Portable home security devices and associated systems

Abstract

An SOS device for home use comprising an SOS button, a processor and, operatively coupled to the processor, a 3-axis 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 an SOS event is signaled via the SOS button or signals received from the accelerometer indicate a fall, the device comprising a front face, a back face, a peripheral wall extending between the front and back faces, the SOS button being located on the peripheral wall and projecting from the peripheral wall, operation of the SOS button to signal an SOS event involves pressing the SOS button inwardly, toward the interior of the device, a protective structure being provided for the SOS button, the protective structure comprising a pair of side flanges,one on each side of the SOS button, and a bottom extending between the side flanges towards the rear of the SOS button, the protective structure shielding on three sides substantially the entire length of the part of the SOS button, which projects from the peripheral wall. Figure to be published for the abstract: Figure 2,

Description

Title of the invention: Portable security devices for home use and associated systems Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to portable home security devices and systems, which operate with or support such devices. State of the art

[0002] A 2022 report from the World Health Organization (WHO) noted that:

[0003] “People around the world are living longer. Today, most People can expect to live into their sixties and beyond. Every country in the world is experiencing growth in both the number and proportion of older people in the population.

[0004] By 2030, one in six people in the world will be 60 or older. At the same time, the population aged 60 and over will increase from 1 billion in 2020 to 1.4 billion. By 2050, the global population of people aged 60 and over will have doubled to 2.1 billion. The number of people aged 80 or over is expected to triple between 2020 and 2050 to 426 million. In Japan, 30% of the population is already over 60. In many countries, long-term declines in birth rates mean that a growing share of the population is becoming elderly – a trend known as “population aging,” which places an ever-increasing burden on the rest of society in terms of the need for care and social support.

[0005] Consequently, the demand for equipment, systems and services to assist older people is increasing. In particular, there is a need for equipment, systems and services that would enable older people to live independently and safely for as long as possible - given the ever-increasing cost of sheltered accommodation and the difficulties associated with staffing such facilities.

[0006] In this context, it is common to provide alarms and monitoring systems (home health) for domestic use, generally involving a home alarm device worn on the person, and which includes an SOS / alarm button by means of which an elderly person can call for help. Such devices may also include or be worn in combination with a fall detector, which may trigger an alarm or automatically call for help, in the event that a person wearing the device suffers a fall. Such devices often take the form of a large pendant suspended from a cord around the wearer's neck, although it is also possible to provide a device worn on the wrist, which can be worn in the manner of a wristwatch, and which can, for convenience, also act as a watch.

[0007] One such known device is shown in [Fig. 1]. The device is in the form of a wristwatch having a body mounted on the wristband having a dial and hands for displaying the time. The housing is integral with an actuator (or pusher) in the form of a push button. Operation of the actuator, usually pushed radially inwards, causes the device to signal an SOS or alarm condition. This may simply involve using an internal buzzer, which produces a loud audible alarm but, more commonly, the device wirelessly transmits (usually via an 868 MHz connection to a home help unit, which can then transmit the alarm messages to a remote monitoring center, usually via a broadband connection) an alarm signal for receipt at a remote monitoring device or service.The actuator for signaling an SOS has only one function: to reduce the risk of an inadvertent SOS signaling or alarm event. In order to signal an alarm event, it may be necessary to hold the actuator down for one second or more to reduce the risk of an inadvertent SOS signaling due to an inadvertent brief activation of the SOS button. A toothed crown may, as shown, be provided to allow the hands of the watch display to be adjusted and possibly other adjustments and inputs to be made.

[0008] In developing the present invention, it was felt that, despite the need for prolonged activation of the SOS button in order to signal an SOS event, the device of [Fig. 1] is still susceptible to inadvertently sending SOS alerts (false alerts). It was felt that such a situation arises when a wearer, seated in a chair, leans on the arms of the chair to stand up. By flexing the wrist, which carries the device, a wearer may inadvertently press the SOS button by contact with the forearm or by contact with a cuff or sleeve of a garment being worn. Furthermore, the usual user of such an SOS device is likely to take his or her time in moving from a sitting to a standing position, possibly due to muscle weakness or a desire to avoid fainting or dizziness.Often these transitions take long enough to cause a false alarm.

[0009] There is therefore a need for an improved portable SOS device which is less prone to generating false alerts. Statement of the invention

[0010] According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a portable SOS device for home use, comprising an SOS button, a processor and, operatively coupled to the processor, 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 an SOS event is signaled via the SOS button,

[0011] the device comprising a front face, a rear face, a peripheral wall extending between the front and rear faces, the SOS button being located on the peripheral wall and protruding from the peripheral wall, the operation of the SOS button being able to signal an SOS event involving the SOS button being pressed inwardly, towards the interior of the device, a protective structure being provided to shield, depending on the direction, the SOS button protruding from the peripheral wall.

[0012] By shielding the SOS button in this manner, it is possible to reduce the chances of the button being accidentally pressed, while still allowing good access when a user intends or needs to press the SOS button.

[0013] The device may be a wrist-worn device and optionally includes a time counter.

[0014] Optionally, the protective structure is fixed relative to the peripheral wall.

[0015] Optionally, the protective structure shields the SOS button at the rear, without shielding or shields, to a lesser extent, the SOS button at the front.

[0016] Optionally, the protective structure has an outer end and is configured such that operation of the SOS button to signal an SOS event involves depressing the SOS button to a position within an outer end.

[0017] Optionally, the protective structure substantially conceals the sides of the SOS button on at least first and second opposite sides relative to the peripheral wall.

[0018] Optionally, the protective structure substantially conceals the SOS button at least at the rear.

[0019] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the protective structure may include a bottom extending adjacent the rear of the SOS button to shield a rear of the SOS button, which protrudes from the peripheral wall, possibly substantially the entirety of the rear of the SOS button, which protrudes from the peripheral wall.

[0020] In other embodiments of the first aspect, the protective structure may include a pair of side flanges, one on each side of the SOS button, for shielding the side faces of the SOS button, which project from the peripheral wall, possibly substantially the entirety of the side faces of the SOS button, which project from the peripheral wall. The protective structure may include a bottom extending between the side flanges towards the rear of the SOS button, the protective structure shielding on three sides substantially the entire length of the portion of the SOS button, which projects from the peripheral wall. In addition, the side flanges and the bottom respectively extend outwardly, from the peripheral wall by substantially the same distance.

[0021] In any of these other embodiments, inner faces of the pair of flanges may abut respective side faces of the SOS button.

[0022] In any of these other embodiments, the SOS button may have, in the direction between the pair of flanges, a width of between 9 mm and 15 mm and, optionally, between 10 mm and 13 mm.

[0023] In any of these other embodiments, the flanges may be elongated and taper outwardly from the peripheral wall to a maximum thickness / width / depth adjacent the SOS button.

[0024] In any variation of the first aspect, the protective structure may be formed integrally with the peripheral wall.

[0025] In any variation of the first aspect, the SOS button may include a visual indicator to indicate the extent to which the button must be pressed to signal an SOS event.

[0026] Any variation of the first aspect may further comprise a push button crown element, the crown element having a configuration comprising at least one element selected from: i. a mushroom push button configuration; ii. a push button peripheral surface, which is neither knurled nor ridged. By avoiding a knurled or ridged periphery on the crown element, users are less likely to be misled into assuming that the crown is a rotary input device, thereby avoiding frustration and stress for a user who may already be in an anxious state due to their need to use the SOS device to call for help.

[0027] Any variation of the first aspect may further comprise a haptic transducer, the processor being programmed to activate the haptic transducer to provide feedback to the user in the event that an SOS event is reported.

[0028] In any variation of the first aspect, the at least one RF transmitter may comprise a transmitter configured to operate on a low-power wide-area cellular network, such as LTE Cat M and NB-IoT.

[0029] In any variation of the first aspect, the at least one RF transmitter may comprise a transmitter configured to operate on an unlicensed frequency band, such as an ISM band.

[0030] In any variation of the first aspect, the processor may further be programmed to transmit the device location when signaling an SOS event.

[0031] In any variation of the first aspect, the processor may further be programmed to provide feedback to the wearer (e.g., via a display on the watch face) in the event that signals received from the accelerometer indicate a fall, to allow the wearer to cancel the alert message in the event that no intervention or assistance is required.

[0032] In any variation of the first aspect, the processor may further be programmed to provide feedback to the wearer (e.g., via a display on the watch face or by vibration) upon receiving confirmation of successful delivery of an alert message.

[0033] Any variation of the first aspect may further comprise a microphone and the processor may further be programmed: (i) to record an audio clip from the microphone, possibly in response to an SOS event, and / or (ii) to couple the microphone of the device to a remote entity for verification and monitoring (e.g., to enable an appropriate response to be provided).

[0034] Any variation of the first aspect may further comprise an accelerometer. The processor may be programmed to transmit an alert message, in the event that an SOS event is signaled via the SOS button or in the event that signals received from the accelerometer indicate a fall. Optionally, the accelerometer may be a 3-axis accelerometer.

[0035] In any variant, the front face of the device may be designed in the form of a watch dial to display the time using at least one pair of hands.

[0036] In any variant, the devices may comprise a mechanical drive of the watch hands, possibly including a stepping motor. Optionally, the dial of the device may further comprise an optoelectronic display arrangement. Alternatively, the watch hands could be displayed on an optoelectronic display arrangement.

[0037] In any variation, the SOS button may be designed to activate a mechanical switch or an electronic switch. An electronic switch may have a total travel of less than half a millimeter but may still improve the ergonomics of the device if the SOS button requires a longer travel (perhaps double the travel of the switch, e.g., 1 mm to 1.2 mm) in order to input an SOS alert.

[0038] In any variation, when the SOS button is activated, the user may be prompted to cancel - for example by holding down the "glass" above the display.

[0039] In any variation, the device may be configured to activate the display to provide visual feedback / visual annunciation of detected activation of the SOS switch or cancellation of an alert. Additionally or alternatively, the device may provide a haptic feedback signal (e.g., in the form of a vibration or buzzing sound).

[0040] According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a security monitoring system for premises, the system being of a type such that, in an activated state, it 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 adapted: to receive alert messages from a device on the premises, the device being in accordance with any variation of the first aspect;

[0041] to transmit received alert messages to the remote monitoring station;

[0042] to execute any request received from the remote monitoring station to access a microphone on the device by transmitting an appropriate instruction to the device; and

[0043] to then transmit to the remote monitoring station the signals received from the device.

[0044] In such a security monitoring system, the device may be configured to operate as a token to activate and deactivate the security monitoring system. Brief description of the figures

[0045] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the appended figures, in which:

[0046] [Fig.l] is a schematic plan view illustrating a known wrist-worn SOS device;

[0047] [Fig.2] is a schematic plan view illustrating a wrist-worn SOS device according to one aspect of the invention;

[0048] [Fig.3] is a schematic perspective view from above of the device of [Fig.2], and also an enlargement of a circled detail;

[0049] [Fig.4] is a schematic perspective view from below of the device of [Fig.3], and also an enlargement of a circled detail;

[0050] [Fig.5] is a schematic partial side view of the direction of a bracelet;

[0051] [Fig.6] is a schematic partial side view similar to [Fig.5], but of side ;

[0052] [Fig.7] is a diagram showing the main functional units that constitute an SOS device according to aspects of the invention; and

[0053] [Fig.8] schematically illustrates systems according to aspects of the invention. Preferred embodiment of the invention

[0054] [Fig.l] is a schematic plan view of a known wrist-worn SOS device 100. The device comprises a housing 102, which includes a display 104 in the form of a watch face. The housing 102 also includes features 103 and 103' by which the housing may be attached to a strap, bracelet, or headband. The strap, bracelet, or headband may be detachable (as herein) or formed integrally with the housing 102. The display 104 includes hands 106 for indicating the time. A crown or toothed crown 108 is provided, at the 3 o'clock position, to allow the hands 106 to be adjusted to reset the watch and display the correct time. In order to adjust the position of the hands, crown 108 must be pulled to the right, opposite the resting position shown, and then crown 108 is turned to adjust the hands.In some cases, the crown 108 has at least two recessed positions, opposite the rest position, one for each of the hour and minute hands 106. On the opposite side, an SOS button 101 is provided at the 9 o'clock position. This is a push button, which must be depressed (pushed radially inward) to activate the SOS function of the device.

[0055] [Fig. 2] is a corresponding schematic plan view illustrating a wrist-worn SOS device 200 according to one aspect of the invention. Again, the device 200 comprises a housing 202, generally made of metal or an engineering plastic, having a display 204, here in the form of a watch face including hands (not explicitly shown), although the watch functionality is optional. The hands, if present, are preferably physical elements coupled to a drive mechanism (e.g., a mechanism comprising a stepper motor) but, in other embodiments, the hands, if present, may be “virtual” and instead provided by a display technology such as AMOLED (active matrix organic light emitting diode) or liquid crystal (possibly TFT or transreflective LCD).In the example shown, the hands are physical elements coupled to a drive mechanism. As such, the crown element 208 could be designed as a means for making an adjustment to the position of the hands, for example, to correct any deviation in the displayed time, but, in the example shown, the crown simply acts as a push button and does not rotate. The position (setting) of the watch hands (if present) may be adjusted using an associated application, for example, installed on a . user device such as a smartphone. The crown element 208, which may be non-rotatable, may be used to adjust device settings and / or to select options.

[0056] In the case where physical hands, driven by 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 feedback to the user (for example, of activation of the SOS button 210, transmission of an SOS message or the option selected using the crown), incoming messages - such as those from an alarm monitoring station, selectable options, etc.

[0057] 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.

[0058] As with device 100, device 200 includes features 203 and 203' by which housing 202 may be attached to a lanyard, wristband, or bracelet. The lanyard, wristband, or bracelet may be detachable or may be formed integrally with housing 202. The lanyard, wristband, or bracelet provides a convenient location for at least one antenna of device 200, the at least one antenna being electrically coupled to a respective transmitter and / or receiver (possibly in the form of a transceiver). Different sizes of lanyard, wristband, or bracelet may be provided to accommodate wearers having wrists of different circumferences (more generally, different sizes). It may also be appropriate to provide multiple sizes of devices to accommodate individuals of different body sizes.

[0059] In Figures 2 to 6, the presence of the protective structure 214 for shielding is of particular importance, depending on the direction, the SOS button 210 protrudes from the peripheral wall. The protective structure 214 includes the marked features 212, one on each side of the SOS button 210, to protect the SOS button. These features 212, which can be considered as rims or shrouds, are intended to reduce the incidence of false alarms, by reducing the risks of unintentionally pressing the SOS button, and are arranged on each side of the SOS button 210. The shrouds can be designed with a height (depth in the figure, in [Fig.2]) that is the same, slightly higher, or slightly lower than the corresponding height of the SOS button 210. The sides of the SOS button, which are adjacent to the fairings 212, may be parallel or substantially parallel to each other.The inner faces of the pair of flanges 212 may abut against the side faces. respective buttons of the 210 SOS button.

[0060] The opposite internal faces of the fairings, between which the SOS button is housed, may be separated, for example, by 9 to 15 millimeters, for example, by 10 to 13 mm.

[0061] Preferably, the protective structure substantially conceals the sides of the SOS button on at least first and second opposite sides relative to the peripheral wall.

[0062] Preferably, the protective structure comprises a pair of side flanges, one on each side of the SOS button, for shielding the side faces of the SOS button, which project from the peripheral wall, possibly substantially all of the side faces of the SOS button, which project from the peripheral wall.

[0063] Thus, the protective structure may comprise a pair of lateral flanges 212, one on each side of the SOS button 210, to shield the lateral faces of the SOS button 210, which protrude from the peripheral wall, possibly substantially all of the lateral faces of the SOS button 210, which protrude from the peripheral wall.

[0064] In addition to or alternatively to the side flanges 212, the protective structure may further include a member (bottom) 216, which extends rearwardly (e.g., below when viewed from above, as in [Fig. 2]) of the SOS button 210. When both the flanges 212 and the bottom 216 are provided, they may cooperate to provide an improved protective structure 214, which largely protects the button from inadvertent activation. Thus, the protective structure 214 may include a bottom 216 extending between the side flanges 212 rearwardly of the SOS button, the protective structure shielding on three sides substantially the entire length of the portion of the SOS button, which projects from the peripheral wall.

[0065] The lateral edges 212 and the bottom 216 extend respectively outwards, from the peripheral wall, over substantially the same distance.

[0066] The protective structure 214 may be secured relative to the peripheral wall. The pair of shrouds 212 and the bottom may be formed as a single piece to form a robust structure, which largely surrounds three sides of the SOS button 210. Together, the shrouds 212 and the bottom cooperate to leave the SOS button 210 accessible but not exposed. Preferably, the protective structure shields the SOS button 210 at the rear, without shielding or shields, to a lesser extent, the SOS button 210 at the front. Preferably, the protective structure substantially conceals the SOS button 210 at least at the rear.

[0067] Preferably, the protective structure 214 includes the bottom 216, which extends adjacent the rear of the SOS button 210 to shield a rear of the button 210. of SOS, which protrudes from the peripheral wall, possibly substantially the entire rear of the SOS button 210, which protrudes from the peripheral wall.

[0068] Optionally, the protective structure is formed in one piece with the peripheral wall.

[0069] The arrangement of the fairings 212 and the bottom, as well as their relationship to the SOS button are more visible in Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6.

[0070] The SOS button includes a visual indicator (shown by the black line 218 in [Fig. 2]) to indicate, at least partially, the extent to which the button must be depressed to signal an SOS event. In the invention, the indicator is provided in the form of a stripe, which visibly contrasts with the rest of the SOS button - the contrast may be in color, for example, a red stripe on a black, white, silver, or gold button. Alternatively, the contrast may be in hue or brightness relative to the rest of the button. The visual indicator may be provided at the root or base of the button - such that signaling an SOS event involves depressing the SOS button sufficiently to conceal at least a portion, possibly the majority, and possibly all of the visual indicator.

[0071] The crown member 208 may have a configuration including at least one configuration selected from: a mushroom push button configuration; and a push button peripheral surface, which is neither knurled nor ridged. A mushroom configuration is used herein to mean that the crown itself, or its mount, includes a neck area between the watch case and the outer area of the crown.

[0072] SOS devices according to aspects of the invention may include a capacitive "touch" sensor, e.g., behind the face of the device, to allow user input by "touch." For example, the device may be designed (e.g., the processor may be appropriately programmed) to accept a user placing a thumb, finger, or fingers on the "glass" on the face, as an input - such as an input to cancel an SOS alert or to indicate that no intervention is required after a fall.

[0073] [Fig. 7] is a diagram showing the main functional units that constitute an SOS device 500 according to aspects of the invention, as shown in Figures 2 to 6. At the heart of the device is a processor 502, which may be a microcontroller (MCU) to which the other functional units are operatively coupled. 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 illustrated, an electronic display component electronics 506, such as unit 209 of [Fig. 2], and a mechanical display arrangement 508, which may comprise a mechanical drive mechanism, such as a stepper motor, coupled to the hands of a watch display. However, in other embodiments, the mechanical display arrangement 508 may be omitted so that the display module 504 may comprise only an electronic display component (or several such components): for example, the entire dial (e.g., 204) of an SOS device may be in the form of a display based on a suitable display technology (e.g., AMOLED or liquid crystal).An RF module 510 comprises at least one RF transmitter and receiver 512, 514, which may take the form of transceivers, to cover at least one wavelength band and at least one communication protocol - for example, to cover SOS communication outdoors (where the home help unit may not be accessible) using a long-range protocol, such as Sigfox or LoRaWAN (both low-power, long-range wide-area networks). 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 of which are cellular communication protocols, using licensed frequency spectrum (3GPP), with potential ranges of up to 10 km - at least for the modest bandwidths required to signal an SOS message.The RF module may optionally include a transceiver capable of supporting Wi-Fi, although in general the high power consumption of Wi-Fi makes it less attractive as a mode of communication. The RF module 510 is coupled to at least one suitable RF antenna 516, although the at least one of said antennas may be located in the lanyard or wristband, rather than in the device housing, to optimize antenna performance and thus range / throughput. An accelerometer 518, which may be a 3-axis device (although simpler devices, such as 2-axis accelerometers, may be used), is provided for drop / shock detection. Using a 3-axis accelerometer, the detection of falls (where the acceleration due to gravity may fall to near zero on one axis, which previously detected an acceleration of 9.8 m / s2).The processor preferably has at least one mode of operation in which, in the event that signals from the accelerometer indicate a fall, the device outputs a "fall alert" signal to the remote monitoring function. The processor is preferably programmed to distinguish between "hard" falls (indicating a sudden impact, possibly against a rigid surface) and "soft" falls (indicating less forceful impacts with less abrupt transitions, possibly a fall onto a soft surface such as . than a bed or upholstered furniture and / or a fall, which is interrupted by interaction with an object during descent). The processor may operate according to an algorithm, which only reacts to "hard" falls. In the case of soft falls, the wearer may use the SOS button to request assistance, if necessary. In response to receiving such a fall alert, the remote monitoring function (or the personnel involved) may send a signal to the device 500 to cause the processor 502 to open an audio channel to a microphone 520 in an audio module 522. In this way, the remote monitoring function may be able to verify what happened ("audio verification") and therefore determine the best way to respond.If intervention appears necessary, the remote monitoring feature can contact emergency / help services or relatives / friends of the device wearer - and optionally send a message to be displayed on the device to indicate that help is on the way.

[0074] The processor 502 may further be programmed to record an audio clip from the microphone 520, possibly in response to an SOS event, and / or couple the microphone 520 of the device to a remote entity for verification and monitoring (e.g., to enable an appropriate response to be provided).

[0075] The audio module 522 includes at least the 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 actuated by the SOS actuator, for example, an SOS button 210, to signal an SOS condition.

[0076] The accelerometer may also be used to provide a step counting function and the processor may be designed (programmed) to cause the current step count to be displayed on the watch face and / or reported to relatives / friends, who have a suitable application, so that they may intervene (or at least be informed and offer encouragement) in the event that a daily or weekly step target is not met or in the event that a normally active wearer suddenly or gradually becomes inactive or significantly less active.

[0077] [Fig.8] shows a person 100 wearing a self-powered SOS device 200 on their wrist. The SOS device 200 comprises a transceiver arrangement, which, inside the home 603, can communicate with a central unit or base station 604, for example, using a relatively low power channel in an allocated ISM frequency band (such as an 868 MHz band). The central unit 604 can store contact details of at least one person / organization to be contacted in the event of a fall or triggering of an SOS alert inside the home, the central unit potentially using a cellular, landline or cable broadband connection to signal an alert, possibly including a pre-recorded message, regarding the particular SOS device (which may be associated with a particular individual such that the name of that person or the identifier of the SOS device are in fact synonymous), so that a person may be called to the scene to render aid / rescue to the person, who has fallen or triggered the SOS alert. Additionally or alternatively, the central unit 604 may be designed to cooperate with a dedicated remote monitoring station 606, which potentially serves many SOS devices. Such a dedicated remote monitoring station 606 may also support SOS devices, which are designed to signal alerts (whether for falls or SOS events) when they are out of range of the central unit 604.For this purpose, the SOS device preferably comprises at least one RF transmitter designed to operate on a low power wide area cellular network (e.g., 3GPP), such as LTE Cat M and NB-IoT, or equivalents, and / or at least one RF transmitter designed to operate on a low power wide area network (LPWAN), which uses an unlicensed frequency spectrum, such as Sigfox or LoRaWAN.

[0078] The central unit 604 may also serve as the central / control unit of a security monitoring system of the type, which, in an activated 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 via a broadband connection to the Internet 608, or via a wireless connection 612. The same or a different monitoring center may be used to monitor SOS alerts, fall alerts, etc., from the SOS device 200.The security monitoring facility may include not only at least one sensor for detecting the opening of doors or windows, but may also include at least one camera such as a video camera 609 that the remote monitoring station 606 may be capable of turning on, via the central unit, so that video or still images may be sent to the remote monitoring station for review after an incident alert.

[0079] The figure illustrates a security monitoring system for premises, the system being of a type such that, in an activated state, it 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 adapted: to receive alert messages from a device on the premises, the device being in accordance with any variation of the first aspect;

[0080] to transmit received alert messages to the remote monitoring station;

[0081] to execute any request received from the remote monitoring station to access a microphone on the device by transmitting an appropriate instruction to the device; and

[0082] to then transmit to the remote monitoring station the signals received from the device.

[0083] The SOS device 200 may be configured to transmit its reports using a short-range communication protocol, such as Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, or Thread, if available, in preference to using Wi-Fi, through the use of a suitable internal transmitter (which may be provided in the form of a transceiver). In one example, if no suitable low-power communication protocol is available, the SOS device 200 may be configured to use Wi-Fi, provided that a Wi-Fi network with a known SSID and sufficient signal strength (e.g., greater than -67 dBm) is available. Additionally or alternatively, the SOS device 200 may 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.

[0084] Additionally, embodiments of the SOS device 200 may further default to a long-range communication protocol such as SigFox (RTM) in the event that the device is out of range of PLMNs (or unable to secure a reliable connection) and / or known Wi-Fi networks. For example, SigFox supports long-range communication (30 km to 50 km in rural areas, 3 km to 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-1 GHz band (868 MHz in Europe) and uses BPSK modulation with ultra-narrowband technology. Terminals equipped with SigFox technology transmit data to SigFox base stations, which then transmit the data to SigFox servers.This is where the data is processed, before the results are sent to the respective terminals for viewing – in this case, for a user or service provider to determine the location of the SOS device.

[0085] Reports from the SOS device 200 are preferably directed to a networked recording arrangement (e.g., at least one cloud server) 618, which functions as a primary tracking system from where they are optionally pushed to a device, such as a smartphone 620, of a family member of the SOS device wearer. The smartphone 620 or other device has a software application (app) 622 installed to display the reports received (directly or indirectly) from the SOS device. The signals may be communicated to the smartphone 620 by any wireless service appropriate, e.g. cellular, communications, for example, illustrated by stations 616.

[0086] Although the illustrated embodiments have been described in the context of devices that can be worn on a user's wrist, it will be understood that the concepts and ideas of the invention find equal application in other wearable devices. For example, devices, which are designed to be worn as pendants and the expression "wearable device" should be interpreted to include such devices, unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

Claims

Claims

1. A portable SOS device for home use comprising an SOS button, a processor and, operatively coupled 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 an SOS event is signaled via the SOS button or signals received from the accelerometer indicate a fall, the device comprising a front face, a back face, a peripheral wall extending between the front and back faces, the SOS button being located on the peripheral wall and protruding from the peripheral wall, operation of the SOS button to signal an SOS event involving the SOS button being pressed inwardly, toward the interior of the device, wherein a shielding structure is provided to shield, depending on the direction, the SOS button protruding from the peripheral wall.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the device is a wrist-worn device and optionally comprises a time counter.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, in which the protective structure is fixed relative to the peripheral wall.

4. A device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the protective structure shields the SOS button at the rear, without shielding or shields, to a lesser extent, the SOS button at the front.

5. A device according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the protective structure is designed such that operation of the SOS button to signal an SOS event involves pressing the SOS button to a position within an outer end of the protective structure.

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

7. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the protective structure substantially conceals the SOS button at least at the rear.

8. A device according to any preceding claim, in wherein the protective structure includes a bottom extending adjacent the rear of the SOS button to shield a rear of the SOS button, which projects from the peripheral wall, possibly substantially the entirety of the rear of the SOS button, which projects from the peripheral wall.

9. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the protective structure comprises a pair of side flanges, one on each side of the SOS button, for shielding the side faces of the SOS button, which project from the peripheral wall, possibly substantially all of the side faces of the SOS button, which project from the peripheral wall.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein the protective structure comprises a bottom extending between the rearwardly lateral flanges of the SOS button, the protective structure shielding on three sides substantially the entire length of the portion of the SOS button which projects from the peripheral wall.

11. A device according to claim 10, wherein the side flanges and the bottom extend respectively outwards from the peripheral wall by substantially the same distance.

12. A device according to claim 9, 10 or 11, wherein the inner faces of the pair of flanges abut against respective side faces of the SOS button.

13. Device according to claim 9, 10, 11 or 12, in which the SOS button has, in the direction going between the pair of flanges, a width of between 9 mm and 15 mm and, optionally, between 10 mm and 13 mm.

14. A device according to claim 9, 10, 11, 12 or 13, wherein the flanges are elongated and taper outwardly from the peripheral wall to a maximum thickness / width / depth adjacent the SOS button.

15. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the protective structure is formed integrally with the peripheral wall.

16. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the SOS button comprises a visual indicator to indicate the extent to which the button must be pressed to signal an SOS event.

17. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a push button crown member, the crown member having a configuration comprising at least one member selected from: i. a mushroom push button configuration; ii. a push button peripheral surface, which is neither knurled nor ridged.

18. A device according to any preceding claim, further comprising a haptic transducer, the processor being programmed to activate the haptic transducer to provide feedback to the user in the event that an SOS event is reported.

19. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one RF transmitter comprises a transmitter adapted to operate on a low power wide area cellular network, such as LTE Cat M and NB-IoT.

20. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one RF transmitter comprises a transmitter adapted to operate on an unlicensed frequency band, such as an ISM band.

21. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the processor is further programmed to transmit the device location when reporting an SOS event.

22. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the processor is further programmed to provide feedback to the wearer (e.g., via a display on the watch face) in the event that signals received from the accelerometer indicate a fall, to enable the wearer to cancel the alert message in the event that no intervention or assistance is required.

23. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the processor is further programmed to provide feedback to the wearer (e.g., via a display on the watch face or by vibration) upon receiving confirmation of successful delivery of an alert message.

24. A device according to any preceding claim, further comprising a microphone, wherein the processor is further programmed: (i) to record an audio clip from the microphone, possibly in response to an SOS event, and / or (ii) to couple the microphone of the device to a remote entity for verification and monitoring (e.g., to enable an appropriate response to be provided).

25. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the accelerometer is a 3-axis accelerometer.

26. A security monitoring system for premises, the system being of a type such that, in an activated state, it 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 adapted: to receive alert messages from a device on the premises, the device being as claimed in any preceding claim; to transmit received alert messages to the remote monitoring station; to carry out any request received from the remote monitoring station to access a microphone on the device by transmitting an appropriate instruction to the device; and to then transmit to the remote monitoring station the signals received from the device.

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