Personal security system

Abstract

A personal security system takes advantage of location determination capabilities of a mobile communication services to provide personal security features to one or more communities of users. One method includes a user initiating a security period from a mobile device and specifying an end condition for that security period. If the user does not terminate the security period, at the end of the security period a notification is sent with information characterizing the user and a location associated with the user.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving communication indicative of initiation of a security period associated with a user of a mobile device; and   if the user does not terminate the security period, at the end of the security period sending a notification with information characterizing the user and a location associated with the user.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving the communication includes receiving a specification of an end condition for the security period. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the end condition includes an end time for the security period. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising timing the security period to determine the end of the security period. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising prompting the user to terminate the security period at the end of the security period. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein sending the notification includes sending the notification to a security service associated with the user. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising obtaining information characterizing a location associated with the user from a mobile communication system servicing the mobile device. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the mobile device comprises a cellular telephone and the mobile communication system comprises a cellular telephone system. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 enrolling the user, including receiving personal information associated with the user.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein sending the notification includes sending the personal information associated with the user. 
   
   
       11 . A method comprising:
 providing mobile devices to users in a plurality of communities of users;   monitoring communication at a server from the users indicative of initiation and termination of security periods associated with the users; and   based on the monitored communication, sending notifications with information characterizing users and locations associated with said users, recipients of the notifications being determined based on the corresponding communities to which the users belong.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the notifications are indicative of possible security conditions associated with the users. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the sending of the notifications is based on expiration of security periods prior to receipt of corresponding communication indicative of termination of the security periods. 
   
   
       14 . A system comprising:
 a communication server including a communication link to a location based server for obtaining location information associated with mobile devices for users in a community;   wherein the communication server is configured to
 receive communication indicative of initiation of a security period associated with a user of the mobile devices, and 
 if the user does not terminate the security period, at the end of the security period send a notification with information characterizing the user and a location associated with the user. 
   
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14  further comprising the plurality of mobile devices configured for communication with communication server. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 14  further wherein the communication server is further configured to receive a communication initiated by the user during the security period and in response to send a notification with information characterizing the user and a location associated with the user. 
   
   
       17 . Software comprising instructions embodied on a machine-readable medium for causing a processing system to:
 receive communication indicative of initiation of a security period associated with a user of a mobile device; and   if the user does not terminate the security period, at the end of the security period send a notification with information characterizing the user and a location associated with the user.