CA2781251A1 - Method of personal safety monitoring and mobile application for same - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and software application for the monitoring of personal safety of a user of a mobile device. A software application allows the user to set a predetermined monitoring interval, within which monitoring interval the application must receive an interaction from the user, which would signify the safety of the user and the monitoring interval would be reset. If a user interaction was not received by the application within the monitoring interval, an external notification would be triggered, notifying a third party designated contact or others that the user had not interacted with the application within the predetermined interval. The software would either be a locally installed apps for a smart phone or similar electronic device, or a server-side software run in a website environment

Description

Method of Personal Safety Monitoring and Mobile Application for Same This invention is in the field of personal safety monitoring, and more specifically pertains to mobile device applications for the monitoring of personal safety of an individual.
Background of the invention:
Personal safety monitoring is an issue for people as they themselves or their family and friends travel further afield or are out of touch for extended periods of time. From the perspective of business travelers, increasing globalization has resulted in many people taking far more and far lengthier business trips, and it is often the desire of people or their families to keep in some type of contact with their traveling friends or family, simply to be sure that those people who are traveling are okay and/or that they are checking in from time to time. This is a particularly important aspect of safety monitoring in situations where people are working in physically challenging or dangerous locations, or remote locations.
One of the ways for people who are out of direct contact for extended periods of time to keep in touch or to check in, while traveling to remote locations, is to simply remember from time to time to call home or call back to their office and let people know that they are okay. One of the downfalls however to this type of an approach is that on a periodic basis the remote individual may just forget to call in order to connect and that might cause discomfort or concern for those back at the home base who are concerned with the well-being or availability of this individual. This type of the purely manual check-in process, reliant on the memory of the individual to initiate contact back, is the most "low tech" and most error prone method of this type of a monitoring or check-in system.
Another type of a method or apparatus which has been used in other locations in the past has been a personal alarm system. An alarm is connected to the telephone or some other communication device at a location, and the individual is provided with a separate hardware fob or remote hardware device which can be used to trigger an alarm or a communication condition based upon deactivation of the hardware device. This is been used in cases where for example people wish to provide a means of emergency contact or safety feedback for their loved ones in remote locations when they might have a health emergency or the like.
The frailty of this particular type of an alarm process however, versus the periodic check-in process outlined above, is that if a person becomes injured or unable to trigger the alarm than the actual monitoring hardware and method that is practiced thereby becomes useless.
One of the other downfalls of this particular type of a hardware approach is that the hardware fob or remote control typically needs to be within wireless range of a base station which provides for limited geographic capability. Typically this type of a system is employed by installation in the house or other specific confined building area, and is limited by the wireless or communications range of the remote. This type of a system then in addition to being reactive rather than proactive in concept is also limited in its utility for example with workers who are in remote locations and may not have the necessary connections and communications infrastructure available to them to connect or use this type of alarm system.
Use of this type of an alarm system approach in the past, by people to keep in touch with their offices or their contacts at home or site-specific remote locations, is somewhat limited in its scalability or extensibility as a large-scale approach or solution to this type of a monitoring scenario, since there are the communications range limitations outlined above as well as the more basic issue that additional hardware purchases are required in order to implement such a system, and requiring an individual to trigger a personal safety alarm when an alarm condition exists is not ideal insofar as if the person is incapacitated they are not able to trigger the alarm.
The proliferation of personal wireless devices such as smart phones, tablets and the like, and the fact that most people now have access to and training to use such devices, provides a new platform for the delivery of many types of personal information services, safety and monitoring applications and the like. One of the particular areas in which the availability of these types of devices is a benefit is in the area of personal safety monitoring. The flexibility or adaptability of these devices coupled with their widespread availability and long-term communications range makes them ideal for the implementation of an alternative personal safety monitoring approach.
If a personal monitoring system or application could be developed that used as its necessary hardware user interface a pre-existing hardware device, the cost and complexity of implementation of such a system on scalable or large-scale basis would be significantly simplified or reduced. As well, it would be ideal to come up with a personal monitoring and safety system that rather than requiring the user to trigger an alarm when an alarm condition exists, simply provided some periodic monitoring on a predetermined frequency such that an "electronic heartbeat"
of sorts would be captured and monitored in respect of the user on an ongoing basis.
Summary of the Invention:
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method 1$ and apparatus for periodic personal safety monitoring of an individual. The method of personal safety monitoring contemplated by the present invention overcomes many shortcomings in the prior art.
The method of the present invention can be implemented using software installed on a user device of a user. A predetermined safety monitoring interval is established in accordance with the method of the present invention, either on a predetermined basis or on a user by user basis. The user, via the software on their user device, is then monitored for the provision of a safety response within that interval. If the safety response is made at the appropriate time, the loop of timing and monitoring the predetermined safety monitoring interval would be restarted and alternatively if a safety response event is not detected within the appropriate time frame and alert notification messages generated using notification parameters with respect to the user - basically a safety notification or an alarm can be dispatched by various communications methods to a third party who would be preprogrammed in respect of the user. Thus if no safety response is provided by the user within the appropriate time frame and alarm will be dispatched with respect to the user.
The other possibility to implementing the method of the present invention, rather than software installed on the user device of the user, is to use a website implementation for the method of the present invention. A website with the necessary hardware and software infrastructure could be provided onto which the user could set up a user account, including the necessary parameters in terms of the predetermined safety monitoring interval as well as the notification parameters for use were a safety response is not received from the user within the appropriate time. The website, via the server and software or other components thereof, could then monitor the predetermined safety monitoring interval and dispatch by way of an e-mail or a text or other notification to the user device of the user, a message requiring a response. A response to that message would constitute the safety response of the user and either upon its receipt would reset the predetermined safety monitoring interval, or if not received within the necessary timeframe would trigger an alarm or notification condition in accordance with the remainder of the method of the present invention.
There are two different approaches to the monitoring method of the present invention. In the first approach, the predetermined monitoring interval will be timed and at the conclusion of the monitoring interval the user, via software on the user device, will be prompted to provide a safety response. Basically the user could be required to provide some interaction or indication via their device of their condition or simply the fact that they are okay, and if no response were provided at that time or within the prescribed time frame there around, the necessary alert notification could be dispatched.
The second approach to the monitoring method of the present invention, rather than prompting the user at the expiry of the monitoring interval to provide a safety response, would be to monitor during the monitoring interval the receipt of a safety response from the user. Thus rather than prompting the user at the conclusion of the time interval to provide an indication of their safety, provision of a safety response within that time interval could be the event that would cause the restart of the monitoring of the interval. This particular approach lends itself more to the use of the personal safety monitoring software on a device of a user which would automatically capture another user interaction with the device which was preset or characterized as a safety indication. However, in the second embodiment of the method it could also be the case of a specific login or a safety response interaction could be required by the software of the present invention to effect the method.
Both the local user device software approach to the method of the present invention as well as the website embodiments outlined above could be implemented via either monitoring approach, firstly the monitoring of the predetermined safety monitoring interval for its expiry at which time a safety response would be prompted from the user, and/or the monitoring of the predetermined safety monitoring interval within which a safety response would otherwise be captured and logged. Both such approaches could be accommodated in various implementations of the method of the present invention without departing from the scope and intention hereof, which is to provide a personal safety monitoring method whereby a personal safety monitoring interval is tracked for the subsequent purpose of identifying a safety response from the user or alternatively identifying by the nonreceipt of a safety response a safety condition with the user which could be notified to third parties in accordance with notification conditions or parameters established by or in respect of the user.
The personal safety monitoring software of the present invention could be used on many different types of user devices. It is explicitly contemplated that the user devices could include smart phones, tablets, cell phones or other wireless devices since they would be easily and remotely used in the field. It is also the case however that in another embodiment, the personal safety monitoring software the present invention could be a local software or a browser plug-in that could be used on a PC
or other similar device and all such devices and necessary modifications to the programming language or approach, to the same effect of the present invention, are contemplated herein.
There are other architectural approaches to the method of the present invention in addition to the use of a freestanding software application on the user device. The personal safety monitoring software of the present invention could be resident on the user device for the purpose of capturing a safety response event, the remainder of the software method of the present invention could be conducted in a central server or a central service Bureau, operatively and communicatively connected to the user device of the user for the purpose of receiving communication of the capture of a safety response event from the user device. Where a central server was used to monitor the personal safety monitoring interval with respect to user, that central server could then capture of communication from the user device of the user that a safety response event has occurred, or in the other approach to the business method of the present invention where the user were prompted for a safety response at the conclusion of the monitoring interval, at the conclusion of the monitoring interval the central server could dispatch a request to the user device for the user to provide a safety response.
Another method or approach which is explicitly contemplated with respect to the present invention is the use of multiple user devices in respect of a single-user, in accordance with the remainder of the method. For example, a central server might be used to monitor the monitoring interval, and the user might actually have more than one device such as a smart phone, tablet, and PC at their disposal. The necessary personal safety monitoring client software could be installed on each of those device, to trap client safety response events, and communicate those to the central server such that particularly where the type of safety response detection which takes place is to capture other user interactions with the device, the interaction of the user with one of many devices would always provide some indication which could be communicated back to the central server for the purpose of resetting the safety monitoring interval.
In terms of the notification parameters which would be retained or stored with respect to a user, they could allow for the accommodation of failover in communications if a particular preferred communications protocol was not available to the user device or to the method of the present invention at the point in time that it was necessary to send alert notification message.
The notification parameters in any event are contemplated to include not only the protocol or nature of our type of a communication to be dispatched but also the user could specify the destinations for such a message etc.
As outlined above the implementation of a website embodiments of the software and method of the present invention could be accomplished using various architectures and infrastructures, all of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art of website design. Any website design which would allow a user to create and store in a database or similar structure on the website/server a user profile which included details of the predetermined safety monitoring interval in respect of the user as well as they're desired notification parameters if a safety response was not at some point received in the appropriate time frame, and which would then subsequently allow for the monitoring of the predetermined safety monitoring interval and the capture of user safety responses in respect thereof, are all contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
Description of Drawings:
Selected preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a flow chart demonstrating the steps of one embodiment of the safety monitoring method of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a flow chart demonstrating the steps of another embodiment of the safety monitoring method of the present invention;
Figure 3 illustrates a user device for receiving a user safety response and monitoring the personal safety of a user in accordance with the method of the present invention;
Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of a distributed method of the present invention, with a central server in communication with at least one user device to receive communications of received safety responses or safety notifications therefrom;
Figure 5 is a flow diagram demonstrating the steps involved in the software of one embodiment of the present invention where the software installed on the user device monitors the predetermined monitoring interval and at the conclusion of the interval prompts the user for a safety response;
Figure 6 is a flow diagram demonstrating an alternate embodiment of the software of the present invention and specifically the steps that are involved wherein software installed on the user device captures safety response events and reports them to a central server in a central service bureau deployment of the business method of the present invention Figure 7 is a flow diagram demonstrating steps involved in the software of one embodiment of the present invention, wherein multiple user devices are used to capture potential safety response events and one such device or a central server is used to monitor the monitoring interval.
Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments:
As outlined above, it is the desire herein to provide a method of personal safety monitoring that could be implemented using software on existing personal hardware devices - specifically smart phones, tablets, computers etc. By providing a software application that would require the user to "checking in" from time to time, the well-being of that individual can to a degree be monitored by the capture of such a "heartbeat" using that application, on a periodic frequency to be determined.

Safety monitoring method:
In terms of first describing the method and apparatus of the present invention, we will describe the overall business method of personal safety monitoring which underlies the implementation outlined herein. The method of the present invention comprises establishing a predetermined monitoring interval, within which a user must provide a safety response to a user device of the user failing which a safety notification will be dispatched by the user device.
Generally speaking the first step in the method of the present invention is to establish a predetermined monitoring interval within which it is desired for a user, to provide a safety response to the personal safety monitoring software of the present invention, via interaction with the user device, to indicate their safety or condition. The monitoring interval could either be prescribed on a global basis, or the monitoring interval could be permitted to be adjusted on a user by user basis, either by the user at their user device, or by a central control system.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown one embodiment of the method of the present invention which generally speaking prescribes monitoring the user device of the user for a safety response to take place at any time within a fixed predetermined monitoring interval. So long as the user provides to the user device, via the personal safety monitoring software, a safety response as contemplated within the method of the present invention within the predetermined monitoring interval, no alarm notification is triggered or required. Alternatively if no safety response was detected within the monitoring interval, a notification could be dispatched by the user device.
With the monitoring interval established, the actual loop or active method of the invention could be commenced. Shown at step 1-2 is the monitoring of the monitoring interval. The predetermined monitoring interval could be monitored either directly by the personal safety monitoring software running on the user device, or in a distributed or client/server implementation could also be monitored at the server end. In any event, the predetermined monitoring interval which was set by or for the user would be monitored, until it lapsed or until a safety response was received.

Shown at decision block 1-3 in Figure 1 is a decision block indicating the determination of the detection of a safety response being received from the user, within the predetermined monitoring interval. If a safety response was determined to have been received from the user, and that that response was received within the prescribed monitoring interval timeframe, the predetermined monitoring interval loop would be restarted, as shown at 1-4.
If the predetermined monitoring interval lapsed without the detection of a safety response, a notification step would be triggered - this is shown at step 1-5 of the general process flowchart in Figure 1. Notification based on the non-receipt of the safety response within the prescribed monitoring interval could take many forms, as outlined elsewhere. It is generally speaking contemplated that the notification step of the method of the present invention would comprise dispatching of a method indicating the non-receipt of a safety response and/or an alarm regarding safety concerns to one or more third parties.
Personal safety monitoring software, on the user device, could dispatch of notification in the form of an e-mail, text message, or another network communication.

Figure 2 shows a second general embodiment of the method of the present invention, being a safety monitoring method using a user device of a user. In the embodiment of the method shown in Figure 2, the monitoring interval is approached somewhat differently than that shown in Figure 1. Rather than monitoring within the entire ready of a monitoring interval to detect a safety response, in the embodiment of Figure 2, the monitoring interval is used as a trigger to explicitly solicit the entry of a safety response from the user. Specifically, the monitoring frequency or interval would be established, shown at step 2-1.
Following this the safety monitoring software of the present invention, installed on the user device, would time the monitoring interval [2-2] and upon reaching the end of the preset monitoring interval would alert the user to the need for entry of a safety response. The alert step is shown at 2-3.
Provided that the user provided a safety response as required, the monitoring loop would be restarted [shown at 2-5]. If a safety response was not received by the personal safety monitoring software on the user device, a notification would be triggered in accordance with the preset parameters for same.
Both of the methods of Figure 1 and 2 will accomplish the objective of seeking a safety response from a user of a user device, within a predetermined monitoring interval. The embodiment shown in Figure 2 is anticipated to be more along the lines of an approach where the safety monitoring software of the present invention would actually explicitly seek the entry of the safety response from the user, whereas the embodiment shown in Figure 1 is more likely to be the method employed in a case where the safety response to be captured within a particular monitoring interval would comprise the capture of some other user interaction with the user device rather than seeking an explicit safety response entry from the user at any time within the predetermined monitoring interval.
User device:
The method of the present invention will be implemented by use of a personal safety monitoring software application on a pre-existing personal electronic device of a user. The "user device"
as it will be referred to herein could be a smart phone, tablet, PC or other similar device which would allow for the installation of the personal safety monitoring software which would allow for the conduct of the personal safety monitoring and feedback application of the present invention. Particular programming languages or development tools which might be required to render the personal safety monitoring software in compiled a readable format for execution on different types of electronic platforms are all contemplated within the scope of the present invention so long as the device meets these high-level criteria. Figures 3 and 4 show a number of different types of contemplated user devices. The user device 1 of Figure 3 is a smartphone with a display by which information can be provided to and solicited from a user of the device 1. Other user devices 1 shown in Figure 4 include a cell phone which could communicate by SMS or otherwise, as well as a laptop computer. The different user devices 1 shown in Figure 4 could, in the embodiment of the system of the present invention shown in that Figure communicate by one or various communication protocols with a central server 5 in a distributed service bureau approach to the method of the present invention which will be described in further detail below.
In terms of technical requirements for the user device, the user device must have a network connection by which it can dispatch a notification if a safety response is not received within the predetermined monitoring interval. Different types of network connectivity can be contemplated, although the primary network or conductivity of a user device is contemplated to be a wireless modem by which e-mail or other network communications could be dispatched by the personal safety monitoring software of the present invention to third parties, or to a service Bureau or central server in a distributed implementation of the system of the present invention as outlined elsewhere herein.
It is also explicitly contemplated that a cell phone or a similar device that had the ability to send SMS text messages, rather than having a complete operative wireless computer network connection, could also host the personal safety monitoring software of the present invention insofar as the notification step of the method of the present invention could be implemented using a SMS communications protocol. It will be understood that any type of a communications protocol or network connectivity of the user device which accomplishes the objective of allowing for a remote communication to be initiated by the user device where the notification step was required to be carried out on a safety response was not received within the predetermined monitoring interval by the personal safety monitoring software is contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
From the perspective of the physical form factor of the device it is contemplated that the primary devices on which the method and software the present invention will be implemented are smart phones or tablets, given their portability and widespread availability - but as outlined there would be other devices including desktop or portable computers which might be used by users which would also fit into the category of possible user devices for use in the method of the present invention.
Predetermined monitoring interval:
The predetermined monitoring interval would basically be the permissible timeframe within which a check-in or response was desired to be received from the user, indicating activity or otherwise ongoing condition. For example it might be determined that it was desired in the method of the present invention to have the user check in at least every two days. The personal safety monitoring software of the present invention could then use that 48 hour interval to monitor the condition of the user by triggering a notification if a safety response of the predetermined kind was not received by the personal safety monitoring software through user interaction within that interval.
The method of the present invention and the personal safety monitoring software for use on the personal electronic device of the user could allow for the user to specify their own predetermined monitoring interval, or the predetermined monitoring interval could be hardcoded or prescribed in the system by the vendor or a third party other than the user themselves. It will be understood that either approach, namely a system where the predetermined monitoring interval was prescribed or hardcoded, or where the user or third party was allowed to adjust the predetermined monitoring interval with respect to an individual user, are both contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
There are a few different methods or approaches which can be taken to the actual predetermined monitoring interval and the required response approach, without departing from the scope or intention hereof. At least two different methods could be prescribed, the first of which would require that at a predetermined monitoring interval the personal safety monitoring software installed on the user's personal electronic device would prompt them for a response, being a safety response, or alternatively and as will be outlined elsewhere herein, the second approach could be to provide a software agent on the device of the user such that any or certain types of activity or interaction between the user and the device would qualify as a safety response and be logged as such, and if they took place within the prescribed frequency timeframe the monitoring loop could be restarted. Both such approaches are contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
To provide an illustrative example of each of these two contemplated approaches to the establishment of a monitoring interval or time frame. In the first case, where the device of the user would prompt for a safety response, what is contemplated is that the personal safety monitoring software of the present invention which would be installed on the device of the user would at a predetermined time prompt the user to login or provide some other type of the safety response to indicate their good condition. For example the system might be programmed to require every 24 hours that the user provide a response. Once the user were prompted for a safety response, the personal safety monitoring software may provide an additional window of time within which for that response to be logged - for example the user might have 90 min. or so within which to enter their safety response in case they never had their device handy or whatever the case might be - once the safety response was logged by entry by the user, if it was done within the prescribed time frame, the monitoring loop would reset itself, and optionally the safety response could be logged for record-keeping purposes.

In the second example where the monitoring interval or time frame was used as a fixed maximum time within which the user should have a particular type of and interaction with the device which is hosting the personal safety monitoring software of the present invention, the personal safety monitoring software might effectively monitor user interactions with the device and every time the particular user interaction was received that could be logged or treated as a safety response and again the frequency loop restarted in terms of the safety monitoring application of the present invention. For example rather than requiring the user to log a particular safety response prompted by the personal safety monitoring software of the present invention, the personal safety monitoring software might treat a password login on the device as a sufficient safety response and through the appropriate programming every time the password login was detected on the device that could be treated as a proper safety response, logged if necessary, and the frequency or monitoring loop in terms of the safety application restarted.
Both of these methods or approaches can be understood with reference to the high-level business flowchart of Figure 1. In the case of the personal safety monitoring software of the present invention prompting the user at a predetermined frequency for a safety response, monitoring the expiry of that timeframe would be that shown at step 1-2, and the elicitation of the user safety response through the user interface of the user device would be within step 1-3, whereas in the second embodiment where detection of a safety response would simply take place on the device within a predetermined period of time but at any time within that predetermined period, monitoring the lapse of the safety reporting timeframe would be that shown at step 1-2, and the detection or logging of a safety response within that timeframe would be shown at step 1-3.
Safety responses:
In a circumstance where the personal safety monitoring software of the present invention were programmed to require or elicit a particular user interaction or safety response from the user to satisfy the method of the present invention, this might take the form of a user interface presented to the user of the device simply requiring them to enter or select an option for whether or not they are okay or there is any safety condition which requires reporting back.
To streamline the user experience with the personal safety monitoring software and the method of the present invention is explicitly contemplated that the personal safety monitoring software of the present invention might be integrated with the remainder of the operating system or other software through the appropriate API or the like, to allow the treatment of particular user interactions with the device overall as the entry of an appropriate safety response. If the user simply could continue using their device as they normally would, without the need to explicitly enter a particular safety response, this may be attractive to certain categories of users and maximize the adoption of the method of the present invention.
The types of user interactions with the device which could be characterized as sufficient "safety responses" could vary. For example there could be only a small number of user interactions with the device which could be considered to be sufficient to constitute a satisfactory safety response - a successful password login on the device - or alternatively the personal safety monitoring software of the present invention could be programmed to treat virtually any user interaction with the user device as sufficient for safety response purposes such that any key press, sending or receiving messages or the like could also be used as a "safety response". The necessary modifications to the personal safety monitoring software of the present invention him to accomplish these various approaches would be obvious to one skilled in the art and are all contemplated within the scope hereof.
Notification:
Referring to the method shown in Figure 1, the final step in the method of the present invention, which will be implemented by the personal safety monitoring software of the present invention, is to trigger a notification to third parties if a safety response is not recorded within the predetermined monitoring interval time period. This step is shown in Figure 1 at step 1-5.
Various types of notifications could be initiated by the personal safety monitoring software of the present invention if the safety response was not logged by the user at the user device within the predetermined timeframe. In the case of a standalone personal safety monitoring software application installed on the user device, if the user device has a communications interface by which an e-mail or text message or the like could be dispatched, the personal safety monitoring software could trigger the sending of a message to a preset address or third-party indicating that the user had not provided a sufficient safety response to their device within the =
appropriate time frame. It would also be possible depending upon the nature of the user device and the type of hardware or network on which it was functioning to for example send last known location data for the user device along with this alert notification. Software could provide the ability for the user when configuring the personal safety monitoring software on their user device to specify the type or recipient of these notification messages as well as to potentially customize their contents. Variations on the types of notifications or additional activity which could be triggered are all contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
In an alternate embodiment of the system of the present invention where the personal safety monitoring software application installed on the user device was connected to a central service bureau or server, the notification if triggered could also simply be the transmission of a packet or a notification from the user device to the central server indicating an alarm condition or the nonreceipt of the safety response, and the server or the central service bureau could then action that notification accordingly as well.

Personal safety monitoring software architecture:
Having now described the high-level overview of the business method of the present invention as well as the scope of hardware devices which is contemplated to be used in the method of the present invention, we will now describe the overall handling or architecture of the personal safety monitoring software of the present invention.
As outlined throughout, there are two approaches which could be taken to the personal safety monitoring software application of the present invention - the first of which is a freestanding or standalone software application for installation on a user device, and the second of which is the provision of either a software application or even some type of another communications or browser interface or plug-in for installation on the user device which operatively connects and communicates with a central service bureau or central server in the administration of the business method of the present invention. Both such approaches will be understood by those skilled in the art and are contemplated completely within the scope hereof.

Stand-alone application:
In a first implementation of the method of the present invention it is contemplated that the personal safety monitoring software 5 of the present invention would comprise a freestanding software application for use on the user device 1 which software 5 could implement the method of the present invention without the requirement for any external network resources or server resources other than the need or ability to connect externally to a communications network for the purpose of dispatching a notification if a safety response were not received from the user within the prescribed monitoring interval.
As outlined elsewhere above the general business method of the present invention is to capture a safety response from the user of the user device which is hosting the software 5 within a predetermined or prescribed safety monitoring interval, and failing the receipt of such a safety response within the prescribed safety monitoring interval dispatching a notification regarding same to a third-party from the user device.
There are two different key user parameters 10 which it would be necessary to track in respect of a user, within or accessible to the software 5. The first user parameter 10 which it would be = necessary to store within the memory of the user device or in another way that was accessible to the software 5 would be the length of the predetermined monitoring interval 4. The predetermined monitoring interval 4 could be preprogrammed with the software 5, or the software 5 by the user interface of the user device 1 could provide the ability for the user to select the length of the predetermined monitoring interval 4 which was desired. The second user parameter 10 which would need to be stored with respect to the software 5 would be the delivery address coordinates or other details, referred to herein as the notification parameters 9, with respect to a notification if an alert notification were required to be dispatched by the software 5 based upon the nonreceipt of a safety response within the appropriate monitoring interval. As in the case of the predetermined monitoring interval, the notification parameters 9 could be hardcoded into the software 5 or the software 5 could provide the facility by which the user could specify the address, communications protocol or other details with respect to a notification if it were to be dispatched by the software 5.
The notification parameters 9 could include the type of message to be dispatched in an alert condition situation as well as the communications protocol to be used - for example if the user device 1 were smart phone that had e-mail, activity as well as being able to send SMS text messages or other types of communications, the notification parameters might specify that an e-mail message be dispatched to a particular e-mail address, as well as an SMS text message be dispatched to another SMS number, in the case of an alert condition. Dependent upon the level of complexity offered in the personal safety monitoring software 5 as a whole, the notification parameters 9 could include sample language for an alert notification to be dispatched or other information as well but it will be understood by those skilled in the art that even if a standard format notification message were to be used, the notification parameters mine would need to at the least include the address or communications protocol by which that notification message was to be sent.
The standalone software 5 which would be installed on the user device I would be one method of implementing the method of the present invention for personal safety monitoring. As outlined above, while it is specifically contemplated that the standalone personal safety monitoring software 5 could be an apt for installation on a tablet or a smart phone or the like, the standalone software could also be a browser plug-in or a computer software for installation on a PC which the user may have access to.

Referring to Figure 5 there is shown one flow diagram which demonstrates the method steps which would be carried out by the standalone software 5 of the present invention. The first step, shown at 5-1, would be the initiation of the software on the user device 1, where the software 5 would retrieve the details of the monitoring interval 4 from its memory. The software would then be configured, in the embodiment of Figure 6, to commence the timing of that monitoring interval 4, which is shown at step 5-2 in the drawing.
In the embodiment of the method and software of the present invention shown in Figure 5, once the timing of the monitoring interval 4 was completed, the system would detect the expiry of the monitoring interval 4, which is shown at 5-3. At that time, the user would be alerted, by the input, screen or otherwise on the device, that safety response 7 was required. Safety response in this particular embodiment could be as simple as the software requiring that the user press a key, enter a password or otherwise indicate their safety or condition. The software 5 would monitor the input means 8 to determine if a safety response 7 was required 5-5. If an appropriate safety response 7 was received within the appropriate time frame, the software 5 would reset the time interval monitoring loop and return to the commencement of a fresh monitoring interval 4 [successful detection of an appropriate safety response 7, looping back to timing of a fresh interval 4, as shown at step 5-6].
In the case that upon alerting the user to the requirement for a safety response 7, a safety response 7 was not received by the input means 8 the device within the appropriate time frame, a notification would be triggered. Shown at step 5-7, the software 5 would retrieve the necessary notification parameters 9 from its memory or accessible storage, and use those parameters 9 to send an alert notification message - step 5-8. Figure 5 demonstrates the general data flow and steps involved in the method of the present invention as would be implemented in one embodiment of the software 5. It will be understood that many different variations on the overall concept of using a personal safety monitoring software 5 to monitor a monitoring interval 4 and detect the receipt of a safety response 7 at the expiry of the monitoring interval 4 are all contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
Central service bureau deployment:

An alternate approach to the installation of standalone software on a user device 1 would be to deploy the method of the present invention in a client/server fashion, where for example the actual monitoring of the predetermined monitoring intervals 5 4 with respect to the users of the system was done on a central server. Referring to Figure 6 there is shown one embodiment of the software the present invention which could be done either in a distributed service Bureau deployment or as a standalone software. The difference between the software of Figure 6 and that of Figure 5 is the nature of the monitoring which is undertaken for the occurrence or detection of a safety response event 7. Wearing Figure 5, the user will be prompted for appropriate safety response 7 following the expiry of the monitoring interval 4, the software of Figure 6 intends to capture in an automated fashion the occurrence of a safety response event 7 in the background, at any point within the monitoring interval 4. This software then would also in addition to being capable of deployment in a distributed service b, also differentiate itself in terms of the nature of the time capture method which is used.
The software of Figure 6 shows in its first step, 6-1, the retrieval of the information from the attached accessible storage of the details of the predetermined monitoring interval 4. In the embodiment of the software the present invention where a client software was used on the hardware device, and a central server monitored capture or activities around safety responses, the software at the user device could be a software program capable of communicating with a central server and accessing there in the stored monitoring interval 4 details. In an alternate approach, a central server software might simply retrieve the monitoring interval 4 details and run a time or in terms of monitoring the lapse of the monitoring interval 4 at the server level in this service Bureau type deployment. In that case a multithreaded software approach would be used which could monitor the predetermined monitoring interval 4 for numerous users SAME time.
The key aspect of the software which would need to be deployed on the user device would be a safety response capture software.
The safety response capture aspect of the personal safety monitoring software 5 would, upon detection of a safety response event 7 [6-7) communicate the detection of that safety response event 7 back to the central server. So long as the detection of the safety response event 7 took place within the predetermined monitoring interval 4, the server would reset its monitoring loop and commence the timing of the new monitoring interval 4 -this is shown at 6-4. Again as outlined, the actual monitoring interval 4 could be timed or monitored on the remote software on the device, or as would more likely be the case the monitoring interval 4 would be monitored at the central server in the service bureau deployment approach outlined herein.
If the server never received notification of a safety response event 7 within the predetermined monitoring interval 4, it would detect the expiry of the monitoring interval 4 at 6-5 , and retrieve the necessary notification parameters 9 from its accessible storage by which an alert notification message could be generated and sent. In a central server deployment methods such as this, the actual alert notification message could be dispatched by the central server rather than by the remote user device and on that basis a central server with a wider variety of communications potential could be used. Failover scenarios could be minimized as well if the central server was to be used to dispatch the actual alert notification messages as required.
Another centralized implementation of the method of the present invention will be to provide a website system for implementation of the personal safety monitoring method of the present invention. Specific website software and hardware architecture will be understood by those skilled in the art - generally speaking this website would include a server with the necessary operating system and software they're on to allow for user interaction with the website system by way of a client browser or the like. The website system would be able to access a database of user records, each corresponding to a user in respect of which the personal safety monitoring method of the present invention was to be conducted. The user record in respect of a user would include identifying information, such as a user account, e-mail address or the like by which the user could be identified for the purposes of administering the method of the present invention as well as an indication contained in that user record of what the predetermined safety monitoring interval would be in respect of a user. As outlined elsewhere herein the predetermined safety monitoring interval in respect of a user of the method the present invention could be preset with respect to all users of the method, or in a more likely embodiment could be personally adjusted in respect of each user.
Finally, the notification parameters with respect to that user would also be stored with respect to their user record in the website system. Specifically, the nature and contact particulars of the desired notification to be dispatched by the system of the present invention were safety response is not received from the user within the predetermined timeframe would be included in the user record. The notification parameters stored within the user record with respect to user would include the necessary information to identify not only the type but also the actual specific address of any notification to be dispatched in a case where notification condition exists i.e. where a safety response was not received within the predetermined safety monitoring interval. Website architecture allowing for the setup and maintenance of user account information such as the user information outlined herein with respect to a user record in the database and website assets of the present invention will be understood and variations thereon are all contemplated within the scope of the present invention so long as they conference the same objective of allowing for the establishment and maintenance of user records with respect to users of the system and method of the present invention.
Based upon the user records which would be stored within the database on the system, the server, and software of the website system, could then administer the method of the present invention. The website via the server and the related software could monitor the predetermined safety monitoring interval with respect to each user for which a user record was maintained therein, and that the detected conclusion of the predetermined safety monitoring interval could trigger an e-mail or text message to the user via their contact details stored within the user record, seeking a safety response. A responding e-mail, text message or the like could then be dispatched by the user from their user device, which when received by the website system of the present invention could be captured and logged or otherwise processed as a user safety response. As outlined elsewhere herein what is contemplated in this type of a business level embodiments of the method of the present invention, i.e.
where a client safety responses sought at the conclusion of the predetermined safety monitoring interval, is that at the triggering of the request, by dispatch of a message or otherwise, to the user via their user device, there would then be a predetermined time interval within which a safety response could be received. That messaging receipt interval could again be set on a user by user basis, or could be preset or hard set within the overall method and website system of the present invention. For example, the website system and the related software could be programmed to allow for a time window of an hour following dispatch of the message for the user to reply and provide proper safety response, or on the user by user basis, the user record of each user within the website system of the present invention could allow the user or their proxy to establish the proper parameters for this such that for example if it were determined that with respect to a particular user only a 30 min. response window was required whereas for others a two-hour response window was required, this type of user level flexibility could also be accomplished using the client/server website system approach of the present invention, as well as the other implementations of the method of the present invention outlined herein.
Alternatively, the website system of the present invention, following the second conceptual implementation of the method of the present invention, could simply capture and log various types of device interactions with respect to the user and their user record within the website system and when appropriate user interaction was detected, captured or logged the predetermined safety monitoring interval could be reset. This would be a second approach rather than an implementation in which safety responses would be elicited from the user following the expiry of the predetermined safety monitoring interval.
In terms of the interface or interaction with the website, again the design and architecture of various websites and user interfaces therefore is well-known in the art. The key to the website interface would be that the website would provide, for access by various types of mobile or stationary browsers, an interface by which users could enter or maintain their user records the system of the present invention - specifically providing contact details, notification parameters and details around the desired predetermined safety monitoring intervals therefore.
The website system of the present invention could include the necessary components to dispatch and receive e-mail messages, text messages or other means of communication with users and their user devices. A broader number of user communication architectures would enhance the various options available to users in their use of the website system and method of the present invention. It is specifically contemplated that e-mail and text messaging would be to of the key approaches, such that the method could be implemented for users who had either tablets, smart phones or any cell phone even capable of basic SMS texting capability. Different three location methods however will all be contemplated within the scope hereof and understood to those skilled in the art. Safety responses could even be received by the website of the present invention simply by way of a login of the user back to the website to provide their safety response although it is contemplated that requiring the user to login to the website of the present invention to provide their safety response would not be the most streamlined implementation from a usability perspective, although it is also contemplated within the scope hereof.

In addition to the necessary software to provide a user interface for maintenance of the user records within the website system of the present invention, the user records would be stored within an accessible database for use by the website system and its various components. The user database of the website system of the present invention could take many specific data structures or formats as will again be understood by those skilled in the art of database programming and website design.
Any database structure or design which accomplishes the objective of allowing for the storage of user information and user notification parameters along with the details of predetermined monitoring interval with respect to a user of the system of the present invention is contemplated within the scope hereof.
Beyond providing a data structure in an interface for the maintenance of user records with respect to records, the website system embodiment of the present invention would then include the necessary software configuration on the harbor infrastructure of the website to monitor the predetermined safety monitoring intervals of the various users as outlined further herein. In a website where multiple users were being monitored, the basic requirement of the software of the present invention would be that the website could in a parallel form monitor the predetermined or preset safety monitoring interval in respect of each user, in accordance with the remainder of the method of the present invention, and based upon the business method of monitoring or detection of client safety responses to be employed i.e. whether or not a response is solicited at the conclusion of the predetermined safety interval with respect to user, or whether receipt of a safety response within the predetermined safety interval, solicit or capture user safety responses as required. Upon monitoring the expiry of the predetermined personal safety monitoring interval with respect to user, and the failure to receive an appropriate client safety response within the appropriate time frame or parameters, the website system of the present invention could then, using its communication infrastructure, dispatch one or more notifications to third parties about the status or nonreceipt of such a safety response from the user, based upon the notification parameters stored with respect to the user in or in relation to their user record in the website system.
In the website embodiments as well as the other embodiments outlined herein, individual user records could store individualized predetermined safety monitoring intervals for each user. It could also be possible for each user on a user by user basis select the type of a monitoring method which they wished to be used by the website system of the present invention in respect of their user record. For example some users could select the option of having client safety responses solicited from them by requiring a response to an e-mail or text message, for example, at the expiry of the predetermined safety monitoring interval, whereby or whereas other users may prefer the alternate embodiment where the capture of a safety response within the predetermined safety monitoring interval was their preferred approach. The software of the website system of the present invention could obviously be created in such a way that it would accommodate both approaches and even at the highest level both monitoring business methods could be used in respect of different users at the same time. The information and business method flow of the method of the website system of the present invention is similar to the other client/server or client service bureau architecture methods outlined elsewhere herein although it is simplest in its implementation as no specific client level software would be required in many embodiments thereof. Any detailed interaction with the user in a website embodiment could be accomplished through the website interface without requiring specific device level software to be installed. There are some added functionalities which could be accomplished by the use of client device software in the other embodiments outlined herein but it is specifically contemplated that either way would be a legitimate approach to implement the business method of the present invention.
The architecture of a sample website is not shown at the present time as, as is outlined above, the basic design concepts of website architecture are known to those skilled in the art and would be understood by those required to program the software or the method of the present invention. All such variations are implementations which accomplish the objective of the user interface and monitoring method outlined above in a website system, or in an alternate client/server embodiment, or even using a client level software alone, are contemplated within the scope hereof.
Multiple alert conditions:
The general method of the present invention is intended to provide a notification to a designated third-party when a safety response is not received from a user of at least one user device within a predetermined monitoring interval. Upon detection of such an alert condition, the software of the present invention installed on the user device would dispatch the predetermined alert notification.

While in most cases and particularly with this method, simple implementation is best, it may be the case that additional types of notifications are also programmed within the method of the present invention - for example the software of the present invention might be programmed to dispatch a low battery notification or notification regarding difficulties with communication protocol or signal in a preemptive fashion to either the same or a different notification recipient. The incorporation of this added layer of potential notification or feedback is contemplated within the scope of the present invention in any event.
Failover:
The software 5 might also be programmed to "fail over" in the dispatch of an alert notification if one communication protocol of the device 1 was not available but others were available.
For example if the user device I was capable of communicating both on a wireless network by e-mail etc. as well as by way of SMS text messages, while the e-mail or other IP communication might be preferred for the purposes of some added flexibility, the software 5 could be programmed to automatically, upon detection of low signal strength or non-availability of the IP
communication protocol on the device 12 automatically fail over to SMS communications if a notification event occurred. The attendant modifications to the software 5 to accomplish this type of a failover communications method will be obvious to one skilled in the art and is also contemplated within the scope hereof. In such an implementation, the user parameters 10 maintained by the software 5 might include the prioritization or other indication of the failover strategy that the user prefers.
Incorporation of this type of a failover approach as well as protocol prioritization by the software 5 would be dependent to a degree on the hardware capabilities of the particular device 1, but dependent upon the availability of the appropriate application programming interface in the operating system of the device 1 in question as well as the necessary actual hardware to enable multiple communication protocols, this type of a protocol prioritization approach or a failover approach either on an automated basis, or to be set by or for the user in the user parameters 10 which would be stored and used by the software 5 are contemplated within the scope of the present invention as well.

Automated heartbeat capture:
In the automated capture embodiments of the method and software of the present invention, where the capture of a safety response S 7 by the software 5 comprises an automated capture of another user interaction with the user device 1, there could be a broad grouping of user interactions with the user device 1 which could be characterized or categorized as a safety response for the purposes of the method and software of the present invention.
Where it is intended that the detection of user interaction with the user device I will comprise a safety response, the software 5, with the appropriate integration with the remainder of the operating system on the device 1, could detect and/or capture any number of different types of user interactions with the device 1 as a safety response which would be satisfactory for the purposes of reselling the monitoring of the predetermined monitoring interval in the method of the present invention. For example it may be the case that it was decided either in the programming of the software 5, or in other cases where the user could specify what types of interactions they wished to comprise a response, that a successful password login on the user device could be tracked as a safety response within the scope of the method of the present invention, or that in a broader sense even a general typing interaction or the like could be treated as a safety response insofar as it would be known that the user was interacting with the device and on that basis should be safe.
The types of user interactions in this embodiment which could comprise a valid safety response could be programmed into the software 5 in advance, or the software 5 could also allow the user via the user interface of the device 1 to stipulate or indicate which types of user interactions with the device should be treated as a proper safety response. For example one user might want to stipulate that only a successful password login should be treated as a proper safety response on a device, where another user in the context of another device might stipulate that any keystroke or interaction with the device should be treated as a proper safety response for the purpose of reselling the safety monitoring interval and the remainder of the method of the present invention. Programming the types of items which could make up a safety response into the software 5 in advance, or providing a user interface by which the user could stipulate what types of user interactions with their device 1 would comprise an appropriate safety response, are both approaches which are contemplated within the scope of the present invention.

Deployment in a multiple device network:
Another alternate embodiment of the deployment of the method of the present invention which is contemplated would be to provide software 5 operating on multiple user devices 1, wherein the software on any one of the multiple user devices 1 connected to the user could capture a safety response for the purpose of ongoing administration of the method. For example, the capture of a safety response on a smart phone belonging to the user, cell phone associated with the user, or a laptop computer of the user, all of which are shown in Figure 4, could be communicated via a central service Bureau or matched up in some other way such that the interactions of the user with multiple user devices 1, rather than with a single user device 1, could enable a broader approach to the capture of safety responses.
Particularly where an automated capture method of safety responses, as outlined in further detail above, were employed, whereby the simple interaction of a user with one or more user devices 1 would automatically be captured as activities or safety responses, this type of a multiple device network approach could be attractive in the implementation of the personal safety monitoring method of the present invention.

In the multiple device network implementation outlined herein, and specifically referencing that shown in Figure 4, the personal safety monitoring software 5 which would be installed on the individual user devices 1 would likely simply capture the safety responses, and communicate them back to a central server 3 for logging or otherwise handling. The central server 3 may be the appropriate place from which an alert notification would be dispatched if a safety response were not received within the appropriate time frame from the user - in this type of an implementation some or all of the user parameters 10 with respect to a particular user and their use of the system of the present invention would be stored in such a way that they were accessible as required to both the user devices 1 as well as the server 3.
Figure 7 is a flow diagram demonstrating the steps involved in one embodiment of the business method and software of the present invention, using multiple devices to automatically capture safety responses from a user and communicate them back to a central server for logging, monitoring or other action. In this particular type of an embodiment is contemplated that a central service provider or central server would be used to actually monitor the safety responses from users, so that they could use multiple devices to provide safety responses, for collation or action that a central point. This would necessitate really two pieces of software which would work hand-in-hand -there would be a client database software resident on or accessible to the central server, and one or more client softwares for use on different types of user devices 5.
In the flowchart of the software embodiment shown, the server software would retrieve from its accessible dataset the details of the predetermined monitoring interval 4 that the particular user desired to be used in respect of their safety monitoring.
As outlined elsewhere herein this monitoring interval could be prescribed globally or could be set on a user by user basis. The necessary data structure to allow for the tracking of various user profiles will be well known to those skilled in the art of database programming and any type of an implementation of a user login or user database which could store the notification parameters and monitoring interval parameters with relation to particular users of the system is contemplated within the scope hereof.
The general software and hardware architecture of a server in a client/server application environment is well known and on this basis it will not be necessary to describe in detail the various components resident there in as all designs of a server and server software 11 which accomplish the method outlined herein are contemplated within the scope of the present invention as well.
Once the server software 11 had retrieved the details of the user's monitoring interval 4 from its memory storage, shown at 8-1, server software 11 could commence the timing of the monitoring interval 4 with respect to the user on the server software and hardware. This is shown at step 8-2 in Figure 8. In this particular embodiment what is contemplated is the automated capture approach outlined elsewhere in this document, whereby the user device 5 would capture various safety response even dance 7 in the background based on a predetermined program, and would log those against the monitoring interval 4 such that so long as a safety response event 7 was detected within the monitoring interval 4, the monitoring loop would be restarted and no notification event would be triggered. If a safety response event 7 was not detected within the monitoring interval 4, a notification message would be generated and dispatched.
It will be understood that the server software 11 would explicitly be capable of tracking multiple monitoring intervals ' 4 in respect of multiple users and multiple user devices, contemporaneously. The users may all use the same monitoring interval 4, or they may each have different preset or desired monitoring interval lengths.
The second software component of the embodiment of Figure 8 is a client software installed on the user device 1. The client personal safety monitoring software 5 would detect the occurrence of a safety response event 7 and via the communications connection or infrastructure of the device I
would communicate the occurrence of the safety response event 7 back to the server software 11, since the server and the device or devices would all be operatively connected to communicate with each other.
As outlined elsewhere above there could be various types of safety response events 7 which a user might desire to have trigger a satisfactory safety response. This could also be set globally again on the system if it were desired. In any event, there would be in this embodiment of a set of user interactions with the device I which were predetermined to constitute an acceptable safety response and the occurrence of such an interaction would constitute a safety response event 7 as outlined herein. When the client software 5 detected a safety response event 7, shown at step 8-3, it would cause the transmission of a safety response to the server and the server software 11 - shown at step 8-4. The data packet transmitting a safety response to the server software 11 would identify the user and/or the user device 1 in respect of whom the response was to be action, and upon receipt and validation of such a data transmission, the server software 11 would restart its timed monitoring loop, shown at 8-5, in respect of the user.
Referring further to Figure 8, if the server software 11 did not receive a transmitted safety response in respect of a user within the necessary predetermined monitoring interval 4, the server software 11 could retrieve the notification parameters 9 with respect to that particular user which would be stored again in the accessible data store of the system, and the server software 11 along with the remaining components and software of the server and the system could generate and send an alert notification message as preprogrammed with respect to the user 8-8.
Another modification to the approach of Figure 8 would be to provide that the server software 11 would trigger the transmission of a time warning to the software 5 on the user devices 1 of the user such that some type of a notification or warning alarm could be received by the user indicating that they had not provided a safety response and that within a particular additional time frame if the response was not received, the safety notification system of the method would be triggered.
The timed solicitation approach could also be used in the distributed device network approach to the method of the present invention shown in the system diagram of Figure 4. When the predetermined monitoring interval had expired, in that implementation, the server 3 could cause by way of communication to the various user devices 1 the display of the user interface seeking the entry of a specific safety response. Entry of such a safety response on any one of the user devices 1 associated with the user could satisfy the requirement for the receipt of a safety response and upon receipt of a safety response from one of the devices 1, in that case the server 3 could communicate back to the software 5 running on each of the user devices 1 that a response had been received and that a new monitoring interval was commenced.
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Thus, while certain aspects and embodiments of the invention have been described, these have been presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Indeed, the invention described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms without departing from the spirit of the invention, which invention is defined solely by the claims herein.

Claims

I claim: