Patent ID: 7629891

Claim:
A method for enhancing the personal safety of a user, said method comprising the steps of: providing a database having a capability to accept and store personal information from the user as a user profile, a capability to accept and store user-selected follow-up contact preferences including at least one follow-up contact preference period, a capability to establish a message box for the user, a capability to accept one check-in message from the user and store said check-in message in said message box, a capability to apply a contemporary date and time stamp to said check-in message when it is stored, a capability to accept user deletion of said check-in message, a capability to deny user deletion of said check-in message, a capability to age said check-in message by comparing elapsed time from said date and time stamp to said at least one follow-up contact preference period, a capability to send automated reminder messages, and a capability to prepare and send reports; also providing at least one communication device adapted for user exchange of information with said database; the user employing said at least one communication device to contact said database and provide personal information to said database; said database storing said personal information as the user profile; the user employing said at least one communication device to contact said database and provide follow-up contact preferences to said database, including at least one follow-up contact preference period; said database storing an emergency contact preferences; said database creating the message box for the user; the user employing said at least one communication device to contact said database and provide said database with a user-created check-in message; said database storing said check-in message in said message box created for the user and applying a contemporary date and time stamp to said check-in message when it is stored; said database accepting said user deletion of said check-in message and thereafter allowing said user to create another check-in message; and until acceptance of said user deletion step, said database aging said check-in message by comparing elapsed time from said date and time stamp to said at least one follow-up contact preference period, and when said elapsed time exceeds said at least one follow-up contact preference period, said database sending an automated reminder message to the user using said at least one communication device.