Personal alarm system providing handsfree operation

Claim 2

Apparatus for establishing a voice communications link comprising: a communciations link (12); a central station (14) and at least one subscriber station (10), each of said stations being interfaced to said communications link (12); means associated with said central station operative to produce a first control signal (44) and to transmit said control signal over said communications link (12) for receipt by a selected one of said at least one subscriber station; means (88) associated with said selected one of said at least one subscriber station (10) for producing an activation signal (46) upon receipt of said control signal (44); means associated with said central station (14) operative to produce electrical signals representative of the voice of an operator at said station and for transmitting said signals over said communications link for receipt by said selected one of said at least one subscriber station; a speakerphone (96,98) coupled to said selected one of said at least one subscriber station and including means (90) operative to produce electrical signals representative of the voice of a user in the vicinity of said speakerphone and means (100,102) operative to broadcast within the vicinity of said speakerphone audible signals representative of the voice of an operator at said central station upon receipt of said electrical signals representative of said operator's voice; and means (82) responsive to said activation signal (46) for coupling said speakerphone to said communication link (12), for transmission of said electrical signals representative of said user's voice over said communication link (12) to said central station (14) , and for receipt of said electrical signals representative of said operator's voice.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said communications link (12) includes a telephone network communication link and said apparatus further includes: . means associated with said telephone network communications link for producing a dial tone signal within a defined time interval following decoupling of said central station from said telephone network communication link and for transmission of said dial tone signal over said link (12); means (86) associated with said subscriber station for receiving said dial tone signal and for producing a call termination signal in response thereto; means (82) associated with said subscriber station and responsive to said call termination signal for decoupling said speakerphone from said communications link.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said first control signal is a signal of a first frequency.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said dial tone signal is a signal of a frequency other than said first frequency.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 1 further including: means associated with said central station (14) for producing a second control signal and for transmitting said second control signal over said communications link (12) for receipt by said selected one of said at least one subscriber station (10); means associated with said subscriber station for receiving said second dial tone signal and for producing a call termination sighal (50) in response thereto; means associated with said subscriber station and responsive to said call termination signal (50) for decoupling said speakerphone from said communications link.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first control signal is a signal of a first frequency and said second control signal is a signal of a second frequency.

Claim 8

Apparatus for interfacing with a telephone network communications link, said link of a type which produces a ring signal to indicate to a user that a calling party desires to establish a telephonic communication and which produces a dial tone signal to indicate that the link is available for use, and which carries electrical signals representative of the voice of the user and the calling party comprising: means responsive to said ring signal for producing a first signal during the duration of said ring signal; switch means; means responsive to user activation of said switch means for producing a second signal; means responsive to the concurrent occurence of said first signal and said second signal for producing an activation signal; means operative to receive electrical signals representative of the voice of said calling party; speakerphone means operative to produce electrical signals representative of the voice of a user in the vicinity of said speakerphone and means 'operative to broadcast within the vicinity of said speakerphone audible signals representative of the voice of said calling party in response to the receipt of said electrical signal's representative of said calling party's voice; and means coupling said speakerphone means to said telephone network communications link in response to said activation signal for transmitting said electrical signals representative of said user's voice over said communications link and for receipt of said electrical signals representative of said calling party's voice.

Claim 9

Apparatus for interfacing with a telephone network communications link, said link of a type which produces a ring signal to indicate to a user that a calling party desires to establish a telephonic communication and which produces a dial tone signal to indicate that the link is available for use, and which carries electrical signals representative of the voice of the user and the calling party comprising: means responsive to said ring signal for producing a first signal during the duration of said ring signal; switch means; means responsive to user activation of said switch means for producing a second signal; means responsive to the concurrent occurence of said first signal and said second signal for producing an activation signal; means operative to receive electrical signals representative of the voice of said calling party; speakerphone means operative to produce electrical signals representative of the voice of a user in the vicinity of said speakerphone and means 'operative to broadcast within the vicinity of said speakerphone audible signals representative of the voice of said calling party in response to the receipt of said electrical signal's representative of said calling party's voice; and means coupling said speakerphone means to said telephone network communications link in response to said activation signal for transmitting said electrical signals representative of said user's voice over said communications link and for receipt of said electrical signals representative of said calling party's voice.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 7 including: this dial tone, produces a call termination signal which causes the speakerphone to go on hook, thereby terminating the call and conditioning the subscriber station for receipt of subsequent calls. - Upon actuation of a reset switch located on the subscriber station or another switch provided for the present purpose, the speakerphone status signal is reset to the disabled state. While the speakerphone status signal is in the "disabled" state the subscriber station does not automatically answer incoming calls. In the speakerphone disabled state, the telephone may be answered by a subscriber in the conventional manner by lifting the telephone handset or, as explained below, by activating a "help button" while the phone is ringing. Speakerphone operation is automatically reactivated upon the presentation of a control signal to the subscriber station by the central monitoring station in the manner previously described. The subscriber can activate the speakerphone and at the same time cause a speakerphone off hook condition by activating the help button in a hand held unit typically retained on the subscriber's person while the subscriber's telephone is ringing or by activating another switch provided for this purpose. Upon the occurence of these concurrent events, the subscriber station produces a speakerphone off hook condition, and activates the speakerphone so as to permit the calling party and the subscriber to converse without the need for the subscriber to lift the telephone handset. After the calling party hangs up his hand set or otherwise disconnects from the telephone link, the subscriber station senses a dial tone signal produced by the telephone network and produces a speakerphone on hook condition thereby terminating the call.

Claim 11

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, following activation of the - speakerphone in any of the above described manners, the speakerphone remains in i the enabled mode until such time as the reset switch on the subscriber station or a substitute therefore is actuated.

Claim 12

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, following activation of the - speakerphone in any of the above described manners, the speakerphone remains in i the enabled mode until such time as the reset switch on the subscriber station or a substitute therefore is actuated.

Claim 13

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Claim 14

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Claim 15

The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following discussion in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a system block diagram; Fig. 2 is a system state diagram; Fig. 3 is a system timing diagram; and Fig. 4 is a detailed block diagram of the circuitry of the subscriber station and speakerphone illustrated generally in Fig. 1.

Claim 16

The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following discussion in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a system block diagram; Fig. 2 is a system state diagram; Fig. 3 is a system timing diagram; and Fig. 4 is a detailed block diagram of the circuitry of the subscriber station and speakerphone illustrated generally in Fig. 1.

Claim 17

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Claim 18

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Claim 19

In accordance with the present invention a personal alarm system is disclosed which permits a subscriber, who may be immobilized and/or incapacitated to verbally communicate with an operator at a central monitoring station without the usual requirements of manually dialing a telephone number or lifting a telephone handset. Additionally, the system provides a subscriber with the ability to remotely answer the telephone by activating a "help button" or a like switch while the telephone is ringing. In an auto-answering or "speakerphone enabled" mode, initiated following actuation of the "help button", the system automatically answers all incoming calls and activates a speakerphone to permit verbal communications between the subscriber and the calling party without manual intervention by the subscriber. The disclosed system employs a speakerphone so as to allow communication between the subscriber and an operator at the central monitoring station despite the fact that a subscriber may not be ; proximate to, or able to handle a telephone handset. Control functions such as dialing and call termination are automatic so as to permit substantially handsfree operation. The system is primarily intended for the elderly, infirm or incapacitated who are unattended and/or living alone and who, in the event of means responsive to user activation of said switch means for producing a output signal; means disposed at said first location and remote from said switch means and operative to receive said output signal and to produce, in response thereto, a second signal; means responsive to the concurrent occurence of said first signal and said second signal for producing an activation signal; communication appratus disposed at said first location for communicating information over said telephone network; and means responsive to said activation signal for making electrical connection between said communication apparatus and said telephone network communications link.

Claim 20

In accordance with the present invention a personal alarm system is disclosed which permits a subscriber, who may be immobilized and/or incapacitated to verbally communicate with an operator at a central monitoring station without the usual requirements of manually dialing a telephone number or lifting a telephone handset. Additionally, the system provides a subscriber with the ability to remotely answer the telephone by activating a "help button" or a like switch while the telephone is ringing. In an auto-answering or "speakerphone enabled" mode, initiated following actuation of the "help button", the system automatically answers all incoming calls and activates a speakerphone to permit verbal communications between the subscriber and the calling party without manual intervention by the subscriber. The disclosed system employs a speakerphone so as to allow communication between the subscriber and an operator at the central monitoring station despite the fact that a subscriber may not be ; proximate to, or able to handle a telephone handset. Control functions such as dialing and call termination are automatic so as to permit substantially handsfree operation. The system is primarily intended for the elderly, infirm or incapacitated who are unattended and/or living alone and who, in the event of means responsive to user activation of said switch means for producing a output signal; means disposed at said first location and remote from said switch means and operative to receive said output signal and to produce, in response thereto, a second signal; means responsive to the concurrent occurence of said first signal and said second signal for producing an activation signal; communication appratus disposed at said first location for communicating information over said telephone network; and means responsive to said activation signal for making electrical connection between said communication apparatus and said telephone network communications link.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said output signal is a radio frequency signal.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said communication apparatus is a telephone set.