Patent Application
20170053523
The present invention relates generally to smart cards. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method of a smart card based mobile pull station.
There are no known systems and methods for accurately locating a person trapped in a building during a fire incident. Similarly, there are no known systems and methods for notifying authorities about security threats, for example, during a school shooting. Similar location and notification deficiencies arise during medical emergencies and hazard events, such as chemical spills.
In view of the above, there is a continuing, ongoing need for improved systems and methods.
While this invention is susceptible of an embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings and will be described herein in detail specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention. It is not intended to limit the invention to the specific illustrated embodiments.
Embodiments disclosed herein include a system and method of a smart card based mobile pull station. For example, a smart card based mobile pull station can be used in connection with an ambient condition monitoring system installed in a building or region. In some embodiments, a smart card based mobile pull station can be used in connection with a wireless fire system that includes a mesh-based network.
In accordance with disclosed embodiments, a smart card based mobile pull station as disclosed herein can be activated by a user. Upon activation, the smart card based mobile pull station can transmit a wireless signal, for example, an emergency stress signal, and one or more nearby wireless devices can detect the signal and relay the signal, via a system installed in the region, to a gateway or control panel of the system or to a rescue operator's mobile device.
In some embodiments, the systems and methods disclosed herein can include a feedback mechanism to acknowledge the transmission or receipt of the emergency stress signal. For example, in some embodiments, the feedback mechanism acknowledging transmission of the emergency stress signal can include a vibrational notification or a visual notification, such as a blinking LED or a color change on or associated with the smart card. In some embodiments, the feedback mechanism acknowledging receipt of the emergency stress signal can include an alert tone transmitted by a public address system in communication with the mesh network. When the appropriate acknowledgement is not received within a predetermined period of time, in some embodiments, a smart card based mobile pull station can boost the power of the transmitted wireless signal so that a wireless detected located further away from the smart card can detect the wireless signal.
In some embodiments, a first responder's mobile device or the like can identify, display, or be informed of the location of the user of the smart card based mobile pull station based on the wireless device that detected the signal of the smart card. Indeed, in some embodiments, the control panel of the system installed in the region can identify the wireless device that originally received the emergency stress signal. Such embodiments can be desired when a user needs fast assistance and/or cannot locate or access a fixed pull station in the region. Accordingly, the user's smart card, when activated, can function as a mobile pull station.
It will be understood that a smart card as disclosed herein can include a smart card, access card, chip card, or integrated circuit card that can be a pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. For example, a smart card as disclosed herein can be integrated with hardware, including, but not limited to, a radio, battery, and microprocessor, that is capable of transmitting an RF signal. It will also be understood that a smart card as disclosed herein can made be of plastic, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate based polyester, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or polycarbonate. Moreover, it will be understood that a smart card as disclosed herein can provide identification, authentication, data storage, and application processing as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, a smart card as described herein can provide security authentication for single sign-on (SSO) within a large organization.
In some embodiments, a smart card based mobile pull station can transmit signals on a first frequency channel when in normal operation. However, when activated as described above and herein, the smart card based mobile pull station can transmit an emergency stress signal on a second frequency channel that is different from the first frequency channel. In some embodiments, the emergency stress signal can include RF packets, and in some embodiments, the transmitted emergency stress signal can include a unique identifier that indicates that smart card from which the signal originated, thereby identifying the user of the smart card.
As explained above and herein, a user can activate a smart card based mobile pull station. For example, in some embodiments, the user can activate the smart card by breaking the smart card, breaking or pulling a tag associated with the smart card, applying heat above a predetermined temperature to the smart card, breaking a chain or wrist band associated with the smart card, or pressing a panic button associated with the smart card.
The smart card based mobile pull station as disclosed herein can be powered via a battery. In some embodiments, the battery can include a rechargeable battery that can be recharged via wireless charging, vibrational charging, reader point charging, RF energy, or any other energy harvesting method as would be known by one of ordinary skill in the art. In embodiments in which the smart card is powered via an internal battery, the battery can be used only when the smart card is activated, thereby conserving the power and longevity of the smart card.
In some embodiments, the smart card can include a break line 150 and a break switch 160. In these embodiments, a user can activate the smart card 100 by breaking the card 100 across the break line 150. Breaking the card 100 across the break line 150 can activate the break switch 160, which can cause the transmitter 120 to transmit a fixed pattern of bit streams as an RF signal. For example, in some embodiments, the fixed pattern can be stored in the memory device 130, and activation of the break switch 160 can cause the microcontroller to retrieve the stored fixed pattern and transmit the retrieved fixed pattern to the transmitter 120 for transmission thereof. In some embodiments, the fixed pattern in the transmitted RF signal can be unique and identify the specific smart card 100 from which it originated.
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However, when the method 200 determines that a wireless device received an emergency stress signal or SOS signal from a smart card based mobile pull station as in 225, the method can transmit a signal to a control panel, monitoring station, mobile device, or the like indicative of the emergency stress signal or SOS signal event as in 230. Then, the control panel or the like can execute an appropriate action as in 235 responsive to and based on the configuration of the emergency stress signal or SOS signal. For example, the control panel can activate an audio message, alert an appropriate authority, turn on a computer, or the like. In some embodiments, the control panel or the like can identify the type of distress situation that likely caused transmission of the emergency stress signal or SOS signal based on the detection as in 220 or the lack thereof.
In some embodiments, the control panel or the like can identify the location of the smart card based mobile pull station based on the wireless device that received the emergency stress signal or SOS signal. In these embodiments, the control panel or the like can transmit location details of the smart card based mobile pull station to the appropriate authority as in 240, for example, a mobile device of a firefighter, first responder, or security personnel to assist such an authority in rescuing or locating a user of the smart card based mobile pull station.
Although a few embodiments have been described in detail above, other modifications are possible. For example, the logic flows described above do not require the particular order described, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results. Other steps may be provided, or steps may be eliminated, from the described flows, and other components may be added to, or removed from, the described systems. Other embodiments may be within the scope of the invention.
From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific system or method described herein is intended or should be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover all such modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.
