US 4,908,602 AGranted

Apparatus and method of testing a portable held button for emergency response system

AssigneeLifeline Systems, Inc.

InventorsRichard M. Reich, Phillip H. Devlin

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Abstract

An apparatus and method to test the internal functioning and operational limitations of a personal emergency response (PER) system. In the normal mode of operation of a PER system, a coded or uncoded activating signal transmitted by a portable help button activates elements of a subscriber unit in a subscriber station remote from a central station to transmit an alarm message to the central station. A subscriber unit according to the present invention includes a momentary action button, which when activated, places the subscriber unit in a test mode. While in the test mode, the subscriber unit will not transmit alarm messages to the external central station in response to a valid activating signal. The subscriber unit will, however, activate an annunciator to inform the subscriber of proper functioning of the portable help button in combination with certain elements of the subscriber unit. Operation in the test mode may be used to verify that a coded activating signal transmitted by the portable help button is synchronized with the corresponding subscriber unit. The subscriber may also use the test mode to ascertain operating limitations such as range limitations and/or transmission dead spots by selectively operating the portable help button at various locations within the vicinity of the subscriber station.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An apparatus for testing the functioning and operating limitations of a personal emergency response system including a subscriber station capable of transmitting messages over a communications link to a central station, comprising:

portable help button means selectively operable for generating an activating signal at the subscriber station;
subscriber unit means disposed within the subscriber station and normally operative in response to said activating signal for transmitting one or more messages over the communications link to the central station;
annunciator means coupled to said subscriber unit
means and operative in response to said activating signal received by said subscriber unit means for generating a perceptible signal indicative of functioning of said subscriber unit means and said portable help button means;
and
momentary action button means coupled to said subscriber unit means and selectively actuatable for alternately operating said subscriber unit means in a test mode and a normal mode;
and wherein
operation of said subscriber unit means in said normal mode causes said subscriber unit means to activate said annunciator means to generate said perceptible signal and to transmit one or more messages over the communications link to the central station in response to said activating signal generated by selective operation of said portable help button means;
and wherein
operation of said subscriber unit means in said test mode causes said subscriber unit means to activate said annunciator means to generate said perceptible signal in response to said activating signal generated by selective operation of said portable help button means, said subscriber unit means being inoperative in said test mode to transmit messages to the central station.

7 more elements

A method for testing the functioning and operational limitations of a personal emergency response system, the personal emergency response system including a subscriber station for transmitting messages over a communications link to a central station and wherein the subscriber station includes a portable help button selectively operable to generate an activating signal, a subscriber unit normally operative in response to said activating signal to transmit one or more messages over the communications link to the central station and an annunciator coupled to said subscriber unit for generating a perceptible signal in response to said activating signal, comprising the steps of:

(a) selectively actuating a momentary action button coupled to said subscriber unit to cause said subscriber unit to operate in a test mode, and wherein said subscriber unit is inoperative in said test mode to transmit messages to the central station;
(b) selectively operating said portable help button to generate said activating signal at the subscriber station;
and
(c) verifying the functioning of said subscriber unit and said portable help button by reception of said perceptible signal generated by said annunciator in response to selective operation of said portable help button.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.