FR2513785A1 - Automatic distress call installation for telephone system - contains microprocessor to control cassette recorder to issue recorded message directly to telephone line when alarm button is pressed - Google Patents

Abstract

The installation e.g. for invalids etc., has an enclosure (1) containing a microprocessor (MP) which has a number of button switches (B) connected to it. These are located at strategic places in an occupied dwelling. The microprocessor is connected to a memory (M) and pulse generator (GI) and uses a clock unit (H) as a time base. A cassette recorder (MC) contains a message which is retrieved by the microprocessor when one of the buttons is pressed. The message is routed via a connector assembly (5) to a telephone line (T) to which a telephone handset (4) is connected. The installation is powered from the mains or batteries (P) and contains a loudspeaker (7) and microphone (8) connected by a switch (9) to allow a telephone conversation to be applied directly to the line in place of the handset. In another arrangement activation of the alarm call may be by means of a portable transmitter.

Description

AUTOMATIC DISTRESS CALL INSTALLATION
The present invention relates to an automatic distress call installation and more particularly to an installation connected to a public or private telephone network and capable, from a simple control gesture, of sending automatically over the telephone network, to a destination '' a pre-selected subscriber, a pre-recorded message.

 The object of the invention is to propose a relatively simple and easy-to-install design system without any special arrangement in the home, allowing, for example, a single person who is suddenly ill or indisposed or unable to react, being able to call help him through his telephone line when this person is physically unable to pick up a telephone handset, dial a number and send a distress message.

 It is necessary, indeed, full knowledge to have the physical and moral energy to correctly dial a telephone number, to call for example a doctor, then to speak by giving all the necessary details and information.

 To this end, the subject of the invention is an automatic distress call installation connected to a telephone network, characterized in that it comprises a means of storing a pre-recorded verbal message and of restitution towards the telephone line of said message, a memory for storing one or more pre-selected telephone numbers, means for successively connecting said memory telephone line to said telephone line by means of a circuit generating pulsed pulses, then, if the called party picks up, said means for restoring the pre-recorded message, power supply means and a system for controlling the connection of the installation to the telephone line.

 According to one embodiment, said control system consists of several push-buttons or the like connected in parallel to said means of connection to the telephone line of the memory and means for restoring the pre-recorded message, said buttons being installed remotely by different places or rooms in the room occupied by the user.

 The latter, if he is in distress, can then by simple action on any of the buttons or the like control, trigger the connection of the installation to the telephone line, sending on it signals corresponding to the pre-recorded number then, after off-hook by the called party, the sending of the pre-recorded message.

 According to a preferred embodiment, the means for operating the connection to the telephone line of the various organs of the installation and ensuring the execution and the sequence of the various operations are advantageously constituted by a programmed microprocessor connected to said memory. , which can also be an integral part of the microprocessor, to said clocked pulse generator circuit, to said means for storing / rendering the distress message, to the control button (s), to an energy source electrical and, finally, d the telephone line in parallel with a telephone set.

 The microprocessor also makes it possible to program, if necessary, the repetition of the dialing of the called party's number if the latter does not pick up or if the line is busy, the repetition of the sending on the line of the distress message, and resetting the installation to its original state so that it is ready for another call, if necessary.

 Other complementary functions can be added to this installation as will be seen in the detailed and complete description which follows of an embodiment, description given by way of example only and during which various variant embodiments of certain installation components such as memory, means for storing / restoring the distress message, means for controlling the triggering of the installation, among others, will also be mentioned.

Said description will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings on which
- Fig. 1 represents the functional electrical diagram or
block diagram of an installation according to the invention,
and
- Fig. 2 illustrates an automatic operating program
installation tick.

 The installation shown very schematically in FIG. 1 comprises a set of elements or subassemblies grouped together inside a box symbolized at 1, connected to a telephone line T and to one (or more) control buttons B arranged remotely.

 The box or case 1 includes the following sub-assemblies: a memory M, a pulse generator GI connected to the memory M, a time base or clock H connected to the pulse generator GI, a means MC for storage and restitution of a distress message and an MP unit whose function is to trigger and coordinate the progress of the plant's operating operations.

 Advantageously, the unit MP is a programmable microprocessor in which the memory function of the subset M is integrated. This microprocessor is connected to the various subsets mentioned above.

 The memory M could of course be external to this microprocessor and formed by a living or read-only memory.

 Its function is to memorize one or more particular telephone numbers previously entered in the memory.

 The subset MC is, for example, a cassette recorder capable of recording a message on a magnetic tape and of rendering it at will under the control of the microprocessor MP. It could more simply be a cassette player, the cassette containing the call message then being prepared in advance on any cassette recorder.

 The supply of electrical energy is ensured for example by a battery of P batteries and / or by the sector via a cord and a rectifier (not shown) incorporated in the box 1.

 The microprocessor MP is connected by a two-wire line to one (or more) push buttons B or the like. Button B is placed in a suitable location near or not the box.

 Generally several control buttons B are provided and connected in parallel. They are of course placed within easy reach in various "strategic" locations on the living area of the room occupied by the user, the box 1 being preferably placed next to the wall socket 2 of the telephone in said room.

 A conventional telephone installation comprises, in addition to the wall socket 2, a removable male socket 3 connected by a cord to a telephone handset 4.

 The three conductors of a telephone line T are symbolized in S (two conductors for conversation and one for ringing).

 The microprocessor MP is connected to these three conductors by a plug 6 for connection to the three aforementioned conductors and in parallel with the telephone 4.

 There is shown in dashed lines inside the box 1 several additional pieces of equipment which can be added to the installation.

 I1 can be for example a loudspeaker 7 associated with a microphone 8 and a switch 9 allowing direct telephone conversation on line T instead of the handset 4, these various accessory elements being of course connected to the central control unit, that is to say the microprocessor MP.

 Likewise, one can provide an operating indicator lamp 10.

 The operation of this installation will now be described with reference. in Fig. 2 which illustrates an example of programming a call sequence that allows the microprocessor MP.

 The installation is first of all permanently connected to line T in parallel with handset 4.

 Pressing any of the B buttons connects the MP microprocessor to the T line and somehow shunts it. The action on button B thus has an effect entirely identical to lifting the handset 4 from its support base, which connects the device automatically to the telephone line.

 The microprocessor MP immediately controls the dialing of the number recorded in the memory M. The signals corresponding to this number are therefore sent on the line T by the pulse generator GI under the control of the clock H. If the telephone line of the called party is busy, after 10 seconds, for example, the number is redialled. If the line is free without the called party picking up, the call persists.

 When the called party picks up the call, the microprocessor detects the signal sent over the telephone line and triggers the sending of a first call from the MC cassette recorder. The cassette is started by the microprocessor and its message is sent to the telephone line.

 At the end of this first call, if the called party has not hung up, there is a lapse of 30 seconds for example, then, at the end of this period, the cassette (which rewinds automatically after each call ) starts again to send the message again. Still assuming that the called party has not yet hung up at the end of the second passage of the message, the program stops and the installation returns to the situation prior to pressing the button and is ready to start a new call sequence, if applicable. At the end of the program, the microprocessor MP is isolated from the telephone line although still connected to it.

 If, during the said 30-second period or the second passage of the message, the called party hangs up, the signal generated on the telephone line is received by the microprocessor MP which then commands the stopping of the program and the delivery of the installation in the initial situation ready for a new call.

 When the called party has picked up the telephone handset, a normal conversation can possibly be established with the person in distress via the loudspeaker 7 and d mro 8. For this purpose, the person in distress actuates the switch 9 to connect the loudspeaker and the microphone to the telephone line, which act as a telephone handset and replace the extension 4.

The action on switch 9 interrupts the progress of the program. After the maintenance, the switch 9 is returned to its initial position by the microprocessor MP on receipt of the hang-up signal from the called party's handset.

 It should be noted that the installation according to the invention absolutely does not prevent the normal use of the telephone.

 As long as the installation, while connected, is not in service, extension 4 can be called normally as well as it can be used to call any subscriber.

 Variations can of course be made to the flow diagram of FIG. 2.

 The telephone number entered in memory M is that of a person or body capable of providing assistance or help and of being contacted directly or indirectly with the greatest certainty. It can be, as the case may be, for example, a relative, a friend, a doctor, an emergency service such as the SAMU, a hospital, etc. of course, the person or organization in question is made aware of such a possibility of distress calls.

 If an answering-recording machine is installed in the person or organization concerned, the message sent will be recorded.

 The storage of the telephone number is carried out beforehand by various means. I1 can be, for example, composition wheels installed on the box 1 which allows control of the stored number. Storage can also be done by composition from a dial incorporated in box 1.

 In these two cases, it is advantageously possible to provide a control of the storage, for example by light-emitting diodes.

 Several numbers can be memorized in which case it is necessary to provide on the box 1 a selector directing the microprocessor towards the number displayed by the selector.

 Data relating to the telephone number, for example the doctor of the person in distress or the nearest or most appropriate hospital, indications relating to this person are collected on the magnetic tape of the MC cassette. address, state, msyens of access to the place of residence, neighbors, etc ...).

 The MC cassette recorder can be replaced by any means capable of performing the same recording and message reproduction functions and compatible with the telephone network and the MP microprocessor.

 It should be noted that this telephone network is a public or private network.

 Box 1 can be designed to also integrate telephone set 4. Box 1 is located near or at a distance from the telephone socket. This is of course conventional, the socket 6 being for example a simple plug both male to engage in the female wall socket 2 and female to receive the socket 3 of the telephone set so that the installation according to the invention can be instantly plugged into or unplugged from an existing telephone outlet without disabling the handset.

The sub-assemblies of box 1 may also not be grouped and constitute separate elements linked together.

 As for the push-buttons shown diagrammatically in B, they can of course be replaced by any device capable of fulfilling the same function. It may be a switch of a different technology, flush control for example or a wireless system such as a small radio transmitter carried by the user and provided with an appropriate control member and associated with a tuned transmitter integrated in box 1 and responsible for sending an appropriate control signal to the microprocessor.

 It should be noted that the installation according to the invention can be used not only to launch a distress signal in the event of sudden indisposition of a single person but also to launch a call signal in the event of danger arising from the outside (burglary, assault, etc ...).

 Finally, the invention is obviously not limited to the embodiments shown and described above but on the contrary covers all variants.

Claims (8)

CLAIMS ============================  1. Installation of an automatic distress call connected to a telephone network, characterized in that it comprises a means (tIC) of storing a prerecorded verbal message and of restitution towards the telephone line (T) of said message, a memory (M) for storing one or more pre-selected telephone numbers, means (MP) for successively connecting said memory line (M) to said telephone line by means of a clocked pulse generator circuit, then , if the called party picks up, said means (MC) for restoring the pre-recorded message, means (P) for power supply and a system (B) for controlling connection of the installation to the telephone line.  2. Installation according to claim'l, characterized in that said installation connection control system consists of one or more pushbuttons (B) or the like connected in parallel to said means (MP) for connection to the telephone line ( T) memory (M) and means (MC) for restoring the pre-recorded message, said buttons (B) being installed remotely in different places or rooms of the room occupied by the user.  3. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that said installation connection control system is constituted by a radio transmitter carried by the user and provided with an appropriate control member and a tuned receiver connected to the means (MP) for connection to the telephone line (T) of the memory (M) and of the means for message reproduction, said receiver being arranged to send to said means (MP) an appropriate control signal.  4. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said means of connection to the telephone line (T) are constituted by a programmable microprocessor (MP) so as to ensure the execution and the sequence different sequences of operation of the installation.  5. Installation according to claim 4, charac terized in that the memory is integrated in the microprocessor (MP).  6. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said means for storing / restoring the distress message are constituted by a tape recorder (MC).  7. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the connection with the telephone line (T) is provided by a withdrawable socket (6) interposable between the wall socket (2) of the telephone and the male plug ( 3) of the telephone set (4) and connecting the three conductors of the line, in parallel with said telephone set (4), to said means (MP) ensuring the connection to the telephone line of the memory (M) and of the means (MC) for storing / retrieving the distress message.  8. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it further comprises a loudspeaker (7), a microphone (8) and a switch (9) for controlling their setting in or out of service, these elements being connected so as to allow, during the use of the installation, direct conversation via the telephone line (T), the return to the out of service position of said switch (9) being ensured automatically by the microprocessor (MP) upon receipt by the latter of the hang-up signal from the called party's telephone handset.