Patent ID: 7042338
Filing Date: 2006-05-09
Classification: G08B

Abstract:
1. An emergency hailing method for interrogating fitness of an at-risk user, comprising steps of: equipping the at-risk user with a portable emergency hailer system including a base station and a preferably wearable hailing device; sequencing the hailer system to establish an abeyant mode first time interval and an active mode second time interval; sensibly cuing the at-risk user upon the onset of the active mode to respond by promptly submitting a manual acknowledgment; determining a timely submission of the manual acknowledgment during the second time interval as indicative of acceptable at-risk user's fitness and thereupon return the emergency hailer system to the abeyant mode; ascertaining a response time delay which occurs between the sensible cuing of the at-risk user and the timely submission of the manual acknowledgment of the cuing event; reducing duration of the first time interval relative with an increase in the response time delay; increasing the duration of the first time interval relative with a decrease in the response time delay; whereby an increase in the response time delay results in a more frequently recurring fitness interrogation and conversely a decrease in the response time delay results in a less frequently recurring fitness interrogation; and, resolving a failure to submit the manual acknowledgment during the active mode time interval as indicative of the at-risk user's fitness being presently unknown and consequentially effectuate an emergency signal state.