Patent ID: 7899437

Claim:
An emergency call system for enabling an individual to call for assistance, comprising: a pendant adapted to be worn by the individual and including at least one button; and a communications unit having a speakerphone and being arranged to enable communications via a telephone line, said communications unit being arranged to indicate when an incoming call on the telephone line is being received by said communications unit to enable the individual to depress said at least one button while the incoming call is being received, causing said speakerphone to be activated and connect to the incoming call and thereby allow the individual to communicate via said speakerphone, said communications unit being further arranged to initiate an outbound call when the telephone line is not being used and when the individual depresses said at least one button causing said speakerphone to be activated and thereby allow the individual to communicate on the telephone line via said speakerphone, and said communications unit being further arranged to deactivate said speakerphone upon actuation of one of said at least one button.