ZA200700200B

ZA200700200B - Security system and method

Info

Publication number: ZA200700200B
Application number: ZA200700200A
Authority: ZA
Inventors: Roux Hendrik Pieter Le
Original assignee: Roux Hendrik Pieter Le; Fourie Jocobus Phillipus
Priority date: 2005-10-13
Filing date: 2007-01-08
Publication date: 2010-04-28

Description

. SECURITY SYSTEM AND METHOD Hn . DE.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a security system and method and more particularly, to a security system and method utilizing a wireless network.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Domestic and other alarm systems include panic buttons for use in case of an emergency. The panic buttons are installed in convenient locations such as, for example, at a front and/or back door of a domestic dwelling and are normally hard- wired to the alarm system. A difficulty with hard-wired panic buttons are of course that they are fixed in place and that they are not easily accessible.

Wireless panic buttons are available but are restricted to a transmission distance between the wireless button and a stationery receiver of the alarm system. A wireless button thus become useless at a certain distance away from, for example, the user's house.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a security method and system which, at least partially, alleviate some of the abovementioned difficulties.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with this invention there is provided a security system comprising a wireless panic button having activation means for activating an emergency signal and transmission means for transmitting the signal over a wireless network.

There is provided for the wireless network to be a wireless telephony network.

There is further provided for the wireless panic button to be included in a cellular telephone. .

’ A still further feature of the invention provides for the activation means to include a key on the cellular telephone or a key combination on the cellular telephone; alternatively, the activation means to be voice activated or movement activated.

A still further feature of the invention provides for the activation means to activate a camera of the cellular telephone and to include an image or a movie clip with the emergency signal.

The emergency signal is transmitted over the wireless telephony network, via at least one repeater station, to a base station.

The emergency signal is received at the base station and the date and time of the emergency signal is recorded.

The image is regenerated at the base station.

There is still further provided for the base station to employ a triangulation method using three repeater stations to pinpoint the location of the cellular telephone.

Alternatively, the repeater station may employ signal directional and signal time return technology to pinpoint the location of the cellular telephone.

The invention extends to a security method comprising the steps of activating an activation means on a wireless panic button in the case of an emergency; and causing the activation means to transmit a signal from a transmission means over a wireless network.

These and other features of the invention are described in more detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

One embodiment of the invention is described below, by way of example only, and with reference to the drawing, which shows a schematic diagram of a security : system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

With reference to the drawing, a security system is generally indicated by reference numeral 1.

The security system includes a wireless panic button in the form of or included in a cellular telephone 2 having an activation means for activating an emergency signal.

The cellular telephone includes a transmission means as is known in the art for transmitting the emergency signal over the wireless telephony network.

The emergency signal from the cellular telephone 2 may be transmitted via one or more repeater stations 5 to a base station 6.

The activation means for activating the emergency signal may be a key on the cellular telephone or a key combination on the cellular telephone. Alternatively, the activation means may be voice or sound controlled or movement controlled. In the case of the activation means being sound controlled or voice controlled, it may be adapted to recognize the voice of a user 3 or a specific sound generated by the user 3. In the case of the activation means being movement controlled, the user 3 may shake the cellular telephone 2 in a certain manner or at a certain frequency to activate the activation means.

In use, when the user 3 of the cellular telephone 2 finds herself in an emergency situation such as, for example, under attack from an attacker 4, she activates the activation means as described above. The activation means then automatically transmits a signal via one or more repeater stations 5 to the base station 6. When activating the activation means for generating the signal, the user 3 points a camera of the cellular telephone 2 in the direction of the attacker 4 so that a photograph or a movie clip of the attacker 4 is taken by the camera and included with the emergency signal to be send to the base station 6.

The base station 6, on receipt of the emergency signal, records the date and time of the emergency signal and regenerates the image or movie clip. In this manner, the

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EAGT /002w0 ’ base station has an image or movie clip of the attacker 4 or an image or movie clip of the emergency situation.

The base station 6 may also employ triangulation techniques by using three repeater stations 5 to determine the position of the cellular telephone 2. Other prior art techniques may also be employed by which it is possible to determine the position of the cellular telephone from a single repeater station 5.

It is envisaged that the system and method described herein will be convenient to use, anywhere where a cellular telephony network is available, in an emergency situation. The taking of an image or movie clip of the attacker 4 may deter the attacker from further action. Upon activation of the activation means the taking of the image or movie clip and the transmission of it with the emergency signal, happens automatically so that even if the attacker proceeds to take control of the cellular telephone, the emergency signal would have been sent automatically.

The invention is not limited to the precise details as described herein and various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

’ CLAIMS Il cL R A

1. A security system comprising a wireless panic button having activation means for activating an emergency signal and transmission means for transmitting the signal over a wireless network.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 in which the wireless network is wireless telephony network.

3. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the wireless panic button is included in a cellular telephone.

4. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the activation means includes a key on a cellular telephone or a key combination on the cellular telephone.

5. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the activation means is voice activated or movement activated.

6. A system as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5 in which the activation means activates a camera of the cellular telephone and includes an image or a movie clip with the emergency signal.

7. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the emergency signal is transmitted over the wireless telephony network, via at least one repeater station, to a base station.

8. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the emergency signal is received at the base station and the date and time of the emergency signal is recorded.

9. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which an image is regenerated at the base station.

10. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the base station employs a triangulation method using three repeater stations to pinpoint the location of the cellular telephone.

11. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 in which the repeater station employs signal directional and signal time return technology to pinpoint the location of the cellular telephone.

12. A security method comprising the steps of activating an activation means on a wireless panic button in the case of an emergency; and causing the activation means to transmit a signal from a transmission means over a wireless network.

13. A system substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

14. A method substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing Dated this B™ day of Jewwery a3. Patent Attorn; / Agent for the Applicant