US20080096521A1 - Emergency phone with single button activation - Google Patents

Abstract

An emergency-use-only cellular phone provides for contacting and establishing full-duplex voice communication with emergency personnel at either a public emergency response service or a private roadside assistance service. The phone automatically places a cellular call to the public emergency response service with a single press of a first activation button, and to the private roadside assistance service with a single press of a second activation button. When either activation button is pressed, the following functions are initiated: (1) electrical power from a power supply is provided to a cellular transmitter and receiver, (2) the cellular receiver is activated to search for an available channel from among A or B cellular system channels, (3) an emergency telephone number corresponding to the selected service is accessed from memory, and (4) the cellular transmitter is activated to establish communication with the selected emergency response service. Since all of these functions are initiated by pressing one button, communication with the selected emergency response service may be established simply and speedily, even under stressful conditions. The phone may include a modular GPS receiver unit for providing location information to the public emergency response service or a private roadside assistance service.

Description

PRIORITY
• Priority is claimed as a continuation to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/174,191, filed Jun. 30, 2005, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 09/684,831, filed Oct. 10, 2000, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/538,364, filed Mar. 29, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,636,732, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/495,080, filed Jan. 31, 2000, now abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/044,497, filed Mar. 19, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,044,257. The disclosure of each aforementioned priority document is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• 1. Field of the Invention
• In general, the present invention relates to cellular telephones for use only in emergency situations. In particular, the present invention relates to a cellular telephone for calling a public emergency response center or an emergency roadside assistance service.
• 2. Background
• In the past, conventional, full-service cellular telephones have been used in emergency situations to call for help from public emergency response services by dialing 911. Placing such a call with a conventional cellular telephone requires performing the following steps: (1) pressing a POWER button to power-on the phone, (2) dialing the individual numbers 9-1-1 on a keypad, and (3) pressing a SEND or CALL button. Such conventional phones may also be used to call for emergency roadside assistance from a private assistance service, such as the American Automobile Association (AAA), when a user has experienced a mechanical failure while driving an automobile. Placing a call to the private assistance service with a conventional cellular phone requires that the above three steps be performed, except that typically a 1-800 number for the private assistance service is dialed on the keypad instead of 9-1-1.
• Although this conventional procedure to place a cellular phone call seems to be straightforward, it becomes much more difficult when it must be accomplished during a stressful emergency situation, such as immediately after an automobile accident or breakdown. During such situations, simplicity is critical. It is desirable that the user need not have to remember any phone numbers to dial, or which of many keys to press to initiate a call.
• It is also desirable to have a cellular telephone that is designed for limited-use, such as in emergency situations only, thereby significantly reducing the cost of cellular service.
• Therefore, a cellular telephone is needed that may be used to call for help in emergency situations, is simple and straightforward to operate, and that may be operated at a minimal service charge.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• The present invention meets the above-listed needs, and eliminates the oversights, difficulties, and disadvantages of the prior art by providing an emergency cellular telephone for establishing communication with multiple emergency response services. The phone allows a user to choose between calling a public emergency response service, also referred to as a Public Safety and Action Point (PSAP) or 911 call center, in immediate emergency situations, and calling a private assistance service in situations where urgent services are desired, such as roadside assistance. The call to the public emergency response service is placed by pressing a single public emergency response button, which is protected from inadvertent activation by a protective cover. The call to the private assistance service is placed by pressing a single private assistance call button. Both call buttons require firm pressure thereupon for several seconds before activation is initiated, thereby preventing accidental activation.
• Preferred embodiments of the phone include an audible siren that is activated by simultaneously pressing a pair of buttons, one located on either side of the phone housing, for approximately one second. The siren, by generating a 95 dB alarm signal, helps the user to draw the attention of passersby to an emergency situation or to discourage an attacker.
• The phone is preferably powered by four standard AAA alkaline batteries, which typically provide over a year of service with no recharging. Thus, the phone may be stored away, such as in a glove compartment of an automobile, for long periods of time and will be available when needed in an emergency situation. An alternate rechargeable battery pack module may also be attached to the phone. In some embodiments, this module also includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver that is used to provide position coordinates indicating the location of the caller to the private assistance service or public emergency response service.
• According to the invention, the phone comprises a handheld housing having a cellular transmitter, a cellular receiver, and a power supply disposed therein. The cellular transmitter transmits only first and second outgoing cellular signals, where the first outgoing cellular signal is for establishing a first communication session with a first emergency response service and the second outgoing cellular signal is for establishing a second communication session with a second emergency response service. The cellular receiver receives only first and second incoming cellular signals, where the first incoming cellular signal is received from the first emergency response service during the first communication session, and the second incoming cellular signal is received from the second emergency response service during the second communication session.
• Attached to the housing is a first activation button that, if pressed a first time when the telephone is in an off mode, causes the automatic initiation of several functions. Pressing the first activation button (1) causes electrical power from the power supply to be provided to the cellular transmitter and receiver, (2) initiates activation of the cellular receiver to search for an available cellular system channel, and (3) initiates activation of the cellular transmitter to transmit the first outgoing cellular signal to establish communication with the first emergency response service. Implementing a single activation button to initiate all of these functions simplifies communication with the first emergency response service in a stressful situation.
• Also attached to the housing is a second activation button that, if pressed a first time when the telephone is in the off mode, causes (1) the electrical power from the power supply to be provided to the cellular transmitter and receiver, (2) initiates activation of the cellular receiver to search for an available cellular system channel, and (3) initiates activation of the cellular transmitter to transmit the second outgoing cellular signal to establish communication with the second emergency response service. Thus, communication with the second emergency response service is also simplified in a stressful situation.
• The cellular transmitter is operable to transmit the first outgoing cellular signal to establish the first communication session regardless of whether the transmitter had last established a first communication session or a second communication session. Further, the cellular transmitter is operable to transmit the second outgoing cellular signal to establish the second communication session regardless of whether the transmitter had last established a first communication session or a second communication session. Thus, the operation of the phone is not limited to any particular sequence of placing calls to the public emergency response service and the private assistance service, thereby offering greater flexibility than has previously been available.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the views, and wherein:
• FIG. 1 depicts a top view of the emergency phone with a protective cover in .an open position according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
• FIG. 2 depicts a top view of the emergency phone with the protective cover in a closed position according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
• FIG. 3 depicts a side view of the emergency phone with the protective cover in the open position according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
• FIG. 4 depicts a bottom view of the emergency phone according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
• FIG. 5 depicts a narrow side view of the emergency phone with the protective cover in the closed position according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
• FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of the emergency phone according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
• FIGS.7A-C depict a functional flow diagram of a process for establishing an emergency cellular communication with an emergency response service according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
• FIG. 8 depicts a bottom view of the emergency phone with a battery compartment revealed according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; and
• FIG. 9 depicts a top view of the emergency phone with the protective cover in an open position according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• Referring generally toFIGS. 1-5, a preferred embodiment of an emergencycellular telephone10 for summoning help in an emergency is shown. The internal components of thephone10 are contained within arigid housing12. Therigid housing12 is preferably constructed of a durable material, such as polycarbonate, that will withstand being continuously carried in an individuals pocket or purse. Preferably, aprotective cover14 is movably attached at one edge to therigid housing12 by a pair of hinges16. At the opposite edge of thecover14 is alatch tab18athat engages alatch pin18bon the housing when thecover14 is in the closed position. Preferably, thecover14 may be opened by applying a gentle pulling force to thecover14 to disengage thelatch pin18bfrom thelatch tab18a.
• When thecover14 is opened, as depicted inFIGS. 1 and 3, twolarge activation buttons20aand20b, are revealed. Thebutton20ais referred to herein as a first activation button or a 911 button. Thisfirst activation button20ais used to activate thephone10 to establish communication with a public emergency response service. Thebutton20bis referred to herein as the second activation button or the AAA button. Thesecond activation button20bis used to activate thephone10 to establish communication with a private roadside assistance service, such as the AAA. Depending on the given situation, a user simply opens thecover14 and presses thebutton20aor20bto summon help in an emergency situation. As described in more detail below, when eitherbutton20aor20bis pressed, thephone10 powers up and begins to establish cellular communication with the requested service.
• In an alternative embodiment of the invention, thesecond activation button20bis located on a side of thehousing12, such as in the position of thealarm button36b. Thus, it should be appreciated that the invention is not limited to any particular position of thebuttons20aand20bon thephone10.
• In the preferred embodiment, the 911button20aand theAAA button20bare the only control buttons on thephone10 that are disposed beneath thecover14. Thus, when closed, thecover14 prevents accidental pressing of thebuttons20aor20bwhich could inadvertently place a call to the public emergency response service or the private assistance service. Preferably, other functions provided by thephone10, as described hereinafter, may be activated when thecover14 is closed.
• As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, the preferred embodiment of thephone10 includes threeindicator lights22,24, and26. The centermost of the three lights is a lowsignal indicator light22, which is preferably a red LED. On the right is a highsignal indicator light24, which is preferably a green LED, and on the left is an in-use indicator light26, which is preferably a yellow LED. The particular circumstances in which each of these lights is illuminated is described in more detail hereinafter.
• As shown inFIGS. 1-4, a low-profile radio-frequency antenna30 is attached to thehousing12 for transmitting and receiving cellular signals.
• Aspeaker port32 and amicrophone port34 are also provided in thehousing12. Preferably, as shown inFIGS. 1-4, themicrophone port34 is uncovered and accessible when thecover14 is in the open position (FIGS. 1 and 3) and in the closed position (FIG. 2). This feature allows the user to maintain a conversation with emergency response service personnel, even with thecover14 closed. It may be advantageous in many circumstances to close thecover14 after pressing the 911button20aor theAAA button20b, thereby preventing accidental pressing of eitherbutton20aor20bwhile a call is in progress. As discussed in more detail hereinafter, pressing either of thebuttons20aor20bwhile a call is in progress could terminate the call. Therefore, closing thecover14 after initiating the call helps to avoid premature termination.
• A preferred embodiment of thephone10 includes an audible alarm or siren that alerts individuals in the immediate area that an emergency exists. Preferably, the audible alarm is activated by simultaneously pressing twoalarm buttons36aand36blocated on either side of thehousing12. When thebuttons36aand36bare pressed, an alarm type noise is emitted from analarm port28 in thehousing12. The number of different sounds that could be produced is limitless but the sound produced is preferably similar to that produced by a car alarm. In the preferred embodiment, the audible alarm is deactivated by simultaneously pressing thealarm buttons36aand36bagain.
• In order to minimize the cost of the cellular service needed to support it, theemergency phone10 is strictly limited to emergency use only. Governmental regulations currently prohibit cellular service providers from refusing calls to 911 emergency response centers, even if the caller does not subscribe to a cellular service. Thus, the user may place 911 emergency calls using thephone10 without having previously contracted for cellular service. As discussed in more detail below, the cost of cellular service for placing calls only to a single telephone number of a private assistance service, such as AAA, may be purchased at a rate far less than is typically paid for conventional cellular service. Further, this cost may be included in a membership fee that the user pays to the private organization that provides the roadside assistance, such as AAA.
• Another one of the primary benefits of limiting use of thephone10 to contacting only a public or a private emergency response service using one of twoactivation buttons20aand20bis the resulting simplicity of operation. As shown inFIG. 1, theactivation buttons20aand20bare relatively large in relation to the size of thehousing12. Thus, thebuttons20aand20bare easy to locate during a stressful emergency situation. Since only onebutton20aor20bneed be pressed to initiate a call, even very young children or persons with an aversion to most electronic devices can be taught how to use thephone10 to easily summon help in an emergency. Further, the time required to summon the emergency personnel is held to an absolute minimum. Almost as soon as theactivation button20aor20bis pressed, the user has a verbal communications link to the public or private assistance service.
• FIG. 5 depicts a preferred embodiment of theemergency phone10 as viewed from the direction indicated by the arrows A-A inFIG. 2. As shown inFIG. 5, thephone10 includes aninterface port38 which is accessible from outside thehousing12. As described in more detail below, theinterface port38 provides a programming and data transfer interface to allow modifications to the programming of thephone10.
• In addition to establishing cellular contact with an emergency response service, theemergency phone10 may be configured to activate the home security system of the user. Because the radio communications range of theemergency phone10 is limited, theemergency phone10 can only contact the user's home security system when theemergency phone10 is close to the home security system. Preferably, the radio communications range of theemergency phone10 extends to at least 500 feet from the home security system. The home security system can react to the emergency phone's signal in a number of ways. In the preferred embodiment, the home security system turns the lights of the residence on and off and activates any audible alarms that the home security system uses. Turning on and off the house's lights and sounding the home security system's audible alarms can be beneficial for a number of reasons. First, the home security system alarm will only be activated if theemergency phone10 is used when it is near the home. Thus, if the emergency situation involves an intruder or attacker, turning on the lights and sounding the alarms may scare the individual away. Secondly, turning on the lights and sounding the alarms will alert any individuals in or around the house that an emergency situation exists in or near the house. In addition, any of the variety of other functions typically performed by a home security system can be triggered by the signal from theemergency phone10.
• An embodiment of theemergency phone10 is also provided that contacts the car alarm of the user. In a manner similar to that described for contacting the home security system of the user, theemergency phone10 transmits a signal that activates the car alarm. Theemergency phone10 will only be able to signal the car alarm if the user is near the car when theemergency phone10 is activated. Thus, the car alarm will help draw attention to the area in which the emergency situation exists. This could be especially beneficial if the emergency situation arose in a parking lot. Furthermore, if the car was just stolen, setting off the car alarm will draw attention to the thief and the stolen car.
• One embodiment of thephone10 includes avisual alarm button40 that activates a flashinglight42 mounted on thehousing12. The flashinglight42 and the noise alarm serve similar functions. On the one hand they serve to scare off attackers, on the other hand they serve to draw attention to the individual requesting emergency assistance. Because theemergency phone10 can be activated from anywhere that cellular service is available, the exact location of the caller may be unknown to the emergency response personnel. Thus, by drawing attention to theemergency phone10 and its operator, the flashinglight42 and the audible alarm may be very helpful to emergency response personnel attempting to locate the individual who summoned them.
• As mentioned above, a preferred embodiment of the invention includes a locator function. The locator function provides the public or private emergency response service the location of theemergency phone10 at the time it was activated. The locator function is implemented in a variety of manners in different embodiments of the present invention. One embodiment involves the use of a GPS receiver. A GPS receiver utilizes signals from satellites orbiting the earth to determine the position of the receiver. When the first orsecond activation button20aor20bis pressed, the GPS receiver is activated to determine the location of thephone10. Thephone10 then automatically transmits this positional information to the emergency response service. Another embodiment of the present invention uses a cellular location system to determine the position of theemergency phone10, such as by triangulation. This cellular location system uses the strength and/or the relative phase of a signal from thephone10 received at different cellular stations to determine the location of thephone10. Positional information is extremely beneficial in an emergency situation because it allows the emergency response service to determine the location of the caller without requiring any input from the caller.
• Referring now toFIG. 6, a block diagram of the electrical components of a preferred embodiment of theemergency phone10 is shown. Power for the electrical components of theemergency phone10 is supplied by apower supply44. In the preferred embodiment, thepower supply44 is a DC power supply consisting of four replaceable AAA alkaline batteries. Alkaline batteries are preferred because they will allow a minimum continuous talk time of at least 30 minutes, are relatively inexpensive, are easily replaceable, and have a relatively long shelf-life between uses. Although lithium and nickel-cadmium batteries are typically the batteries of choice for conventional cellular phones, such batteries require constant recharging to maintain a useable voltage level. Such batteries are not preferred for use as thepower supply44 for theemergency phone10 because they cannot maintain a charge during long periods of nonuse. Since theemergency phone10 may be stored away, such as in an automobile glove compartment, for long periods between uses, long-life alkaline batteries are used in the preferred embodiment of the invention.
• As described in more detail below, the GPS location function of thephone10 may be provided by an add-on GPS receiver module. In that embodiment, the GPS module preferably includes a lithium or nickel-cadmium battery pack to provide adequate power for the phone components within thehousing12 and for the components of the GPS module.
• As described above, the preferred embodiment of the invention has fiveuser input buttons36a,36b,20a,20b, and54. While theseuser inputs36a,36b,20a,20b, and54 are shown and discussed as push-buttons, it is understood that theinputs36a,36b,20a,20b, and54 may operate switches, touch sensors, or other similar devices.
• With reference toFIG. 6, amicroprocessor46 monitors the state of a pair of alarm switches27aand27bwhich change state when the user presses thealarm buttons36aand36b. When themicroprocessor46 detects that the alarm switches27a-bhave changed state at the same time, themicroprocessor46 activates theaudible alarm48. As mentioned above, when activated, theaudible alarm48 generates a siren-like audio alarm signal. Preferably, theaudible alarm48 is driven by anaudio driver circuit50.
• As described above, some embodiments include a flashinglight42. Preferably, the flashinglight42 is activated by alight driver circuit52 in response to theaudible alarm buttons36aand36bor theactivation button20abeing pressed. The flashinglight42 helps to alert individuals in the immediate area that an emergency situation exists. In addition, once emergency response personnel have been summoned, the flashinglight42 can help the emergency personnel locate theemergency phone10 and, thus, the individual who summoned the assistance.
• A homesecurity alarm button54 is also provided. When thehome alarm button54 is pressed, a home alarm signal is sent to themicroprocessor46. In response to the home alarm signal, themicroprocessor46 produces an activation signal which is sent to aradio frequency transmitter56. Theradio frequency transmitter56 conditions the activation signal and broadcasts it on theantenna30. The preferredradio frequency transmitter56 operates at about 310 MHz. The home security system detects the transmitted activation signal and responds accordingly. As discussed in greater detail above, the response preferably at least includes turning on and off the exterior lights of the house and producing an audible alarm.
• In one embodiment, when either of theactivation buttons20aand20bare pressed, themicroprocessor46 activates anautomatic dialer58, and theautomatic dialer58 dials the telephone number of the selected emergency response service. The telephone numbers; may be stored in theautomatic dialer58 itself. In an alternate embodiment, thememory60 is provided for storing the telephone numbers.
• Acellular receiver62 receives an incoming cellular signal from the public or private emergency response service and conditions the incoming signal to produce an incoming voice signal. Thecellular receiver62 may provide the voice signal to aspeaker64 directly or through themicroprocessor46 and theaudio driver circuit50, as shown inFIG. 6.
• The operator of theemergency phone10 can respond to the incoming signal from the emergency response services by speaking into themicrophone66. Themicrophone66 converts the operator's speech into an outgoing voice signal that is conditioned by theaudio driver circuit50 and received by themicroprocessor46. Themicroprocessor46 then sends the outgoing voice signal to acellular transmitter68, which generates an outgoing cellular signal based thereon. In an alternate embodiment, the outgoing voice signal is sent directly from themicrophone66 to thecellular transmitter68.
• Theemergency phone10 is designed to use the cellular communications technology that provides the most comprehensive coverage possible. Using the cellular technology that provides the largest possible coverage area is desirable because it minimizes the likelihood that the operator of theemergency phone10 will be out of cellular communications range when an emergency situations arises. While the coverage range of digital cellular service providers is constantly increasing, the largest amount of cellular coverage is still provided by service providers using analog modulation technology. Thus, in the preferred embodiment, thecellular receiver62 andcellular transmitter68 use analog modulation technology. Furthermore, because the amount of time actually spent communicating with theemergency phone10 will likely be very low, thecellular receiver62 andtransmitter68 components are designed for maximum range and minimal talk times.
• In another alternative embodiment, theemergency phone10 is designed to scan for a digital cellular provider. If a digital cellular service provider is located, theemergency phone10 will establish digital communications with the digital service provider. If no digital service provider is located, theemergency phone10 then attempts to establish analog cellular communications with an analog service provider.
• In the embodiment ofFIG. 6, when the first orsecond activation button20aor20bis pressed, themicroprocessor46 prompts aGPS receiver70 coupled to aGPS antenna71 to determine the location of theemergency phone10. Once theGPS receiver70 has determined the coordinates of theemergency phone10, theGPS receiver70 provides the coordinates to themicroprocessor46. Themicroprocessor46 then sends the location coordinates and the cellular system identification (SID) number of thephone10 to thecellular transmitter68, such as in the form of a digital string. Thecellular transmitter68 sends the location coordinates and the SID to the emergency response service by way of a cellular telephone network. The location coordinates allow the emergency response service to dispatch emergency personnel to the location from which the call was placed without even questioning the caller. Transmission of the SID allows the private assistance service or the public response service to determine the identity of the owner of thephone10.
• As shown inFIG. 6, the preferred embodiment of the invention includes adecoder chip79 for decoding a prompt or queue signal transmitted from the private assistance service or the public emergency response service when a call has been established. The decoded prompt is provided to themicroprocessor46 which, in response to the prompt, sends the location coordinates and the SID to thecellular transmitter68 for transmission to the connected service. In this way, the private assistance service or the public emergency response service has this information available even before voice communication is established with the caller.
• Themicroprocessor46 is also coupled to thelight driver circuit52 for controlling activation of the lowsignal indicator light22, the highsignal indicator light24, and the in-use indicator light26. The particular circumstances in which themicroprocessor46 causes activation of each of these lights is described in more detail hereinafter.
• FIGS. 7A and 7B depict a flow diagram of a sequence of events that are set in motion when either the first orsecond activation button20aor20bis pressed to place an emergency call. The sequence of events is generally the same for when thephone10 is activated by eitherbutton20aor20b. However, there are some differences, as described in the following discussion.
• To gain access to theactivation buttons20aand20b, the user first opens the protective cover14 (step100). With thecover14 in the open position (as shown inFIGS. 1 and 3), the user presses theactivation button20ato place a call to a public emergency response service, or presses theactivation button20bto place a call to a private assistance service, such as the AAA. When pressing eitherbutton20aor20b, the user maintains pressure on thebutton20aor20bfor at least a minimum period of time, such as one second (step102). The user may then close the cover14 (step104) to prevent accidentally terminating the call, which could occur if thebutton20aor2bis inadvertently pressed again. Of course, theemergency phone10 is also operable to complete the call if thecover14 remains in the open position.
• It is assumed for purposes of this description that thephone10 is in a power-down mode prior to step102. In other words, thecellular transmitter68, thecellular receiver62, and themicroprocessor46 are preferably drawing no power from thepower supply44. When thebutton20aor20bis pressed a first time and held for at least the minimum period of time, thephone10 is powered up (step106). Preferably, themicroprocessor46 powers-up and begins executing preprogrammed instructions before power is provided to thereceiver62 andtransmitter68.
• Alternatively, themicroprocessor46, thereceiver62, and thetransmitter68 receive power simultaneously when thebutton20aor20bis pressed and held. In either case, when themicroprocessor46 is powered on, it proceeds to retrieve system operating parameters from the memory device60 (step108). These operating parameters preferably include an AIB preference parameter that indicates which cellular system, A or B, is preferred.
• As one skilled in the art will appreciate, the A and B cellular systems each include twenty-one cellular channels, with the A system channels occupying one frequency range and the B system channels occupying another frequency range. As required by FCC rules, both of these systems are typically available in large metropolitan areas to provide competition between cellular service providers. In some geographical areas, only one of the systems may be available. If a conventional cellular phone is receiving cellular service from a service provider operating on the A system, that phone will prefer the A system over the B system, and will scan first for an available A system channel. If an A system channel is not available, the conventional phone will then scan for a B system channel. If a B system channel is available, the conventional phone will use the available B system channel in what is typically referred to as a “roaming” mode. When roaming, the A system-preferred user typically pays a higher cost per call to use a B system channel.
• Since use of theemergency phone10 to make a 911 call does not require a cellular service agreement with any cellular service provider, thephone10 need not prefer either cellular system over the other when placing a 911 call. Thus, when thephone10 is activated by pressing thefirst activation button20a, thephone10 may seek an available channel in either the A system or the B system.
• Although current U.S. federal law requires that cellular service providers pass all 911 calls, some cellular providers still do not do so. If the cellular provider does not pass the 911 call, the caller typically receives a busy signal or a recorded message indicating that the call cannot be completed. To remedy this situation, in one embodiment, thephone10 alternates which cellular system (A or B) on which it begins to dial for every other call. For example, if the first call is made on the A system and the caller receives a busy signal or recorded message, the caller may disconnect the call, press the 911 button20 again, and thephone10 makes the call on the B system.
• With reference toFIG. 7A, after themicroprocessor46 has retrieved the system parameters from memory60 (step108), thereceiver62 of a preferred embodiment proceeds to scan first through B system channels (step110) looking for a signal of sufficient strength to support a cellular call (step112). The B system preference is determined by the A/B preference parameter recalled from memory atstep108. If no signal is found in the B system channels having a signal strength greater than a minimum threshold value, thereceiver62 then scans through the cellular A system channels (step114). If no signal is found in the A system channels having a signal strength greater than the minimum threshold value, the lowsignal indicator light22 is illuminated (step116), and thereceiver62 starts scanning the B system channels again (step110). This process continues until a signal of sufficient strength is found in the A or B system channels.
• When an available channel having sufficient signal strength is found in either the B system channels (step112) or the A system channels (step118), the highsignal indicator light24 is illuminated (step120). If more than one channel having a signal strength greater than the minimum threshold is found, the channel having the highest signal strength is selected for the call (step122).
• It should be appreciated that, depending on the preference parameter stored in thememory60, thephone10 could search for an available channel on the A system first, and then search in the B system if a signal of sufficient strength is not found in the A system. Thus, the A/B preference can be set at the time that the phone is manufactured by the selection of the value of the preference parameter stored inmemory60. As described in more detail below, this parameter may also be reprogrammed after the manufacture of thephone10.
• As shown inFIG. 7B, after channel selection, themicroprocessor46 retrieves from thememory device60 the telephone number of the selected emergency response service (step124). If the call was initiated by pressing thefirst activation button20a, then the telephone number of the public emergency response service is retrieved atstep124. Preferably, the telephone number of the public emergency response service is “911”, which is associated with all public emergency response centers in the United States. The telephone number stored in thememory60 for the private emergency response service, such as the AAA, is preferably an eleven-digit 1-800 number that may be used throughout the United States.
• When the telephone number of the public or private emergency response service has been retrieved frommemory60, thecellular transmitter68 transmits an outgoing cellular signal on the selected cellular channel (step126) and the in-use indicator light26 begins flashing (step128).
• Note that all of the events that have occurred thus far in the calling process (steps106-128) have been initiated by pressing a single one of theactivation buttons20aor20b. Thus, once powered-on, themicroprocessor46 executes its preprogrammed instructions to automatically scan for an available channel, retrieve the telephone number, and place the cellular call without any further action on the part of the user.
• At this point, the selected emergency response service answers the call from theemergency phone10 by transmitting a cellular signal referred to herein as an incoming cellular signal. As shown inFIG. 7B, thereceiver62 receives the incoming cellular signal (step130), and the in-use indicator light26 remains constantly on (step132) to indicate to the user that communication with the emergency response service has been established.
• In the preferred embodiment of the invention, once communication has been established, the emergency response service transmits and thedecoder79 receives the prompt signal (step134). Themicroprocessor46 then retrieves the SID from memory60 (step136) and retrieves the location coordinates from theinternal GPS receiver70 or an external GPS unit74 (step138). Thetransmitter56 then transmits an outgoing cellular signal that includes the SID and location coordinates, such as in a digital data string (step140). Preferably, themicrophone66 and thespeaker64 are then enabled (step142).
• Based on the incoming cellular signal from the emergency response service, thereceiver62 produces an incoming voice signal (step144), which is preferably an electrical audio signal. As shown inFIG. 7C, the incoming voice signal is provided to thespeaker64 to produce audible sound (step146). Typically, the audible sound produced by the speaker at this juncture will be the voice of a person at the emergency response service inquiring as to the nature of the emergency.
• With continued reference toFIG. 7C, the user of theemergency phone10 speaks into themicrophone port34 to relay the nature of the emergency to the emergency response personnel (step148). Themicrophone66 receives the audible sound of the user's voice and produces an outgoing voice signal based thereon (step150). The outgoing voice signal is provided to the cellular transmitter68 (step152), and thetransmitter68 transmits an outgoing cellular signal to the emergency response service based on the outgoing voice signal (step154).
• When the user wishes to terminate the call to the emergency response service, the user presses thebutton20aor20b(whichever one had been pressed to initiate the call) for a second time, and holds thebutton20aor20bfor a minimum period of time, such as one second (step156). When themicroprocessor46 determines that thebutton20aor20bis pressed and held while thephone10 is powered up, themicroprocessor46 causes thephone10 to power down. Requiring that thebutton20aor20bbe held down for a minimum time prevents accidental termination of the emergency call due to an inadvertent pressing of one of thebuttons20aor20b.
• Thus, as indicated by the flow chart of FIGS.7A-C, all of the steps involved in making an emergency telephone call to an emergency response service are accomplished by a single press of oneactivation button20aor20bon theemergency phone10. This makes it much simpler for a person who is distracted by a stressful situation, or who may be in some way incapacitated, to place an emergency call.
• By comparison, using a conventional cellular phone to place a call to a 911 emergency response service requires that a user press at least four separate control buttons: the power button once, the “9” button once, the “1” button twice, and the “SEND” button (or equivalent) once. Calling a 1-800 number to a private service such as the AAA further requires pressing the additional digits in the phone number. To end a call and power-down a conventional cellular phone, the user must typically press the “END” button (or equivalent) once, and then the power button once. Thus, establishing and ending a 911 emergency call using a conventional cellular phone requires at least seven presses of five different buttons. Only two presses of asingle activation button20aare required with theemergency phone10 of the present invention.
• With reference toFIG. 6, theinterface port38, such as an RS232 interface, allows theprocessor46 of theemergency phone10 to communicate with an external device. In one embodiment of the invention, the external device is a geographical locating device, such as anexternal GPS unit74. In this embodiment, theGPS unit74 provides positional coordinate data to thephone10 by way of theinterface port38. This positional data may then be transmitted to the public or private emergency response service to give the emergency response personnel an exact position of thephone10. Preferably, theGPS unit74 is in a relatively small modular housing which may be removably connected to thephone housing12, such as by a latching mechanism. The modular housing of theUPS unit74 includes an interface connector that mates with theinterface port38 when the housing of theUPS unit74 is connected to thephone housing12. Alternatively, theGPS unit74 may communicate with theinterface port38 by way of an interface cable.
• As shown inFIG. 6, theGPS unit74 preferably includes amodular mapping card76. Themapping card76 is a memory device which correlates latitude/longitude coordinates, as typically provided by a GPS system, to X-Y (rectangular) coordinates in feet or miles. Preferably, the X-Y coordinates provided by themapping card76 are relative to some local landmark. In this manner, the positional data that thephone10 transmits to the emergency response service may be more easily used by emergency response personnel in mapping the exact position of theemergency phone10.
• As depicted inFIG. 8, in one embodiment of the invention, thestandard batteries44a-44dmay be replaced by a GPS/battery pack module86. In this embodiment, GPS/battery pack module86 includes theGPS unit74 integrated with a custom lithium, nickel-cadmium, or alkaline battery pack that powers thephone10 and theGPS unit74. When snapped into place on thephone housing12, power contacts on the GPS/battery pack module86 engage correspondingbattery contacts88 in thebattery compartment82, and aninterface connector90 on themodule86 make connection with theinterface port38 on thephone housing12.
• Theinterface port38 is also useful in providing access to themicroprocessor46 andmemory60 for programming purposes. For example, theinterface port38 may be used to change or update the outgoing emergency telephone numbers stored in thememory60. This function is especially important since there is no keypad such as is typically used on conventional cellular phones for reprogramming purposes. As shown inFIG. 8, a phonenumber programming unit78, such as a palm-top or lap-top computer, may be connected to theinterface port38 to provide commands to theprocessor46 to store the outgoing telephone numbers to thememory60.
• One skilled in the art will appreciate theinterface port38 may also be used to update the software instructions that are executed by theprocessor46 when either of theactivation buttons20aor20bare pressed. For example, the sequence of A/B cellular system scanning as described above could be updated to take advantage of future changes in cellular service provider procedures or future FCC rulings that may affect how 911 calls are handled by service providers. Also, system parameters that are stored in thememory60 may be updated by way of theinterface port38. For example, the A/B system preference parameter may be changed to prefer the A system channels over the B system channels, such that the A system channels are scanned first. This latter change may be required when the contracted cellular service used to contact the private emergency response service is switched from one cellular service provider to another.
• As shown inFIG. 4, the preferred embodiment of the invention includes abattery compartment cover80 which snaps securely into place on thehousing12. Removal of thebattery compartment cover80 reveals thebattery compartment82 as shown inFIG. 8. Within thebattery compartment82 are preferably fourbatteries44a,44b,44c, and44d, such as AAA alkaline batteries, which comprise the power supply44 (seeFIG. 6). In addition to the advantages discussed previously, these types of batteries are preferred to power theemergency phone10 because they are so easy to find for purchase at most department stores, hardware stores, grocery stores, and convenience stores. In contrast, consider that conventional cellular phones require custom-sized battery packs that are typically compatible only with one model of phone. Replacement battery packs for conventional cellular phones typically may only be found at specialty stores, such as phone accessory stores or electronic supply stores. Thus, because of the relative ease in finding replacement batteries, theemergency phone10 offers yet another significant advantage over conventional cellular phones.
• The design of thebattery compartment82 and the battery compartment cover80 of theemergency phone10 also makes theemergency phone10 more rugged than the conventional cellular phone. In most conventional cellular phones, the battery packs constitute a significant portion of the phone housing. Usually, the conventional cellular phone battery pack is integrated into a single modular unit which may be snapped into place to form a portion of the phone housing. If the conventional phone is dropped or hit, the conventional battery pack is susceptible to being dislodged from the phone housing. If this were to occur during an emergency call, communication with the emergency response center would be lost.
• In contrast, the preferred embodiment of theemergency phone10 is significantly less susceptible to battery failure, even if thephone10 is dropped or jarred. First, thebattery compartment cover80 provides protection for thebatteries44a-44dheld within thecompartment82. Further, since thebatteries44a-44dare separate from thecover80, an impact which may dislodge thecover80 would not necessarily dislodge thebatteries44a-44d. Thus, theemergency phone10 could remain operational even if thebattery compartment cover80 comes off.
• FIG. 9 illustrates yet another advantageous feature of theemergency phone10. When theprotective cover14 is in the open position,operation instructions84 are visible to the user on the inside surface of thecover14. Preferably, theseoperation instructions84 include written and illustrated instructions on how to use thephone10 to place a call to the public or private emergency response service, and how to activate theaudible alarm48. Theseinstructions84 may be screen printed directly onto the inside surface of theplastic cover14, or are preferably printed on a stick-on label which is applied to the inside surface of thecover14.
• Of course, since only onebutton20aor20bis used to activate the phone and place a call, theinstructions84 are simple and straightforward. However, the first time that a user actually needs to use thephone10 may be in the midst of a stressful, confusing, or dangerous situation. In such a situation, having the operatinginstructions84 provided inside thecover14 could save valuable time. Also, since theemergency phone10 is intended for emergency use only, considerable time may pass between uses. Because thephone10 may not be used very often, even though the user may have used thephone10 before, the user may forget how it operates when the user is in a stressful situation. Thus, theoperation instructions84 provide a handy and quick reminder.
• While the invention has been described in detail, it is to be expressly understood that it will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art that the invention may be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. Various changes of form, design or arrangement may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the above mentioned description is to be considered exemplary, rather than limiting, and the true scope of the invention is that defined in the following claims.

Claims (20)

1. A method for operating a communication apparatus comprising:

pressing a button accessible through a housing;

activating a cellular transceiver in response to the pressing of the button, the cellular transceiver allowing an operator of the apparatus to maintain a voice conversation with a response center using a speaker and a microphone which communicate with the cellular transceiver; and

providing a signal indicative of the location of the communications apparatus to the response center.

2. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the location signal is generated by a location detection circuit in the housing, the location detection circuit comprising a Global Positioning Satellite system receiver.

3. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the location signal is generated by a location detection circuit in the housing, the location detection circuit comprising a cellular location system.

4. The method ofclaim 3 wherein a secondary contact number associated with the response center is called when the communication apparatus is unable to establish a call using a primary contact number.

5. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the communications device further comprises an interface port electrically connected to a microprocessor and accessible through the housing, wherein the microprocessor is operable to exchange signals with an external device via the interface port.

6. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the communications device further comprises an emergency button in the housing, the emergency button operable to call a 911 center.

7. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the communications device further comprises a microprocessor for controlling the communication apparatus based on execution of a set of operational instructions, wherein the single button when pressed causes activation of the microprocessor to begin executing the set of operational instructions.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a cellular signal from a communications device at a response center as a result of a user pressing a button on the communication device;

maintaining a voice conversation between the response center and the user of the communication device using a speaker and a microphone in the communications device; and

receiving at the response center a location signal from the communications device indicative of the location of the communications apparatus.

9. The method ofclaim 8 wherein the location signal is generated by a location detection circuit in the housing, the location detection circuit comprising a Global Positioning Satellite system receiver.

10. The method ofclaim 8 wherein the location signal is generated by a location detection circuit in the housing, the location detection circuit comprising a cellular location system.

11. The method ofclaim 8 wherein the cellular signal from the communications device is received at the response center using a secondary contact number associated with the response center is called when the communication apparatus is unable to establish a call using a primary contact number.

12. The method ofclaim 8 wherein the communications device further comprises an interface port electrically connected to a microprocessor and accessible through the housing, wherein the microprocessor is operable to exchange signals with an external device via the interface port.

13. The method ofclaim 8 wherein the communications device further comprises a microprocessor for controlling the communication apparatus based on execution of a set of operational instructions, wherein the button when pressed causes activation of the microprocessor to begin executing the set of operational instructions.

14. The method ofclaim 8 where the response center is a private response center.

15. A method comprising:

initiating an emergency signal at a communications device, the emergency signal initiated by a user of the communications device pressing a button on the communications device, the pressing of the button causing the activation of a cellular transceiver operable to send the emergency signal;

receiving at a private response center the emergency signal from the communications device;

establishing two way voice communications between the private response center and the communication device in response to the emergency signal from the communications device; and

sending location information from the communications device to the private response center identifying the location of the communications device.

16. The method ofclaim 15 wherein the button, when pressed, calls a primary contact number associated with the private response center.

17. The method ofclaim 16 wherein a secondary contact number is called when the communication apparatus is unable to establish communication with the private response center using the primary contact number.

18. The method ofclaim 15 wherein the location information is determined using a Global Positioning Satellite system receiver in the communications device.

19. The method ofclaim 15 wherein the location information is determined using a cellular location system.

20. The method ofclaim 15 wherein the communications device further comprises an emergency button in the housing, the emergency button operable to call a 911 center.

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