Not applicable.
Not applicable.
This invention relates to the field of devices, systems and methods for personal protection. More specifically, the invention relates to the field of notification systems that may notify authorities or other designated individuals in the event a user is in personal danger, is missing, is unable to respond, has directly signaled that they are in distress or otherwise may be subject to an unsafe condition or environment.
Devices that have historically been utilized for personal protection and/or notification of a designated individual or authorities in the event in which a user is subjected to a personal danger typical rely upon some positive action to be taken by the user. For example, certain devices have been suggested as personal safety devices such as whistles, handguns, spray containers containing a defensive chemicals such as Mace®, the use of cell phones to dial 911 in case of an emergency, and other like devices and systems which require affirmative action by the user if they should find themselves in a dangerous condition or environment, or under personal threat.
A significant drawback of the systems and devices of the prior art is that they require affirmative action to be taken by the user. Thus, if the user is surprised or caught unaware so as to allow an attacker to disable their ability to take the affirmative action, no distress or other signal can be communicated by the victim, leaving them in danger which may include mortal peril. This drawback of the prior art is a significant one, because there are many situations which arise in which a victim may be caught unawares and rendered unable to, for example, dial 911, signal using a whistle or other device, or reach into a purse or other container to retrieve a weapon such as a handgun or defensive chemical spray. In these situations a victim may be caught unawares, rendered defenseless, and attacked without any opportunity for the victim to signal for help. Even worse, it may be a significant period of time such as hours or days before anyone knows that the victim has encountered trouble. In such situations, by the time loved ones or authorities are aware that the victim has been subjected to a dangerous condition or situation, it may be too late to locate the victim or to render assistance in a meaningful way.
Additionally, there are other situations in which a person may be rendered defenseless and unable to make a call for help. These situations may arise, for example, in the case of elderly individuals or other physically challenged individuals living alone who suffer a medical emergency that renders them unable to call for help. In such situations, the user may not be able to activate a signaling device such as a pendant, cell phone, or other communication device to call for help. There are a significant number of medical emergencies that that may arise which could result in a user being unable to activate a signaling device. The result may be that the victim of a medical emergency may be left unattended for hours or days, even weeks, resulting in significant personal injury or even death.
There are numerous situations in which an individual may encounter personal danger, medical emergency or other conditions, environments or situations in which it would be advantageous for law enforcement, monitoring personnel, loved ones, pre-designated individuals, or other individuals to be made aware that the individual is in danger or suffering a medical emergency, without requiring the user to take affirmative action to activate a signaling device. Such situations include but are not limited to real estate professionals who may be showing properties to potential participants in real estate transaction; individuals who are alone with others in social situations such as, for example, dating; children who may be participating in events outside of their parents supervision or returning home from school while their parents are at work; elderly or physically challenged individuals who live alone or may be taking, for example, trips or extended vacations without companions; and numerous other like situations. The examples given here are not to be construed as limiting but are provided as exemplary of the numerous situation in which an individual may encounter danger and be unable to take affirmative action to signal for help. In these situations, an individual may encounter a threat to their personal safety, medical emergency, or another condition or situation in which they are rendered unable to call for help using, for example, a cell phone or other signaling device. In these situations it would be desirable that a third party could be made aware that that individual may be in a dangerous position so that help can be rendered, without the need for any affirmative action on the user's part.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a system and method for alerting a third party that an individual may have encountered a threat to their personal safety, or may have suffered a medical event, that has rendered them unable to call for help.
The following figures of the drawings depict an exemplary embodiment of the system and method of the invention. As the embodiment depicted in the figures of the drawings is an exemplary embodiment, it is to be understood that all equivalent embodiments are included with the scope of the invention.
Although a detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the system and method of the invention as provided in the attachments contains many specifics for the purposes of illustration, anyone of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many variations and alterations to the following details are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following preferred embodiments of the invention are set forth without any loss of generality to, and without imposing limitations upon, the claimed invention. Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, and not by the examples given.
Referring now to
User data terminal 105 may be any electronic device that is able receive user data entered by user 100 as described herein, and to communicate said user data with other electronic devices that are also connected to the Internet. Typically, user data terminal 105 may comprise a controller for executing non-transitory computer executable instructions stored in non-transitory computer readable media in communication with non-transitory physical computer readable media such as an electronic memory, at least one data transceiver for transmitting and receiving data and audio information on links 200 and 210, a video display, and a user data input device such as a keyboard or touchscreen. By way of example, user data terminal may be a cell phone or other mobile phone, an electronic tablet, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a computer or any other electronic device.
Personal electronic device 106 may be any electronic device that is able receive user data entered by user 100 as described herein, and to communicate said user data with other electronic devices that are also connected to the Internet. Typically, personal electronic device 106 may comprise a controller for executing non-transitory computer executable instructions stored in non-transitory computer readable media in communication with non-transitory physical computer readable media such as an electronic media, at least one data transceiver for transmitting and receiving data and audio information on links 208 and 209, a video display, and a user data input device such as a keyboard or touchscreen. A personal electronic device may also comprise a geolocation receiver, such as Global Positioning Receiver, for determining the personal electronic device's geographic location and producing an output signal containing the personal electronic device's geographic location information to the personal electronic device's geographic location controller. By way of example, user data terminal may be a cell phone, mobile phone, an electronic tablet, a personal digital assistant (PDA) or any other electronic device.
Server 101 may be any electronic device capable of connecting to the Internet and communicating with user data terminal 105 and user personal electronic device 106 via Internet connection 205, or, in the case in which user data terminal 105 or personal electronic device 106 is a mobile phone, via a telephone connection 201. Server 101 may comprise a controller for executing non-transitory computer executable instructions stored in server non-transitory computer readable media. The server non-transitory computer readable media is in communication with the server controller. Server 101 may also comprise as least one transceiver for transmitting and receiving data and telephone audio via links 201 and 205.
As used herein, “contact” means an individual with whom a user plans to meet at an event.
As used herein, “event” means a location, date and time where a user plans to meet a contact.
As used herein, “emergency contact” is a person who has been designated by the user as a person to whom the user desires to send alarms, and who is able to send and receive voice or SMS messages in response to alerts transmitted by server 101.
As used herein, “emergency responder” means an entity such as a law enforcement agency or other government entity that provides response to emergencies. An example is the United States 911 and E911 systems.
As used herein, “alert” means an attempt taken by server 101 to contact a user by transmitting an alert to the user at a predetermined check-in time.
As used herein, “check-in” means an attempt by a user 100 to respond to an alert message transmitted by server 101.
As used herein, “escalate an alarm” means the transmission of an alarm message to at least one pre-determined emergency contact or to an emergency responder, or both.
As used herein, “SMS” means Short Message Service, and is alternatively designated as “text message” herein.
As used herein, “fitness device” means a device that comprises a wireless transceiver for communication with user data terminal 105 via any data communication link 207 such as an RF or optical data link, for example Bluetooth®, WiFi IEEE 802.11, Near Field Communication (NFC) or the like.
As used herein, “event information” means any, all, or any combination of date and time of an event, geographic location of an event, user identifying indicia, or a contact's identifying indicia.
As used herein, “contact identifying indicia” means any, all, or any combination of the contact's name, the contact's photograph, the contact person's physical address, the contact person's email address, the contact's telephone number, or close associates of the contact.
As used herein, “user's identifying indicia” means any, all, or any combination of a user's name, age, physical address, email address, telephone number, photograph, or other user identifying information.
The method steps of the invention may be carried out the server, personal electronic devices and user data terminal controllers executing non-transitory computer executable instructions stored in non-transitory computer readable media in server 101, personal electronic device 106, or in user data terminal 105.
A user may utilize user data terminal 105 to access system server 101 through Internet connection 200 to perform steps of the invention described herein; for example, logging in, providing emergency contact information, entering alarm information, entering information regarding an event, which event information may include location, contact person's name and contact information, the person's photograph, the contact person's physical address, the contact person's email address or telephone number, or other information about the person. System server 101 may store this information, for example in a database comprising non-transitory computer readable media, as described below.
The invention may be carried out in one of two basic modes. In a first mode it is not necessary for a user to carry a personal electronic device, such as a cell phone, on their person. In a second mode, a user may carry a personal electronic device on their person, which allows the user to self-escalate an alarm, respond to alerts or perform other steps of the invention.
In either mode, once a user 100 has logged into the system server 101 and has provided the desired emergency contact, event, and contact information, the user may log out and proceed about their business. In an embodiment of the invention it is not necessary that the user 100 carry a cell phone or other communication device with them in order for the system and method of the invention to ascertain whether an escalation is necessary. As is seen by the description of the invention provided herein, an aspect of this embodiment of the invention is that user 100 does not need to continue Internet access or telephone access, or any other communication, with system server 101 in order for the system a method of the invention to provide its notification functions. In the first mode, once the user 100 has entered their information into system server 101, they do not need to remain in contact with the server in order for the server to perform its alarm notification functions.
In a second mode, user 100 may keep on their person a personal electronic device 106 that is able to receive global positioning signal (GPS) information from a GPS satellite constellation. Thus, in this second mode of the invention, a user may carry an electronic device that includes a geolocation function such that the user's geo-location information stored on the device. In second mode, the user's device may communicate through Internet connection 205 to system server 101 and in a second mode embodiment, monitor the geo-location of a user so that the user 100's whereabouts and last location may be logged by system server 101 and reported to an emergency contact or law enforcement in the case that an alarm escalation event occurs. Alarm escalation events are described in further detail below.
System server 101, through its Internet connection 205, may also be in communication with a telephone interface, or telco system, 102, which may communicate directly 203 or indirectly with a telephone system via communication link 203 for the purposes of communicating with at least one pre-designated emergency contact 103. Telco system 102 may also interface with telephone systems that are Internet enabled through the telco internet communication link 202. In this manner, telco system 102 is operable to place telephone calls as needed, which may occur, for example, in the instance when an alarm escalation event has occurred. In such an event, system server 101 may communicate with telco system 102 to initiate telephone calls to pre-designated contacts identified by the user as emergency contacts, should an alarm escalation event. Likewise, system server 101 may communicate with telco system 102 to initiate telephone calls to emergency responders such as law enforcement agencies 104, for example, by communication link 206, which may be any data network, landline, wireless or wired connection, including but not limited to the Internet. Telephone interface, or telco system, 102 may communicate with a law enforcement agency or other entity 104 by communicating an emergency message to an emergency response communication point. In the United States, the 911 and E911 systems are examples of emergency response communication points. In these systems, the emergency response communication point is termed a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). In the United States, the invention may communicate with an emergency response communication point by dialing 911, which will cause local law enforcement to respond using a 911 or Enhanced 911 (E 911) system. However, it is to be understood that the scope of the invention includes all such systems, in any country, regardless of the code used to dial the emergency response communication point, or the name by which it is called. All emergency response systems that are able to receive communication via an emergency response communication point, and to provide a resulting emergency response, are included within the scope of the invention. Emergency contacts 103 may be in communication with the Internet via communication link 204.
A user 100 may carry on their person a personal electronic device 106 that is connected to the Internet through communication link 208 and to a telephone network 102 through communication link 209. Both communication links 208 and 209 may be wireless and may be direct, or indirect, as is known in the art.
Referring now to
In a first step 300, a user may log into the system of the invention using login credentials that provide protection, such as password protection, the prohibit unauthorized access to a user's account but allows an user their own account for the purposes described below. Once a user has logged into the system, they may provide information to the system that will be stored by the system and utilized for the various system functions as herein described 301. The type of information provided to the system by a user may include but not be limited to:
In a next step 302, the system of the invention stores the information provided by user 100 by any means known in the ar. Specifically, alert information may stored in alarm database 400, which may also be stored in non-transitory computer readable media.
The method of the system of the invention may be carried out by any means known in the art. In an embodiment of the invention, the method of the invention may be carried out by non-transitory computer readable and executable instructions stored in non-transitory computer readable media that is in electrical communication with, or forms a part of, system server 101. It is not necessary that the non-transitory computer readable media be co-located with system server 101. System server 101 may comprise any system that is capable of executing computer readable instructions to perform the method steps described herein. System server 101 may further comprise communication means such as communication transceivers, which may communicate wirelessly or in wired fashion, as is known in the art, to communicate through the Internet and with the other elements of the system as identified herein. Likewise, user 100 may utilize any electronic computing device or other device to communicate with system server 101 as described herein. As an example, user 100 may use a personal computer, cell phone, tablet computer, personal digital assistant, or any other electronic means known in the art capable of communicating with the Internet via communication link 200 so that it can communicate with system server 101 to provide the steps described herein. The steps herein may be embodied in non-transitory computer readable and executable instructions implemented in a computer language such as, by way of example and not by way of limitation, JAVA. Thus, in an embodiment of the invention, the method steps described herein may be carried out in a web browser API or may be carried out in a mobile device application resident on a user's mobile computing device such as cell phone, tablet computer, or the like.
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The system responds to an alert event escalation by taking the steps entered by the user when the user established the alarm in step 301 (not shown in
In the case where system and method of the invention are implemented in an application comprising non-transitory computer executable instructions stored in computer readable media on a user's mobile computing device, a password may be required to gain entry to the application. This password may be separate from the users PIN. Thus, in this embodiment of the invention, the system may not be disarmed by simple entry of a password; the PIN must be used to disarm the alarm.
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In an escalation of an alarm, an SMS or pre-recorded telephone message may be transmitted to either an emergency contact, or an emergency responder, or both, containing any one, any combination or all of the user identifying indicia, contact identifying indicia, or event information. Any alarm message, and any check-in or alert message, may be either telephone call, which may comprise a pre-recorded audio message, or may be an SMS message.
The intended scope of the invention includes the embodiments specifically described herein and all equivalents. The steps of the invention as depicted in the figures and described herein are shown in the depicted order for convenience; however, they may be performed in any order as long as the purpose of the invention is not frustrated.
A system and method providing for ascertaining the status of a user and escalating an alarm in the event the user is ascertained to be disposed in a dangerous condition. The of the invention attempts to contact the user at a predetermined check-in time, and notifies a pre-designated third-party which may be an emergency responder such as law enforcement or other emergency contact in the event that the user fails to respond to the check in request or signals that they are in danger using an escalate feature of the invention. The system operates autonomously to notify pre-designated emergency contacts or emergency responders in the case in which a user has been rendered unable to respond. The user may identify specific individuals with whom they plan to meet and the invention may also track the user's geo-location. The invention may also monitor biometric data of the user.
The system and method of the invention provide notification to emergency contacts and emergency responders at a pre-determined time relative to a known event such as a meeting, date, or other event. The method and system of the invention allow for a greatly reduced timeframe for emergency response, which is likely to have a significant positive impact on the probability that an emergency responder, such as law enforcement officers, will be able to successfully intervene and resolve a dangerous event before the event escalates beyond control, or before a victim has been seriously injured or taken.
This patent application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 62/173,397, entitled “ALARM NOTIFICATION SYSTEM”, filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Jun. 10, 2015, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety; this patent application is also a national stage entry of International Application PCT/US16/37094, entitled “ALARM NOTIFICATION SYSTEM”, which was filed in the USPTO Receiving Office on Jun. 10, 2016.
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PCT/US2016/037094 | 6/10/2016 | WO |
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WO2016/201376 | 12/15/2016 | WO | A |
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