ES1269094U - ELECTRONIC WATCH STRAP FOR HELP REQUEST (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

A wireless assistive device (100), characterized in that it comprises a flexible printed circuit board, FPCB (160), to be inserted inside the sliding strap (300) of a wristwatch and that constitutes an electronic support in which At least the following components are distributed: - a panic button (110) activatable from the strap (300) of a wristwatch to initiate a request for help to a Control Center (220); - a bluetooth communication module (120) to communicate with a user terminal (210) which in turn provides communication with the Control Center (220) through a mobile network; - at least one battery (130) for the electrical supply of the device (100), - a circuitry for measuring and managing the battery level associated with the at least one battery (130), to obtain battery consumption data from the device 100).

Description

DESCRIPTION

Electronic watch strap for distress call

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to the industry dedicated to the manufacture of wireless electronic devices and alert systems in general for personal emergency situations.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a wireless electronic device for calling for help, specially designed to help in cases of gender violence, camouflaged in particular on the sliding strap of a wristwatch.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Violence in general, and in particular violence against women, constitutes today one of the greatest problems in both public and social health. In Spain, since 2003, the year in which the statistics began to be compiled, to date (the day of the consultation, January 26, 2021), 1,079 women have died from gender-based violence. Studies show that most of the fatalities were current partners of their assailants, lived with them and the homicides occurred in the couple's common home. Although the vast majority of women know where to go to file a complaint, only a quarter of women who feel abused have done so (26.8%). Another important fact to highlight is that around 75% of the murdered women had never filed a complaint against their aggressor. On the other hand, the number of complaints filed for lack of evidence is equally serious; As the Observatory against Domestic Violence points out, approximately 52% of complaints are not admitted to trial due to lack of evidence.

Currently, in Spain, in relation to victims of gender violence there is a "Protocol of action of the Monitoring System by Telematic Means of compliance of the Measures and Penalties of Removal in Matters of Gender Violence ”. This Telematic Tracking System consists of the following electronic devices:

1. - Devices for the accused / convicted: A radio frequency transmitter and a tracking unit.

2. - Device for the victim: A tracking unit.

This Monitoring System is the one that allows verifying compliance with the measures and penalties for the prohibition of approaching the victim imposed in the procedures followed for gender violence in which the Judicial Authority agrees to use them. The System also provides updated and permanent information on incidents that affect compliance or non-compliance with measures or penalties, as well as possible incidents, both accidental and caused, in the operation of the electronic devices used.

Below are examples of devices known in the state of the art that can be used by victims of gender violence.

Document ES2741931A1 refers to a small electronic device that can be fixed and camouflaged to clothing, and used in cases of gender violence. The device is linked to a smartphone or smartphone with a mobile application (app) via bluetooth, and in an alarm situation the victim can activate it by pressing a button. Activation starts communication between the device and the smartphone that evaluates the GPS coordinates at that moment (or even later) and begins recording the ambient sound. This information, together with an alert message, is sent to a remote server continuously, to be forwarded to one or more final destinations simultaneously, such as family, friends, assistance services.

Document ES2723982A1 discloses a miniaturized device for use in cases of gender violence, and that can be incorporated into a necklace, bracelet or brooch with Bluetooth connectivity with a smartphone through an app that has configured a series of destinations to alert in a situation the dangerous. This alert can be by instant messaging, SMS or voice call, and can also provide the geolocation of the mobile. The device sends its battery level to the phone, which is managed by the app.

Document ES1228790U describes a device that can be integrated into a bracelet or a watch and can be used in cases of gender violence. It has a microphone, internal memory, bluetooth connectivity and geolocation and communications modules. Pressing the button generates an alert signal to a smartphone that includes the location of the device, while it records and stores the ambient sound in its local memory. The generation of the alert can occur after a configurable time after pressing the button.

Document ES1261088U refers to a programmable and wireless electronic device for the request for help, shaped to be inserted into an analog watch, either as the watch face itself or as an internal adapter, in such a way that, in both configurations, it can unnoticed. The device, which is linked to a smartphone through a bluetooth connection, includes a panic button that, once pressed, initiates the emergency protocol by sending the location to a control center. It also has a microphone that also allows the recording and sending of ambient sound to said control center.

Although there are multiple mechanisms that victims of gender violence currently have to protect themselves and ask for help, the reality is that the number of fatalities does not seem to decrease and remains at a very high number. Therefore, the current conception of surveillance of the accused aggressor is insufficient for a real prevention of situations of gender violence since most of the aggressions are carried out when a complaint has not been filed (for which there is no of the Telematic Tracking devices described above) and the aggressor lives with the victim (so any element of protection must go unnoticed). All the devices described correspond to solutions that in some cases involve the use of digital clocks without any type of personalization.

The objective technical problem that is presented is to allow the request for help in emergency situations by means of a portable and wireless electronic device designed as a sliding wristwatch strap so that it can go unnoticed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention serves to solve the aforementioned problem, by means of a programmable and wireless electronic device for the request for help that is hidden in the sliding strap of a wristwatch, in such a way that it can go unnoticed. In this way it can be used in special emergency situations, among others, such as those suffered by victims of gender violence who live with their aggressor.

One aspect of the invention refers to a wireless assistive device that comprises the following components distributed on a flexible printed circuit board or FPCB (Flexible Printed Circuit Board, in English), which once padded and covered with the appropriate material can constitute a sliding strap for a wristwatch. This FPCB constitutes the support where to connect the electronic components that, at least, are:

- a panic button that can be activated from a button integrated in the bracelet with the press of which a request for help is initiated that can be directed to a Control Center,

- a bluetooth communication module to communicate with a user terminal, preferably a smart mobile phone, a terminal that in turn provides communication with the Control Center through a mobile network, - one or more batteries or power supplies for the autonomy of the emergency device,

- a circuitry for measuring and managing the battery level of the device.

Optionally, a digital microphone can be added to these components in the FPCB and even a memory to store the signal picked up by the microphone that is activated by pressing the panic button.

The advantages of the present invention compared to the state of the prior art and in relation to currently existing systems lies in the particular constructive configuration of the wireless device to be hidden in a strap of a wristwatch, taking into account, not only the integration of the device on the strap of a watch, but also the detail of the assembly that constitutes an improvement compared to the devices for the aid of the victim existing in the prior state of the art. In this way, the device's ability to go unnoticed is enhanced by being able to exchange the strap between different watches. This fact means that its use is recommended to people who suffer gender violence, especially those victims who have not reported their aggressor and continue to live with him.

Wristwatch straps, therefore, have the electronic circuitry, miniaturized to the maximum, necessary to activate the victim assistance protocol (established with the police authorities or with the contracted security entity) and all those components that allow, depending on the version, a local or remote audio recording.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Next, a series of drawings will be described very briefly that help to better understand the invention and that expressly relate to an embodiment of said invention that is presented as a non-limiting example thereof.

FIGURE 1.- Shows a design and distribution of the electronic components in a wireless assistive device that can be integrated into a wristwatch strap, according to a possible embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 2.- Shows a block diagram of a comprehensive personal emergency assistance system that includes the wireless device that can be used by victims of gender-based violence in particular.

FIGURE 3.- Shows an exploded view with the detail of the assembly of the FPCB together with the electronic components of the wireless aid device inside the wristwatch strap, according to a possible embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 4.- Shows an exploded view of the assembly of all the parts, including the strap and the watch, with the wireless assistance device integrated between the parts, according to a possible embodiment of the device.

FIGURE 5.- Shows a distribution of the electronic components in the FPCB for the wristwatch strap for local audio recording, according to a possible embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 6.- Shows a distribution of electronic components in the FPCB for the watch strap for audio recording by streaming, according to another possible embodiment of the invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The wireless device can be integrated and hidden in a personal item of the user, who may require assistance because they are in a personal emergency situation, among others, because they are a possible victim of a case of violence.

The personal item can be any item portable by the victim (garment or clothing accessory, watch or other jewelery object, ...). In a preferred embodiment, for example, the device can, in particular, be concealed housed in the strap of a wristwatch.

Figure 1 shows the shape of the device (100), in one of its embodiments, and the distribution of the electronic components thereof on the FPCB board (160), which, at least, comprises a push button or panic button (110) (In the distribution of components of the scheme shown in Figure 1, four buttons have been arranged), a bluetooth communication module (120) and one or more batteries (130), in a particular configuration for integration into the strap of a watch bracelet. Its appearance, in the preferred embodiment, is rectangular, 0.4 mm thick, 215 mm long and 18 mm wide, which corresponds to the width between lugs of the watch case. The FPCB incorporates small holes on the edges and inside of it (180) that facilitate the stitching of the padding and lining allowing the fixation of the wireless assistive device inside the strap. In addition, at one of its ends there are eyelets (190) that serve to adjust the FPCB around the wrist once it has been padded and coated to form the sliding watch strap as detailed below.

The ultimate purpose of this device is to include it in a comprehensive victim assistance system, the block diagram of which is shown in Figure 2.

As can be seen, the complete system consists of the electronic device (100), which is associated with a unique identification number, capable of recording the voice, depending on the version, which is linked to a user terminal (210), such as a mobile phone, through a bluetooth connection, preferably bluetooth low energy or BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy, in English). The user terminal (210) also has GPS, in such a way that, in a dangerous situation and once the panic button (110) inserted in the electronic device (100) has been pressed, depending on the version of your setting,

- sends the distress message to a Control Center (220), according to a version 1 configuration;

and, in addition, for its registration as possible judicial evidence, or

- it begins to record the voice picked up by a microphone (140) of the electronic assistance device (100) in an internal storage memory of the device, according to a version 2 configuration; O well,

- begins to send the voice collected by the microphone (140), which is preferably connected to an amplifier (150), to the bluetooth module (120) that transmits it continuously (continuous broadcasting or, in English, “streaming”) to the user terminal (210) and from there to the Control Center (220), according to a configuration version 3.

The fundamental difference between the three versions lies in the duration of the batteries (130), being maximum in the first version and minimum in the third. The user terminal (210), in turn, sends a message to the Control Center (220), which has a detailed record of the victims and the identifier of the device (100) assigned to each of them, informing about the alarm situation and the exact location of the victim, thus initiating the previously defined protocol to help the victim in danger.

In any of its versions, described in more detail below, the electronic device (100) for requesting help is installed inside a wristwatch strap in such a way that it goes completely unnoticed by the possible aggressor. The user, in this way, can have different straps on which the device is installed in such a way that they can exchange them between different watches.

The electronic device (100) when it is linked wirelessly to a user terminal (210), such as a smart mobile phone, through an associated application (app), being in normal mode without having pressed the panic button , sends every certain time interval to a user terminal (210) the following information:

- device availability information: for example, sending the device battery level (100).

The user terminal (210), once it has received the availability information from the device (100), sends a message to the Control Center (220) with the following information: - device availability information: for example, sending the device battery level (100).

- information on the availability of the user terminal (210), for example, sending the battery level of the user terminal (210).

- information on the coverage level of the user terminal (210).

The wireless device (100), even integrated into the wristwatch strap or other personal item worn by the victim, allows it to be activated by the victim at any time when it is linked wirelessly with one or more user terminals (e.g. example, smart mobile phone, tablet, smart watch, etc.), through an associated application (app).

The activation of the device (100) in the event of an alarm situation is by means of a panic button (110), which may result in the following sending actions from the user terminal (210) through the mobile application or app to the Center Control (220):

- sending an alarm message identifying the device,

- sending geolocation information of the device (for example, the GPS coordinates of the user terminal with which it is linked),

- sending device availability information: for example, sending the battery level of the device and the user terminal with which it is linked and / or sending the coverage level of the user terminal,

- continuously sending the voice picked up by the microphone (140), according to a version 3 configuration.

Recording of ambient sound by the device, or by the user terminal (eg smartphone) is also possible.

In addition, the device can adopt beacon functionality for wireless communication with any of several user terminals with a mobile application, for sending its identification, alarm message and location (GPS coordinates) to the server.

In a first embodiment, the functionality of the electronic device (100) that can be installed inside the strap of a watch, in this case, is restricted to its use as a panic button, so the electronic circuitry of this first version is made of:

1. Bluetooth module (120) responsible for the wireless connection with the mobile phone.

2. Button (110) in charge of assuming the function of a camouflaged panic button.

3. Battery (130) to power the device.

4. Battery measurement and management electronics, for detailed control of battery consumption.

The device (100) has an operation based on the master-slave paradigm (central and peripheral respectively), fulfilling the function of peripheral, so that, for its correct performance, it must be connected to another central bluetooth device, which is the telephone. mobile phone or any other user terminal (210) with bluetooth communication. In a possible configuration, the device (100) goes from a normal state to an alert state by a short press of a panic button (110), and from this state it is passed to the alarm state by a long press. In the case where the alert or alarm has been activated by mistake, by a series of short presses, for example ten short presses, of the panic button (110), the device (100) goes back to the normal state.

Figure 3 shows an exploded view of the watch strap (300), which comprises a coating (310), which can be made of different materials (canvas, leather, plastic, silicone, etc.), where the device is housed. (100) designed adapting perfectly to the internal space of the lining (310), with all the elements of the device (100) distributed on a flexible printed circuit board (160). As said printed circuit board is flexible, it can be adapted to the user's wrist. The strap, in one of its possible embodiments, includes a closure button (320) that allows adjustment to the user's wrist through the eyelets (330) included therein. The flexible printed circuit board (160) also includes grommets (340) that facilitate integration of the device (100) into the cladding (310). Also in Figure 3 it is observed that between the lining (310) and the device (100) some reinforcements (350) have been included so that the activation of the push button or panic button (110) of the device (100) inserted in the strap (300) is performed more effective. In Figure 3 four panic buttons (110) are shown that can be activated two by two according to the arrangement of the reinforcements (350) thus increasing their ease of activation. For its part, Figure 4 shows an exploded view of the assembly of all the parts described above in addition to the watch (410) and the strap (300) with the device (100) integrated inside.

In a second embodiment, the device (100) comprises the following electronic components:

1. Bluetooth module (120) responsible for the wireless connection with the mobile phone.

2. Button (110) responsible for assuming the function of a panic button camouflaged on the watch strap (300).

3. Battery (130) for the electrical supply of the device (100).

4. Battery measurement and management electronics, for detailed control of battery consumption.

5. Digital microphone (140) in charge of carrying out the transduction of the acoustic signal to an electrical signal.

6. Storage memory (170) where the voice recorded by the microphone (140) is stored.

The device (100) in this case, having a microphone (140) and a storage memory (170), will be able to locally record the audio signal there when the alarm state is reached. In this way, this record can be used later as possible judicial evidence. Figure 5 shows the arrangement of all these electronic components in the FPCB (160). The installation of the FPCB (160) inside the watch strap (300), as well as the assembly of all the parts is similar to those shown respectively in Figures 3 and 4 described above.

In a third embodiment, the device (100) is similar to the previous one, except that, in this case instead of having means, the storage memory (170), for the local recording of the audio, the signal captured by the microphone ( 140) is continuously retransmitted by “streaming” to the mobile telephone or user terminal (210) which records the audio in its own memory. This record can be used later as possible judicial evidence. The device (100) In this case, it does not require memory, but it is synchronized with the user terminal (210) so that, when its microphone (140) is activated, upon reaching the device (100) the alarm status begins to be recorded in the terminal's memory. user (210) the audio signal captured by the device (100).

In Figure 6, it is shown how all these elements are distributed in the flexible printed circuit board or FPCB (160), for example, 0.4 mm thick. Its dimensions, in a preferred embodiment, are standard dimensions of 215 mm x 18 mm, the latter corresponding to one of the standard widths between lugs of the watch case.

All the aid devices proposed here, designed in any of their possible embodiments, have a unique identifier number and are programmed to operate in two operating modes that differ from each other depending on whether or not they are linked to the user terminal ( 210), mobile phone, tablet, smartwatch or similar of the victim. In the normal case of operation, the device (100) establishes a bluetooth connection with the terminal (210) of the victim, which in turn communicates with the Control Center (220) using the mobile telephone network. In case you lose the bluetooth connection with your terminal, the device (100) changes its operating mode to work in electronic beacon mode, or by its English term “beacon”, emitting an open signal (“broadcast”, in English) that can be captured by the bluetooth receiver of the mobile or another user terminal of another person who is close to the victim. This mobile can be used to identify the device and its corresponding alarm signal and act as a repeater to send it anonymously to the Control Center (220) together with the GPS positioning. For this operation to be carried out, the anonymous volunteer must have an application installed in such a way that it shares its telephone coverage to be able to help the victim in a critical case.

To accommodate these two operating modes and thus complete the complete assistance system, two applications for mobile phones (app) have been designed that depend on the end user of the same:

- Application for the victim

- App for anonymous lifeguard

Furthermore, a web page has been developed on a server that serves as a Control Center (220) where the messages from the terminals (210) are received and all the alerts sent are identified.

The application of the mobile phone or terminal (210) for the victim is designed to be used, as its name indicates, by the victim and for this the terminal (210) and the aid device (100) must be linked. The application has been implemented to work in the background in such a way that its operation goes completely unnoticed by the attacker.

In the normal operating state of the device (100), the application periodically sends a message to the Control Center (220) advising of this state and that the device (100) is operational. The message sent to the Control Center (220) also includes the location (for example, GPS coordinates) of the terminal (210) of the victim and the data of the battery levels of the device (100) and the terminal (210 ) -mobile phone-, in such a way that, if these levels are low, they are notified to the victim to warn that they must be recharged. Likewise, the data corresponding to the coverage level of the signal of the mobile network to which the terminal (210) is connected is also sent. The time interval between each message sent to the control panel can be programmed in a configuration menu available in the application.

If the application detects, after pressing the panic button (110), an alert or alarm state, it proceeds to send to the Control Center (220), also periodically, the respective warning messages together with the necessary information to start the action protocol in an emergency situation.

If, in any case, the victim had activated the alert or alarm states by mistake, these states could be reversed by performing several - ten - quick presses on the panic button (110). In this case, the false alarm is recognized and the corresponding message is sent to the Control Center (220), canceling the alarm situation.

The mobile phone application or app for anonymous lifeguard has been designed to be used by those people who, voluntarily, want to lend their mobile terminal so that it can function as a transmitter of an alarm signal from a rescue device (100) such as described and provide help to the victim. It has been designed to replace the victim's application when their aid device (100) has lost the connectivity provided through the victim's mobile or terminal (210). The application is much simpler than the corresponding to the victim. The objective is not to overload the user's terminal 210 or increase the consequent consumption of the battery.

When the connectivity between the device (100) and the victim's terminal (210) is lost, the device (100) enters beacon mode, issuing advertisement messages or "advertising" in open mode, which can be received by those terminals with bluetooth that are within its coverage. If the victim's phone, for any reason, is not accessible and that of an anonymous lifeguard is, the latter, through the application, detects the alarm status of the device (100), in addition to the victim's identification, and sends a message with these data to the Control Center (220) together with the GPS geolocation. From the Control Center (220) with these data the protocol established for the assistance and protection of the victim is already started. In other words, in the event that there is an alarm and the victim's mobile phone is not available, the terminals of the anonymous rescuers facilitate the transmission of the alarm message to the Control Center (220), making the system as a whole be more robust.

Finally, there is a server that acts as a Control Center (220) where all messages are received. The visual design of the web page hosted on it allows a simple management of the notices received through the application or mobile app, since it allows identifying which people among the registered victims correspond to these notices, which, together with the precise information of each one of them, allows to activate the emergency response as quickly as possible if necessary.

Claims (11)

1. A wireless assistive device (100), characterized in that it comprises a flexible printed circuit board, FPCB (160), to be inserted inside the sliding strap (300) of a wristwatch and that constitutes an electronic support in which are distributed, at least, the following components: - a panic button (110) activatable from the strap (300) of a wristwatch to initiate a request for help to a Control Center (220); - a bluetooth communication module (120) to communicate with a user terminal (210) which in turn provides communication with the Control Center (220) through a mobile network; - at least one battery (130) for the electrical supply of the device (100), - a battery level measurement and management circuitry associated with the at least one battery (130), to obtain battery consumption data from the device (100). 2. The device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the FPCB (160) has eyelets (340) that allow closure around the wrist through a closure button (320) incorporated in one from the ends of the liner (310) of the device (100). The device (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it also comprises, incorporated in the FPCB, a digital microphone (140) for recording an audio signal. The device (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that the panic button (110) is configured so that, when pressed continuously for a preset time, it activates the microphone (140) to start recording. of the audio signal . The device (100) according to any of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that it also comprises, incorporated in the FPCB, a storage memory (170) to store the audio signal recorded by the microphone. (140). The device (100) according to any of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that the bluetooth communication module (120) is configured to transmit the audio signal registered by the microphone (140) to the terminal of user (210). The device (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bluetooth communication module (120) is configured so that, when the panic button (110) is pressed to initiate the request for help, transmit to the user terminal (210) command to send at least one distress message from the user terminal (210) to the Control Center (220). The device (100) according to claim 7, characterized in that the bluetooth communication module (120) is configured so that, when the panic button (110) is pressed to initiate the request for help, transmit to the terminal user (210) command to also send geolocation information from the user terminal (210) to the Control Center (220). The device (100) according to any of claims 7-8, characterized in that the bluetooth communication module (120) is configured to transmit to the user terminal (210), after a certain configurable time interval has elapsed in the user terminal (210), the battery consumption data of the device (100) and command to send said data and information of the battery level of the user terminal (210) to the Control Center (220). The device (100) according to any of claims 7-9, characterized in that the user terminal (210) is a smart mobile phone. The device (100) according to claim 7-10, characterized in that the bluetooth communication module (120) is configured to transmit to the user terminal (210), after a certain time interval configurable in the terminal of the user (210), an order to also send information on the coverage level of the mobile phone to the Control Center (220).