Patent Application
20140335816
Not Applicable
The invention relates generally to an emergency communication device, and in particular to a key fob that offers limited communication ability to out-dial 911 and allows two-way communication with the 911 operator. Commuters and other drivers of vehicles may find themselves in a situation where they need to call 911, due to an automobile accident or other emergency situation that would require the assistance of 911. If the user does not have access to a cellular telephone or other means of contacting 911, or if the user is injured in an accident and unable to use a cellular telephone, the emergent situation may become life threatening or may leave the user otherwise stranded, with no way to obtain the assistance needed. A key fob that offers limited communication ability to out-dial 911 and allows two-way communication with the 911 operator, who will provide assistance to those users who may need it, would substantially reduce these risks. Certain business methods and practices, formulated to provide cellular telephone service that is adequate for these limited purposes to the key fob user at the lowest possible cost, would make this emergency communication device an option for almost anyone.
Accordingly, the invention is directed to a key fob that offers limited communication ability to out-dial 911 and allows two-way communication with the 911 operator. The key fob also incorporates various embodiments with a small keypad whose function may integrated with a vehicle remote-keyless entry system. Business methods and practices, formulated to provide cellular telephone service that is adequate for these limited purposes to the key fob user at the lowest possible cost, including free emergency services calls, are incorporated into this invention.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification. They illustrate one embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternate forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
Referring now to the invention in more detail, the invention is directed to a key fob communicator that offers limited communication ability to out-dial 911 and allows two-way communication with the 911 operator. In the first exemplary embodiment illustrated in
The key fob communicator would be operable within at least one cellular telephone network in the region of its intended use. It may be possible that the key fob communicator may operate on multiple cellular telephone networks. However, depending on its use, a service contract for a particular cellular network may be necessary in order to place calls from the key fob communicator.
In the exemplary embodiment, the key fob communicator is dedicated exclusively for communication with emergency numbers. In the context of this invention, emergency telephone numbers may include emergency services as well as other telephone numbers dialed in emergency situations, as defined and specified by the user, either pre-purchase or pre-manufacture of the key fob communicator. For example, emergency numbers for an elderly user may include police, the fire department, an ambulance service, a home care nursing service, or a family member who lives nearby. Similarly, emergency numbers for a child may include any emergency contacts such as the fire department, police, a school counselor, or the home and cellular telephone numbers of the child's parents. Emergency numbers for a recovering addict may include not only the fire department and police, but also an addiction counselor, a Narcotics Anonymous sponsor, or a family member. All numbers except 911 or 311 would be pre-paid at purchase.
In the first exemplary embodiment, the key fob communicator may be exclusively dedicated for communication with the emergency telephone number 911, or its regional equivalent. In this 911-only embodiment, the key fob communicator may not require a service contract with a cellular service network. In many areas, emergency calls to 911 using a cellular telephone device must be connected regardless of whether the cellular telephone device has an active service plan.
In addition to being pre-programmed for calling a single number and activated by a single button, it is contemplated that the key fob communicator can be further programmed or otherwise adapted to repeatedly dial the called party until reached, or until another precondition is met. An example of such a precondition would be a specified number of redials being performed without making contact, or a prescribed period of redial time expiring without contact.
The key fob communicator body 100 may be shaped and designed to efficiently function as a traditional key fob. The key attachment 120 would connect a key, set of keys, or tether strap to the key fob communicator 100. While the preferred embodiment would include a key attachment 120, one of ordinary skill in the art would readily understand that many different mechanisms and attachments might be used to connect to the key fob communicator body 100.
The key fob communicator body 100 also functions to stow the micro-circuit communications elements of the key fob communicator. In
The key fob communicator may also have markings and phrases on the key fob communicator body 100, indicating its purpose and the number to be dialed. Markings such as EMERGENCY 911 may serve to inform and alert the user and others to the emergency use and nature of the key fob communicator. Such markings may be important if the user is incapacitated by illness or injury, or otherwise incapable of communicating the emergency use of the key fob communicator to others.
The key fob communicator would include a power source internal to the key fob communicator body 100, and normally in the form of a conventional or lithium ion battery, either permanently installed with or without recharging ability with a separate adapter cord, or user replaceable. In a permanent power source embodiment without recharging ability, the battery could be sized to support a single, full power emergency telephone call and the device could be considered a one-time disposable emergency communication device.
In the first exemplary embodiment, the button guard 101 would control the connection between the power source and the key fob communicator. The button guard 101 would preferably be configured to place the device in a power-off condition when the button guard 101 is in the shielded position. In this power-off condition, the key fob communicator is disabled. The button guard 101 would preferably also be configured to place the device in a power-on condition when the button guard 101 is in the unshielded position. In this power-on condition, the key fob communicator may transmit and, in embodiments that include a speaker 104, receive signals.
Upon activation, the activation button 105 enables the device to communicate. In all embodiments, the device is limited to outgoing calls only. The device may additionally be limited to outgoing calls for emergency numbers only. While the activation button 105 as shown in
In the second exemplary embodiment, the device is exclusively limited to dialing outgoing calls to the emergency number 911, or a regional equivalent, upon actuation of the activation button 105. The single activation button 105 configuration enables the user to quickly and efficiently dial an emergency number without having to manipulate a complex and typically small keypad. By using one button dialing, the misdialing of the emergency number may be avoided and the activation time for initiating an emergency call may be reduced, which are important considerations in an emergency situation.
In all embodiments, in addition to providing full-duplex voice communication, the key fob communicator may also receive requests for information from a communication system with which the key fob communicator is communicating, but only after a call has been initiated and established from the key fob communicator. For example, the called system may request the status of a limiting condition for the key fob communicator, such as how much longer the user can remain connected to the system, and the key fob communicator would respond with an appropriate pre-recorded message such as “two minutes of air time remain available.” This response from the key fob communicator would be transmitted in both vocal format and data stream format, to be interpreted by the requesting system at the dialed number. This type of capability is particularly important in emergency situations, where such data may be interpreted when determining proper responses to be made by emergency personnel.
In the shielded position and power-off condition, the button guard 101 may function to prevent inadvertent dialing, power supply depletion, or damage to the activation button 105. In
Some contemplated embodiments of the device would include a Global Positioning System receiver and, in some embodiments, a GPS transmitter. The GPS transmitter and receiver are operable in conjunction with the well-known GPS satellite system to determine geolocation of the activated key fob communicator, and consequently the location of the user. Additionally, the GPS receiver may be interfaced with the device's cellular communication system, in such a manner as to communicate the geolocation of the device to the recipient of an emergency call from the device. The geolocation communication may be in the form of a transmission from the device, either automatically or in response to a request from the recipient of the call, such as a 911 operator.
The key fob communicator may be operative to respond automatically to requests with the geolocation communication. Preferably, the geolocation would be sent both in oral format and as a data stream, to be interpreted by the communication system at the dialed number. If the key fob communicator does not have a GPS receiver, or if geolocation is unavailable or indeterminable, the key fob communicator may be configured to respond to a request for geolocation with responses indicating this condition, such as “no geolocation available.”
In all exemplary embodiments shown in the attached illustrations, the key fob communicator body 100 holds an antenna 103, specifically a flat dome style antenna. The illustrations are not intended to be limiting; one of ordinary skill in the art would readily understand that many different types of devices might be implemented in the key fob communicator to function as the antenna 103. However, the flat dome style enables the antenna 103 to be completely enclosed within the key fob communicator body 100, allowing the key fob communicator to easily and comfortably fit within the user's pocket or purse. It is contemplated that alternate versions may incorporate the antenna 103 into the key fob communicator body 100 in a protrusion-free manner, or be extended from and retracted into the key fob communicator body 100, so long as the antenna 103 functions to connect the key fob communicator to an available cellular network.
The second exemplary embodiment, illustrated in
The present invention incorporates various embodiments with a small keypad 510, which would be intended to operate a vehicle remote keyless entry/remote-starter system. These embodiments include the second exemplary embodiment illustrated in
The present invention also incorporates various embodiments embedded in vehicle key fobs that interface with vehicle remote keyless entry and remote starter systems. Such embodiments would be provided with a keypad in addition to the emergency call activation button, and the keypad buttons would provide all of the usual functionality associated with vehicle remote keyless entry and remote start systems.
Such embodiments may be supplied with new vehicles by vehicle manufacturers or dealers, or may be provided on an after-market basis as enhanced replacement key fobs for lost or inoperable remote keyless entry/remote start fobs.
By contrast to embodiments that interface with a vehicle remote keyless entry/remote-starter system, the first exemplary embodiment is intended for standalone use.
The key fob communicator would be operable within at least one cellular telephone or radiotelephone network in the region of its intended use and, if not used exclusively for emergency calls, direct charges for its use would be pre-paid. Examples of charged calls include contemplated embodiments where the single-dialed number is not to public emergency services, but to a private emergency assistance service or security service, or to a single telephone number preprogrammed or pre-designated by the user, as well as embodiments intended for use in jurisdictions where mobile calls to public emergency services are not required to be free of charge. The key fob communicator is characterized by a set of limiting events including: the end of a preset number of completed calls; the expiration of a preset amount of air time; and/or the occurrence of a preset expiration date. The key fob communicator is of no operational use to the user after occurrence of the earliest limiting event, unless and until pre-paid use is refreshed. In this alternate embodiment, the key fob communicator remains disposable or refreshable at the user's discretion, but interface with the provider of the key fob communicator would be required for refreshment. In this sense, operation of the key fob communicator may still be limited, without requiring that it be disposable.
All direct charges for use of the key fob communicator would be pre-paid. Further, operation of the key fob communicator may be characterized, for example, by a set of limiting events or conditions that may include: the end of the elapsed operational life of the batteries; the end of a preset number of completed calls; the expiration of a preset amount of air time; and/or the occurrence of a preset expiration date. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the key fob communicator is of no operational use to the user after the earliest occurrence of any one of these limiting events or conditions.
While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is presently considered to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should, therefore, not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.
