Patent ID: 8432275

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a transmitter; a receiver; a positioning module; and an alarm module; wherein the positioning module is configured to determine a current location of an associated first device in communication with an associated second device, wherein the associated first device includes a microphone for capturing signals representative of noise surrounding the associated first device; wherein the alarm module is configured to determine from the current location whether the associated first device is in a predefined hazardous location, the alarm module being operable, responsive to determining the associated first device is in the predefined hazardous location, to communicate a warning to the associated first device and to communicate a signal to initiate an audio output at the associated first device corresponding to the noise signal surrounding the associated first device; wherein the alarm module is configured to suspend operation of the associated first device while the associated first device is determined to be in the predefined hazardous location until the associated first device no longer in the predefined hazardous location; and wherein the alarm module is configured to initiate communication of a predefined message to the associated second device via the transmitter, the predefined message being indicative of a presence of the associated first device relative to the predefined hazardous location, the suspended operation corresponding thereto, and that communications will resume after the associated first device is no longer in the predefined hazardous location.