by the CB (Citizen'"'"'s Band) standard, and the band from 422.200 MHz to 422.300 MHz and from 422.0500 MHz to 422.1750 MHz defined for the “

Tokutei Shoudenryoku Musen”

service in Japan.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said alert beacon lacks a microphone, a loudspeaker, and a screen.