Emergency reporting initiated by covert alarm locator apparatus

摘要

An article of footwear contains an integrated location determining device, such as a GPS receiver, together with an automatic alarm activation module (“AAAM”) which is capable of initiating an alarm activation indicative of the footwear having been removed from the wearer and having been “tossed” away by an abductor of the wearer. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the AAAM includes at least one accelerometer which can sense, and respond to, acceleration forces (“XYZ” forces) which exceed a predetermined range which would be expected during “normal” wearing and usage of the footwear. In an alternative embodiment the AAAM can be programmed, either externally, or by the wearer, to override the AAAM circuitry to disable it from automatically generating an alarm signal, whereby the wearer has the ultimate control over whether the footwear will only generate an alarm signal manually.