Patent Grant
11393319
The present invention is directed to a personal or individual tracking and communication system and method.
It is common for senior citizens, as well as individuals diagnosed with or otherwise having memory loss or impairment (including, but not limited to effects of Alzheimer's disease or dementia), individuals who may have suffered from a traumatic head or brain injury, or individuals with Cerebral Palsy, Autism, or other physical, mental or emotional impairments or disabilities often walk away from homes, hospitals, or other facilities and become lost or have difficultly returning home.
Furthermore, statistics are showing that memory loss resulting from Alzheimer's disease and/or dementia, which was once seen only in the senior population, is now being diagnosed in people as young as 30 or 35 years old. Accordingly, with life expectancy increasing, and the age of individuals being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, dementia, etc. decreasing, people need some level of independence and security at all ages.
There is thus a need in the art for a system that allows individuals who may have a tendency to walk away from homes, hospitals, or other facilities to retain some independence while offering peace of mind for them and their loved ones. The proposed system may relieve some financial and time burden on their families and other caregivers. For instance, many caregivers are family members who are still trying to work full time jobs and live their own lives. In some situations, the proposed system will be able to lessen the required professional care of the patient or individual which would result in less money spent on care. For larger facilities, the proposed system can be used as an additional benefit to their residents or patients which can often result in quicker response times in the event of an emergency.
More in particular, there is a need for a system that includes a wearable device, that can monitor or track the location of a user or wearer thereof, including, children, teenagers or adults. It would also be advantageous if the proposed wearable device is configured to initiate communications with a corresponding caregiver device and an emergency service, for example, in the event of an emergency.
For instance, the proposed system may initiate communications with traditional 9-1-1 emergency services. In other embodiments, the wearable device may be configured to communicate with other emergency services, including but in no way limited to SMART911™, or similar services. More specifically, SMART911™ is an emergency service that has the capability to receive detailed information from the caller such as the caller's location or address, medical information, home information, emergency contacts, etc. Other information can be communicated to the emergency service, such as a photograph or image of the caller, any known conditions that may be impacting the caller, emergency contact information, etc.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an individual tracking and communication system and method. The system may include one or more wearable devices adapted to be attached to or otherwise worn by a user, for example, but not limited to around the user's wrist. The wearable device may, in some embodiments, be attached using a hard-to-remove clasp or locking mechanism such that it is difficult or nearly impossible for the user or an unauthorized individual to remove the device without approval or permission.
In some embodiments, the system also includes one or more caregiver devices or caregiver applications. Particularly, in some cases, the caregiver application can be downloaded or installed on a personal smartphone or other like device, thereby causing the smartphone or other like device to operate as the caregiver device, as used herein. In other embodiments or implementations, such as when the system is used by an institution or facility that provides medical and/or nursing care to patients, such as a medical hospital, psychiatric hospital, nursing home or elderly care facility, designated caregiver devices can be used with the caregiver application already installed or accessible.
In additional embodiments, a management system or dashboard may be included in order to manage and track a plurality of wearable devices and a plurality of caregiver devices that may be associated with a particular facility.
More in particular, the wearable device may be configured to engage in two-way voice calling with a paired caregiver device or application, for example, via the selection of a button or a sequence of buttons on the wearable device. In some cases, the wearable device will first try to connect with one or more caregiver(s) or caregiver device(s). However, if the wearable device is unable to connect with the caregiver(s) or caregiver device(s), an emergency communication to an emergency service, such as 9-1-1 or SMART911™ may be automatically initiated from the wearable device.
Further features may include the implementation of a geofence defining a geographical area by distance from a point or address, or through the definition of barriers or markers. The geofence can be defined by the caregiver using the caregiver application or device, or by an administrator using the management system or dashboard. Using location services of the wearable device, when or if the device exits and/or enters the geofence, an alert or notification is generated and communicated to the caregiver device or application.
In yet another embodiment, the wearable device(s) and caretaker device(s) can be paired to one another, for example, by entering a unique device ID within the caretaker application, or by assigning the wearable device and caregiver device to a common group. Additional pairing parameters can include a shift which defines one or more days and times which the caregiver is on duty. In such a case, the caregiver's device will only be paired to wearable devices during the shift and only those wearable device that are assigned to the same group with which the caregiver device is assigned.
In the regard, communication between the caregiver device or application and the wearable device can only occur when the devices are paired. In other words, when the devices are not paired (e.g., the devices are not assigned to any common groups, or it is outside of the day/time window of the caregiver's assigned shift) the caregiver device will not display alerts, or patient information associated with the wearable device, nor can the caregiver or the user communicate with one another via the system of at least one embodiment of the present invention.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when the drawings as well as the detailed description are taken into consideration.
Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings provided herein.
As shown in the accompanying drawings, and with particular reference to
Furthermore, it should be noted that the device user 12 or wearer, as used herein, can be virtually any individual, including, for example, a baby, child, teenager, adult or senior citizen. It should be noted that certain embodiments of the present invention may be beneficial to users 12 who are children, senior citizens, individuals who have been diagnosed with or otherwise have memory loss or impairment (including, but not limited to effects of Alzheimer's disease or dementia), individuals who may have suffered from a traumatic head or brain injury, or individuals with Cerebral Palsy, Autism, or other physical, mental or emotional impairments or disabilities. In this manner, the system 100 of the present invention can be used or operated by private individuals or families, for example, who may want to track, monitor or provide care to a family member or friend, while in other embodiments, the system 100 may be operated by an institution or facility that provides medical and/or nursing care to patients, such as a medical hospital, psychiatric hospital, nursing home or elderly care facility.
In any event, and still referring to
Furthermore, the wearable device 10 of at least one embodiment of the present invention is adapted to be worn or attached to the user 12, for example, in the form of a wrist band, watch, etc., although other forms or locations on the user's body for wearing the device 10 are contemplated. In some cases, as described in more detail below, the device 10 may be difficult or nearly impossible for the unauthorized removal of the device 12 from the user 12 without breaking or destroying the device 10. In particular, in some cases, the device 10 may include a locking mechanism which can be unlocked by a caregiver, administrator or other authorized individual. Other embodiments may include certain detection features, such as sensors or circuits running through a band to detect when the device 10 is removed or broken, for example, in an unauthorized manner.
In any event, the device 10 of at least one embodiment includes a body 20 and a band 22. The body 20 and the band 22 are connected to one another to form a wearable device 10. Specifically, the band 22 may form a loop that can encircle a body portion, such as a wrist, arm, ankle or leg, although in most cases, the device 10 of the present invention will be intended to be worn around the user's wrist.
With reference to
Specifically, as used herein, the processor 24a of at least one embodiment may include any device cooperatively structured to execute or implement computer instructions, software, etc., including, for example, the various features and components as described in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention, such as one or more applications or operating systems executing on the device 10. The memory device 24b, as used herein, may include but is not limited to random access memory (RAM) or other like devices configured to implement the present invention in the intended manner, for example, by storing and assisting with the execution of one or more applications, modules, or components capable of implementing the apparatus 10 and features thereof as described herein. In some cases, the processor 24a and memory 24b can be combined to a single microcontroller as is known in the art. Further, the data storage device 24c, as used herein, may include a hard disk drive, solid state drive, virtual drive, could-based storage drive, or other types of volatile or non-volatile memory. It should be noted that non-transitory computer readable media includes all computer-readable media except for a transitory, propagating signal.
The one or more communication modules 24e as used herein includes one or more modules implemented in hardware and/or software adapted to communicate a signal, message, phone call or data communication via the network(s) 15, for example, to/from the caregiver application or device, the emergency service(s), and/or in some cases, the dashboard. In some embodiments, the device 10 of the present invention includes an always-on LTE, such as 4G LTE, 5G LTE, or other wireless broadband communication connection. This allows the device 12 to always be capable of communication as disclosed in connection with the various embodiments described herein, such as, two-way voice calling with the caregiver application or device or emergency services, SMS communications, communicating notifications, data (e.g., heart rate, or other vital information from the user), etc.
In addition, the wearable device 10 of at least one embodiment may include other modules, features or structures which facilitate implementation of various features described herein, such as, but not limited to, a camera 26a (e.g., capable of recording or. obtaining still and moving images or video), one or more speakers 26b, a microphone 26b, etc. Some embodiments may include a gyroscope and/or accelerometer, for example, to track movement. of the device, including for example, to determine how many steps the user takes. Further embodiments may also include one or more physiological sensors or monitors, such as, but not limited to heart rate, blood pressure, breathing pattern, etc.
With reference to
Specifically, as used herein, the processor 44a of at least one embodiment may include any device cooperatively structured to execute or implement computer instructions, software, etc., including, for example, the various features and components as described in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention, such as the caregiver application 45. The memory device 44b, as used herein, may include but is not limited to random access memory (RAM) or other like devices configured to implement the present invention in the intended manner, for example, by storing and assisting with the execution of one or more applications, modules, or components capable of implementing the apparatus 10 and features thereof as described herein. In some cases, the processor 44a and memory 44b can be combined to a single microcontroller as is known in the art. Further, the data storage device 44c, as used herein, may include a hard disk drive, solid state drive, virtual drive, could-based storage drive, or other types of volatile or non-volatile memory. It should be noted that non-transitory computer readable media includes all computer-readable media except for a transitory, propagating signal.
The one or more communication modules 44e as used herein includes one or more modules implemented in hardware and/or software adapted to communicate a signal, message, phone call or data communication via the network(s) 15, for example, to/from the wearable device 10, and/or in some cases, the dashboard 80. In some embodiments, the caregiver device 40 of the present invention includes an always-on LTE connection, such as 4G LTE, 5G LTE, or other wireless broadband communication connection. This allows the caregiver device 40 to always be capable of communication as disclosed in connection with the various embodiments described herein, such as, two-way voice calling with the wearable device 10 or emergency services, SMS communications, communicating or receiving notifications, data (e.g., heart rate, or other vital information from the user), etc.
Accordingly, the caregiver device 40 of certain embodiments or implementations of the present invention may include any mobile device or mobile terminal such as, but not limited to a mobile phone, smartphone, tablet computer, etc. (e.g., APPLE® iPHONE®, ANDROID® based phone, etc.), and/or any laptop or mobile computers, desktop computers, etc.
With reference now to
In any event,
Specifically, in some cases, the device 10 may be pre-programmed or paired with a single caretaker. In such a case, selecting item 120a may immediately begin to call the caretaker device or application which is paired or otherwise linked to the device 10. In other embodiments, the device 10 may be paired with or linked to a plurality of caretakers from which the user can select.
It should be noted that the device 10 may communicate with the caretaker device 40 or caretaker application 45 via the caretaker device's phone number, device ID, email address, a unique caretaker ID, etc. The communication may take place over an LTE network, or other communication, telecommunication or data network.
In at least one embodiment of the present invention, if, however, the device 10 or device application 25 is unable to connect with the selected caretaker, and more specifically, the caretaker device 40 or caretaker application. 45, then the wearable device 10 or device application 25 is configured to automatically place a call or initiate communications to an emergency service, such as but not limited to 9-1-1 or SMART911™. More specifically, if the user 12 of the device 10 attempts to initiate communication (e.g., two-way voice communication) with a caregiver using the communication capabilities of the device 10, and the attempt to initiate the communication with the caregiver device fails, then the wearable device 10 or wearable device application 25 of at least one embodiment will immediately and automatically initiate an emergency communication to a predetermined emergency service, as exemplified in
The emergency communication to an emergency service 40 may take place over any of the networks described herein, such as an LTE network, or other communication, telecommunication or data network.
In some embodiments, for example, when the device 10 includes a list of caregivers 122, the device 10 or device application 25 may attempt to initiate communication with other caregivers stored in the application 25 prior to initiating a call or communication to an emergency service. For example, if the user attempts to contact caretaker Andrew Jones and the communication fails, meaning, nobody, including Andrew Jones, answered the attempted communication with the caregiver device or application, then the device 10 or device application 25 may attempt to contact another caregiver, such as Mary Smith, saved in the device 10 or application 25 or otherwise paired or linked to the wearable device 10. In some embodiments, after all or after an additional predetermined number of caregivers fail to answer the attempted communications, then the device 10 or device application 25 will automatically initiate a communication with an emergency service. In other cases, after a single failed communication attempt with a caregiver, the device 10 or device application 25 will automatically initiate the communication with an emergency service.
In addition, in some embodiments, once the emergency communication is initiated, the user 12 of the device 10 may not stop or cancel the emergency call to an emergency service. In other words, once the device 10 or device application 25 initiates the emergency communication, for example to 9-1-1 or SMART911™, the device 10 and device application 25 do not allow for the cancellation of such a communication.
Moreover, in at least one embodiment, the wearable device 10 or application 25 is not able to initiate outgoing communications with anyone other than approved, authorized or paired caregivers, e.g., caregiver devices or applications, such as via the list 122 of caregivers programmed or stored in the device 10, and with the emergency services as disclosed herein. In other words, in at least one embodiment, there is not a feature that allows the user to dial numbers or call contacts that are not preprogrammed in the device 10. The only communications the device can initiate are with paired caregiver devices or applications, and emergency services as disclosed herein.
It should also be noted that in at least one embodiment, the device 10 or device application 25 can be configured to block incoming communications from all devices or numbers except for one or more approved, authorized or paired caregiver devices 40, applications 45 or contact phone numbers. In other words, only approved, authorized or paired caregiver devices 40, applications 45 or contact phone numbers can initiate communications with the wearable device 10. In addition to paired caregiver devices or applications, some embodiments may allow approved or authorized emergency contacts (e.g., family members) to initiate communications with the device. Other embodiments may also allow 9-1-1 or Smart911 to also initiate communications with the device.
Next, and referring again to
More in particular, selecting the button 120b may display a screen similar to that shown in
With reference now to
Yet another feature of the device 10 and device application 25 of at least one embodiment is a way for the user to easily access (e.g. via a button on the main screen) and initiate instructions or directions between his or her current location and a stored (home) location, such as, back to his or her residence, hospital, facility, etc. In other words, the user may select button 120d shown in
Furthermore, in some embodiments, the wearable device 10 may be capable of measuring or otherwise obtaining vital information from the user, including, for example, the user's heart rate, pulse, breathing rate, etc. In this manner, the device 10 of at least one embodiment, includes one or more physiological sensors 27 or monitors, for example, on and/or within the body 20 thereof. The sensor(s) 27 may therefore detect vital information or other physiological information, such as the heart rate or heartbeat of the user wearing the device, for example, on his or her wrist. The data obtained from the sensor(s) 27 can be stored locally on the device 10 and/or communicated to the caregiver device 40 or application 45 for storage and/or monitoring.
With reference now to
For individual use of the system 100 or caregiver application 45 disclosed herein, the application 45 is able to be downloaded and installed on the caregiver's personal smartphone device, thereby allowing the smartphone device to operate as the caregiver device 40 disclosed herein. For use of the system 100 by a hospital or other facility, caregiver devices 40 will be provided, which may include a smartphone or other like device preloaded with the caregiver application 45 and locked to other unrelated functionality. This will allow caregivers in facilities to use the system without having to download the application 45 onto a personal device, which could potentially violate certain privacy or other regulations and could pose a security risk.
In any event, with reference to
In order to pair the device 40, 10 together, a number of different processes may be implemented in different embodiments. For example, in one embodiment, each wearable device 10 includes a device ID 202 that is unique to that particular device 10. In such a case, the unique device identification or device ID 202 corresponding to the wearable device 10 may be entered into the caregiver application 45. This will tell the caregiver application 45 the wearable device 10 with which to pair. In some cases, confirmation may need to be provided on one or both of the wearable device 10 and/or caregiver device 40. In addition, or instead, one or both of the devices 40, 10 may communicate with one another wirelessly, e.g., via Bluetooth, Wifi, or other network 15 to exchange or communicate unique identifying information.
In other embodiments, such as, when a dashboard 80 is used in connection with the invention (e.g., as used by a facility or institution), the dashboard or management system 80 described herein may be used to link or pair devices 10, 40. This will be described below in connection with
Furthermore, once the devices 40, 10 are paired, in at least one embodiment, certain contact details associated with the caregiver's account or with the caregiver device 40 may be communicated to and/or stored on the wearable device 10. For example, the caregiver's name, phone number, a photograph or avatar may be communicated to the wearable device, e.g., wirelessly, and stored on the wearable device 10. Then, when the user 12 of the wearable device 10 attempts to initiate a communication with a caregiver, the caregiver's contact information or identification is already stored and available, as shown in
Still referring to
Another feature of at least one embodiment of the present invention is the ability to create or define a geofence 210 and associate that geofence 210 with a wearable device 10. In particular, a geofence 210 is a virtual perimeter of a real-world geographic location. The geofence 210 can be defined in terms of a distance or radius from a selected or defined point or address. In other cases, the geofence can be defined in terms of boundaries selected or defined by the user. In this manner, the geofence 210 can, in some cases, represent a uniform circular shape, as shown in the example of
In at least one embodiment, as shown in
In this manner, the location module, e.g., a GPS module, of the wearable device 10 will determine the location of the device 10 in real-time or in near real-time to determine whether the device 10 has travelled outside of the geofence 210. When or if the device 10 travels outside of the geofence or otherwise beyond the boundaries of the geofence, an alert may be generated and communicated to the caregiver device 40. This sequence can occur in different manners.
For example, in one embodiment, the geofence information resides on the caregiver device or application, which receives real-time or near real-time location data from the wearable device. In this manner, the caregiver application or device will receive the location of the wearable device and compare that location to the geofence to determine if the wearable device 10 has traveled outside of the geofence.
In another embodiment, once the geofence is created or defined, for example, on the caregiver application, as shown in
In yet another embodiment, the geofence information resides on the management system 80, which receives real-time or near real-time location data from the wearable device. In this manner, the management system may receive the location of the wearable device and compare that location to the geofence to determine if the wearable device 10 has traveled outside of the geofence. The management system 80 may then also communicate notifications or alerts to the caregiver application or device.
In any case, the system 100 of at least one embodiment of the present invention is configured to generate, communicate and/or display various notifications or alerts to or on the caregiver device 40 or application 45. These notifications or alerts may, in some cases, be generated on the wearable device 10 and communicated to the caregiver device 40, similar to the first example of the geofence described above. In other embodiments, the notifications or alerts may be generated on the caregiver device 40 or application 45 based on data or information communicated by the wearable device, similar to the second example of the geofence described above. In further embodiments, the alerts or notifications may be generated or initiated by the management system 80 and communicated to the caregiver application or device.
In some cases, the notifications or alert may be considered emergency status notifications 130, as represented in
With reference to
As just an example, the predetermined events which may cause an alert to be generated and communicated or otherwise displayed on the caregiver device 40 or application 45 may include when a user or device exits a geofence, when a user or device enters a geofence, when the wearable device is removed from the user, when the wearable device is worn or put on the user, when the wearable device reports a battery level lower than a preset amount, when the wearable device has a full battery, when the heart rate exceeds or falls below predetermined levels, when there are irregular vitals detected, etc.
Referring back to
With reference now to
Referring now to
Accordingly, the management system 80 of at least one embodiment, includes a processor memory, a data storage device, and one or more communication modules.
Specifically, as used herein, the processor of at least one embodiment may include any device cooperatively structured to execute or implement computer instructions, software, etc., including, for example, the various features and components as described in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention, such as the dashboard or management application. The memory device, as used herein, may include but is not limited to random access memory (RAM) or other like devices configured to implement the present invention in the intended manner, for example, by storing and assisting with the execution of one or more applications, modules, or components capable of implementing the features as described herein. In some cases, the processor and memory can be combined to a single microcontroller as is known in the art. Further, the data storage device, as used herein, may include a hard disk drive, solid state drive, virtual drive, could-based storage drive, or other types of volatile or non-volatile memory. It should be noted that non-transitory computer readable media includes all computer-readable media except for a transitory, propagating signal.
The dashboard and management system 80 of at least one embodiment may be used by an administrator or management personnel, for example, at or on behalf of a facility or institution, in order to manage all of the wearable devices 10 and caregiver devices 40 or caregiver applications 45 associated with that particular institution or facility. In this manner, the management system 80 or management application 85 may communicate with the caregiver device 40 or caregiver application via the network 15 in order to implement various features and functionality described throughout this description.
With reference now to
Still referring to
Referring now to
This information corresponding to the users and/or devices can be added in many different manners, such as, for example, selecting “Add User” shown at 312 in
Further, as mentioned above, each of the wearable devices 10 have a device ID 202 that is unique to each particular device 10. In this manner, the device ID 202 of each device 10 can be used to differentiate or identify each of the different wearable devices 10. As shown the device ID is a ten-digit number, however, virtually any other formats can be used, including alphanumeric formats with more or less characters.
In at least one embodiment, some or all of the wearable devices can be assigned to a group, as referenced at 323. A group 323 can but does not need to represent a section of the facility or institution, for example, within which the user associated with the device resides or stays. In other embodiments or implementations, the groups be representative of other aspects of the facility or have no correlation to the facility or institution.
With reference to
Referring back to
This information corresponding to the caregiver can be added in many different manners, such as, for example, selecting “Add Caregiver” shown at 342 in
In at least one embodiment, some or all of the caregivers can be assigned to one or more groups 323, for example, one or more of the groups created via the manage group module represented in
More specifically, when a device ID and a caregiver are assigned to the same group, the wearable device 10 associated with the device ID and the caregiver device 40 or caregiver application 45 associated with the caregiver are now paired or linked as that term is used herein in accordance with at least one embodiment. More in particular, as described above, paired devices 10, 40 are able to communicate with one another and/or receive alerts and notifications, as described herein. Thus, once a caregiver is assigned to a group, he/she will be able to communicate with and/or receive alerts and notifications regarding each of the wearable devices 10 associated with the same group.
It should also be noted that the wearable device 10 of at least one embodiment will only display or list caregivers that are currently paired with that device 10. Similarly, in one embodiment, the caregiver device 40 and/or caregiver application 45 will only display profiles, information, data, etc. of wearable device 10 that are paired to that caregiver application or device.
Thus, in some embodiments, since the caregiver entries in the management system and the user entries in the management system can be edited and managed, changing the assigned group(s) of either the caregiver or the user can automatically pair or unpair the devices 10, 40, thereby changing the access to information thereby.
Furthermore, and still referring to
With reference now to
Once the shifts are defined, in at least one embodiment, the shifts 360 can be assigned to the caregivers, as shown in
In this manner, the shifts 360 can be used to limit communication between the wearable devices and the caregiver devices or applications as being only during the assigned shift. In other words, in at least one embodiment, the devices 10, 40 are considered paired devices, as used herein, when the devices or users thereof are assigned to the same group 323 and only during the time defined by the assigned shift 360. All other times, the devices are considered unpaired, and thus now access or communication via the system 100 is permitted.
Using the example above, Andrew Jones would only see, on his caregiver device 40, information associated with the wearable devices in the “Floor 1 West” group, and only from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Further features of at least one embodiment of the present invention include the ability to record and store various information gathered by the wearable devices 10 or by the caregiver devices 40 or application 45. The information can be stored locally on the devices, remotely at the management system 80, in a different storage location, or in the cloud, for example. The information may include but is not limited to: the time and frequency of user-generated emergency calls made from each device 10 to a caregiver device 40 or application 45, the time it takes a caregiver to respond to any emergencies, time stamp and frequency that a wearable device exits and/or returns to the geofence, vital information recorded by the wearable devices 10, etc.
Moreover, additional features of certain embodiments of the present invention are that once the wearable device 10 is secured to or around the user's body, such as around the user's wrist, the device 10 is not intended to be removed, for example, by the wearer or user thereof. In particular, if the device 10 is removed or attempted to be removed from the wearer or user 12 thereof without authorization, for example, from a caregiver or management personnel, then in some embodiments, an alert, notification or signal is communicated to the caregiver device or application, management system, or emergency service. Further, the alert, notification or other communication can include location information (e.g., obtained from the GPS or other location module), as well as data stored on the device (e.g., on the storage device) or stored remotely from the device 10. The data can include one or more photographs of the user or wearer, medical information of the user or wearer, known conditions that may be impacting the user or wearer, contact information for one or more emergency contacts, allergies, etc.
In this manner, different embodiments of the present invention may employ different mechanisms to detect when the device 10 has been removed, and/or to prevent or restrict the unauthorized removal of the device 10.
As an example, in some embodiments one or more of the physiological sensors 27 may be used to detect or determine when the device 10 is being worn and when it has been removed. More specifically, if the heart rate monitor or sensor does not detect any heartbeat, then that could mean that the device 10 has been removed from the wearer. Other physiological sensors can be used to detect or determine when or if the device has been removed without authorization.
Referring again to
Furthermore, in other embodiments, the only way the band can be removed from the user's wrist or other body location is to physically cut or sever the band. When the band is cut or severed, the band may be configured to send a severance or other like signal to the body or to another location via network 15, indicating that the band has been cut, stretched, or otherwise physically damaged.
In one embodiment, as represented in
For example, in at least one embodiment, the body 20 of the device may include one or more electrical or conductive terminals to which one or more corresponding electrical terminals on the band 422 will electrically connect, for example, when the band 422 and the body 20 connect to one another. This can create an electrical or conductive loop through the wired track 435 of the band 422.
In other embodiments, the band 422 and the body 20 can communicate wirelessly such that when the wired track 435 is severed, a wireless severance signal is communicated to the body 20, upon which an emergency signal or communication is automatically generated. As an example, the apparatus may utilize radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to communicate between the band 422 and the body 20. For instance, the band 422 of at least one embodiment may operate as a passive (or active) RFID tag, whereas the body 20 may operate as an RFID reader. Communication therebetween can thus operate via known RFID technology, for example, via inductive coupling, near-field coupling, electromagnetic coupling or far-field coupling. Other communication technologies, such as Bluetooth, NFC, Zigbee, etc. can be utilized, as well.
Moreover, the band 422 of at least one embodiment may be constructed or made of TYVEK® material, commonly used as entrance bands for events, concerts, or bars, as just an example. Once the band 422, or TYVEK® material, creates a loop, the only way to break the loop is to sever the band 422. Specifically, the band 422 may include an adhesive at or near one end, such as first end 432. The strength of the adhesive is such that once it attaches to along the length of the band 422 to form the loop, the adhesive cannot easily be removed without destroying the band 422.
In this manner, once the band 422 forms a loop around the user's wrist, ankle or other body location, the band 422 is not easily removable from the body without severing the band 422 or otherwise destroying the band 422. Severing of the band, for example, by cutting the band 422, would, in one embodiment, disrupt the wired track 435.
Other embodiments may include a band made of a waterproof, durable or rigid plastic, leather or rubber material with or without a similar wired track 435 disposed therein.
In some embodiments, the band 422 may include a designated location through which the band 422 can be severed without disrupting the wired track 435 or otherwise without triggering the emergency communications by the apparatus 10. In particular, in some cases, the parent(s), guardian(s), caretaker(s), or the user may want to remove the band 422, and therefore, the device, from the user's body or wrist. If there is a known location on the band 422 which can be cut without causing an emergency communication to be sent, then the band can be easily cut off. However, the location on the band which such a cut can be made should only be known by authorized individual(s) such that an assailant would not be able to know where to cut the band to avoid commencement of the emergency communication.
In other embodiments, a code may be input to the device in order to enable and/or disable the emergency communication capabilities. For example, in order to remove the band 422 from the user, a code may first be input into the body thereof, which will deactivate the wired track 435 or the emergency communication services. This will allow the band 422 to be severed by an authorized individual for authorized removal from the user.
It is also contemplated that the device can be remotely deactivated, for example, by a parent or other authorized individual. For instance, the authorized individual may use a computer, website, or application that is communicative with the apparatus. The authorized individual may log into a profile or account to control or manage the operation of the apparatus, for example, by activating and deactivating the emergency communication features described herein. Deactivation of the emergency communication services will allow the band to be removed without having the body communicate and emergency signal.
It should also be noted that the device 10 of at least one embodiment may include one or more buttons which allows the user to control some features of the apparatus. For example, one button may be used as an emergency alert button, which, when depressed or activated will automatically trigger the emergency signal or communication with the emergency services or contacts. Specifically, if, during an abduction, the assailant does not remove or attempt to remove the apparatus from the user, the user can still activate the emergency communications by depressing or activating an emergency button.
Other button(s) may be used to control the display (e.g., to change the display of the watch), or to scroll through additional features. For instance, in some embodiments, the apparatus may include additional medical features, such as blood pressure reading, blood sugar readings, etc. In some cases, the apparatus may automatically activate emergency communications based on these additional readings.
In some embodiments, the device 10 may aesthetically look like a watch, digital watch, or smart watch. This can be a particularly attractive features for individuals or users between the ages of 15 and 50, for example, who want to maintain the security of the device but want to keep the appearance of a watch. In other embodiments, the device may have an immediate appearance of being an emergency or personal security apparatus. In such an embodiment, an assailant may immediately attempt to remove the apparatus from the user, thereby triggering the emergency communications described herein.
In some cases, the emergency communications may be silent and therefore unknown or undetectable to an assailant or others around.
Since other modifications and changes varied to fit particular operating requirements and environments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention is not considered limited to the example chosen for purposes of disclosure, and covers all changes and modifications which do not constitute departures from the true spirit and scope of this invention. This written description provides an illustrative explanation and/or account of the present invention. It may be possible to deliver equivalent benefits using variations of the specific embodiments, without departing from the inventive concept. This description and these drawings, therefore, are to be regarded as illustrative and not restrictive.
Now that the invention has been described,
The present application is based on and a claim of priority is made under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/879,564, filed on Jul. 29, 2019, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
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