Personal security system
A method for providing assistance to each of a plurality of users, each having been enrolled as a member of a community includes receiving, at a server, communications from corresponding mobile devices, each of which is associated with a user who has enrolled as a member in a first community. These emergency communications were initiated by activation of respective personal security buttons on the mobile devices, and provide information about respective security conditions. In response to the communications, the server alerts corresponding first and second security services that are appropriate responding to the respective security conditions.
1. A method comprising providing assistance to a caller, said method comprising receiving, at a server, a communication from a mobile device that is associated with said caller, said caller having been enrolled as a member of a community, said mobile device being located at a location that is associated with a first designated party for receiving emergency calls originating from said location, said community being associated with a second designated party for receiving emergency calls originating from members of said community, in response to said communication, causing said server to initiate communication with said second designated party, causing said second designated party to provide information to said first designated party, displaying, to said first designated party, first information characterizing said caller, displaying, to said first designated party, second information characterizing said caller, and in response to said first communication, sending a communication from said first designated party to said mobile device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said second designated party is a PSAP.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first designated party comprises a member of a campus police department.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving said communication comprises receiving a communication initiated by actuating, on said mobile device, a button that has no function, whether alone or in combination with other interface elements, but to establish communication with said server.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, from said caller, a length of said security period and, upon lapse of said security period, displaying, to said first designated party, information characterizing said caller.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying, to said first designated party, information characterizing said caller comprises displaying vital information associated with said caller.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving information defining an event and, following occurrence of said event, displaying, to said first designated party, information characterizing said caller.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving said communication comprises receiving a communication initiated by actuating a panic button.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a graphical user interface on said mobile device for enabling said caller to specify a length of a security period.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, from a caller, an instruction to start a security period and receiving, from said caller, an instruction to prematurely end said security period.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying, to said first designated party, information characterizing said caller comprises displaying medical information associated with said caller.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying, to said first designated party, information characterizing said caller occurs upon occurrence of a first event and wherein displaying, to said second designated party, information characterizing said caller occurs upon occurrence of a second event.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving said communication comprises receiving a communication initiated by actuating an interface element on said mobile device.
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sharing, with a plurality of members of said community, information indicative of a location of said mobile device.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein said community is an institution having a campus, wherein said location is beyond said campus.