Portable personal safety devices and related systems

Abstract

A personal SOS device is provided, comprising an SOS button, a processor, and, operatively coupled to the processor, a three-axis accelerometer, and at least one RF transmitter. The processor is programmed to activate the at least one RF transmitter to transmit an alert message if an SOS event is signaled via the SOS button or if signals received from the accelerometer indicate a fall. The device comprises a front face, a rear face, and a peripheral wall extending between the front and rear faces. The SOS button is located on and protruding from the peripheral wall. Activating the SOS button to signal an SOS event consists of pressing the SOS button inwards, towards the interior of the device. A protective structure is provided for the SOS button, and this protective structure includes a pair of side flanges.one on each side of the SOS button, and a base extending between the side flanges to the rear of the SOS button, covering the protective structure on three sides substantially the entire length of the portion of the SOS button that protrudes from the peripheral wall.

Description

Portable personal safety devices and related systems Technical field The present invention relates to a portable personal safety device and to systems that operate with, or support, such devices. Background A 2022 report by the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that: "People all over the world are living longer. Today, most people have a life expectancy of sixty years and above. Every country in the world expects to grow both in size and in the proportion of older people in the population." By 2030, one in six people worldwide will be 60 or older. At that time, the proportion of the population aged 60 and over will increase from 1 billion in 2020 to 1.4 billion. By 2050, the world's population of people aged 60 and over will have doubled (2.1 billion). The number of people aged 80 and over is expected to triple between 2020 and 2050, reaching 426 million. In Japan, 30% of the population is already over 60. In many countries, long-term declining birth rates mean a growing proportion of elderly people, a trend known as "population aging," which places an increasing economic burden on the rest of society in terms of the need for social assistance and care. The result is a growing demand for equipment, systems, and services to support older people. In particular, there is a need for equipment, systems, and services to enable older people to live independently and safely for as long as possible, given the rising cost of assisted living and the difficulties of staffing such facilities. In light of this background, personal alarms and monitoring systems (remote care) are known to be provided. These typically involve a personal alarm device worn by the individual, which includes an SOS / alarm button through which an elderly person can request assistance. Such devices may also include, or be worn in conjunction with, a fall detector that can automatically trigger an alarm or call for assistance if the wearer falls. These devices often take the form of a large pendant that hangs from a cord around the user's neck, although wrist-mounted devices are also available that can be worn like a wristwatch and, for convenience, can also function as a watch. One such known device is shown in Figure 1. The device is shaped like a wristwatch, with a body mounted on a strap that has a dial and hands to display the time. The housing contains an actuator (or push button). Operating the actuator, typically by pushing it radially inward, causes the device to emit an SOS or alarm signal. This may involve simply using a sound generator that produces a loud audible alarm, but more typically results in the device wirelessly transmitting (typically over an 868 MHz connection to a support unit in the home, which can then forward alarm messages to a remote monitoring center, typically over a broadband connection) an alarm signal for reception by a remote monitoring device or service.The actuator for generating an SOS signal has only one function: to reduce the risk of inadvertently generating an SOS signal through brief, inadvertent activation of the SOS button. A crown wheel, as shown, can be arranged to allow the watch display hands to be adjusted and, optionally, to make other adjustments and inputs. In conceiving the present invention, it was observed that, despite requiring a prolonged activation of the SOS button to command the generation of an SOS event signal, the device in Figure 1 is still prone to inadvertently sending SOS alerts (false alarms). One such situation is observed to occur when a user, seated in an armchair, uses the support provided by the armrests to stand up.By flexing the wrist that holds the device, the user may inadvertently press the SOS button, either through contact with the forearm or through contact with a cuff or sleeve of clothing. Also, it is likely that the typical user of such an SOS device will take some time to change from a seated to a standing position, possibly due to muscle weakness or a desire to avoid feeling faint or dizzy, and such transmissions often last long enough to create a false activation. Therefore, there is a need for an improved portable SOS device that is less likely to generate false alarms. Summary According to a first aspect, a wearable personal SOS portable device is provided, which includes an SOS button, a processor, and, operatively connected to the processor, at least one RF transmitter, the processor being programmable to activate the at least one RF transmitter to transmit an alert message in the event that an SOS event signal is generated by means of the SOS button, the device comprising a front face, or a rear face, a peripheral wall extending between the front and rear faces, the SOS button being situated on, and protruding from, the peripheral wall, the operation of the SOS button involving generating an SOS event signal by pressing the SOS button inwards into the interior of the device, wherein a protective structure is arranged to protect, in a direction-dependent manner, the SOS button protruding from the peripheral wall.By protecting the SOS button in this way, there may be less risk of the button being pressed accidentally, while still allowing good access when the user intends or needs to press the SOS button. The device can be a device worn on the wrist, and optionally includes a watch. Optionally, the protective structure is fixed to the perimeter wall. Optionally, the protective structure shields the rear SOS button, either unprotected or with minimal protection, from the front SOS button. Optionally, the protective structure has an outer limb configured so that operating the SOS button to generate an SOS event signal requires pressing the button into a position within the outer limb. Optionally, the protective structure substantially conceals the sides of the SOS button on at least the first and second opposite sides with respect to the perimeter wall. Optionally, the protective structure substantially conceals the SOS button at least on the rear. In certain embodiments of the first aspect, the protective structure may include a floor extending adjacent to the rear of the SOS button to protect a rear portion of the SOS button that protrudes from the peripheral wall, optionally substantially the entire rear portion of the SOS button that protrudes from the peripheral wall. In other embodiments of the first aspect, the protective structure may include a pair of side tabs, one on each side of the SOS button, to protect the side faces of the SOS button that protrude from the peripheral wall, optionally substantially the entirety of the side faces of the SOS button that protrude from the peripheral wall. The protective structure may include a floor extending between the side tabs to the rear of the SOS button, protecting the protective structure on three sides, substantially the entire length of that portion of the SOS button that protrudes from the peripheral wall. Furthermore, the side tabs and the floor each extend outward from the peripheral wall by substantially the same amount. In any of these other embodiments, the inner faces of the pair of tabs can rest against respective side faces of the SOS button. In any of these other embodiments, the SOS button can have a width in the direction between the pair of tabs of between 9 and 15 mm, and optionally between 10 and 13 mm. In any of these other embodiments, the tabs can be lengthened and tapered outwards from the peripheral wall to a maximum thickness / width / depth adjacent to the SOS button. In any variant of the first aspect, the protective structure can be integrally formed with the peripheral wall. In any variant of the first aspect, the SOS button may include a visual indicator to show the extent to which the button needs to be pressed to generate an SOS event signal. Any variant of the first aspect may further comprise a push-button crown element, the crown element having a configuration that includes at least one selected from: (i) a push-button mushroom configuration (ii) a push-button peripheral surface that is neither curled nor ridged. By avoiding a curled or ridged periphery on the crown element, users are less likely to be misled into assuming the crown is a rotary input device, thereby preventing frustration and stress for users who may already be anxious due to the need to use the SOS device to request help. Any variant of the first aspect may further comprise a haptic transducer, the processor being programmed to activate the haptic transducer to provide the user with feedback in the event of an SOS event signal. In any variant of the first aspect, the at least one RF transmitter may include a transmitter configured to operate on a low-power wide-area cellular network such as LTE Cat M and NB IoT. In any variant of the first aspect, the at least one RF transmitter may include a transmitter configured to operate in an unlicensed frequency band such as an ISM band. In any variant of the first aspect, the processor can also be programmed to transmit the location of the device when an SOS event signal is generated. In any variant of the first aspect, the processor may also be programmed to provide feedback to the user (for example, via the display on the watch face) in the event that the signals received from the accelerometer indicate a fall, to make it possible for the user to cancel the alert message in the event that no intervention or assistance is required. In any variant of the first aspect, the processor may also be programmed to provide feedback to the user (for example, via a display on the watch face, or via vibration) about the acknowledgment of the successful delivery of an alert message. Any variant of the first aspect may further comprise a microphone, and the processor may further be programmed to: (i) record an audio file from a microphone, optionally in response to an SOS event, and / or (ii) connect the device's microphone to a remote entity for verification and monitoring (e.g., to enable an appropriate response to be provided). Any variation of the first aspect may also include an accelerometer. The processor may be programmed to transmit an alert message either if an SOS event signal is generated by the SOS button, or if signals received from the accelerometer indicate a fall. Optionally, the accelerometer may be a 3-axis accelerometer. In any variant, the front face of the device can be configured as a clock face to display the time using at least a pair of hands. In any variant, the devices may have a mechanical drive for the clock hands, optionally including a stepper motor. Optionally, the device face may also include an optoelectronic display arrangement. Alternatively, the clock hands may be presented in an optoelectronic display arrangement. In any variant, the SOS button can be configured to activate either a mechanical or an electronic switch. An electronic switch may have a total travel of less than half a millimeter; however, it can still improve the ergonomics of the device if the SOS button requires a longer travel (perhaps twice the switch's travel, for example, 1 to 1.2 mm) in order to trigger an SOS alert. In any variant, when the SOS button is activated, the user can be provided with an option to cancel, for example, by holding the top position over the "glass" of the screen. In any variant, the device can be configured to activate the screen to provide feedback / notification of detected SOS switch activation, or the cancellation of an alert. Additionally or alternatively, the device can provide haptic feedback (e.g., in the form of vibration or a buzz). According to a second aspect, a premises security monitoring system is provided, the system being of a type that, in the armed state, is operable to report security breaches, such as the opening of a door or window, detected by a door / window sensor, to a remote monitoring station, the system being configured to: receive alert messages from a device on the premises, the device being in accordance with any variant of the first aspect; send received alert messages to the remote monitoring station; to perform actions on any request received from the remote monitoring station to access a microphone on the device by transmitting an appropriate instruction to the device; and Next, send the signals received from the device to the remote monitoring station. In such a security monitoring system, the device can be configured to function as a witness to arm and disarm the security monitoring system. Brief description of the Figures The embodiments of the invention will be described below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic plan view illustrating a known wrist-worn SOS device; Figure 2 is a schematic plan view illustrating an SOS device worn on the wrist according to one aspect of the invention; Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view, from above, of the device in fig. 2, and which also includes an enlarged detail surrounded by the circle; Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view, from below, of the device in fig. 3, and which also includes an enlarged detail surrounded by the circle; Figure 5 is a schematic partial side view from the direction of a wristband; Figure 6 is a schematic partial side view similar to Fig. 5, but from the side; Figure 7 is a schematic view showing the main functional units that constitute the SOS device according to aspects of the invention; and Figure 8 schematically illustrates systems according to aspects of the invention. Detailed description Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a wrist-worn SOS device 100. The device includes a housing 102, which incorporates a display 104 in the form of a watch face. The housing 102 also includes features 103 and 104 by which the housing can be secured to a strap, bracelet, or band. The strap, bracelet, or band may be detachable (as in this case), or it may be integrally formed with the housing 102. The display 104 includes hands 106 for indicating the time. A crown or crown wheel 108 is disposed at the 3 o'clock position to allow the hands 106 to be adjusted to reset the watch to display the correct time. To adjust the position of the hands, it is necessary to pull crown 108 to the right, away from the resting position shown, and then crown 108 is turned to adjust the hands.In some cases, the crown 108 has at least two pull-out positions from the rest position, one for each of the hour and minute hands 106. On the opposite side, at the 9 o'clock position, there is an SOS button 101. This is a push-button that needs to be pressed (radially inward) to activate the device's SOS function. Figure 2 is a corresponding schematic view illustrating a wrist-worn SOS device 200 according to one aspect of the invention. Again, the device 200 comprises a housing 202, typically made of metal or engineering plastic, having a display 204, in this case in the form of a clock face including hands (not explicitly shown), although clock functionality is optional. The hands, if present, are preferably physical elements coupled to a drive mechanism (for example, one including a stepper motor), but in other embodiments the hands, if present, may be "virtual" and arranged in place by means of display technology such as AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode), liquid crystal, (optionally TFT LCD, transreflective). In the example shown, the hands are either connected physical elements or a drive mechanism.As such, the 208 crown elements can be configured to adjust the position of the hands, for example, to correct any discrepancies in the displayed time. However, in the example shown, the crown simply acts as a push button and does not rotate. The position (adjustment) of the watch hands (if present) can be adjusted using an associated application, such as one installed on the user's device, like a smartphone. The 208 crown element, which may be non-rotating, can be used to adjust device settings and / or select different options. In the event that physical hands operated by means of a drive mechanism are used, the dial 204 of the device 200 may include an inset display portion 209 which may be used to provide the user with feedback (e.g., from activation of the SOS button 210, transmission of an SOS message, or action selected using the crown), incoming messages such as from an alarm monitoring station, selectable options, etc. The housing 202 includes a front face 202a (e.g., facing away from the skin surface), a rear face 202b (e.g., facing toward the skin surface), and a peripheral wall 202c extending between the front and rear faces. As with the device 100, the device 200 includes features 203 and 203 by means of which the housing 202 can be secured to a strap, wristband, or armband. The strap, wristband, or armband may be detachable or integrally formed with the housing 202. The strap, wristband, or armband provides a convenient location for one or more antennas of the device 200, each antenna being electrically connected to a respective transmitter and / or receiver (optionally in the form of a transceiver).Different sizes of strap, wristband, or armband can be provided to allow the device to be adapted to users with wrists of varying circumferences (more generally, sizes). It may also be appropriate to provide more than one size of device to accommodate people of different builds. The particular relevance shown in Figures 2 to 6 lies in the presence of the protective structure 214, provided to protect, in a direction-dependent manner, the SOS button 210 that protrudes from the perimeter wall. The protective structure 214 includes features designated 212 on both sides of the SOS button 210, to protect the button. Features 212, which may be considered as tabs or fairings, are intended to reduce the incidence of false alarms by making unintentional pressing of the SOS button less likely. The fairings may be configured with a height (depth in Figure 2) that is the same as, slightly greater than, or slightly less than the corresponding height on the SOS button 210. The faces of the SOS button adjacent to the fairings 212 may be parallel or substantially parallel to each other.The inner faces of the pairs of tabs 212 can rest against respective side faces of the SOS button 210. The opposite inner faces of the fairings, between which the SOS button is located, can be separated, for example, between 9 and 15 mm, or between 10 and 13 mm. Preferably, the protective structure substantially conceals the sides of the SOS button on at least the first and second opposite sides from the perimeter wall. Preferably, the protective structure includes a pair of side tabs, one on each side of the SOS button, to protect the side faces of the SOS button that protrude from the perimeter wall, optionally substantially all of the side faces of the SOS button that protrude from the perimeter wall. Thus, the protective structure may include a pair of side tabs 212, one on each side of the SOS button 210 to protect the side faces of the SOS button 210 that protrude from the peripheral wall, optionally substantially all of the side faces of the SOS button that protrude from the peripheral wall. In addition to or as an alternative to the side tabs 212, the protective structure may further comprise a floor element 216 extending to the rear (e.g., underneath when viewed from above as in Fig. 2) of the SOS button 210. When both the tabs 212 and the floor element 216 are arranged, they can cooperate to provide an enhanced protective structure 214 that largely protects the button from inadvertent activation. Thus, the structural protection 214 may include a floor element 216 extending between the side tabs 212 to the rear of the SOS button, with the protective structure covering substantially the entire length of that portion of the SOS button that protrudes from the peripheral wall. The side tabs 212 and the floor element 216 each extend outward from the peripheral wall by substantially the same length. The protective structure 214 may be fixed to the perimeter wall. The pair of fairings 212 and the floor may be integrally formed to create a robust structure that largely surrounds three sides of the SOS button 210. Together, the fairings 212 and the floor cooperate to leave the SOS button 210 accessible but not exposed. Preferably, the protective structure protects the SOS button 210 from the rear, without protecting, or protecting to a lesser extent, the SOS button 210 from the front. Preferably, the protective structure substantially conceals the SOS button 210, at least from the rear. Preferably, the protective structure 214 includes the floor 216, which extends adjacent to the rear of the SOS button 210 to protect a portion of the rear of the SOS button 210 that protrudes from the peripheral wall, optionally substantially the entire rear portion of the SOS button 210 that protrudes from the peripheral wall. Optionally, the support structure is integrally formed with the peripheral wall. The arrangement of the fairings 212 and the floor, and their relationship to the SOS button, can be seen more clearly in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6. The SOS button includes a visual indicator (represented by the black line 218 in fig. 2) To indicate at least partially the area where the button needs to be pressed to generate an SOS signal. In this case, the indicator is provided as a band that has contrasting visibility with the rest of the SOS button. The contrast can be color, for example, a red band or a black, white, silver, or gold button. Or, the contrast can be the shade or brightness relative to the rest of the button. The visual indicator can be positioned on the top or bottom of the button, such that generating an SOS signal requires pressing the SOS button sufficiently to obscure at least part, optionally most, and optionally all of the visual indicator. The 208 crown element may have a configuration that includes at least one selected from: a push-button mushroom configuration; and a push-button peripheral surface that is neither curled nor ridged. A mushroom configuration, as used herein, means that the crown itself, or its mount, includes a neck region between the watch case and the outer region of the crown. SOS devices according to aspects of the invention may include a capacitive "touch" sensor, for example, under the face of the device, to enable the user to generate input by "touch." For example, the device may be configured (for example, the processor may be appropriately programmed) to accept the user placing their thumb, finger, or fingers on the "glass" over the sphere as input, such as to cancel an SOS alert or to indicate that no intervention is required after a fall. Figure 7 is a schematic view showing the main functional units that constitute an SOS 500 device according to aspects of the invention, as shown in Figures 2-6. At the heart of the device is a processor 502, which may be a microcontroller (MCU) to which other functional units are operatively connected. The processor is supported by a memory 503 (although if the processor is an MCU, the memory may be internal to the MCU). A display module 504 may comprise, as shown, an electronic display component 506 such as unit 209 in Figure 2, and a mechanical display arrangement 508 which may include a mechanical drive mechanism, such as a stepper motor, connected to the hands of a clock display.However, in other embodiments, the mechanical display arrangement 508 may be dispensed with, so that the display module 504 may comprise only one electronic display component (or more than one such component): for example, the entire sphere (for example, 204) of an SOS device may be in the form of a display based on appropriate display technology (for example, AMOLED or liquid crystal). An RF module 510 includes one or more RF transmitters and receivers 512, 514, which may be in the form of transceivers, to cover one or more wavelength bands and communication protocols, for example, to cover outdoor SOS communication (where the home support unit may not be accessible) using a long-range protocol such as Sigfox or LoRaWAN (both low-power and long-range WANs).In particular, it is desirable to include hardware / functionality (e.g., a suitable transceiver) to support LTE Cat M and / or NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things), both cellular communication protocols using licensed frequency spectrum (3GPP), with potential ranges of up to 10 km, at least for the modest bandwidths required to generate an SOS signal. The RF module may optionally include a transceiver capable of supporting Wi-Fi, although Wi-Fi's generally high power consumption makes it less attractive as a communication mode. The RF module 510 is connected to one or more suitable RF antennas 516, although one or more of these antennas may be located on the strap or wristband, rather than on the device housing, in order to optimize antenna performance and therefore range / speed.A 518 accelerometer, which can be a three-axis device (although simpler devices such as two-axis accelerometers can be used), is provided for fall / impact detection. Using a three-axis accelerometer, fall detection is performed (during which the acceleration due to gravity can drop to near zero on an axis that was previously detecting an acceleration of 9.8 m / s²). The processor preferably has at least one operating mode in which, if the event generates signals from the accelerometer indicating a fall, the device transmits a "fall alert" signal to the remote monitoring function.The processor is preferably programmed to distinguish between "hard" falls (indicative of a sudden impact, possibly against an underlying surface) and "soft" falls (indicative of minor impacts with less abrupt transmission, possibly through falls onto an underlying surface such as a camera or upholstered furniture, and / or a fall that is interrupted by interaction with something on the way down). The processor may operate according to an algorithm that only reacts to "hard" falls. In the case of soft falls, the user may use the SOS button to request assistance if required. In response to receiving such a fall alert, the remote monitoring function (or on-site monitoring) may send a signal to device 500 to cause processor 520 to open an audio channel to microphone 520 in audio module 522.In this way, the remote monitoring function can verify what has happened ("audio verification") and thus determine the best response. If intervention appears to be required, the remote monitoring function can contact emergency / support services, or the device user's family / friends, and optionally send a message to display an indication on the device that help is on the way. The 502 processor can also be programmed to record an audio file from the 520 microphone, optionally in response to an SOS event and / or connect the device's 520 microphone to a remote entity for verification and monitoring (e.g., to enable an appropriate response to be provided). The audio module 522 includes at least a microphone 520, but may also include a speaker 524 to enable two-way (duplex) audio communication, for example, with the remote monitoring function. An SOS detection module 526 may include a (mechanical) microswitch, or an electronic sensor operated by the SOS actuator, for example, the SOS button 210, to generate an SOS signal. The accelerometer can also be used to provide a step counting function, and the processor can be arranged (programmed) to make the current step count displayed on the watch face and / or reported to family / friends who have an appropriate application, so that they can intervene (or at least ask and encourage) in the event that a daily or weekly step goal is not reached, or in the event that the normally active user suddenly or gradually becomes inactive or noticeably less active. Figure 8 shows a person 100 wearing a self-powered SOS device 200 on a wrist. The SOS device includes a transceiver arrangement that, within the house 603, can communicate with a central unit or base station 604, for example, using a relatively low-power channel in an assigned ISM frequency band (such as an 868 MHz band).The 604 central unit can store contact details so that one or more people / organizations can be contacted if a fall or SOS alert is triggered within the home. The central unit can potentially use a mobile phone, landline, or wired broadband connection to generate an alert signal, possibly including a pre-recorded message, regarding the specific SOS device (which may be associated with a particular individual so that the person's name or the SOS device ID is synchronized). This allows someone to request that the relevant offices provide help / assistance to the person who has fallen or sent the SOS alert. Alternatively, the 604 central unit can be configured to work with the dedicated 606 remote monitoring station, which can potentially serve multiple SOS devices.Such a dedicated remote monitoring station 606 can also provide support to SOS devices that are set up to report alerts (falls or SOS events) even if they are outside the range of the central unit 604. For this purpose, the SOS device preferably includes at least one RF transmitter configured to operate over a low-energy wide area mobile network (e.g., 3GPP) such as LTE Cat M and NB IoT, or equivalents, and / or at least one RF transmitter configured to operate over a low-energy wide area network (LPWLAN) that uses unlicensed frequency spectrum such as Sigfox or LoRaWAN. The central unit 604 can also serve as the central unit / controller of a security monitoring system of a type that, in an armed state, is operable to report security breaches (such as the opening of a door or window, detected by a door / window sensor) to a remote monitoring station 606, typically over a broadband internet connection 608 or by means of a wireless connection 612. In the same, a different monitoring center can be used to monitor SOS alerts, fall alerts, etc., from the SOS device 200.The security monitoring installation may include not only one or more sensors to detect the opening of doors and windows, but may also include one or more cameras such as the 609 video camera, which at the 606 remote monitoring station may be able to be turned on, by means of the central unit, so that videos or still images can be sent to the remote monitoring station for review after an incident alert. The figure illustrates a security monitoring system for premises, the system being of the type that, in an armed state, is operable to report security violations, such as the opening of a door or window, detected by a door / window sensor, to a remote monitoring station, the system being configured to: receive alert messages from a device on the premises, the device being in accordance with any variant of the first aspect; send received alert messages to the remote monitoring station; to take action on any request received from the remote monitoring station to access a microphone on the device by transmitting an appropriate instruction to the device; and then send the signals received from the device to the remote monitoring station. The SOS 200 device can be configured to transmit its reports using a short-range communication protocol, such as Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, or Thread, if available, preferably over Wi-Fi, by using a suitable internal transmitter (which may be arranged as a transceiver). For example, if a suitable low-energy communication protocol is not available, the SOS 200 device can be configured to use Wi-Fi, provided a Wi-Fi network with a known SSID and sufficient signal strength (e.g., better than -67 dBm) is available. Alternatively, the SOS 200 device can be configured to use a cellular network (e.g., a PLMN 116 using LTE Cat M and NB IoT, LTE, 3GPP 4G or 5G, CDMA) to transmit the reports. Additionally, the SOS 200 device implementations can also use a long-range communication protocol such as SigFox (RTM) by default if the device is outside its own PLMN range (or unable to ensure a reliable connection) and / or known Wi-Fi networks. For example, SigFox supports long-range communication (30-50 km in rural areas, 3-10 km in urban areas), low data rates (12 bytes per message with a maximum of 140 messages per day per device), and uses a sub-GHz band (868 MHz in Europe) and employs BPSK modulation with ultra-narrowband technology. SigFox-equipped end devices transmit data to SigFox base stations, which then forward the data to SigFox servers.In them, the data is processed before the results are sent to the respective end devices for display, in this case for a user or service provider to determine the location of the SOS device. Reports from the SOS 200 device are preferably directed to a network storage arrangement (e.g., one or more cloud servers) 618, which functions as a tracking system backend. From there, they are optionally sent to a device, such as a smartphone 620, belonging to a family member of the SOS device user. The smartphone 620 or other device has a software application (app) 622 installed for viewing the reports received (directly or indirectly) from the SOS device. Signals can be communicated to the smartphone 620 via any wireless network, e.g., cellular, communications, as illustrated by stations 616. Although the illustrated embodiments have been described in the context of wearable devices worn on the wrist, it will be appreciated that the concepts and ideas of the invention find equal application in other wearable devices. For example, a device configured to be worn as a pendant, and the term "wearable device" should be constructed to include such devices unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

Claims

1. A portable personal SOS device comprising an SOS button, a processor, and, operatively connected to the processor, an accelerometer, at least one RF transmitter, the processor being programmed to activate the at least one RF transmitter to transmit an alert message in the event that either an SOS event signal has been generated by means of the SOS button or signals have been received from the accelerometer indicating a fall, the device comprising a front face, a rear face, and a peripheral wall extending between the front and rear faces, the SOS button being situated on, and protruding from, the peripheral wall, the operation of the SOS button to generate an SOS event signal involving pressing the SOS button inwards, into the interior of the device, where a protective structure is disposed to protect, in a direction-dependent manner,1. The SOS button protruding from the peripheral wall.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a wrist-worn device and optionally comprises a watch.

3. The device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the protective structure is fixed to the peripheral wall.

4. The device of claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the protective structure protects the SOS button at the rear, without protecting, or protecting to a lesser extent, the SOS button at the front.

5. The device of claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein the protective structure is configured such that operating the SOS button to generate an SOS event signal involves pressing the SOS button to an inward position of an outer extremity of the protective structure.

6. The device of any preceding claim,wherein the protective structure substantially conceals the sides of the SOS button on at least the first and second opposite sides with respect to the peripheral wall.

7. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the protective structure substantially conceals the SOS button at least on its rear side.

8. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the protective structure includes a floor extending adjacent to the rear of the SOS button to protect a rear portion of the SOS button that protrudes from the peripheral wall, optionally substantially the entire rear portion of the SOS button that protrudes from the peripheral wall.

9. The device of any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the protective structure includes a pair of side tabs, one on each side of the SOS button, to protect the side faces of the SOS button that protrude from the peripheral wall.Optionally, substantially the entire length of the side faces of the SOS button that protrude from the peripheral wall.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the protective structure includes a floor extending between the side tabs to the rear of the SOS button, the protective structure protecting substantially the entire length of that portion of the SOS button that protrudes from the peripheral wall.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the side tabs and the floor each extend outward from the peripheral wall by substantially the same length.

12. The device of claim 9, 10, or 11, wherein the inner faces of the pair of tabs bear against respective side faces of the SOS button.

13. The device of claim 9, 10, 11, or 12, wherein the SOS button has a width in the direction between the pair of tabs of between 9 and 15 mm.and optionally between 10 and 13 mm.

14. The device of claim 9, 10, 11, 12, or 13, wherein the tabs are elongated and taper outward from the peripheral wall to a maximum thickness / width / depth adjacent to the SOS button.

15. The device of any of the preceding claims, wherein the protective structure is integrally formed with the peripheral wall.

16. The device of any of the preceding claims, wherein the SOS button includes a visual indicator to indicate the extent to which the button needs to be pressed to generate an SOS event signal.

17. The device of any of the preceding claims,further comprising a push-button crown element, the crown element having a configuration that includes at least one selected from: (i) a push-button mushroom configuration; (ii) a push-button peripheral surface that is neither curled nor creviced.

18. The device of any of the preceding claims, further comprising a haptic transducer, the processor being programmed to activate the haptic transducer to provide the user with feedback in the event that an SOS event signal has been generated.

19. The device of any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one RF transmitter includes a transmitter configured to operate on a low-power wide-area cellular network such as LTE Cat M and NB IoT.

20. The device of any of the preceding claims,wherein at least one RF transmitter includes a transmitter configured to operate in an unlicensed frequency band, such as an ISM band.

21. The device of any of the preceding claims, wherein the processor is further programmed to transmit the location of the device when an SOS event signal is generated.

22. The device of any of the preceding claims, wherein the processor is further programmed to provide feedback to the user (e.g., via the display on the watch face) if signals received from the accelerometer indicate a fall, to enable the user to cancel the alert message if no intervention or assistance is required.

23. The device of any of the preceding claims, wherein the processor is further programmed to provide feedback to the user, e.g.,through the display on the watch face, or through vibration) when confirmation of successful transmission of an alert message is received.

24. The device of any of the preceding claims, further comprising a microphone, wherein the processor is further programmed to: (i) record an audio file from the microphone, optionally in response to an SOS event, and / or (ii) connect the device's microphone to a remote entity for verification and monitoring (e.g., to enable an appropriate response to be provided).

25. The device of any of the preceding claims, wherein the accelerometer is a 3-axis accelerometer.

26. A premises security monitoring system, the system being of the type that, in an armed state, is operational for reporting security breaches, such as the opening of a door or window,detected by a door / window sensor to a remote monitoring station, the system being configured to: receive alert messages from the device on the premises, the device being as claimed in any of the preceding claims; send received alert messages to the remote monitoring station; take action on any request received from the remote monitoring station to access a microphone on the device by transmitting an appropriate instruction to the device; and then send the signals received from the device to the remote monitoring station.

27. A security monitoring system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the device is configured to function as a witness for arming and disarming the security monitoring system.

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