Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – With particular system function
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-06
2001-11-06
Pope, Daryl (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
With particular system function
C340S506000, C340S541000, C340S565000, C340S567000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06313743
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an emergency monitoring system for monitoring a person in a dwelling.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In case of an emergency, a serious illness or an accident in one's own dwelling, persons who live alone must summon external assistance, usually by telephoning relatives, a physician or an emergency center. There are many situations wherein this is problematical for the affected party, for example because (after falling) the person can no longer reach the telephone or can no longer act with appropriate direction (when unconscious or due to mental confusion). The affected persons are then helpless in their own dwelling and may have to wait for assistance for a very long time.
There are various emergency call systems for home use wherein a signal means, for example an alarm button, must be worn on the body. Upon actuation of this alarm button, the appertaining receiving station—which is usually coupled to the telephone—triggers an emergency call to a predetermined number. This has two serious disadvantages:
First, the signal means must always be carried along by the user, for example even when bathing (a focal point of accidents). This also assumes that a corresponding awareness of a problem is present in the case of the affected party (admitting one's own need for assistance).
Second, active collaboration of the user is always necessary. This is problematical, for example, given unconsciousness or mental confusion.
Further, German AS 29 22 542 discloses a security system for monitoring individual persons wherein a device to be worn on the body of an individual person monitors a signal derived from the pulse of the individual person in common with a signal adjustable in time sequence and, given failure of these signals to arrive, sends an identifier to the individual person. When this identifier is not deleted, an emergency call is sent to a central office. In this case as well, the device must always be worn on the body, so that a continuous monitoring is not always assured.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an emergency monitoring system of the types initially described, wherein the user can easily trigger an alarm as needed without signal devices at the body.
The object is achieved in accordance with the principles of the present invention in an emergency monitoring system for dwellings having a number of signal pick-ups for non-contacting communication with a person in the dwelling, that are connected via signal evaluation units to a communication interface for communication with an external receiver, with the signal pick-ups having respective pick-up fields that cover the entire area of the dwelling.
The invention is a completely autonomous emergency monitoring system, i.e. an emergency monitoring system wherein the user need not carry any signaling devices whatsoever along within the entire area, for example his dwelling, but with which he can nonetheless trigger an alarm always and everywhere and that, moreover, automatically and independently recognizes certain emergency situations and correspondingly reacts. When needed, the system allows an alarm (emergency message) to be sent to an arbitrary, receiving location, for example relatives, house doctor, emergency center. For transmitting the alarms, the system can be coupled to the telephone or, respectively, can also be optionally directly connected to arbitrary transmission links via an integrated interface.
It has proven advantageous when the signal pickups arc stationarily arranged. The signal pickups can thereby be microphone systems that are connected to a command recognition unit or can be sensor systems for wireless locating of the person that are connected to a unit for position and motion analysis, whereby the units are connected to the communication interface.
Inventively, the apparatus can setup an external connection only after appropriate answer back by the person or after omission of an answer back.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5086385 (1992-02-01), Launey et al.
Abraham-Fuchs Klaus
Birkhoelzer Thomas
Herold Alexander
Reichenberger Helmut
Schmidt Volker
Pope Daryl
Schiff & Hardin & Waite
Siemens Aktiengellschaft
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