Patent ID: 7266347

Claim:
A wireless communications transceiver which includes an integrated monitoring circuit, the wireless communication transceiver comprising: (a) a setup circuit for configuring and enabling a monitor mode for the wireless communications transceiver; (b) a detection circuit for detecting sensory data signals originating from a monitored area when said monitor mode is enabled; wherein said sensory data signals are processed by the communications transceiver and can be transmitted, at least when said monitor mode is enabled, over a time-delay sensitive wireless communications channel used by the transceiver for transmitting voice data signals; (c) a set of selectable monitor mode control options within a control menu presented on a display of the wireless communications transceiver, which options include a user selectable threshold required for an alert to be triggered; wherein said monitor mode includes an option for controlling the transceiver to enable said monitor mode only during a specified period, which begins at a first time and lasts for a first time duration: further wherein monitor mode control options permit the user of the transceiver to transmit alerts over a separate communications channel from that used to transmit said sensory data signals; (d) an alert generator circuit for generating an alert when said sensory data exceeds said user selectable threshold and when said monitor mode is enabled.