Method and system for locating a network device in an emergency situation

• US 10,588,004 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2018
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Everbridge Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RedSky Technologies, Inc. (Everbridge Incorporated)
• Inventors: Eisner, Gerald R., Forehand, Jason E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Behnamian, Shahriar
• Application Number:
  US15/914,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20180206100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041, 4554042, 455521
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72421 with automatic activation of emergency service functions, e.g. upon sensing an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A method and system for locating a network device in an emergency situation. Current physical location information is obtained for a network device every time it registers on a network or moves to a new physical location. The current physical location is sent and received in an encrypted format to and from the network device. When the network device initiates an emergency message (e.g. 911, E911, NG911, text-to-911, 112, etc.) based on an emergency event (e.g., weather, crime, fire, natural disaster, medical, terrorist, military, etc.), the emergency message includes the encrypted current physical location information for the network device. The current physical location information is decrypted and the emergency message is immediately routed in real-time to an appropriate Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). The appropriate PSAP is immediately notified in real-time so emergency responders (e.g., police, fire, medical, etc.) can be dispatched to the current physical location of the network device.

Claims

1. A method for locating a network device in an emergency situation, comprising:

receiving a first location information message on an emergency location application on an emergency location information server network device with one or more processors from a first server network device with one or more processors via a communications network,

wherein the first location message includes location information for target network device with a location application and one or more processors that moved from a first physical location to a second physical location;

determining from the emergency location application on the emergency location information server network device a current physical location for the target network device at the second physical location;

creating from the emergency location application on the emergency location information server network device an location information key data structure for the target network device,

wherein the location information key data structure includes unique identification information for the target network device and unique identifying location information for a network the target network device is currently connected to and the determined current physical location information, and

wherein the location information key data structure includes a database key to a relational database and is usable only by the emergency location application on the emergency location information server;

sending a second location information message including the location information key data structure encrypted with a pre-determined encryption method from the emergency location information application on the emergency location information server network device back to the location application on the target network device via the communications network;

receiving an emergency message on the emergency location application on the emergency location information server network device from the first server network device via the communications network,

wherein the emergency message includes the encrypted location information key data structure sent to the target network device, and

wherein the emergency message was sent to the first server network device via the communications network from the location application on the target network device upon the target network device encountering an emergency event;

decrypting the encrypted location information key data structure from the emergency location application on the emergency location information server network device and determining the current physical location of the target network device with one or more queries to the relational database with the decrypted location information key and also determining an emergency response server network device with one or more processors to send the emergency message to;

sending in real-time the emergency message from the emergency location application on the emergency location information server network device to the determined emergency response server network device via the communications network,

wherein the emergency message is sent from the emergency location application on the emergency location information server network device to the determined emergency response server network device via the communications network without the encrypted location information key data structure; and

notifying in real-time from the emergency location application on the emergency location information server network device via the communications network the determined emergency response server network device that an emergency event has occurred with the target network device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein first location message includes an initial location registration message for the target network device at the first physical location.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first location information message includes unique identifying information for the target network device and unique identifying location information for a network the target network device is currently connected to.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first location information message includes a social media identifier, a social media identifier with associated location information, Internet Protocol (IP) address, IP subnet, Network Address Translated (NAT) IP address, Media Access Control (MAC) address, port identifier, local network location reference key, network identifier name, cable television set-top box identifier, Internet television set-top box identifier, Internet television stick identifier, satellite television box identifier, a Service Set Identifier (SSID), a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) or an Extended Basic Service Set Identifier (EBSSID) associated with the target network device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location information message includes a (Hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) Enabled Location Delivery) (HELD) protocol request message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location information message includes dimensional (2D) (X, Y), three-dimensional (3D) (X, Y, Z), wherein the (Z) component includes temperature, pressure, depth, height, altitude, elevation, speed, or acceleration information, Global Positioning System (GPS) information, Cartesian coordinate information, Euclidean space information, geo-space information, geographic information or network connection information for the target network device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the current physical location includes two-dimensional (2D) (X, Y), three-dimensional (3D) (X, Y, Z), Global Positioning System (GPS) information, Cartesian coordinate information, Euclidean space information, geo-space information, geographic information or network information for the target network device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the encrypted location information key data structure includes a Location Reference Key with an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) data structure comprising a Level 2 data structure component and a Level 3 data structure component, each with a plurality of individual data fields including one or more database key entries for a relational database comprising unique identification information for the target network device, unique identifying location information for a network the target network device is currently connected to and current physical location information for the target network device comprising two-dimensional (2D) (X, Y), three-dimensional (3D) (X, Y, Z), Global Positioning System (GPS) information, Cartesian coordinate information, Euclidean space information, geo-space information, geographic information or network information for the target network device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein location information key data structure is encrypted and decrypted using a Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol encryption method.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the emergency message includes an E911 communication message, legacy 911 communication message, Next Generation NG-911 communication message, Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) message, Public safety answering point (PSAP) to AutoMatic Location Identification (ALI) (PAM) interface protocol message, text-to-911 message or 112-message.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the emergency message includes one or more Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) messages including the encrypted location information key data structure.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein emergency response server network device includes an E911 or 911 emergency response server, a text-to-911 server, 112 server, a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) server, or an Emergency Services IP networks (ESInet) server.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the emergency event includes an accident event, fire event, medical event, health event, terrorist attack event, military event, weather event, natural disaster event or crime event.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the target network device includes a mobile phone, smart phone, electronic tablet, mobile computer, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), driverless vehicle, vehicle with a driver, Internet of Things (IoT) network device, wearable network device, portable gaming platform, non-portable gaming platform, non-mobile computer, non-mobile phone, Internet appliance, cable television set-top box, Internet television set-top box, satellite television box, and network devices embedded into home appliances or intelligent building control and monitoring systems.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the target network device includes a wireless interface for communicating with the communications network comprising:

an IEEE 802.11a, 802.11ac, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Wi-Fi Aware, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), ETSI High Performance Radio Metropolitan Area Network (HIPERMAN), Zigbee, Bluetooth, Infrared, Industrial Scientific and Medical (ISM), Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID), Real-Time Text (RTT), Near Field Communications (NFC) or Machine-to-Machine (M2M), wireless interface.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication network includes a cloud communications network and the emergency location application on the emergency location server network device offers a plurality of cloud services comprising a cloud computing Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), a cloud Platform as a Service (PaaS) and offers an emergency location information Specific cloud software service as a Service (SaaS) including one or more different software services for providing emergency location information to the location application on the target network device and a plurality of other target network devices and server network devices on the cloud communications network.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying in real-time on the determined emergency response server network device or on the emergency location information server network device, audio, visual or text information about the emergency event that has occurred with the target network device.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

locating with the emergency location information application on the emergency location information server network device the current physical location of the target network device by decrypting the encrypted location information key data structure received in the emergency message sent by the location application on the target network device via the communications network and by completing a database lookup with the decrypted location information key;

determining from the emergency location information application on emergency location information server network device determines an emergency response server closest to the current physical location of the target network device;

routing the emergency message from the emergency location information application on emergency location information server network device to the determined emergency response server via the communications network; and

notifying from the emergency location information application on the emergency location information server network device the determined emergency response server in real-time from that an emergency event has occurred for the target network device.

2. A non-transitory computer readable medium have stored therein a plurality of instructions for causing one or more processors on one or more network devices to execute the steps, comprising:

receiving a first location information message on an emergency location application on an emergency location information server network device with one or more processors from a first server network device with one or more processors via a communications network,

wherein the first location message includes location information for target network device with a location application and one or more processors that moved from a first physical location to a second physical location;

determining from the emergency location application on the emergency location information server network device a current physical location for the target network device at the second physical location;

creating from the emergency location application on the emergency location information server network device an location information key data structure for the target network device,

wherein the location information key data structure includes unique identification information for the target network device and unique identifying location information for a network the target network device is currently connected to and the determined current physical location information, and

wherein the location information key data structure includes a database key to a relational database and is usable only by the emergency location application on the emergency location information server;

sending a second location information message including the location information key data structure encrypted with a pre-determined encryption method from the emergency location information application on the emergency location information server network device back to the location application on the target network device via the communications network;

receiving an emergency message on the emergency location application on the emergency location information server network device from the first server network device via the communications network,

wherein the emergency message includes the encrypted location information key data structure sent to the target network device, and

wherein the emergency message was sent to the first server network device via the communications network from the location application on the target network device upon the target network device encountering an emergency event;

decrypting the encrypted location information key data structure from the emergency location application on the emergency location information server network device and determining the current physical location of the target network device with one or more queries to the relational database with the decrypted location information key and also determining an emergency response server network device with one or more processors to send the emergency message to;

sending in real-time the emergency message from the emergency location application on the emergency location information server network device to the determined emergency response server network device via the communications network,

wherein the emergency message is sent from the emergency location application on the emergency location information server network device to the determined emergency response server network device via the communications network without the encrypted location information key data structure; and

notifying in real-time from the emergency location application on the emergency location information server network device via the communications network the determined emergency response server network device that an emergency event has occurred with the target network device.

20. A system for locating a network device in an emergency situation, comprising, in combination:

a plurality of target network devices, each with a location application, one or more processors and a non-transitory computer readable medium;

a plurality of server network devices each with one or more processors and a non-transitory computer readable medium;

one or more emergency response server network devices with an emergency location application, one or more processors and a non-transitory computer readable medium;

a communications network;

for receiving a first location information message on an emergency location application on an emergency location information server network device with one or more processors from a first server network device with one or more processors via a communications network,

wherein the first location message includes location information for target network device with a location application and one or more processors that moved from a first physical location to a second physical location;

for determining from the emergency location application on the emergency location information server network device a current physical location for the target network device at the second physical location;

for creating from the emergency location application on the emergency location information server network device an location information key data structure for the target network device,

wherein the location information key data structure includes unique identification information for the target network device and unique identifying location information for a network the target network device is currently connected to and the determined current physical location information, and

wherein the location information key data structure includes a database key to a relational database and is usable only by the emergency location application on the emergency location information server;

for sending a second location information message including the location information key data structure encrypted with a pre-determined encryption method from the emergency location information application on the emergency location information server network device back to the location application on the target network device via the communications network;

for receiving an emergency message on the emergency location application on the emergency location information server network device from the first server network device via the communications network,

wherein the emergency message includes the encrypted location information key data structure sent to the target network device, and

wherein the emergency message was sent to the first server network device via the communications network from the location application on the target network device upon the target network device encountering an emergency event;

for decrypting the encrypted location information key data structure from the emergency location application on the emergency location information server network device and determining the current physical location of the target network device with one or more queries to the relational database with the decrypted location information key and also determining an emergency response server network device with one or more processors to send the emergency message to;

for sending in real-time the emergency message from the emergency location application on the emergency location information server network device to the determined emergency response server network device via the communications network,

wherein the emergency message is sent from the emergency location application on the emergency location information server network device to the determined emergency response server network device via the communications network without the encrypted location information key data structure; and

for notifying in real-time from the emergency location application on the emergency location information server network device via the communications network the determined emergency response server network device that an emergency event has occurred with the target network device; and

for displaying in real-time on the determined emergency response server network device or on the emergency location information server network device information about the emergency event that has occurred with the target network device.