Field of the Invention

[01] The present disclosure relates to a social care system, devices within that system and methods of operating that system. In particular the present disclosure is concerned with extending an operative range of the social care system while maintaining an option for audio communication between client and operator.

Background

[02] Social care systems incorporating wearable devices for signalling emergency or distress are well known. For example, a common system includes a pendant worn around the neck, which communicates with a hub unit installed somewhere centrally in a client’s residence. When the alarm device is activated, either manually by the client or by a predetermined trigger event occurring, such as the client falling over, a signal is sent to the hub unit which in turn raises the alarm with an operator of the social care system. The operator might be an on-site carer (e.g. at a dedicated social care facility) but is more commonly situated at a remote call centre. Once the alarm is raised, on-site aid may be dispatched to the client.

[03] It is often desirable for the operator to communicate with the client to provide reassurance and status updates. To this end current hub units make use of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to establish a telephone call with the operator, with the operator’s voice output to the local vicinity around the hub unit by integrated speakers. To mitigate the possibility of a client being outside an audible range of the hub unit, some systems further deploy speakers around the client’s residence, connected to the hub unit, to extend an area over which audio from the operator is output.

[04] Such systems however are still limited by a maximum range of the alarm signal. Currently the alarm device worn by the client can only alert the operator of an alarm activation if the device is within range of its hub unit; typically, up to 400m in open air and 50m indoors (through walls). As such the social alarm device is inoperable when the wearer is away from their residence. Consider that the client could be shopping, walking the dog, or away from home for a weekend, etc. In such a situation an alarm raised by the alarm device will not result in appropriate action being taken (e.g. help being dispatched) because the operator will never receive an alarm notification.

[05] Consider also that many clients managed by social care systems are not technology savvy, and as such may not be able to raise an alarm using alternative means such as by calling the call-centre directly using a phone; particularly in high stress emergency situations when the client might be in significant discomfort and possibly immobile. [06] It is therefore highly desirable to develop techniques for raising an alarm in a social care system that overcomes such limitations.

Summary

[07] The example embodiments have been provided with a view to addressing at least some of the difficulties that are encountered with current social care systems whether those difficulties have been specifically mentioned above or will otherwise be appreciated from the discussion herein. In particular it is an aim to mitigate the range limitation of current trigger devices and minimise the associated inoperable periods. It is another aim to extend a range at which audio communication may be established between client and operator.

[08] The example embodiments build upon recent changes in Android and iOS ecosystems due to “Covid-19 track and trace” development to leverage a client’s smart device to contact a call centre when out of range of the central hub.

[09] The present invention is defined according to the independent claims. Additional features will be appreciated from the dependent claims and the description herein.

[10] In one aspect of the invention there may be provided a social care system for establishing communication between a client and an operator. The social care system comprises a trigger device and mobile electronic device. The trigger device is arranged to broadcast a data packet including an alarm signal at a Bluetooth low energy ‘BLE’ radio frequency. The mobile electronic device is arranged to receive the broadcast data packet and identify the alarm signal within it, and in response, establish a communication path between the mobile electronic device and the operator of the system. Communication is suitably established using a viable communication network and protocol; for example, a cellular telecommunications network or Wi-Fi connection (for communication over the internet). What is considered a viable network is adaptable to the current circumstances at a time when communication is to be established (e.g. network coverage).

[11] In this way the trigger device may raise an alarm (in response to an emergency event) utilising a Bluetooth alarm signal communicated to the client’s mobile phone (or other smart device), and the client’s own mobile phone may be leveraged to automatically establish audio communication with the operator (and, of course, output the operator voice and capture client voice data, as appropriate). This is in contrast to existing systems whereby a trigger device must instead transmit an alarm signal at a reserved social alarm frequency which can only be received and interpreted by a hub unit which is paired with that trigger device, and whereby the hub unit must then establish an audio call with the operator.

[12] In essence, the present system could remove the need for a hub unit entirely, though it is much preferred that the new system operates in parallel to existing trigger-to-hub alarm procedures, in order to provide useful redundancy (consider that the mobile device might not always be kept near the client while they are in their residence, or could be out of power). More beneficially, the system is operable when a client using the trigger device is outside a normal range of communication of the hub unit associated with the trigger device (out of range due to e.g. attenuation of the alarm signal at the reserved frequency). Also advantageously, Bluetooth is a low power protocol optimised for short range communication; e.g. the range of approximately 1 to 2 metres envisaged as being the typical separation between a client’s trigger device and their mobile phone, particularly when they are outside their residence.

[13] The mobile device may also communicate client identifier information and location data to the operator. The client identifier and/or location data may be packaged in an alarm signal sent to the operator via a suitable communication network. In this way the operator is provided with useful information on who (i.e. which client) is in distress and where they are located, allowing aid to be dispatched to the area in which the alarm originated. In addition, communication to the operator may be established by the mobile device automatically accepting an incoming call from the operator, the operator having initiated the call to the client’s mobile device in response to receiving the alarm signal.

[14] In another aspect of the invention, there is described a method of operating a social care system to establish communication between a client and operator of the system. In another aspect of the invention, there is described a method of operating a communication device within the aforementioned social care system.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[15] For a better understanding of the present disclosure reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[16] Fig. 1 shows a prior art social care system;

[17] Fig. 2 shows an improved social care system;

[18] Fig. 3 shows an example trigger device for use in the improved social care system; and

[19] Fig. 4 shows a method of operation of an improved social care system.

Detailed Description

A typical social care system

[20] Figure 1 shows an example prior art social care system. The system includes a trigger device 1 configured to transmit a radio frequency (RF) alarm signal 2 to a hub unit. The trigger device 1 has a unique identifier which is registered to the hub unit 3, such that the alarm signal 2 may only be interpreted by the specific hub unit 3, and not another hub unit; in essence, the trigger device 1 and hub unit 3 are ‘paired’ to each other. [21] The trigger device 1 is designed to be born on the body of a client 4, such as a pendant, watch, or belt clip. An example trigger device 1 is a fall detector. These devices comprise means to detect that the client 4 has fallen over and in turn trigger the transmission of the alarm signal 2; one example means is an accelerometer. Such devices are well known in the art and are not covered in further detail here.

[22] The hub unit 3 is configured to contact a remote operator using a public switched telephone network (PSTN) when it receives the alarm signal 2 from the trigger device 1. Speakers on the hub unit 3 may output the operator’s voice. In this way the operator may communicate with the client 4 to provide reassurance that the alarm has been successful and help is on its way, which can help reduce any distress of the client 4. A microphone may be additionally provided to allow for the client 4 to talk back to the operator, which allows the client 4 to provide useful information such as location within their residence 5. Provided, of course, that the client 4 can hear audio from the hub unit 3 and the client 4 is close enough to the hub microphone.

[23] The hub unit 3 is typically installed somewhere central within a client’s residence 5, in order to improve the chances of the alarm signal being received by the hub unit 3. In some example systems the hub unit 3 is configured to transmit an acknowledgement, to the trigger device 1 , that the alarm signal 2 has been successfully received (using the same frequency as the alarm signal 2).

[24] The trigger device 1 and hub unit 3 are configured to operate on a radio frequency which is specifically reserved for social alarm systems. This applies whether the system is setup for oneway alarm transmission or two-way, bidirectional, alarm and acknowledgement. That is, signals transmitted between the trigger device 1 and hub unit 3 are all done at the reserved frequency. For most countries, the reserved frequency lies within the frequency band ranging from 312 MHz to 921 MHz (megahertz). Byway of example, the reserved frequency in the UK is 869.2125MHz. It will of course be appreciated that other reserved frequencies could be utilised. Only transmission of alarm information is permitted on the reserved social alarm frequency.

[25] For social alarms operating in the reserved frequency band of 312 to 921 MHz, the typical range of operation is up to around 400 metres in open air and 50 metres indoors (through walls); thus a social alarm trigger event can only successfully be received by the central hub (and then alerted to the operator) if the two units are within that range. As will be apparent, clients of the social alarm system can readily fall outside of the maximum range of alarm signal transmission, meaning that their alarms will not be passed on to the call centre and hence appropriate action will not be taken to help them.

Extending the operating range of a social care system

[26] Figure 2 shows an improved social care system 10 with extended operating range. In particular, the social care system 10 allows for establishing communication between a client and operator of the system when the client is outside an operating range of the social alarm signal (i.e. a range at which the alarm signal may be successfully received by a hub unit 300).

[27] The system 10 comprises a social alarm trigger device 100. The trigger device 100 is arranged to broadcast a first alarm signal 102 in response to a trigger event. The exact mechanism of event detection may be varied according to a particular use case of the trigger device 100, as will be familiar to those in the art; one example is fall detecting. The alarm signal 102 is broadcast at a first radio frequency, which is preferably a frequency within the reserved social alarm frequency band. Other predetermined frequencies reserved for communication with the hub unit 300 may also be employed by the trigger device 100.

[28] When the trigger device is within a communication range 302 of the hub unit 300 (which will vary according to environment), an alarm may be raised with an operator of the system by the hub unit 300. Moreover, a communication link between the operator and the hub unit 300 may be established by an appropriate communication network; for example, and without limitation, PSTN, Voice over Internet Protocol ‘VoIP’, and/or a cellular telecommunications network.

[29] The trigger device 100 is also arranged to broadcast a second alarm signal 104. The second alarm signal is broadcast at a second, different, radio frequency to the first frequency; in this way cross talk between the two frequency signals may be minimised, and also the second frequency may be tailored for reception by devices other than the hub unit 300. For example, the second frequency may be in the 2.4 GHz (gigahertz) radio frequency (RF) band ranging from 2400 to 2500 Mhz. Like the first alarm signal 102, the second alarm signal 104 may also include data which identifies the alerting trigger device 100 (and therefore the client by association with the trigger device 100).

[30] In a preferred example the second radio frequency is within the Bluetooth low energy (BLE) band; that is, a frequency of 2.402 to 2.480 MHz and operating on one of 37 data channels (spaced apart by 2 MHz ) within that band, as dictated by Bluetooth version 5.2 (and other compatible versions). Suitably the second alarm signal in this example is formatted for transmission (and subsequent receipt) by Bluetooth communication protocols. Put another way, the trigger device 100 is configured to broadcast a data packet including the second alarm signal at a Bluetooth low energy frequency.

[31 ] Advantageously BLE provides an ultra-low power protocol for data transmission and receipt via radio frequency communication. As such, utilising Bluetooth provides the trigger device 100 with excellent longevity compared with other radio frequency communications. In a typical use case, it is expected that the trigger device should be operable for at least 5 years without requiring a battery change (indeed many social alarm trigger devices have unchangeable batteries, requiring replacement of the whole unit when the battery dies).

[32] Moreover, Bluetooth 5.2 is the current Bluetooth standard for modern devices, particularly smart phones, and is also backwards compatible to at least Bluetooth version 4; thus, a BLE enabled trigger device 100 may readily communicate with a wide range of third-party devices (which are also configured to utilise Bluetooth). It will therefore be appreciated that the data packet comprising the second alarm signal may be received and interpreted by any device running BLE within range of the trigger device 100. The theoretical maximum range of BLE is 100 metres, however most BLE devices, including the trigger device 100, are configured to communicate at ranges up to around ten metres. BLE components are also readily available and commonplace in electronic devices, making it easier to source components and manufacture into the trigger device 100.

[33] The social care system care also comprises a mobile electronic device 200. The mobile device 200 is suitably configured to monitor and process signals received at the second radio frequency. In the example whereby the trigger device 100 utilises BLE for the second alarm signal, the mobile device 200 may be suitably arranged to also communicate using BLE. Moreover, the mobile device 200 is suitably arranged to have its Bluetooth functionality in operation, so as to be ready to receive and transmit signals, though may not currently be in active operation (i.e. Bluetooth is running as a background process on the device 200, but is not actively being used to send or receive data). When the mobile device 200 receives an RF broadcast from the trigger device 100, the received data packet is suitably analysed to identify the second alarm signal 104 within it. The mobile device 200 may optionally extract any client identifier information (/trigger device identifier information) also included within the data packet.

[34] In response to identifying the alarm signal, the mobile device 200 is arranged to establish a communication path 202 to the operator of the social care system. The communication path 202 is established at a third frequency which is different to the first frequency (e.g. is not the reserved social alarm frequency) and may also be different to the second frequency (though might otherwise be within the same frequency band, e.g. the 2.4 GHz band). More specifically, the communication path 202 to the operator is established using a suitable communications network.

[35] Preferably, the communication path 202 is established using suitable telecommunication infrastructure 12. For example, communication may be established by any one of 2G (including 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands), 3G (including 900 MHz and 2100 MHz bands), 4G (including 800 MHz, 1400 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, and 2600 MHz bands), or 5G (including 3400 MHz, 3600-4000 MHz bands) networks. This list is non-limiting and other telecommunication networks (and/or frequencies) could also be used.

[36] In another example the communication path 202 is established utilising a Wi-Fi connection to a nearby Wi-Fi router 14 (2.4 GHz frequency band). That is, the communication path 202 may be established using the internet (e.g. VoIP) via a Wi-Fi network to which the mobile device 200 is currently authenticated.

[37] Suitably the chosen network is variable based on a communications frequency the mobile device 200 is currently capable of communicating on. For example, even though the mobile device 200 may be capable of utilising 5G frequencies, communication with the operator may be established at 4G frequencies if the mobile device 200 is not within range of its 5G service. Similarly, the mobile device 200 may operate via Wi-Fi (e.g. VoIP) if no telecommunications service is available to the mobile device 200. Moreover, the mobile device may select whether to operate via telecommunications service or Wi-Fi depending on a currently received signal strength of the telecoms service and Wi-Fi connection.

[38] In this manner communication with the operator may be established regardless of the distance of the client 4 to the hub unit 300; in particular, when the client 4 is outside an operating range 302 of the hub unit 300 (that is, a range outside which the alarm signal 102 becomes too attenuated to be received correctly by the hub unit 300). Audio outputs on the mobile device 200 may be controlled to suitably output audio from the operator, and a volume of the audio controlled to extend a range at which the audio may be heard (e.g. by setting volume to maximum). Owing to the short-range nature of BLE, the mobile device 200 will be in close proximity to the trigger device 100, thereby greatly increasing the likelihood that the client 4 is within audible range of the mobile device 200 and so may hear the operator (barring rare outlier cases). Moreover, an audio input of the mobile device 200 may be activated in order to capture the client’s voice and thereby allow the client 4 to communicate back to the operator.

[39] In one example, the mobile device 200 is configured to compare client identity information (ID) extracted from the BLE data packet (i.e. the trigger device identifier that is sent with the second alarm signal 104) with a client ID stored on the mobile device 200. The mobile device 200 may be suitably configured to only establish communication with the operator if the client IDs correspond (i.e. are associated with the same client). In this way it can be determined that it is the client’s trigger device 100, and not some other device, which has issued an alarm signal before establishing the communication path 202 to the operator, while allowing the system to be operated using unrestricted Bluetooth signals.

[40] In another example, the trigger device 100 and mobile device 200 may be previously authenticated to each other. Suitably the mobile device 200 may be Bluetooth paired with the trigger device 100 (i.e. to establish restricted Bluetooth communication) and thus the trigger device 100 may be determined as belonging to the client by virtue of the prior authentication. The communication path 202 may be established to the operator only if the second alarm signal 104 originates from the paired trigger device 100. Similar to existing hub units 300, pairing of a trigger device 100 to mobile device 200 may be unique; i.e. the trigger device 100 may only be paired with a single mobile device 200, not multiple different devices.

[41] The mobile device 200 may also communicate a client ID to the operator so as to inform the operator as to the client 4 who is in distress. An identity of the client may also be established based on a phone number of the mobile device 200 (using e.g. a client database at the operator end). The mobile device 200 may also communicate location information to the operator, such as GNSS data, so that the operator may provide suitable location data to those dispatched to provide aid to the client 4. The identity and location information may be communicated via a third alarm signal suitably formatted for communication over a network such as those already described in relation to audio communication. The third alarm signal may be communicated while the audio communication is active, or just prior to establishing audio communication.

Establishing communication via a ‘smart’ device

[42] The mobile device 200 may be suitably realised by a range of modern electronic devices, in particular so called ‘smart’ devices such as, but not limited to, smart phones. That is, devices which comprise means for: receiving and transmitting RF signals (e.g. one or more antennas), particularly Bluetooth; storing, processing, and manipulating those RF signals and for storing and executing programs to do so (e.g. a memory, processors, etc), and; performing long range communication (e.g. using the internet, cellular telecommunication connections).

[43] As such, the mobile device 200 may be controlled by a suitable social alarm application installed onto the mobile device 200; i.e. stored on the device memory and executed by the device processor. The second alarm signal 104 may be formatted to initiate a push notification to the application via BLE. Push notifications may be processed in real time, and therefore the application may respond to a push notification quickly, in real time, to establish the communication path 202 to the operator using an appropriate communication network (which may vary based on current network coverage). More specifically, the social alarm application may commandeer and control a call functionality of the mobile device 200 to establish communication with the operator.

[44] In one example the application initiates a telephone call to the operator. In another example the social alarm application controls a VoIP application to connect to the operator. In a yet further example, the application answers an incoming telephone call from the operator; e.g. automatically answers a call from a number associated with the social care service, the operator having been prompted to call the client 4 (mobile device 200) by virtue of the third alarm signal. In this way audio-only communication may be established between client and operator.

[45] In one example the application may commandeer and control a video conferencing function to establish audio-visual (AV) communication to the operator (either by outbound or incoming call), which may further alleviate distress by allowing the client 4 to better communicate with the operator (e.g. due to facial expressions and/or gesticular motions). The video conference function may be part of the social alarm application, or a third-party application.

[46] Before an outbound call is initiated, the social alarm application determines that the alarm push notification was initiated by a trigger device associated to the client to which the mobile device 200 is also associated. In this way the client’s mobile device 200 is not used to erroneously call an operator if a BLE alarm signal happens to be received from someone different nearby. In one example association is determined by extracting identity information of the trigger device 100 (i.e. identity information of the client) from the BLE data packet and comparing with client identity information associated with the social alarm application. In another example the association is determined by whether the trigger device 100 and mobile device 200 have been previously paired.

[47] The social alarm application may also obtain location data of the mobile device 200, which may then be used to generate a third alarm signal (which may also include a client ID). The social alarm application may then control the mobile device 200 to forward the third alarm signal to the operator, again using an appropriate communication network.

[48] Previously, such functionality would not have been possible due to the inability of nonoperating system applications (non-native apps) to utilise Bluetooth in real-time while running in the background of a smart device; at least on Android and iOS devices. Historically, applications which were not running in the foreground of a smart device could not be serviced by Bluetooth, or in the rare occasions they were, would only be serviced infrequently. It will be appreciated that infrequent servicing (i.e. intermittent, non-real time, Bluetooth notifications) are inappropriate for reacting to an emergency situation. Recent changes to smart device operating systems in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis now allows non-native applications to receive real-time Bluetooth notifications while those apps are running in the background, and this functionality may be leveraged as part of the social care system to establish communication between client and operator as outlined above.

[49] Thus the operating range of the social care system may be increased by, in essence, extending the social care system to include a smart device utilised by (i.e. associated with) the client and which is configured to execute a suitable social alarm application (and advantageously, the application need only run as a background process). In this way the range of the social alarm system is extended beyond what can be achieved with direct communication between the hub unit 300 and trigger device 100.

[50] Thus a need for the client 4 to be within a small range 302 of the hub unit 300 is lessened, and periods of inoperability of the social alarm system are reduced. As such the client 4 may be confident of an emergency alarm being raised even should they go to the shops for a pint of milk, walk the dog, or be away from home for the weekend, etc, and will also be beneficially aware that they will be able to communicate with the care system operator should an emergency arise.

[51] Moreover, the client 4 does not need to be trained to use any additional equipment because the alarm and call functionality is still initiated by the trigger device 100 with which they will be readily familiar. The smart device application can also be installed/setup by a skilled smart device technician and then left to run in the background without any input from the client 4 during an emergency event. Thus the system is inherently suitable for the typically older demographic who utilise social care systems as clients. Example Trigger Device

[52] Figure 3 shows an example trigger device 100 for use in the system 10 in greater detail. That is, a social alarm trigger device 100 for raising an emergency alarm with an operator of the social care system 10.

[53] The trigger device 100 comprises a first RF unit 110. The first RF unit 110 is configured to transmit the first alarm signal 102 at the first (predetermined) frequency, which is preferably the reserved social alarm frequency. Suitably the first RF unit comprises an antenna 112 configured to transmit at the first frequency, and may be implemented in one example as a transmitter only. In another example the antenna 112 is configured to receive an acknowledgement from the hub unit 300 at the first frequency, and so may be implemented as a transceiver.

[54] The first alarm signal 102 is generated by a processor 106 in response to a sensor 108 indicating that a trigger event has occurred. Suitably the sensor 108 comprises means for detecting an emergency event. For example, the sensor 108 may include a means for detecting a fall, and may include an accelerometer, and a trigger event may be determined as occurring when the accelerometer measures an acceleration above a certain threshold. The first alarm signal 102 may also be generated in response to a manual input from the client 4; e.g. by actuation of a button. The first alarm signal 102 may also include a unique identifier (ID) which identifies the particular trigger device 100 transmitting the first alarm signal 102.

[55] The first RF unit 110 is preferably inactive, or at least in a low power consumption state (e.g. a sleep mode), until such time as the trigger event is detected by the sensor 108, after which the first RF unit 110 may be powered on (i.e. woken from low power mode) and instructed by the processor 106 to transmit the first alarm signal 102.

[56] The trigger device 100 also comprises a second RF unit 114. The second RF unit 114 is configured to transmit the second alarm signal 104 at the second frequency. The second alarm signal 104 also includes the unique identifier (ID) which identifies the particular trigger device 100. The second RF unit 114 is preferably inactive, or at least in a low power consumption state (e.g. a sleep mode), until such time as the trigger event is detected, afterwhich the second RF unit 14 may be powered on (i.e. woken from low power mode) ready for transmission.

[57] In one example, the second alarm signal 104 may be generated by the processor 106 in response to the sensor 108 indicating that the trigger event has occurred (as for the first alarm signal 102). In such a system the first alarm signal 102 and second alarm signal 104 are transmitted substantially concurrently. Thus, the system is beneficially provided with redundancy in case one communication route should fail. Moreover, should both signals be successful, then two concurrent communication paths may be established to the operator, which may be particularly beneficial if the client is within signal range of the first alarm signal but not audible range of the hub unit, as instead the client may hear audio from the mobile device. [58] In another example, the second alarm signal 104 is generated after a time delay. The time delay may be set to correspond to a maximum time in which an acknowledgement signal is expected to be received from the hub unit 300 at the first frequency (taking into account signal transmission and processing time by both devices). If an acknowledgement signal is received from the hub unit 300 within the time delay window, then normal alarm signalling via the hub unit 300 has been successful and the second RF unit 114 may not be powered up (as there is no need to transmit the second alarm 104). Conversely, if no acknowledgement is received, then the processor 106 may generate the second alarm signal 104 and power up the second RF unit 114 to transmit the second alarm signal 104. In this way the second RF unit 114 is only powered when required, thereby improving overall power consumption of the trigger device 100.

[59] Preferably the second frequency is within the Bluetooth low energy band. Suitably the second RF unit 114 may comprise an antenna 116 configured to transmit at BLE frequencies. Advantageously BLE has extremely low power requirements and is particularly suited for short range communication. In one example the antenna 116 may be optimised for good signal strength at ranges of up to ten metres while maintaining low power consumption (it will be appreciated that the power consumption of an antenna is related to its operating range - more range equals greater power consumption). Ten metres has been determined to provide a good compromise between power consumption and likelihood of being in communication range of the client’s mobile device 200, considering e.g. situations where a client may leave their mobile device 200 in locations which are nearby but not on their person or in their immediate vicinity; such as on a nearby table, or plugged into a charger in a corner of a room. In another example the antenna 116 may be optimised for good signal strength at ranges of up to two metres, further optimising power consumption in the expectation that the mobile device 200 will be on or near the client’s person most of the time. It will be appreciated that other range optimisations (e.g. 5 metres, 10 metres) may also be utilised as appropriate for a desired trade-off between range and power consumption.

[60] Moreover, not just the first RF unit 110 and second RF unit 114 are placed into a low power state when inactive. As much of the trigger device 100 as possible is placed into a low power mode when not in operation, provided that alarm functionality is not compromised. This is because a battery 118 of the device 100 will not usually be replaceable, owing to design parameters for the trigger device 100 which include ruggedness, lightness of weight, and International Protection Code (IP) 67/68 compliance (i.e. totally protected against dust ingress and protected from continuous liquid immersion at around 1 to 3 metre depth). Furthermore, the social care industry typically expects around 5 years of operation of a trigger device before the battery/device needs replacing. Thus it is advantageous for the device 100 to consume as little power as possible. Method of Operation

[61] Figure 4 summarises a method of operating a social care system to establish communication between a client and operator via a client’s mobile electronic device (e.g. smart phones).

[62] At step 401 , a first alarm signal is sent from the trigger device. The first alarm signal is broadcast at a first (predetermined) frequency receivable by a hub unit which is paired with that trigger device. The alarm signal is transmitted in response to actuation of the trigger device by either manual operation or a sensed event. Preferably the alarm signal is broadcast at a radio frequency specifically reserved for social alarm use.

[63] At step 402, a second alarm signal is sent from the trigger device. The second alarm signal is included in a data packet broadcast at a BLE frequency.

[64] Steps 401 and 402 may occur substantially at the same time, or step 402 may be delayed with respect to step 401 to allow time for an acknowledgement signal to be received from the hub unit.

[65] At step 403, a mobile device associated with the client (i.e. owned and/or otherwise operated by the client) receives the broadcast BLE data packet and identifies the second alarm signal within it.

[66] At step 404, in response to identifying the second alarm signal, the mobile device establishes a communication path to the operator of the system. Communication is suitably established over a network capable of long-range communication, such as a cellular telecommunications network or the internet (via a Wi-Fi connection). The establishing of the communication path may be initiated by the mobile device, or may be initiated by the operator in response to the mobile device sending the operator an alarm signal.

[67] Thus the client and operator may directly communicate while there is an ongoing emergency event (i.e. an event which triggered the alarm device) even when the trigger device is outside the normal operating range of its associated hub unit (and equally the client would be out of audio range of the associated hub unit).

[68] In summary, exemplary embodiments of an improved social care system which enables communication between client and operator via a client’s smart device, in parallel with the existing social alarm communication via a hub, has been described. In particular, the exemplary embodiments allow for increased range of operation of the social care system, wherein a client’s smart device is leveraged to allow operation of the system in scenarios in which a prior art system would be inoperable.

[69] The system and its components may be manufactured industrially. An industrial application of the example embodiments will be clear from the discussion herein. [70] Although preferred embodiments) of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.