GB2457227A - USB storage device for carrying emergency medical information - Google Patents

Abstract

The device comprises a USB connector, facilities for uploading and downloading data, a storage facility and an attachment point for a lanyard. The device is preferably plug and play (PNP) compatible. Preferably, the USB connector is securely housed within the device and can be extended to an operable position. The storage facility is preferably rewritable memory and may be non-volatile or flash memory. The device may be made of high tensile material and preferably has high kinetic shock resistance. Symbols for emergency assistance or ICE may be printed on the device. In a specific embodiment, the data stored on the device may be medical information for use by emergency personnel in the event of an accident. The device is intended to be carried by cyclists, motorcyclist or participants in dangerous sports.

Description

* 2457227

IDENTIFICATION DEVICE

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to personal identification. More particularly it relates to provision of identification details for an incapacitated person to emergency services.

Background of the Invention

People are aware that with some past-times unavoidable risks are involved.

In fact in many cases the potential for danger may be what attracts people to participate. These are activities such as motorcycling, cycling, skiing, horse-riding, sailing, climbing, caving and other activities commonly known as extreme sports. Accidents in such activities are clearly possible and containing an element of danger this encourages some participants to protect themselves from all eventualities. In all the above activities a great deal of safety equipment is hence already available to protect from immediate damage. Helmets in particular are often present reducing the risk of death or coma but concussion may still occur.

The vast majority of consumers assume that a helmet should prevent concussion in even the heaviest hits, and that if the helmet protects against severe blows it must surely be easily protective in lesser ones. But in fact the helmets built to our standards are in many cases too hard to protect against a mild concussion in either a low speed hit where foam fails to crush or a much harder hit where clinically evident permanent injury is avoided, but a lesser concussion still results even though the helmet has not crushed completely and bottomed out.

When accidents happen it may often be the case that the participant is alone or isolated. In the unfortunate event that an accident results in unconsciousness or coma the person is unable to talk to emergency services that come to help. This may prejudice chances of survival and/or later complicate matters such as tracing relatives. In case of death or severe brain injury, identification may be costly.

Therefore if an accident happens, such an incapacitated person needs assistance communicating with emergency services, It can often be vital in such situations that certain information is speedily transmitted. In addition, it is of great importance that information is available readily in a longer term situation such as prolonged coma.

This include may typically include information such as the injured person's blood group, any existing medical conditions and any emergency contact details.

Prior Art

Motorcyclists and others have often in the past carried contact information in case of emergency but it is difficult to make this visible and accessible and it can be overlooked. Any position in which a note containing such information is stored will too frequently be obscured at the scene of an accident and is unlikely to be subsequently noticed when treatment is under way. This is a problem in particular for those possessing unusual or allergy conditions.

Traditionally military personnel have encountered such problems as those outlined above as the numbers of dead and injured lead to a need and desire for easy identification of men or bodies. A solution employed by American forces in particular since the start of the 9 Century has been the equipment of soldiers with metallic tags. These have become known in popular parlance as dog-tags'. These tags were constructed to reliably inform in the extreme circumstances of war. These tags bear personal information including social security number, religion and name. In the civilian world these have become items of fashion, initially for those interested in military chic but now disseminated across the wider public. However dissemination of the concept cannot avoid the necessarily personalised nature of information. In reality few individuals surmount even such a small obstacle as commissioning the tags.

As such there has been a need in the market for a dog-tag device that performs the function of provision of personal information in an accessible and conspicuous manner that is not subjected to compromise even under extreme circumstances. Further, such a device needs to be capable of generic purchase, and alteration without replacement. Further and to encourage its use, such a device is compact, stylish and fashionable preferably supplied in reflective metallic finish on a metallic ball chain necklace.

Summary of the Invention

According to the present invention there is provided a portable tag device comprising: a) a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector, b) a data upload facility, C) a data storage facility, d) a data download facility, and e) a lanyard attachment point.

Thus data can be input, for example into a personal computer (PC) and uploaded to the tag device. Such information is then stored on the device storage facility or memory and is downloadable when necessary. Preferably the device is plug-and-play compatible.

Preferably the device is provided with a lanyard for attachment around the neck. Preferably this lanyard is a metallic chain, ball, linked or snake chain.

In the alternative this lanyard may be organic cord or rope. Its length may be variable by means of its attachment means or by means of the fastener that joins the lanyard's ends. In another embodiment a clip or catch fastener is provided and the lanyard is sold separately and/or providable in varying lengths.

The device and any lanyard preferably have a largely or in part a composition o an exterior of a lightweight high tensile material such as steel, titanium, aluminium or metal alloy. There is preferably supplied a layer of material of high kinetic shock resistance. Said layer may be situate interior to the tag. In this way any impact or force brought to bear on the device is less likely to compromise the functionality of the device. Such a compromise may be by way of damage to the connectivity or to the memory. In this field as stated it is of great importance that such compromises are minimised.

Ideally the memory and Universal Serial Bus (USB) are further located centrally to provide minimum opportunity for compromise of said active part of the tag device by impacting forces as caused particularly iii the event of an accident.

Preferably the USB connector remains covered and protected when not in use. In this way the USB connector is not subject to compromise from particles lodging in the connector.

The USB connector may be provided with a cap. Alternatively the connector may have at least two positions on the tag, one exposed and one housed.

It is also of central importance that the likelihood of the active part of the device becoming exposed unintentionally to compromise is diminished. In a preferred embodiment the connector moves or rotates into an exposed position only when desired and further may be mechanically prevented from unintentional movement in at least one direction when housed. When not in use rotation is prevented. This may be with a magnetic or mechanical catch.

Such catch may function manually or automatically. Alternatively a switch may be provided.

The facility to provide both a secure housing and open operating position may be by means of a rotating portion. This may be combined with magnetic closure using opposing magnets and/or rust-free iron. This magnetic attraction comes into effect when the USB connector or the male portion is rotated into a housed position.

In addition other mechanisms for retracting or housing the USB connector are claimed. These may include embodiments which have sliding mechanisms, whereby the USB connector is slid into a secure housing when not in use.

There may then be a further mechanical catch provided to secure the position.

Any of the above may be combined with screw threads. Preferably the male and female portions of the device form a whole when housed and are not separable when the USB connector is exposed.

In preferred embodiments catches are provided comprising movable parts such as projections that retract when pressure is exerted. Yet further embodiments may have closure clips or springs that function with the aid of materials of varying flexibility. This may comprise a male portion composed of or surrounded by flexible material such as a stiff rubber that can be pressed into a smaller female portion. Such recess may also be composed or surrounded by a flexible material.

Preferably the storage facility comprises memory with characteristics such as flash memory. Preferably therefore the memory is non-volatile. Flash memory also has the potential to be enormously durable, being able to withstand intense pressure, extremes of temperature and immersion in water.

It is further Software may be provided in order to utilise and/or manage the upload, download and storage facilities. Such software would typically only be needed for older versions of operating systems, incompatible with plug-and-play. In the alternative the tag may be able to act merely as a data drive to be accessed by a downloading machine.

Preferably any operating software provides a user facility for changing the operator language of the software. Preferably the tag is embossed, stencilled or in some other way emblazoned with the international signs for help, medicine, emergency services, In Case of Emergency (ICE) or any further details necessary.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which:-

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the tag device.

Figure Ia shows a lateral isometric view of the female portion of the tag.

Figure 1 b shows a lateral isometric view of the male portion of the tag.

Figure Ic shows a lateral isometric view of the assembled tag.

Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of the tag device.

Figure 2a shows an isometric view of the tag.

Figure 2b shows an isometric view of the separated tag Figure 3 shows a diagrammatical plan view of a tag similar to that shown in Figure 1.

Detailed Description of the preferred embodiments

Referring to Figure 1 generally there is shown a preferred embodiment of the tag I wherein Figure Ia shows the female portion 3. The lanyard, necklace or chain 6 attachment means 4 is a hole through the female portion 3. A rotation axis II of the male portion is shown separate in Figure lb. There are two recesses 8 for receiving projections 7. An extended back stop 10 of the female portion 3 prevents the rotation of the male portion 2 in one direction.

Back stop 10 may have in part or in whole magnetic or attractive properties.

Figure 1 b shows the male portion 2 with projections 7 for connection with female portion 3 by insertion into recesses 8. This provides the axis of rotation for the II for the male portion relative to the female portion 2.

Magnetic or attractive panels 9 may be provided on the male portion 2 to attract corresponding sections on back stop 10. This is in order to protect the USB connector 5 from compromise and facilitate housing the connector 5.

Figure Ic shows the tag device I assembled and rotated to expose the connector 5.

Referring to Figure 2 generally the tag device I is composed of a male portion 2 with a chain hole 4 and part of the chain 6 is represented in Figure 2a.

There is also provided a female portion 3 which acts as a cap for USB connector 5. Figure 2b shows the separated portions of the device I. Figure 3 shows the tag device as worn by a motorcyclist, cyclist, participant or extreme sportsman. It carries prominently the In Case of Emergency code ICE, and the international signal for medical emergency services, a sceptre and a snake.

Claims (17)

1. Claims 1. A portable tag device comprising: a. a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector, b. a data upload facility, c. a data storage facility, d. a data download facility, and e. a lanyard attachment point.
2. 2. A device according to claim I wherein the tag device is constructed at least in part in high tensile material.
3. 3. A device according to claim I which is plug-and-play compatible.
4. 4. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the USB connector is located on the male portion.
5. 5. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the USB connector is located in a longitudinally central situation on the tag.
6. 6. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the male portion is capable of at least two different positions relative to the female portion.
7. 7. A device according to claims 4 to 6 wherein the USB connector is securely housed in the female portion in a default position.
8. 8. A device according to claims 4 to 7 wherein the USB connector can move to a fully exposed position when desired.
9. 9. A device according to any preceding claim wherein a lanyard is provided.
10. 10. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the storage facility is re-writable memory.
11. 11. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the storage facility is provided by non-volatile memory.
12. 12. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the storage facility is provided by memory that has high kinetic shock resistance.
13. 13. A device according to any preceding claim wherein symbols for emergency assistance are clearly visible on the exterior of the device.
14. 14. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the stored information may be presented in more than one language.
15. 15. A device according to any preceding claim wherein user software is provided.
16. 16. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the storage facility is flash memory.
17. 17. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the device prominently displays the word ICE.