Method and apparatus for emergency alert in client devices

• US 10,609,541 B1
• Filed: 04/27/2018
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mbit Wireless Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mbit Wireless Inc.
• Inventors: Govindassamy, Sivakumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Nam T
• Application Number:
  US15/964,361
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• 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 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• 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 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Emergency notification systems, such as Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) and AMBER alerts, as well as emergency help request systems, such as E911, are generally centralized systems. Often the first responders for emergencies may not be near the people who need assistance which may sometimes cause unacceptable delays in responding to emergencies. A method and apparatus are disclosed that offer a distributed and decentralized emergency notification and response system that informs and engages the people in the immediate vicinity of the person requiring assistance and enables dissemination of more detailed information beyond what may be provided by conventional emergency services systems.

Claims

1. A method for emergency alerting at a client device of a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

controlling, by a processing device at the client device,

initiating an Emergency Alert (EA) procedure based on a trigger;

when the EA procedure is initiated,

transmitting to at least one EA Destination (EAD) a EA Request message including predetermined emergency information, wherein the at least one EAD to which the EA Request message is sent is determined according to whether the EA procedure is triggered autonomously or by a user of the client device; and

autonomously starting to at least one of (i) capture at least one image by a camera of the client device or (ii) generate at least one audio data based on sound detected, at the client device, and transmitting the at least one of the at least one image or the at least one audio data to the at least one EAD.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger is at least one of an autonomous trigger, operation of a dedicated hardware button, operation of a soft key/button on a user interface menu of the client device, a voice activated command based on a voice recognition system, or simultaneously pressing two or more second buttons, in which each of the second buttons has a predetermined different function when pressed individually.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one EAD includes at least one of a network element, another client device or an Emergency Services Web Server (ESWS), and optionally a predetermined emergency service operator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one image includes a plurality of images captured using a front and rear facing camera at the client device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the client device does not have a camera, controlling, by the processing device, transmitting at least one second image from a memory of the client device with the EA Request message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the EA Request message includes at least one second image from a memory of the client device and the at least one image.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, when the Emergency Alert (EA) procedure is initiated, autonomously starting to obtain at least one measurement from at least one available vital monitor and transmitting the at least one measurement to the at least one EAD.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the EA Request message includes at least one of a predetermined second prior taken vital measurement or another predetermined health information.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, when the EA procedure is performed, generating at least one notification at the client device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one notification includes at least one of light, flash, sound or vibration.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the generating the at least one notification at the client device is in accordance with a determination whether the trigger corresponds to a first EA procedure mode associated with a health emergency or a second EA procedure mode associated with a safety emergency.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a level of the at least one notification is adjustable while the EA procedure is being performed.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein a first predetermined level of at least one given notification generated for the first EA procedure mode is same as or different from a second predetermined level of the least one given notification generated for the second EA procedure mode.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the generating the at least one notification at the client device is in accordance with a predetermined default mode.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the predetermined default mode is modifiable based on user input provided after the EA procedure is initiated.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein a level of the at least one notification is adjustable while the EA procedure is being performed.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the EA Request message is transmitted to at least one another nearby client device with which the client device is connected through a Short Range Wireless Link (SRWL).

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, for each of the at least one another nearby client device with which the client device is connected through the SRWL and authenticated, the EA Request message includes predetermined relevant information including location of the client device, and at least one of the at least one image, the at least one audio data or vitals information.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, for at least one nearby client device (NCD) with which the client device is not connected or authenticated, transmitting, to the at least one NCD, a request to connect on Short Range Wireless Link (SRWL) with indication of emergency.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, transmitting, to the at least one NCD, the EA Request message with predetermined information over a temporary connection with the at least one NCD, provided by the at least one NCD in response to the request to connect.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the temporary connection is provided without authentication.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, performing an EA Request message transmission procedure including scanning each available nearby client device (NCD) with which the client device is connected over a Short Range Wireless Link (SRWL), connecting to one first NCD at a time and transmitting the EA Request message to the one first NCD.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, periodically, at a predetermined rate, performing the EA Request message transmission procedure until the EA procedure is terminated at the client device and a termination message is transmitted to each of the available NCDs notifying a user of the client device is out of emergency or danger.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the scanning is performed periodically.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the client device is a master controller in a Short Range Wireless Link (SRWL), and

the method further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, broadcasting the EA Request message for receipt by each nearby client device (NCD) with which the client device is connected over the SRWL.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, when the client device has a plurality of Short Range Wireless Link (SRWL) capabilities, scanning each nearby client device (NCD) with which the client device is connectable for the plurality of SRWL capabilities and transmitting the EA Request message to the each of the NCDs for the plurality of SRWL capabilities.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, when the client device is connected to internet, uploading at least a portion of contents of the EA Request message to a web server.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the web server is a cloud server, private server or public server.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, registering with the web server.

30. The method of claim 29, in which the registering with the web server includes registration of location information and connectivity information, in which the connectivity information includes at least one of Internet Protocol (IP) address or Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) port number.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the client device includes a memory containing connection details for connection with the web server, in which the connection details include at least one of Internet Protocol (IP) address, port number or file format, and in which the EA Request message is transmitted to the web server in accordance with the connection details.

32. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, receiving an EA Response message from the at least one EAD notifying the client device that at least one nearby client device or another client device is available to assist a user of the client device.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, when the EA response message is received at the client device, providing an active alert or silent alert at the client device in accordance with a type of notification included in the EA Request message.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, when the EA response message is received at the client device, responsive to user input, determining whether to open the EA response message.

35. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, forming a Preferred Group HCD (PGHCD) and registering to at least one of a web server or a network element as the at least one EAD, each given client device in the PGHCD being a given Helping Client Device (HCD) for the client device.

36. The method of claim 1,

wherein the EA Request message is specified for transmission in accordance with at least one notification preference including (i) notification only to a Preferred Group HCD (PGHCD) formed by the client device and registered to at least one of a web server or a network as the at least one EAD, in which each given client device in the PGHCD is a given Helping Client Device (HCD) for the client device, ii) notification to the PGHCD and by general broadcast or multicast, iii) notification by general broadcast or multicast only, iv) notification only to at least one nearby client device (NCD) via a Short Range Wireless Link (SRWL) with which the at least one NCD is connected with the client device, and v) notification by i), ii), iii) and iv).

37. The method of claim 36, in which the at least one notification preference is predetermined or selectable when the EA procedure is initiated.

38. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, when a condition of out of danger or emergency exists at the client device, transmitting an EA Stop message to notify the at least one EAD of the condition.

39. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when another client device is a helping client device assisting the client device based on the EA Request message, controlling, by the processing device, receiving, from at least one of a network element or a web server as the at least one EAD, an EA closure notification requesting confirmation of a EA Stop message from the another client device concerning the client device.

40. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the EA Request message is transmitted to at least one nearby client device (NCD) with which the client device is connected through a Short Range Wireless Link (SRWL), controlling, by the processing device, scanning for an available NCD and at least one of broadcasting, multicasting or transmitting peer-to-peer a given EA Request message to the at least one NCD until the client device stops an alert.

41. The method of claim 1, wherein for an autonomous trigger as the trigger, the autonomous trigger is based on at least one of health data entered by a user through a user interface of the client device, detection of a predetermined change of acceleration of the client device, lack of a predetermined expected movement over a predetermined period.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the autonomous trigger is according to predetermined upper and lower bounds.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, for determining whether the autonomous trigger exists, differentiating between absence of receiving information from a sensor and a predetermined large or a small value from a sensor, and when the autonomous trigger is determined to exist, initiating the EA procedure when at least two given sensor indicate respective values outside the predetermined upper and lower bounds.

44. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, monitoring and recording a measurement from at least one sensor of the client device, in which the at least one sensor is for sensing health condition information.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, storing measurement information from the measurement in a web server.

46. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, storing measurement information from the measurement at at least one of client device or a web server using blockchain.

47. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, receiving from a web server threshold information for use as an autonomous trigger as the trigger for initiating the EA procedure, in which the threshold information is based on an output of a machine learning algorithm at the web server that analyzes vitals measurement information from a measurement from at least one sensor of the client device, in which the at least one sensor is for sensing health condition information.

48. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, when predetermined criteria indicates an autonomous trigger exists as the trigger, activating recording at least one of the at least one audio data or the at least one image and reporting vitals measurement data and the recorded the at least one of the at least one audio data or the at least one image to at least one predetermined group.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the at least one predetermined group is different from a second predetermined group to which second information is transmitted when the EA procedure is initiated based on the trigger which is other than the autonomous trigger.

50. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, when the EA procedure is initiated, activating recording at least one of the at least one audio data or the at least one image and reporting vitals measurement data and the recorded the at least one of the at least one audio data or the at least one image, in accordance with a current battery level of the client device when the client device is battery-operated.

51. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling, by the processing device, initiating the EA procedure when abnormal behavior is detected based on a comparison with at least one of a trained or predetermined behavior pattern.

52. The method of claim 1,

wherein each of a plurality autonomous triggers is determinable as the trigger that initiates the EA procedure,

wherein a predetermined group receiving first given information based on initiation of the EA procedure from a first autonomous trigger of the plurality autonomous triggers is same or different from a second predetermined group receiving second given information based on initiation of the EA procedure from a second autonomous trigger of the plurality autonomous triggers different from the first autonomous trigger, and

wherein each of the first and second predetermined groups is different from a third predetermined group to which given third information is transmitted when the EA procedure is initiated based on the trigger which is other than any of the plurality of autonomous triggers.

53. An apparatus for emergency alerting at a client device of a wireless communication system, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to control, at the client device,

initiating an Emergency Alert (EA) procedure based on a trigger;

when the EA procedure is initiated, transmitting to at least one EA Destination (EAD) a EA Request message including predetermined emergency information, wherein the at least one EAD to which the EA Request message is sent is determined according to whether the EA procedure is triggered autonomously or by a user of the client device; and

autonomously starting to at least one of (i) capture at least one image by a camera of the client device or (ii) generate at least one audio data based on sound detected, at the client device, and transmitting the at least one of the at least one image or the at least one audio data to the at least one EAD.

54. A wireless communication device comprising:

a receiver to receive a wireless communication; and

a processing device configured for emergency alerting at the wireless communication device as a client device of a wireless communication system,

wherein the processing device is configured to control

initiating an Emergency Alert (EA) procedure based on a trigger;

when the EA procedure is initiated, transmitting to at least one EA Destination (EAD) a EA Request message including predetermined emergency information, wherein the at least one EAD to which the EA Request message is sent is determined according to whether the EA procedure is triggered autonomously or by a user of the client device; and

autonomously starting to at least one of (i) capture at least one image by a camera of the client device or (ii) generate at least one audio data based on sound detected, at the client device, and transmitting the at least one of the at least one image or the at least one audio data to the at least one EAD.