Abstract:
A sensor-based communications device activator, including a first signal transmitting device having a sensor and a second signal transmitting device, which may be preprogrammed to automatically alert emergency rescue personnel to the location of an individual who, due to an emergency, is unable to alert the emergency personnel on his/her own behalf. When one or more stimuli are sensed by the sensor, the activator directs a communications device, optionally including a GPS-based location tracking technologies component, to contact an emergency service. Alternatively, a manual alert device of the activator may be activated by the user to achieve this same result. Whether the communications device is contacted automatically or manually, the emergency service not only will learn that the individual is in danger, but can also learn, via the GPS-based component, the location of the endangered individual.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     The present application claims the priority benefit of U.S. provisional patent application serial No. 60/705,130, filed Aug. 3, 2005, entitled “FORCE-BASED CELLULAR TELEPHONE ACTIVATOR” of the same named inventor. The entire contents of that prior application are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to sensing devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to sensing devices capable of activating a communications device. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to sensing devices capable of automatically activating a communications device as a function of a stimulus sensed by the sensing device.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0005]     The inability to locate victims rapidly in the remains of the World Trade Center of New York, N.Y., on Sep. 11, 2001, was a cause of great distress to their families, friends, colleagues, and others throughout the world. There was no mechanism available at that time for tracking the location of any individual who was unable to activate a communications device within reach and request emergency assistance, such as those individuals who were incapacitated by fallen rubble. Moreover, in some cases in which an endangered individual was able to contact emergency assistance, the individual was unable to provide his/her location to lead emergency personnel to that location. Sadly, if a technology existed which enabled these individuals to be located rapidly, and, in the cases of incapacitated individuals, without action needed to being taken by the individual, some deaths of that day perhaps could have been prevented.  
         [0006]     While the events of Sep. 11, 2001, provided a stark example of the limitations of the value of communications devices in an emergency situation, emergency situations during which an individual cannot activate a cellular telephone, or other communications device, contact the appropriate emergency assistance, or designate a location, are an everyday occurrence. For example, consider a motorcycle rider involved in an accident on an unidentified road, a driver whose vehicle has plunged into water, or even a person, such as a coal miner, who is unknowingly being exposed to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. Also, police officers, fire fighters, and the nation&#39;s military and other security forces, many of whom travel alone and are at an elevated risk of suffering an injury far from help, are particularly susceptible to being caught in a situation of this kind.  
         [0007]     OnStar® technology, owned and operated by General Motors of Detroit, Mich., is an integrated satellite-based vehicle system that takes advantage of existing Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) signals to enable identification of the location of a vehicle, and to transmit that information to a remote location, such as a call center, via wireless communication. The OnStar® system apparently requires implementation in the vehicle of a GPS receiver and a communication system tied to the call center. The system is a subscription-based service, permitting selective voice communication with the vehicle&#39;s driver or passenger. Alternatively, it may be automatically activated upon deployment of the vehicle&#39;s air bag. That is, the air bag deployment triggers an electronic signal to activate the communication system. The OnStar® call center receives the system activation signal, identifies the vehicle&#39;s location, calls, or attempts to call the vehicle occupant(s), and then contacts emergency services, if applicable, with vehicle location information. There may be other vehicle-based location and communication systems the equivalent of the OnStar® system.  
         [0008]     There are significant limitations associated with vehicle-based location and communication systems such as the OnStar® system. Specifically, it is limited not only to vehicles, but also to vehicles having a GPS receiver and some form of wireless communication system. Therefore, any individual on foot or in any type of vehicle without those components cannot take advantage of its capability. Second, to be kept activated, it requires a regular subscription service. Any failure or error in upkeep of the subscription eliminates the location and communication capability. Third, and perhaps most importantly, any event rendering the user unable to communicate without causing the air bag to deploy will not activate the location and communication system. There are many types of force-based events that happen to individuals, in or out of a vehicle, which would not cause air bag deployment. It therefore is apparent that there are a variety of situations during which an OnStar® system or its equivalent would not be of use in getting an emergency responder to an individual unable to contact the responder and/or identify his or her location.  
         [0009]     Communications devices are available with integrated GPS receivers, wherein the receivers can be used to identify the location of the receiver. Moreover, in conjunction with the goal through enhanced 911 emergency services to be able to identify the location of an emergency caller, the Federal Communications Commission has ruled that cellular telephone signal carriers must be able to track cellular telephone location. That capability will involve the use of GPS receivers in the handsets themselves, easier cellular telephone triangulation technology, or some combination of the two. As a result, it should soon be possible to track the location of any cellular telephone. This will be of great value to any individual who cannot identify his or her location but is still able to activate the cellular telephone and call emergency services. Unfortunately, it fails to address the need of any individual who is unable to make the initial contact with emergency services.  
         [0010]     Therefore, what is needed is an electronic system or device that provides an individual with a mechanism for activating a communications device, contacting emergency services or other, preprogrammed contacts designated by the individual, and sending a preprogrammed message or message that identifies the location of the communications device (and, thus, the individual), all after the individual has experienced a stimulus rendering him or her unable to undertake any of the noted steps. What is also needed is such a system or device that takes advantage of existing technologies, including existing location—based cellular telephone location tracking technologies. Further, what is needed is such a system or device that is not restricted to specific integration into a vehicle location and communication system.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic system or device that provides an individual with a mechanism for activating a communications device, contacting emergency services or other preprogrammed contacts, and sending a preprogrammed message or message that identifies the location of the communications device, all after the individual has experienced an event rendering him or her unable to undertake any of the noted steps. It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a system or device that takes advantage of existing technologies, including existing location -based communications device location tracking technologies, such as GPS. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a system or device that is not restricted to specific integration into another system, such as a vehicle location and communication system.  
         [0012]     These and other objects are achieved with the present invention, which is a sensor-based communications device activator for signaling the communications device to contact one or more emergency services upon receipt of an electronic signal in response to a stimulus detected by a sensor of the activator. The sensor may be, for example, a piezoelectric chip or an accelerator chip. Upon receiving a first signal from a first transmitting device, which is the sensor or which includes the sensor, the second transmitting device enables a user&#39;s communications device to be remotely activated. The second transmitting device effectively translates the electrical signal from the first transmitting device into a second signal capable of initiating a communicative transmission from the user&#39;s communications device. The activator of the present invention is a portable safety device that enables one&#39;s communications device to serve as a survival tool by communicating the user&#39;s location when he or she cannot.  
         [0013]     The second transmitting device is a battery operated electrical device, preferably housed in a plastic, water-resistant container to which the lead wires of the stimulus-sensing device, or other signal-interface device, are connected. When the sensor is stimulated, the first transmitting device sends a first signal to the second transmitting device. The second transmitting device interprets that signal to evaluate whether the stimulus is sufficient enough to activate the communications device. The types of stimuli required to activate the communications device may vary. For example, the types of stimuli detectable by the sensor include, but are not limited to being, a blunt force to the sensing device, sound, change in temperature, change in humidity, exposure of the sensing device to water, presence of smoke, presence of a particular gas, such as carbon monoxide, and absence of a particular gas, such as oxygen. Moreover, the threshold magnitude of these stimuli needed to cause the first transmitting device to signal the second transmitting device may vary. For example, if the sensing device is designed to sense blunt force, the threshold amount of force required to cause the sensing device to transmit a signal to the translator may be small, such as the amount of force which the sensing device may receive when it is dropped to the ground from a short distance, or it may be large, such as the amount of force which the sensing device may receive in a violent collision involving a motor vehicle. If the specified threshold magnitude of the stimulus is met, the translator transmits a signal to the user&#39;s communications device. Otherwise, no signal is transmitted from the first transmitting device. The communications device, upon receiving the signal, contacts a remote communications receiving device, and preferably one which is associated with an emergency service. For example, where a cellular phone is the communications device of the activator, the phone may be preprogrammed to dial emergency services or any preprogrammed contacts. The communications device may provide for a pre-call warning to permit cancellation of the call in a non-emergency event.  
         [0014]     Products which may be used as the sensor are currently available, as are products which may serve as the communications device, such as a cell phone, a pager, and an e-mail transmitting device. The present invention bridges otherwise unrelated sensor and communication products by translating data from the first transmitting device, preferably wirelessly, but optionally in a wired arrangement, into a signal that instructs the communications device to contact emergency services. The present invention differs from OnStar® technology in that it is a portable device whereas OnStar® is a permanent device which must be associated with the user&#39;s automobile. The system of the present invention including the first transmitting device can be applied to any surface that may encounter a stimulus, such as on an individual&#39;s person, on a surface which is near a particular individual, and as part of a motor vehicle&#39;s bumper system. Provided that the user&#39;s communications device is within electrical or wireless contact with the invention, the stimulus will cause the communications device to contact emergency services. People who ride motorcycles, snowmobiles, automobiles not equipped with OnStar® technology, or even farming equipment, run the risk of not having the ability to call for help if they are injured. The present invention provides a means to communicate one&#39;s location when confronted with a dangerous situation. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is a simplified diagrammatic representation of the sensor-based communications device activator of the present invention in communication with a communications device, which, in turn, is in communication with a remote communication receiving device.  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the second transmitting device of the sensor-based communications device activator of the present invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view of the second transmitting device of the sensor-based communications device activator of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0018]      FIG. 1  provides a simplified representation of a sensor-based communications device activator  10  in communication with one or more communications devices  100 . The activator  10  includes a first signal transmitting device  20  having a sensor  25 , and a second signal transmitting device  30 . The first signal transmitting device  20  is connected to the second signal transmitting device  30  through a wiring harness  40 . The sensor  25  is capable of sensing one or more external stimuli and the first signal transmitting device  20  is capable of automatically transmitting a first signal through a first signal transfer medium  22 , such as a first wire, upon this sensing of the stimulus or stimuli. The second signal transmitting device  30  is capable of receiving and processing the first signal and transmitting a second signal through a second signal transfer medium, such as a second wire  32 . The communications device  100  is capable of receiving and processing the second signal, and transmitting a third signal through a third signal transfer medium, such as air for a wireless communicator. The third signal may be received by one or more remote communication receiving devices  110 . Upon receipt of the third signal, the remote communication receiving device  110 . In this arrangement, the activator  10  is useful for automatically informing individuals associated with the remote communication receiving device  110 , such as emergency personnel, of the location of the activator  10  user when the user becomes endangered.  
         [0019]     All components of the activator  10  are preferably lightweight yet sufficiently robust to remain intact and functional after being exposed to the stimulus or stimuli. Therefore, each of the first signal transmitting device  20 , the sensor  25 , the wiring harness  40 , and the second transmitting device  30  are preferably housed in a robust housing, such as a container having high load resistance and which is capable of withstanding environmental conditions, such as heat, water, and collision with a hard object, that otherwise may destroy the function of these components.  
         [0020]     The sensor  25  may be arranged to detect any one or more of a variety of stimuli. For example, the sensor  25  may detect, but is not limited to detecting, blunt force to the first signal transmitting device  20 , such as that which may occur to the first signal transmitting device  20  when the user of the activator  10  is involved in a motor vehicle collision. The sensor  25  also may detect, but is not limited to detecting, exposure of the first signal transmitting device  20  to liquid, such as that which may occur to the first signal transmitting device  20  when the user of the activator  10  plunges into a body of water. As another example, the sensor  25  may detect, but is not limited to detecting, change in ambient air temperature or level of humidity near the first signal transmitting device  20 , such as that which may occur when the user of the activator  10  is exposed to fire or release of steam. In yet another example, the sensor  25  may detect, but is not limited to detecting, absence or presence of a particular gas, such as the absence of oxygen or the presence of carbon monoxide, in the ambient air surrounding the first signal transmitting device  20 , which are environmental conditions that the first signal transmitting device  20  might become exposed to when the user of the activator  10  is trapped in a coal mine.  
         [0021]     Since the sensor  25  potentially may detect a large number of diverse stimuli, several devices may serve as the sensor  25  or several detecting components may be embodied in a single device. For example, the sensor  25  may be, but is not limited to being, a piezoelectric chip or an accelerator chip. As another example, the sensor  25  may be a Force Sensing Resistor® (“FSR”) available from Interlink Electronics, Inc., of Camarillo, Calif.  
         [0022]     Further, since the activator  10  potentially may detect a number of diverse stimuli, the activator  10  may include more than one sensor  25 . For example, the activator may include a sensor  25  that is capable of detecting blunt force, a sensor  25  that is capable of detecting carbon monoxide, and a sensor  25  that is capable of detecting smoke. Whenever the activator  10  includes more than one sensor  25 , the first transmitting device  20  will transmit the first signal whenever any one or more of the sensors  25  detects a stimulus or stimuli equal to or greater than the preselected threshold value associated with the stimulus or stimuli detected.  
         [0023]     The first signal transmitting device  20  may be optimally positioned to detect the stimulus when the activator  10  is being used. Therefore, the first signal transmitting device  20  may be of selectable design characteristics. Specifically, the first signal transmitting device  20  may be shaped to conform with the surface to which it is applied, such as the inside of a helmet, the surface of a jacket or shirt, on a bulletproof vest, or on a component of a vehicle&#39;s bumper system.  
         [0024]     When the sensor  25  detects a stimulus, the first transmitting device  20  may, but need not, transmit the first signal. One reason why the first signal may not be transmitted in response to the stimulus is that the stimulus is not of a selectable threshold value. This ability to select this threshold value, which selection may be changed when desired, is a valuable feature of the activator  10  of the present invention because it effectively prevents the activator  10  from being overly sensitive, and therefore from signaling the remote communications receiving device  110  when the user of the activator  10  is not caught in an emergency situation. For example, where the activator  10  is meant to sense carbon monoxide, such as for the purpose of alerting emergency personnel when a coal miner is in danger of being asphyxiated, the activator  10  might be considered overly sensitive if, for example, it alerts these personnel whenever there is a slight increase in the percentage of carbon monoxide in the air. This might be problematic, for example, when a coal miner, who is outside of a mine, passes an idling automobile. Therefore, in keeping with this example, the activator  10  is advantageous because it can be preset to allow the third signal to be transmitted only in response to a dangerous level of carbon monoxide, such as what the miner might become exposed to while in a mine, and not transmitting the third signal when the sensor  25  detects a safe level of carbon monoxide, such as what humans typically are exposed to while walking near automobile traffic.  
         [0025]     The second signal transmitting device  30  is battery powered and includes electronic circuitry programmed to receive the first signal, determine whether the first signal satisfies a specific condition to cause activation of the communications device  100 , such as a selected threshold-level or greater output voltage value from the first signal transmitting device  20 , and transmit the second signal to the communications device  100 .  
         [0026]     The communications device  100  may be any device that is capable of receiving and processing the second signal, and transmitting the third signal. For example, the communications device  100  may be, but is not limited to being, a telephone, such as a cellular telephone, a paging device, or a multipurpose wireless communicator, such as the BlackBerry® product commercially available from Research In Motion Limited of Waterloo, Ontario (Canada), and the HP iPAQ hw6515 Pocket PC product commercially available from Hewlett-Packard Company of Palo Alto, Calif. (USA).  
         [0027]     A communication interface  50  of activator  10 , through which the second signal is transmitted, may be a wired interface. Alternatively, it may be a wireless interface, such as a relatively short-distance protocol-based communication. For example, it may be an IEEE 802.11 wireless interface protocol or a Bluetooth wireless protocol. The second signal transmitted from the second signal transmitting device  30  through the communication interface  50  provides instructions to the communications device  100  to contact one or more remote communication receiving devices  110  associated with e 911 , or other emergency services of interest. The communication interface  50  may produce signals at 900/1800 MHz (DCS) and/or 1900 MHz (PCS), but is not limited thereto and it is to be understood that any communication system may be employed. The communications device  100  must be of a type capable of automatically enabling location identification information.  
         [0028]     The first signal transmitting device  20  and the second signal transmitting device  30  may be configured and arranged to include a computing system for performing functions and steps embodied in computer instructions stored and accessed in any one or more of the manners described for the purpose of signaling the communications device  100 . The first signal transmitting device  20  and the second signal transmitting device  30  may be embodied in a single computing system, such as an integrated circuitry system electrically couplable to sensors  25  as described herein. Alternatively, the first signal transmitting device  20  and the second signal transmitting device  30  may be embodied in separate computing systems, although they may be physically located near one another and in signal communication with one another. In particular, the signal communication between the first signal transmitting device  20  and the second signal transmitting device  30  may include, but not be limited to, the output by the first signal transmitting device of an electrical signal of selectable amplitude, frequency, voltage, current or combinations thereof, and the configuration of the second transmitting device  30  to receive that signal and process it for further signal transmitting, as applicable.  
         [0029]     The computing system of either or both of the first signal transmitting device  20  and the second signal transmitting device  30  may be of any type with sufficient computing functionality to read computer-readable signals tangibly embodied on a computer-readable medium, including, but not limited to, wireless exchange media. The present invention includes computer programming of the computing system used to control and enable the first signal transmitting device  20  and the second signal transmitting device  30 . The computer programming defines instructions for processing data obtained from the sensor  25 , if needed, for the second transmitting device  30  to process the first signal transmitted by the first signal transmitting device  20 , and for the second transmitting device  30  to transmit the second signal to the communications device  100 . Such computer programming instructions may be written in any of a plurality of programming languages, for example, Java, XML Visual Basic, C, or C++, Fortran, Pascal, Eiffel, Basic, COBOL, and the like, or any of a variety of combinations thereof. The computer-readable medium on which such instructions preferably reside is readable by the computing system.  
         [0030]     The signal exchange between the sensor  25  and the first signal transmitting device  20 , and the signal exchange between the first signal transmitting device  20  and the second signal transmitting device  30  may be well understood by those skilled in the art, in which the signal exchange may be based primarily on reaching selectable threshold electrical signal values. The step of the process of the present invention involving the activation of the communication device  100  by the second signal transmitting device  30  is described in greater detail herein, in which an example embodiment is presented to describe one particular mechanism for activation of the communication device  100 . However, it is to be understood that the process of activating the communication device  100  through signaling by the second signal transmitting device  30  is not limited to this example.  
       EXAMPLE  
       [0031]     Devices used  
         [0032]     The communications device  100  chosen for this Example was an HP iPAQ hw6515 Pocket PC, and the second transmitting device  30  was established on a circuit bread board  39 . model C.A.D.E.T. II Ruggedized Electronic Circuit Trainer product commercially available from E&amp;L Instruments of Cheshire, Conn. (USA). Commercially available software used included Visual Studio .NET 2003, ActiveSync, eMbedded Visual C++4.0, all of which are available from Microsoft® Corporation of Redmond, Wash. (USA).  
         [0033]     Transmission of the second signal  
         [0034]     The second transmitting device  30  was programmed to transmit the second signal to the communications device  100  whenever the Protocol shown below was carried out.  
         [0035]     Protocol  
         [0036]     The computer programming was written to perform the steps of activating the communication device  100  to initiate a call without physically pressing any one or more buttons of the communication device  100 . Instead, the programming activated the communication device  100  to place a call to a selectable external device, such as the remote communication receiving device  110  upon reception of an external signal, represented as the second signal of the second signal transmitting device  30 . This functionality was programmed in the Example in two parts. The first was to create instructions to place a call by merely executing a program. The second part was to create instructions to read an incoming signal off one of the input/output ports of the communication device  100 . Upon completion of the two instructional parts, they were then meshed together such that the instructions to place a call would be activated after the processing of the instructions for reading the incoming signal.  
         [0037]     The Example programming begins with a list of inclusions that a C++ compiler will recognize in performance of following instructions. These inclusions are:  
                                                                       #include “stdafx.h”           #include &lt;windows.h&gt;           #include &lt;commctrl.h&gt;           #include &lt;phone.h&gt;           int WINAPI WinMain( HINSTANCE hInstance,                HINSTANCE hPrevInstance,                LPTSTR lpCmdLine,           int nCmdShow)                      
 
 The “phone.h” inclusion contains all of the commands necessary pertaining to the phone call. The other inclusions and the opening “int WINAPI WinMain” are established upon the creation of a workspace, with the WinMain file containing smaller, more detailed, aspects of the program. 
 
         [0038]     The Example programming next includes instructions for receiving the incoming signal (the second signal from the second transmitting device  30 ) to begin activation of the communication device  100  to place a call. These next instructions include:  
                                                                             DWORD dwModemStatus;            // Open the port here using CreateFile, setup its DCB, timeouts, etc.                HANDLE hCOM = CreateFile( TEXT(“COM1:”),                GENERIC_READ | GENERIC_WRITE,           FILE_SHARE_READ,           NULL, // default security attributes           OPEN_EXISTING,           FILE_FLAG_OVERLAPPED,           NULL           );                      
 
 Through these instructions, the selectable communication port of the communication device  100  that is going to read the incoming signal is opened using the command CreateFile. This function opens the already existing port COM 1  which is the serial port on the bottom of the hp ipaq hw6515a phone. The CreateFile has several parameters that need to be set before it can successfully open the communication port. The parameters are set as is shown in the above instructions; the function opens the existing COM 1  port for reading and writing. 
 
         [0039]     The following instructions establish the condition for monitoring the communication port of the communication device  100  for signal reception:  
                                                                       if(!SetCommMask (hCOM, EV_DSR | EV_CTS))           {                return 0;                }                      
 
 The “SetCommMask” instruction specifies a set of events to be monitored for the communication device  100 . This instruction set establishes that if the SetCommMask function fails, there will be a return 0, triggering termination of the program. The “EV_DSR|EV_CTS” parameter defines whether the communication port status has changed. 
 
         [0040]     The following instructions define a status check loop for detecting an incoming signal on the communication port of the communication device  100 :  
                                                                                 while (1)           {                DWORD dwEvent;           if (!WaitCommEvent(hCOM, &amp;dwEvent, NULL))           {                // Perhaps the COM port was closed from another thread,           so need to exit the loop           break;                }           // Check if state of the DSR or CTS signals has changed           if(dwEvent &amp; (EV_DSR | EV_CTS))           {                      
 
 This instruction set establishes a busy wait status loop. Beginning with the “while(1)” statement, an infinite loop is created that will continue to cycle until it is broken. Inside the loop is another function that will test to see if the COM 1  Port is functioning correctly. If the “WaitCommEvent” function fails, the loop is broken by the “break;” statement and the program ends. If the port is behaving appropriately, the loop steps into the next if statement, which is a check to determine whether the state of the DSR or CTS input has changed. That is, whether the second signal from the second signal transmitting device  30  has been received at the COM 1  port. If it has, the “if” statement instruction is activated to initiate a call, otherwise the loop continues to check this statement infinitely until there is a change. This completes the first part of the Example. 
 
         [0041]     The final set of instructions, embodying the second part of the Example, perform the function of making the call to one or more remote communications devices  110 :  
                                                                                                                         PHONEMAKECALLINFO info;           memset(&amp;info, 0, sizeof(info));           info.cbSize = sizeof(info);           info.dwFlags = PMCF_PROMPTBEFORECALLING;           info.pszDestAddress = TEXT(“2075555555”);           if (!PhoneMakeCall(&amp;info))           {                return 0;                }                break;                }                }                return 0;                }                      
 
 These instructions activate the communication device  100  to call an existing function within the phone.h inclusion, such as the number of a remote communications device  110 . To use the function a “handle” must be created and in the instructions of the Example, this handle is called “info”. Memory of the computing system of the communications device  100  is set aside using “memset” for the information required of the PHONEMAKECALLINFO structure. The size is declared, an option is provided to allow the user to place the call immediately or confirm it (although the system is arranged otherwise to make the call automatically upon the triggering condition being met), and finally the destination address itself is stored in memory. The “PhoneMakeCall” if statement is then performed, resulting in the dialing of the destination address. A successful phone call steps to the “break;” function which exits the loop and returns the program to the “return 0” instruction, which will close “WinMain”, the main program. 
 
         [0042]     It will be recognized by those skilled in the art of computer programming that alternative instructional sets may be programmed without deviating from the principal steps of: 1) monitoring the communication device  100  for receipt at a communication port thereof a signal from the second signal transmitting device  30 ; and 2) initiating a call from the communication device  100  upon receipt of that signal.  
         [0043]     It is also contemplated that the activator  10  may be designed to signal more than one communications device  100 . For example, the activator  10  may be used to signal both a cellular phone and a paging device. The ability to contact more than one communications device  100  would be valuable to better ensure that the remote communication receiving device  110  will be contacted in an emergency. For example, the activator  10  may be needed in situations in which one of the communications devices  100  is lost or destroyed, such as during the emergency event itself, or is inoperable, such as when that device&#39;s battery is in need of charging, or when that device is otherwise incapable of establishing contact with a particular remote communication receiving device  110 .  
         [0044]     The ability to signal the remote communication receiving device  110  that a particular user of the activator  10  is in need of help is only one attribute of the activator  10 . Another feature of the activator  10  is that it is able to automatically direct, that is without any overt action by the user, anyone associated with the remote communication receiving device  110  to the location of the user. Specifically, the activator  10  optionally includes a GPS-based device  105  to provide this function. The GPS-based device  105  may be associated with either or any of the first signal transmitting device  20 , the second signal transmitting device  30 , and the communications device  100 . It may be any of the GPS-based devices known to those skilled in the art of GPS-based device manufacture. In this arrangement, the third signal provides the global position of the communications device  100  to the remote communication receiving device  110  through conventional location-positioning technology.  
         [0045]     The remote communication receiving device  110  may be any device capable of receiving the third signal and alerting an individual associated with the remote communication receiving device  110  that the user associated with the activator  10  may be in need of help, and providing information regarding the location of the communications device  100  to that individual. Therefore, the remote communication receiving device  110  may be, but is not limited to being, a telephone or a computer system.  
         [0046]     Further, the remote communication receiving device  110  may be more than device. For example, the remote communication receiving device  110  may include a cellular telephone tower, such as one which may receive the third signal when a cellular phone is being used as the communications device  100 , and may include a telephone, such as one which may be present at the location of the emergency service being contacted. It is therefore contemplated that the remote communication receiving device  110  may be any single device or combination of devices that is able to effectively transmit the third signal to the remote communication receiving device  110  after the third signal has been transmitted by the communication receiving device  110 .  
         [0047]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the second transmitting device  30 , or some other component of the activator  10 , may be equipped with a status indicator  31 , such as an LED, capable of confirming to the user whether the activator  10  is in proper communication with the communications device  100  and/or capable of confirming that all of the various components of the activator  10  are working properly. For example, where an LED is the status indicator  31 , the LED may produce a signal, such as a green light, when the activator  10  and the communications device  100  are in proper communication or when the activator  10  itself is properly functioning, and may produce an alterative signal, such as a yellow light, when the activator  10  and the communications device  100  are not in proper communication or when the activator  10  is malfunctioning. As another example, the status indicator  31  may be a device that is capable of producing a sound. When a sound-emitting device, such as a speaker  32 , is used as the status indicator  31 , the status indicator  31  may emit a sound, or series of sounds, having a distinct tone, for example, whenever proper communication between the activator  10  the communications device  100  is lost or the activator  10  is malfunctioning.  
         [0048]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the activator  10  may include components other than the status indicator to aid the user. For example, the activator  10  may include a power switch, button, or similar device  33  for turning the activator  10  on and off, a power indicator  34 , a text-to-speech synthesizing program, which may be used in conjunction with the speaker  32 , a belt clip or other personal attachment device  37  for attaching one or more parts of the activator  10  to the user&#39;s person, and/or an manual alert switch, button, or similar device  36  which, when manually activated by the user, may effectively transmit the second signal to the communications device  100  for the purpose of having the communications device  100  instruct the remote communications receiving device  110  that the user is in need of help. Any one or all of these components may be on any part of the activator  10 .  
         [0049]     Further, the function of any or all of these components may be optimized to best serve the user. For example, where a depressible button is included as the manual alert device  36 , the button  36  may be designed such that it effects transmission of the second signal only after the button  36  has been continuously depressed for a given period of time, for example, two seconds, to prevent the second signal from being transmitted when the button  36  is unintentionally and briefly depressed. The activator  10  further optionally includes a manual cancellation device, such as may be represented by button  36 , to enable a halt in the transmission of the second signal such when, for example, a triggering condition may have occurred but the individual remains able to initiate a communication without assistance.  
         [0050]     As another example, where the activator  10  includes the speaker  32  and the text-to-speech synthesizer program, the text-to-speech synthesizer program may effect verbal messages through the speaker  32  to the user, such as those regarding the performance of the device or those sent by remotes individuals, through the speaker  32 . For example, the text-to-speech synthesizer program may effect the verbal message, “Warning, low battery,” when the activator&#39;s  10  power level is low, and it may also effect the verbal message, “Please remain calm. Help is on the way,” when signaled to do so by remote individuals. Messages which may be effected by the text-to-speech synthesizer program, however, are not limited to these examples.  
         [0051]     In yet another example, the power indicator  34  may be designed to indicate only that either the power level of the activator  10  is sufficient or insufficient, or it may provide more detailed information regarding the power level. For example, an LED may serve as the power indicator  34  and may appear, for example, green when the power is sufficient, and may appear yellow when the power level falls below a selectable threshold. In an alternative example, the LED may be capable of displaying a plurality of icons, each of which provides more specific information regarding the power level. For example, the power indicator  34  may display the icon “75%” when the power level is decreased by 25 with respect to the maximum level, or it may display some other icon, such as a broad filled line which appears more and more unfilled as the power level decreases.  
         [0052]     This detailed description is not intended to limit the principle concept of the present invention as a sensor-based communications device activation system. All equivalents are deemed to fall within the scope of this description of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that it includes all reasonable equivalents thereof as defined by the following appended claims.