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 receiving, at a communication server, a communication concerning a personal mobile handset that is coupled to a mobile communication system and that is associated with a corresponding user of said mobile communication system, said user having been enrolled as a member of a first community, said communication server having been configured to initiate communication with each security service from a set of security services and causing said communication server to select a first security service from said set of security services based on a location from which said communication originated and to inform said first security service of said call.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting at least some information received by said first security service to a police department associated with said location from which said communication originated.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing the communication server to query a location-based server to determine said location from which said communication originated.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting said first community to be an association of users, each of whom is entitled to receive emergency services from said first security service as a result of having been enrolled in said first community.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting said first community to be a university, wherein said first security service is a campus police department of said university.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said location from which said communication originated is outside of a geographic area associated with said first community.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said mobile device has been configured by downloaded software to provide a personal security button that provides one-touch access to said first security-service, wherein receiving said communication comprises receiving a communication that is a result of said user having actuated said personal security button.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, at said communication server, receiving, from a location-based server, information that is maintained by said communication system and that is indicative of said location from which said communication originated, said information having been accessed by said location-based server.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, at said communication server, receiving, from a location-based server, information that results from said location-based server having queried said communication system to obtain information indicative of said location from which said communication originated.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to origination of said call, receiving, at said communication server, enrollment information provided by said first user, said enrollment information identifying said first community.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to origination of said call, receiving, at said communication server, enrollment information from said first community, said enrollment information having been provided to said first community by said first user.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to origination of said call, receiving, at said communication server, information identifying personal mobile handsets associated with said first community, said information having been provided to said communication server by said first community.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said security services include a parent and a caregiver.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving said communication at said communication server comprises receiving said communication via a wireless network.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein said communication is indicative of an upcoming time interval during which said user has an expectation of heightened risk.
16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting said first security service to be a security service that is associated with a community other than that in which said user is enrolled.
17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting said first security service to be a security service that is associated with the community in which said user is enrolled.
18. A manufacture comprising a non-transitory and tangible computer-readable medium having encoded thereon instructions for causing a data-processing system to receive, at a communication server, a communication concerning a personal mobile handset that is coupled to a mobile communication system and that is associated with a corresponding user of said mobile communication system, said user having been enrolled as a member of a first community, said communication server having been configured to initiate communication with each security service from a set of security services and to cause said communication server to select a first security service from said set of security services based on a location from which said communication originated and to inform said first security service of said call.
19. The manufacture of claim 18 , wherein said computer-readable medium is distributed such that instructions thereon are executed by different devices.
20. An apparatus comprising a communication server that is configured to receive a communication concerning a personal mobile handset that is coupled to a mobile communication system and that is associated with a corresponding user of said mobile communication system, said user having been enrolled as a member of a first community, said communication server having been configured to initiate communication with each security service from a set of security services and to cause said communication server to select a first security service from said set of security services based on a location from which said communication originated and to inform said first security service of said call.