Method and apparatus for packetized supplemental wireless distress signaling

• US 20050070315A1
• Filed: 09/25/2003
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Rai, Vikram, Silva, Rui Adelino
• Granted Patent: US 7,068,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• 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

In response to the triggering of a user'"'"'s mobile terminal, such as through pushing a dedicated button, by inputting a predetermined sequence of digits, through a menu selection, or automatically in response to an external input, a digital record containing user-specific information that is stored in the mobile terminal is packetized and transmitted over a signaling channel through the public wireless network, where the one or more packets are marked as being emergency 911 (E911) packets. From the header information in these packets, a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) in the wireless network, recognizes these E911 packets as being destined to that MSC'"'"'s nearest Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), and transmits the information contained in those packets to that PSAP.

Claims

1. A method in a public wireless communications system comprising:

at a mobile terminal;

in response to a triggering event, transmitting on a signaling channel on the wireless communications system information that comprises previously stored user-specific information, information that identifies the mobile terminal, and information that identifies a destination of all the information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the information further comprises a geo-location of the mobile terminal.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the information further comprises a time and date associated with the triggering event.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the information further comprises a digitized voice snippet of a user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the triggering event is an input entered by a user at the mobile terminal.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the triggering event is detecting an occurrence of a predetermined event external to the mobile terminal.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the destination information indicates that the transmitted information is destined to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) and the stored user specific information comprises user medical information.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the information further comprises a priority, the information being transmitted on the wireless communications system in accordance with the priority.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is transmitted within at least one packet, the at least one packet having a header that indicates a destination for the information.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the signaling channel is an SMS or an SMS-like signaling channel.

11. A method in a public wireless communications system in which a mobile terminal communicates on a signaling channel with a mobile switching center, the method comprising:

at a mobile switching center;

receiving information on the signaling channel, the information including an identifier indicating a destination of the information;

determining if the indicated destination is a predetermined destination; and

if the indicated destination is the predetermined destination, forwarding the information to the predetermined destination or a destination associated with the predetermined destination, the information comprising information from the mobile terminal that has been transmitted in response to a triggering event, the information comprising user-specific information previously stored at the mobile terminal, information that identifies the mobile terminal, and information that identifies a destination of all the information.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the received information is forwarded on a signaling channel on the wireless communications system to a mobile terminal at or associated with the predetermined destination.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the received information is forwarded in an email message sent to an email address associated with the predetermined destination.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the received information is converted to a voice signal and is forwarded to a voice terminal at the predetermined destination or at a location associated with the predetermined destination.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the received information is forwarded on a data network to a data terminal at the predetermined destination or at a location associated with the predetermined destination.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the received information further comprises a geo-location of the mobile terminal.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the received information further comprises a time and data associated with the triggering event.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the received information further comprises a digitized voice snippet of a user.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the received information comprises user medical information, the predetermined destination is a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), and the received information is forwarded to a nearest PSAP.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the received information is within at least one packet, the packet having a header that indicates a destination for the information.

21. The method of claim 11 wherein the signaling channel is an SMS or an SMS-like signaling channel.

22. The method of claim 11 wherein the received information further comprises a priority and the information is forwarded to the predetermined destination in accordance with the priority.

23. A computer readable media tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform a method at a mobile terminal operating on a public wireless communications system, the method comprising:

in response to a triggering event, transmitting on a signaling channel on the wireless communications system information that comprises previously stored user-specific information, information that identifies the mobile terminal, and information that identifies a destination of all the information.

24. A computer readable media tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform a method at a mobile switching center in a public wireless communications system in which a mobile terminal communicates on a signaling channel with the mobile switching center, the method comprising:

receiving information on the signaling channel, the information including an identifier indicating a destination of the information;

determining if the indicated destination is a predetermined destination; and

if the indicated destination is the predetermined destination, forwarding the information to the predetermined destination or a destination associated with the predetermined destination, the information comprising information from the mobile terminal that has been transmitted in response to a triggering event, the information comprising user-specific information previously stored at the mobile terminal, information that identifies the mobile terminal, and information that identifies a destination of all the information.