Location support for emergency calls

• US 10,085,115 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2017
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mayor, Robert, MacGougan, Glenn Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US15/675,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20180048990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

System and method for submitting a location of a mobile device to a public service for providing emergency assistance are described. A mobile device can determine that a user is making an emergency call from the mobile device. The mobile device can then enable a location determination function of the mobile device and determine a location of the mobile device. The mobile device can determine the location in multiple attempts, including, in a first time window, attempting to determine a location with low uncertainty and, if the attempt fails, determining a location with high uncertainty in a second time window. The mobile device can then submit the location to a dispatcher through a mobile network operator.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile device, a request to access a public service;

detecting, by the mobile device, one or more wireless access points in proximity to the mobile device;

determining, by the mobile device for each of the detected wireless access points, a location associated with the detected wireless access point;

determining, by the mobile device, a consistency between the locations associated with the detected wireless access points, wherein determining the consistency between the locations associated with the detected wireless access points comprises;

determining that a number of detected wireless access points exceeds a threshold number; and

responsive to determining that the number of detected wireless access points exceeds the threshold number, determining that each of the locations associated with the detected wireless access points is consistent with each of the other locations associated with the detected wireless access points;

responsive to determining the consistency between the locations associated with the detected wireless access points, determining, by the mobile device, a location of the mobile device based on the locations associated with the detected wireless access points; and

transmitting, by the mobile device, the location of the mobile device to a network operator for submission to the public service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location of the mobile device comprises averaging each of the locations associated with the detected wireless access points.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the mobile device, one or more additional wireless access points in proximity to the mobile device;

determining, by the mobile device for each of the detected additional wireless access points, a location associated with the detected additional wireless access point;

determining, by the mobile device, a consistency between the locations associated with the detected additional wireless access points, wherein determining the consistency between the locations associated with the detected additional wireless access points comprises;

determining that a number of detected additional wireless access points exceeds the threshold number;

responsive to determining that the number of detected additional wireless access points exceeds the threshold number, determining that each of the locations associated with a subset of the detected additional wireless access points is consistent with each of the other locations associated with the subset of the detected additional wireless access points; and

determining that the subset of the detected additional wireless access points represents a percentage of the detected additional wireless access points greater than or equal to a threshold percentage, and

wherein determining the location of the mobile device comprises averaging each of the locations associated with the subset of the detected additional wireless access points.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the mobile device, one or more additional wireless access points in proximity to the mobile device;

determining, by the mobile device for each of the detected additional wireless access points, a location associated with the detected additional wireless access point;

determining, by the mobile device, a consistency between the locations associated with the detected additional wireless access points, wherein determining the consistency between the locations associated with the detected additional wireless access points comprises;

determining that a number of detected additional wireless access points exceeds the threshold number;

responsive to determining that the number of detected additional wireless access points exceeds the threshold number, determining that each of the locations associated with a subset of the detected additional wireless access points is consistent with each of the other locations associated with the subset of the detected additional wireless access points; and

determining that the subset of the detected additional wireless access points represents a percentage of the detected additional wireless access points less than a threshold percentage, and

wherein determining the location of the mobile device comprises submitting a query to a remote location database for location information regarding each of the detected additional wireless access points.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the mobile device, one or more additional wireless access points in proximity to the mobile device;

determining, by the mobile device for each of the detected additional wireless access points, a location associated with the detected additional wireless access point;

determining, by the mobile device, a consistency between the locations associated with the detected additional wireless access points, wherein determining the consistency between the locations associated with the detected additional wireless access points comprises determining that a number of detected additional wireless access points does not exceed the threshold number, and

wherein determining the location of the mobile device comprises submitting a query to a remote location database for location information regarding each of the detected additional wireless access points.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the query further comprises a request to the remote location database for location information regarding one or more further wireless access points neighboring the detected additional wireless access points.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the query further comprises a request to the remote location database to not provide location information regarding one or more further wireless access points neighboring the detected additional wireless access points to the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a location of the mobile device using a satellite positioning system in parallel to detecting the one or more wireless access points in proximity to the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising attempting to determine a location of the mobile device using a satellite positioning system, and

wherein detecting the one or more wireless access points in proximity to the mobile device is performed responsive to determining that the location of the mobile device cannot be determined using the satellite positioning system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the public service is an emergency service, and wherein the mobile device is connected to the public service through an E911 system, a T911 system, a 112 system, or a 119 system.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes:

receiving, at a mobile device, a request to access a public service;

detecting, by the mobile device, one or more wireless access points in proximity to the mobile device;

determining, by the mobile device for each of the detected wireless access points, a location associated with the detected wireless access point;

determining, by the mobile device, a consistency between the locations associated with the detected wireless access points, wherein determining the consistency between the locations associated with the detected wireless access points comprises;

determining that a number of detected wireless access points exceeds a threshold number; and

responsive to determining that the number of detected wireless access points exceeds the threshold number, determining that each of the locations associated with the detected wireless access points is consistent with each of the other locations associated with the detected wireless access points;

responsive to determining the consistency between the locations associated with the detected wireless access points, determining, by the mobile device, a location of the mobile device based on the locations associated with the detected wireless access points; and

transmitting, by the mobile device, the location of the mobile device to a network operator for submission to the public service.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein determining the location of the mobile device comprises averaging each of the locations associated with the detected wireless access points.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further causes:

detecting, by the mobile device, one or more additional wireless access points in proximity to the mobile device;

determining, by the mobile device for each of the detected additional wireless access points, a location associated with the detected additional wireless access point;

determining, by the mobile device, a consistency between the locations associated with the detected additional wireless access points, wherein determining the consistency between the locations associated with the detected additional wireless access points comprises;

determining that a number of detected additional wireless access points exceeds the threshold number;

responsive to determining that the number of detected additional wireless access points exceeds the threshold number, determining that each of the locations associated with a subset of the detected additional wireless access points is consistent with each of the other locations associated with the subset of the detected additional wireless access points; and

determining that the subset of the detected additional wireless access points represents a percentage of the detected additional wireless access points greater than or equal to a threshold percentage, and

wherein determining the location of the mobile device comprises averaging each of the locations associated with the subset of the detected additional wireless access points.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further causes:

detecting, by the mobile device, one or more additional wireless access points in proximity to the mobile device;

determining, by the mobile device for each of the detected additional wireless access points, a location associated with the detected additional wireless access point;

determining, by the mobile device, a consistency between the locations associated with the detected additional wireless access points, wherein determining the consistency between the locations associated with the detected additional wireless access points comprises;

determining that a number of detected additional wireless access points exceeds the threshold number;

responsive to determining that the number of detected additional wireless access points exceeds the threshold number, determining that each of the locations associated with a subset of the detected additional wireless access points is consistent with each of the other locations associated with the subset of the detected additional wireless access points; and

determining that the subset of the detected additional wireless access points represents a percentage of the detected additional wireless access points less than a threshold percentage, and

wherein determining the location of the mobile device comprises submitting a query to a remote location database for location information regarding each of the detected additional wireless access points.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further causes:

detecting, by the mobile device, one or more additional wireless access points in proximity to the mobile device;

determining, by the mobile device for each of the detected additional wireless access points, a location associated with the detected additional wireless access point;

determining, by the mobile device, a consistency between the locations associated with the detected additional wireless access points, wherein determining the consistency between the locations associated with the detected additional wireless access points comprises determining that a number of detected additional wireless access points does not exceed the threshold number, and

wherein determining the location of the mobile device comprises submitting a query to a remote location database for location information regarding each of the detected additional wireless access points.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the query further comprises a request to the remote location database for location information regarding one or more further wireless access points neighboring the detected additional wireless access points.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the query further comprises a request to the remote location database to not provide location information regarding one or more further wireless access points neighboring the detected additional wireless access points to the mobile device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further causes determining a location of the mobile device using a satellite positioning system in parallel to detecting the one or more wireless access points in proximity to the mobile device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further causes attempting to determine a location of the mobile device using a satellite positioning system, and

wherein detecting the one or more wireless access points in proximity to the mobile device is performed responsive to determining that the location of the mobile device cannot be determined using the satellite positioning system.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the public service is an emergency service, and wherein the mobile device is connected to the public service through an E911 system, a T911 system, a 112 system, or a 119 system.

21. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes;

receiving, at a mobile device, a request to access a public service;

detecting, by the mobile device, one or more wireless access points in proximity to the mobile device;

determining, by the mobile device for each of the detected wireless access points, a location associated with the detected wireless access point;

determining, by the mobile device, a consistency between the locations associated with the detected wireless access points, wherein determining the consistency between the locations associated with the detected wireless access points comprises;

determining that a number of detected wireless access points exceeds a threshold number; and

responsive to determining that the number of detected wireless access points exceeds the threshold number, determining that each of the locations associated with the detected wireless access points is consistent with each of the other locations associated with the detected wireless access points;

responsive to determining the consistency between the locations associated with the detected wireless access points, determining, by the mobile device, a location of the mobile device based on the locations associated with the detected wireless access points; and

transmitting, by the mobile device, the location of the mobile device to a network operator for submission to the public service.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein determining the location of the mobile device comprises averaging each of the locations associated with the detected wireless access points.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further causes:

detecting, by the mobile device, one or more additional wireless access points in proximity to the mobile device;

determining, by the mobile device for each of the detected additional wireless access points, a location associated with the detected additional wireless access point;

determining, by the mobile device, a consistency between the locations associated with the detected additional wireless access points, wherein determining the consistency between the locations associated with the detected additional wireless access points comprises;

determining that a number of detected additional wireless access points exceeds the threshold number;

responsive to determining that the number of detected additional wireless access points exceeds the threshold number, determining that each of the locations associated with a subset of the detected additional wireless access points is consistent with each of the other locations associated with the subset of the detected additional wireless access points; and

determining that the subset of the detected additional wireless access points represents a percentage of the detected additional wireless access points greater than or equal to a threshold percentage, and

wherein determining the location of the mobile device comprises averaging each of the locations associated with the subset of the detected additional wireless access points.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further causes:

detecting, by the mobile device, one or more additional wireless access points in proximity to the mobile device;

determining, by the mobile device for each of the detected additional wireless access points, a location associated with the detected additional wireless access point;

determining, by the mobile device, a consistency between the locations associated with the detected additional wireless access points, wherein determining the consistency between the locations associated with the detected additional wireless access points comprises;

determining that a number of detected additional wireless access points exceeds the threshold number;

responsive to determining that the number of detected additional wireless access points exceeds the threshold number, determining that each of the locations associated with a subset of the detected additional wireless access points is consistent with each of the other locations associated with the subset of the detected additional wireless access points; and

determining that the subset of the detected additional wireless access points represents a percentage of the detected additional wireless access points less than a threshold percentage, and

wherein determining the location of the mobile device comprises submitting a query to a remote location database for location information regarding each of the detected additional wireless access points.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further causes:

detecting, by the mobile device, one or more additional wireless access points in proximity to the mobile device;

determining, by the mobile device for each of the detected additional wireless access points, a location associated with the detected additional wireless access point;

determining, by the mobile device, a consistency between the locations associated with the detected additional wireless access points, wherein determining the consistency between the locations associated with the detected additional wireless access points comprises determining that a number of detected additional wireless access points does not exceed the threshold number, and

wherein determining the location of the mobile device comprises submitting a query to a remote location database for location information regarding each of the detected additional wireless access points.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the query further comprises a request to the remote location database for location information regarding one or more further wireless access points neighboring the detected additional wireless access points.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the query further comprises a request to the remote location database to not provide location information regarding one or more further wireless access points neighboring the detected additional wireless access points to the mobile device.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes determining a location of the mobile device using a satellite positioning system in parallel to detecting the one or more wireless access points in proximity to the mobile device.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes attempting to determine a location of the mobile device using a satellite positioning system, and

wherein detecting the one or more wireless access points in proximity to the mobile device is performed responsive to determining that the location of the mobile device cannot be determined using the satellite positioning system.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the public service is an emergency service, and wherein the mobile device is connected to the public service through an E911 system, a T911 system, a 112 system, or a 119 system.