GB2426154A - Child mobile phone - Google Patents

Abstract

A mobile phone for the use of children. This phone offers instant communication between the child's phone and the mobile phones (and land lines, if required) of three other possible contacts by a simple touch of a button. The phone can only contact the numbers that have been registered on it and can only receive calls from these same numbers. The phone can display the person who is calling as well as the length of the phone call. The device incorporates a discreet, silent, easily operated homing device.

Description

Child Mobile Phone (C-mob 512) This invention relates to a three to six

(maximum) button mobile phone for the use of children in order to give them a constant way of contacting their parents instantly, without allowing anyone else to contact them.

As children grow older they begin to feel confident enough to periodically leave their parents' supervision. Even children as young as five or six may feel confident by themselves without their parents. This may inspire parents to equip their children with a conventional mobile phone in order to keep their children within "calls-reach".

Ilowever, parents are unaware that by giving their child a mobile phone they are allowing strangers a way of contacting their child. Given how simple it has become to fmd people's mobile phone numbers using sources such as the internet, it would not take a computer literate criminal long to fmd out your child's mobile phone number. Furthermore, a conventional mobile phone can cause your child to be a target for thieves, as mobile phones are seen to be a very trendy device. This device ensures that if your child loses his phone, it can more easily be found, as being of limited use, no-one will be likely to steal it.

The three-button design of the phone means that by simply pressing a button, a child can instantly be in verbal communication with either his mother's mobile phone (contact 1), his father's mobile phone (contact 2) or his place of residence (home), etc. The phone will not allow for any other two way communication other than with the numbers that have been programmed into the phone.

Using an independent, battery-operated unit, as in airliner tracking systems, the device will incorporate a discreet, silent "homing device", operable while the instrument is turned off.. This beacon, capable of activation by the child via a set of small buttons, will be located on either side of the mobile phone. In an emergency, the child would press these two buttons at the same time to trigger the silent beacon. The beacon should also be capable of activation be any and all of the designated numbers. The child should be able to be located over an area of at least 40 miles.

The phone should be in a dormant state, activated (apart from the independent homing system) by use either by the caller or receiver and the instrument would be charged by using a plug-in adaptor.

The invention has several advantages. Firstly and most importantly, no caller can reach the phone other than the registered numbers programmed on the phone itself. For example only the parents/guardians (whose numbers will be programmed on the phone) can call the number that has been designated to their child. The child can only contact either parentiguardian from the phone that he/she has. The child cannot contact anyone else, nor can anyone else come in contact with the child.

Another advantage is that this phone is virtually theft-proof: there are only three different numbers that can be reached directly from this phone, which means it is valueless to another user.

The invention will now be described with reference made to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 Shows the original "three-button" flip phone invention with dimensions. This is the basic design of the phone from which all other future designs will be based.

Figure 2 Shows a possible 6-button adaptation of the original.

In Figure 1, The Child Mobile Phone design is a flip' phone with a length of 80mm, width of 45mm and a height of 22mm (approx.); The unit weighs approximately 125g. The screen would display the identity of the person calling. The "flip" design prevents the user from pressing the buttons accidentally. The diagram also shows the button(s) on either side of the device that would trigger the silent beacon.

In figure 2, there are six different registered numbers on this phone. This offers more options/locations by which the parents of the child can be reached. This feature would ensure that at all times, the parents of the child are contactable..

An adaptation to this phone would be the addition of an independent location/tracking device.

Activating such a device would be done both through the parents' phones and the child's to enable the latter, in the event of an emergency, to be able to give out tracking information to the parents' phones. Programming satellite navigation capabilities are not new concepts, however, given the nature of the invention it seems to be a natural step in the progression of the product.

Claims (6)

1. Claims I. Three to six button mobile phone unit, programmed only to allow

   instant push button communication between the unit and the designated recipient numbers.
2. 2. Each button on the unit when pressed once is programmed to instantly dial a parents' home, work, or mobile number, depending on the type of phone that the child has.
3. 3. Mobile phone unit can only receive calls from the three to six designated numbers that are registered on the phone itself.
4. 4. The instrument should be in a permanent "dormant" mode, activated by use by child or designated recipient contact.
5. 5. The phone would incorporate a silent, independent battery-operated beacon or tracking device, similar to those currently in use in aircraft, capable of activation by the child in an emergency by pressing two simjlar buWrns on eher side of the device.
6. 6. Parental tracking of the child would utilise current technology of satlite navigation.