Apparatus and method for providing emergency information in a signpost location system

• US 20040203567A1
• Filed: 11/22/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Berger, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US10/302,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20040203567A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• 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

A wireless communication device (120) and a cooperative apparatus for placing emergency calls to a local responding agency (122) are provided. The device (120) comprises a receiving circuit (404) that receives location information (202, 204) and contact information (206) from a beacon (102, 104, 106) and a processor (408) that places a call based on the contact information in response to detecting a user activation at a user interface (414). The location information (202, 204) corresponds to a location of the beacon (102, 104, 106), and the contact information (206) is associated with the local responding agency (122).

Claims

1. A wireless communication device for communicating emergency information to a local responding agency comprising:

a receiving circuit configured to receive location information and contact information from a beacon, the location information corresponding to a location of the beacon; and

a processor, coupled to the receiving circuit, configured to identify a communication node of the local responding agency based the contact information and connecting to the communication node in response to detecting a user activation.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the receiving circuit receives updated location information from a second beacon in response to a change in location by the wireless communication device.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the contact information is one of a telephone number and a network address.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 3, wherein the network address is a uniform resource locator.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the contact information is associated with a responding agency that provides emergency services within the location of the beacon.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver configured to transmit the call to a wireless base station of a telecommunications network.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 1, further comprising a user interface configured to detect the user activation.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 4, wherein the user interface is one of either a contact sensor, a motion detector and an audio microphone.

9. An apparatus for assisting a wireless communication device to communicate emergency information to a local responding agency comprising:

a beacon, located within a local area, operable to transmit location information corresponding to the local area and contact information associated with the local responding agency.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the location information corresponds to an identification of the beacon.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the local responding agency correlates the identification of the beacon with a location coordinate of the beacon.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a second beacon configured to provide updated location information in response to a change in location by a remote device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second beacon is in wireless communication with the remote device and detects the change in location by the remote device.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the contact information is one of a telephone number and a network address.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the network address is a uniform resource locator.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the contact information is associated with a responding agency that provides emergency services within the local area.