Patent EP0232947A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0232947A2
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EP
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Method and apparatus for signaling attempted suicide
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1987-02-09
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-02-09
Abstract
Abstract Means and method are disclosed for providing an alarm signal upon the event of a suicide attempt. All regions at which a confined individual may be located in normal use of a confinement area are sensed for the presence of the individual at the corresponding locations. Absence logic responds to a failure to sense the individual at any of the locations, to signal a possible suicide attempt.
Inventors
- 👤 Dale C. Jenkins, Jr.
- 👤 Paul G. King
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 20:06
CPC Classifications
G; G08; G08B; G08B21/00; G08B21/02; G08B21/04; G08B21/0438; G08B21/0469; G08B21/18; G08B21/22
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
206 words
A suicide signaling system for a confinement region inhabitable by human subjects that has a limited number of spacial locations defined in the region at which the human subjects may be located at any given time in normal circumstances, comprising: plural sensors, the number of which correspond to the number of said spacial locations, individually mountable to corresponding ones of said locations for providing plural sensor signals that each have a first identifiable characteristic representative of the presence of the human subject being located at the corresponding location and a second identifiable characteristic different from the first identifiable characteristic representative of said human subject being absent from the corresponding location; possible suicide attempt signal providing means coupled to said plural sensors and operative in response to said plural sensor signals for providing a possible suicide attempt signal if each of said second characteristics of all of said plural sensor signals occur and only if none of said first characteristics of said plural sensor signals occur; and alarming means coupled to said suicide signal providing means and operative in response to said possible suicide attempt signal to provide an alarm signal indicative of a possible suicide attempt if said possible suicide attempt signal meets a predetermined criteria.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
206 words
A suicide signaling system for a confinement region inhabitable by human subjects that has a limited number of spacial locations defined in the region at which the human subjects may be located at any given time in normal circumstances, comprising: plural sensors, the number of which correspond to the number of said spacial locations, individually mountable to corresponding ones of said locations for providing plural sensor signals that each have a first identifiable characteristic representative of the presence of the human subject being located at the corresponding location and a second identifiable characteristic different from the first identifiable characteristic representative of said human subject being absent from the corresponding location; possible suicide attempt signal providing means coupled to said plural sensors and operative in response to said plural sensor signals for providing a possible suicide attempt signal if each of said second characteristics of all of said plural sensor signals occur and only if none of said first characteristics of said plural sensor signals occur; and alarming means coupled to said suicide signal providing means and operative in response to said possible suicide attempt signal to provide an alarm signal indicative of a possible suicide attempt if said possible suicide attempt signal meets a predetermined criteria.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
The invention of claim 1, wherein one of said plural sensors includes a capacitive proximity sensor; wherein said confinement region is a jail-cell, and wherein said proximity sensor is mountable to a toilet found in said jail-cell.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
The invention of claim 1, wherein one of said plural sensors includes a contact-responsive resilient mat; wherein said confinement region includes a jail-cell, and wherein said resilient contact-responsive mat is mountable to a bed found in said jail-cell.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
The invention of claim 1, wherein one of said plural sensors includes a resilient contact-responsive floor mat; wherein said confinement region is a jail-cell, and wherein said contact-responsive resilient mat is mountable to a floor of said jail-cell.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The invention of claim 1, wherein said possible suicide attempt signal providing means includes logic circuitry.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
12 words
The invention of claim 1, wherein said alarm is an audible alarm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
12 words
The invention of claim 1, wherein said alarm is a visual alarm.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
13 words
The invention of claim 1, wherein said criteria is a preselected time duration.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
110 words
A method for signaling possible attempted suicide in a confinement region comprising the steps of: sensing every sub-region of the confinement region at which a subject confined in the confinement region might possibly be located in the normal use of the confinement region; detecting whether at least one of the plural sensors is sensing that the individual is located at the corresponding sensed sub-region at any given time; and signaling a possible suicide attempt in the event that none of the plural sensors is sensing at any of the locations at which the subject may be located in normal conditions that the subject is located therein in the confinement region.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
110 words
A method for signaling possible attempted suicide in a confinement region comprising the steps of: sensing every sub-region of the confinement region at which a subject confined in the confinement region might possibly be located in the normal use of the confinement region; detecting whether at least one of the plural sensors is sensing that the individual is located at the corresponding sensed sub-region at any given time; and signaling a possible suicide attempt in the event that none of the plural sensors is sensing at any of the locations at which the subject may be located in normal conditions that the subject is located therein in the confinement region.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The invention of claim 9, wherein said sensing step includes the step of placing sensors at and around predetermined support locations defining said subregions in the confinement region.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
The invention of claim 10, wherein said detecting step includes the step of using electronically-implemented logic to determine whether at least one of said sensors is sensing the presence of the individual at its corresponding location.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
52 words
A suicide signaling system for use in a confinement region comprising: means for providing a signal representative of whether or not a subject confined within the confinement region is attempting to take his own life; and means responsive to said signal for providing a sensible alarm indicative of a possible suicide attempt.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
52 words
A suicide signaling system for use in a confinement region comprising: means for providing a signal representative of whether or not a subject confined within the confinement region is attempting to take his own life; and means responsive to said signal for providing a sensible alarm indicative of a possible suicide attempt.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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