Location-Based Personal Emergency Response System

Abstract

A safety system comprising a plurality of wearable transceiver devices for operation in independent use with a plurality of a landline-based phone and a cell phone to establish contact between a user of a wearable transceiver device and a central monitoring station. The wearable transceiver devices sense a crash or a fall and notify a monitor by a landline-based phone or a cell phone of this incident and the assisted GPS determined location of the incident. The information is provided to the monitor a short predetermined time following activation unless the device is deactivated by pressing a communication button. When the device has not been activated by a crash or fall, the user may press the communication button to communicate with the monitor to obtain a wide variety of services. A cell phone having reserve batteries, accelerometers, and assisted GPS location capabilities is also disclosed.

1 . An emergency communications system comprising:
 at least one cell phone including a global positioning system (GPS) device configured to provide geographical coordinates for the at least one cell phone;   at least one home-based phone;   a central monitoring station having at least one human monitor, the at least one central monitoring station configured to receive telephone calls from the at least one cell phone and the at least one home-based phone; and   at least one wearable transceiver device comprising an emergency communications activation feature and configured to transmit an emergency communications signal intended to cause the at least one cell phone or the at least one home-based phone to establish communications with the central monitoring station, wherein the at least one wearable transceiver is configured to transmit the emergency communications signal in response to triggering of the emergency communications activation feature, and wherein the geographical coordinates for the at least one cell phone are sent to the central monitoring station after communications with the central monitoring station are established.   
     
     
         2 . The emergency communications system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one wireless transceiver device is configured to receive a wireless signal transmitted from another wearable transceiver device and re-transmit the received wireless signal. 
     
     
         3 . The emergency communications system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one wearable transceiver device comprises a first wearable transceiver device and a second wearable transceiver device, the first wearable transceiver device having a first RFID signature that and the second wearable transceiver device having a second RFID signature that is different from the first RFID signature, and wherein an indication of the wearable transceiver device that transmitted the emergency communication signal is sent to the central monitoring station after communication with the central monitoring station is established based on detection the first RFID signature or the second RFID signature. 
     
     
         4 . The emergency communications system of  claim 1  wherein the emergency communications signal is intended to cause the at least one home-based phone to establish communications with the central monitoring station if the home-based phone is detected by the cell phone or the at least one wearable transceiver device, and wherein the emergency communications signal is intended to cause the at least one cell phone to establish communications with the central monitoring station if the home-based phone is not detected by the cell phone or the at least one wearable transceiver device. 
     
     
         5 . The emergency communications system of  claim 1  wherein the home-based phone is configured to dial a preprogrammed number in order to establish communications with the central monitoring station when the emergency communications signal is received by the home-based phone. 
     
     
         6 . The emergency communications system of  claim 5  wherein the cell phone is configured to dial the preprogrammed number in order to establish communications with the central monitoring station when the emergency communications signal is received by the cell phone and the home-based phone is not detected by the cell phone or the at least one wearable transceiver device. 
     
     
         7 . The emergency communications system of  claim 1  wherein the home-based phone is a landline-based phone. 
     
     
         8 . The emergency communications system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one wearable transceiver device includes a first sensor configured to detect a perceived fall and a second sensor configured to detect a perceived crash, and wherein the at least one wearable transceiver device is configured to transmit the emergency communication signal when a perceived fall or a perceived crash is detected. 
     
     
         9 . The emergency communications system of  claim 8  wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are provided by at least one accelerometer, wherein the at least one accelerometer detects a perceived fall at 1 G to 5 G and detects a perceived crash at 5 G or more. 
     
     
         10 . The emergency communications system of  claim 8  wherein the at least one wearable transceiver device is configured to provide an audible warning before the emergency communication signal is transmitted when a perceived fall or a perceived crash is detected. 
     
     
         11 . The emergency communications system of  claim 1  wherein GPS device is an assisted GPS chip. 
     
     
         12 . The emergency communications system of  claim 1  wherein the emergency communications activation feature on the at least one wearable transceiver device is a button with a raised ring around the button. 
     
     
         13 . The emergency communications system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one wearable transceiver device includes an audible alarm, wherein the audible alarm is triggered when the at least one transceiver device is moved a predetermined distance away from the cell phone or the home-based phone. 
     
     
         14 . The emergency communications system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one wearable transceiver device is further configured to transmit the emergency communications signal when the at least one transceiver device is moved a predetermined distance from the cell phone or the home-based phone. 
     
     
         15 . The emergency communications system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one wearable transceiver device is provided as a key fob, a pendant, or a belt clip. 
     
     
         16 . An emergency communications system comprising:
 at least one cell phone;   at least one home-based phone;   a central monitoring station having at least one human monitor, the at least one central monitoring station configured to receive telephone calls from the at least one cell phone and the at least one home-based phone; and   a plurality of wearable transceiver devices, each of the wearable transceiver devices comprising an emergency communications activation feature, each of the wearable transceiver devices configured to transmit a signal intended to cause the at least one cell phone or the at least one home-based phone to call the central monitoring station in response to triggering of the emergency communications activation feature, and each of the wearable transceiver devices configured to receive a wireless signal transmitted from other of the wearable transceiver devices and re-transmit such received wireless signal.   
     
     
         17 . The emergency communications system of  claim 16  wherein the at least one cell phone includes a global positioning system (GPS) device configured to provide geographical coordinates for the cell phone, wherein the geographical coordinates for the at least one cell phone are sent to the central monitoring station in response to triggering of the emergency communications activation feature. 
     
     
         18 . The emergency communications system of  claim 16  wherein the emergency communications activation feature is a button on the wearable transceiver device. 
     
     
         19 . The emergency communications system of  claim 16  wherein the emergency communications activation feature is configured to be triggered upon detection of a perceived fall, a perceived crash, a distance from the cell phone or a distance from the home-based phone. 
     
     
         20 . The emergency communications system of  claim 16  wherein the plurality of wearable transceiver devices include a first wearable transceiver device and a second wearable transceiver device, the first wearable transceiver device having a first RFID signature that and the second wearable transceiver device having a second RFID signature that is different from the first RFID signature, and wherein an indication of the wearable transceiver device that transmitted the emergency communication signal is sent to the central monitoring station after communication with the central monitoring station is established based on detection the first RFID signature or the second RFID signature.