Patent Application
20120071130
This invention relates generally to the storage and retrieval of information and more specifically to the storage and retrieval of medical information.
Cell phones have become ubiquitous in modern society. They allow the user to contact others with voice information, to receive information, and to gather information (i.e. maps) for the user. In fact, it is now uncommon for someone to be without a cell phone.
The empowerment that the cell phone gives, and the security or protection that user is able to derive from it, allows people to venture into new areas with the assurance that “help” is only a phone call away. Using “9-1-1” a caller is able to contact emergency personnel to request a variety of emergency assistance.
The same sort of voice controlled, and even automatic assistance, is available through a variety of service providers such as “ON-STAR”. These types of service providers allow a manual activation (and also automatic activation) which reports the vehicle's position (as obtained from the Global Positioning System (“GPS”) to the service provider so that emergency personnel can be notified.
GPS is not unique to these type of service providers. Rather, GPS and the associated mapping capability, is found in a variety of devices including cell phones. Such a system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,312,700, entitled “GPS Enabled Cell Phone with Common Interest Alerts” issued to Karaguz et al. on Dec. 25, 2007, incorporated hereinto by reference.
It is clear that the cell phone has a variety of applications and continues to become an ever more useful tools for society.
The invention provides a portable communications apparatus which is useful for reporting positional status response to user selected recipient(s). While the present invention contemplates its use with a service provider, such as an emergency assistance facilitator, the invention's more prominent role is to empower the user by allowing the user to define who is to receive the message. Even the message itself is defined by the user.
The user-defined message, when it is sent, contains not only the message, but the location information as well.
Using a positioning receiver, such as GPS, the apparatus is able to automatically identify its own location. This information, usually in latitude and longitude coordinates or another type of location identifier, provides the recipient with expanded and useful information. Those of ordinary skill in the art readily recognize a variety of implementations of GPS into cell phones, including, but not limited to: U.S. Pat. No. 7,312,712, entitled “Traveler Safety Notification System” issued to Worrall on Dec. 25, 2007; and, U.S. Pat. No. 7,312,697, entitled “Method of Using Telematic Units to Place Courtesy Notifications” issued to Veliu et al., both of which are incorporated hereinto by reference.
The latitude/longitude of the GPS is readily transformed into maps and actual addresses through a variety of techniques well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
In practice, for the preferred embodiment of the invention, the user establishes the message which they want sent. Such a message may denote an emergency, such as:
The user is then able to denote where these messages will be sent. In the emergency message above, the recipient would be the father's e-mail address and instant message address. In the status message above, the message might be the instant message address for the individual who is at the final destination.
In either case, it is the user of the portable apparatus or cell phone, who defines who is to receive the message.
In some embodiments of the invention, there may be a pre-defined recipient for the emergency message such as a service provider for emergency services.
These messages remain inactive and stored in the memory of the cell phone or portable apparatus until activated by the user. Often these message is stored in memory (such as Random Access Memory, “RAM”) for an hour or more before being called into use.
Activation is ideally through the “pressing” of a single button. This encourages the use of the messaging system without placing any real operating burden on the user.
In another version, the message system is activated when an emergency phone call (i.e. 9-1-1) is activated. This provides backup and notification to the designated receiver. As example, when the user dials 9-1-1, not only are they connected to the appropriate emergency facility, but, a message such as the following may be sent:
The system lies dormant until the user activates it. When activated by the user, the system combines the user-defined message with the location information (sometimes with the GPS coordinates), and sends the completed message to the user-defined recipient. In this manner, the user of the apparatus is in total control of: the message's content; when the message is sent; and who receives the message.
Communication of the completed message is using any of a variety of techniques well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Examples of such communications mechanisms are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,308,247, entitled “Cellular Telephone Safety System” issued to Thompson et al. on Dec. 11, 2007; and, U.S. Pat. No. 7,315,747, entitled “Handheld Electronic Device and Associated Method Providing Availability Data in a Messaging Environment” issued to Klassen et al. on Jan. 1, 2008, both of which are incorporated hereinto by reference.
In some embodiments of the invention, the message is expanded to include a map showing the location of the apparatus (based upon the GPS information) or an approximate address of the location. Using the example of the contact message above, the resulting message may then become:
In the case where a simple status message is appropriate, then the completed message could be:
This capability allows the cell phones (or other portable device) to communicate a completed message at the pressing of a single button.
In a further embodiment of the invention, an apparatus and a system is established to communicate critical medical information to an emergency care-giver such as a paramedic. This embodiment of the invention provides a highly portable medical record that can be accessed easily by the user/patient (i.e. for retrieval of a prescription list) or by the paramedic (i.e. obtaining vital medical information assisting in emergency treatment).
Using a cellular telephone, the user creates the medical information that they deem appropriate (i.e. medications being taken, doctor with phone number, and medical conditions). Note, it is the user that provides this information. In the case of an elderly or incapacitated individual, the information may be entered into the apparatus by a care-giver.
This medical information is stored either locally on the cellular telephone or on a remote computer. The medical information is ideally stored in an archive type of memory, well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
In this manner, the information is created and stored for a later retrieval, ideally at some future point at least a week in advance. In this manner, the user creates any information that they feel that would be important in case of an emergency.
As example, a diabetic user might enter the following:
Once the information is stored, the user does not need to edit it as it is stored within an archive memory.
In some embodiments, the archive memory is located within the cellular telephone itself; in other embodiments, a remote computer has the archive memory and stands ready with the information in an emergency situation.
In use, the emergency medical technician is able to easily access this information by pressing a single button (“retrieval key”) located on the cellular phone or on the cellular phone's menu. The emergency medical technician (EMT) simply activates the retrieval key on the cellular telephone and the information is retrieved from the archive memory and communicated to the EMT. The medical information often is critical during the emergency in identifying what may/may not be the cause of the medical emergency and how to properly respond to the patient's own medical conditions.
The medical information from the archive memory is optionally displayed on a screen on the cellular telephone or is audibly replayed by the cellular telephone.
The invention, together with various embodiments thereof, will be more fully explained by the following descriptions of the attached drawings.
Referring to
Within communications apparatus 10A is a GPS receiver 13 which uses satellite generated positional signals to generate indicia of the latitude and longitude of the position of the communications apparatus 10A.
The message system 15 has stored therein the user-defined message together with at least one user-defined remote receiver identifier. Creation of the user-defined message and the remote receiver identifiers is made by operator 11A which is described in more detail relative to
When operator 11A activates the message system 15 via message button 12A, message system 15 obtains the indicia from the GPS receiver 13, incorporates this indicia (or representation thereof) into the user-defined message, and sends the completed message, together with the user-defined remote receiver identifiers, to the communications mechanism 14.
The communications mechanism 14 communicates the completed message to the locations associated with the user-defined remote receiver identifiers via radio transmission 16.
Now referring to
Screen 17 is used for operator prompt, to display the user-defined message (while it is being created and for editing purposes), and to display the user-defined remote receiver identifiers.
In this illustration, keyboard 18 is a simple numeric keypad, but, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, a “QWERTY” keyboard is provided to facilitate operator entry of data.
Operator 11B, as described above, has created a message and destination within the memory of communications apparatus 10B. Later, when operator 11B activates the messaging system via button 12B, the message and location are sent to the designated destinations via radio waves 16.
Receiver/Transmitter 20 receives radio waves 16 and identifies the destinations associated with the message/GPS coordinates. In one situation, the message/GPS coordinates are sent by receiver/transmitter 20 via radio waves 16A to another communications apparatus 24. As in the above example, this communications apparatus 24 will receive the message:
In this illustration, the destinations associated with the message/location received by receiver/transmitter 20 include an e-mail address for computer 23. In this instance, the message/GPS coordinates are sent from computer 21 connected to the receiver/transmitter 20, via Internet 22 to computer 23.
Computer 23 may also be associated with a friend or family of operator 11B; but, in some situations, computer 23 also includes service providers such as an automobile servicing agency, or an emergency provider.
In the case of the emergency provider such as a fire department, operator 11B may be an off-duty fireman who wants to instantly report a fire, in this case, the message/location could read:
Some embodiments of the invention provide mapping functions which optionally include driving instructions from computer 23 to the location of communications apparatus 10B. In some embodiments, this map generating function is accomplished at communications apparatus 10B and is included in the message; in other embodiments, computer 21 performs this function.
In creating the data for memory, in this embodiment, as shown in
If the key stroke is not an End Of Message (“EOM”) 32, then the keystroke is stored in the message. In this manner, the operator, whether using a numeric pad or a QWERTY keypad, is able to create the stored message and destinations.
This embodiment uses the structure within memory as indicated by
The length of the message, and its content, is defined by the user and is terminated by an End Of Message 35B.
In this manner, the user is able to store the core message together with the destinations for the message prior to ever having to use it. The time period before the message's storage and its use can vary from tens of minutes to days. As example, a care-giver for an elderly person could establish the following message on their phone which could be activated if the elderly person “wanders off”:
In this scenario, the user who establishes the message is the care-giver, and the user who activates the message is the person who “finds” Mr. Smith wandering the streets. In this manner, the authorities (i.e. Police), upon finding a confused Mr. Smith on the street is able to alert the care-giver to come and help with him.
Once the activation button has been initiated for the message to be sent to the proper destinations, the program starts 40A and obtains the proper GPS coordinates 41. In some embodiments, these GPS coordinates are used to create a map 42A and/or to establish the approximate address 42B where the portable communications apparatus is located.
The message is the obtained from memory and assembled with the location or the map, or the address (depending on the user's choice).
The completed message is then transmitted to the identified destinations 43 and the program stops 40B.
In this manner, the user is not required to do anything other than press the single activation button; the message and location is sent out automatically.
The program starts 50A and receives the message and location from the portable communications apparatus. In some embodiments, the location within the message includes the GPS coordinates which are then used to create a map 52A and/or an approximate address 52C, which are combined with the message.
The destinations for the message or receivers are identified 52C and the completed message is transmitted 53 to these designated receivers. The program then stops 50B.
It is clear that the present invention provides for an easy to use and user configurable emergency call capability.
This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/012,402 entitled “Emergency Call from a Cell Phone” filed Feb. 1, 2008.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 12012402 | Feb 2008 | US |
| Child | 13200718 | US |
