Activating home network devices when 911 indicator

• US 20050143048A1
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Binning, Valerie
• Granted Patent: US 7,529,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses that operate with different communications devices, different users, and/or different communications networks to generate, enable, disable, transmit, and/or otherwise control an Emergency Remote Control Communications Signal to an Emergency Remote Control Communications Address associated with an Emergency Remote Control Communications Address. According to embodiments of this invention, a calling party placing a call to an emergency response call center is enabled to control network-based access, activation, deactivation and monitoring of one or more remote control systems via a communications link over the Emergency Remote Control Communications Address. Other embodiments enable emergency response personnel and/or an authorized third party to control network-based access, activation, deactivation and monitoring of the remote control system.

Claims

1. A communications system comprising:

a communications network for communicating a communications signal to an emergency response communications address, the communications network comprising an Emergency Alert Activation DataServer for storing and processing an Emergency Alert Profile;

an Emergency Alert Control Application communicating with the communications network, the Emergency Alert Control Application using the Emergency Alert Profile to generate an Emergency Remote Control Communications Signal, the Emergency Remote Control Communications Signal comprising an Emergency Remote Control Communications Address,

wherein the Emergency Remote Control Communications Signal controls at least one of access to, activation of, deactivation of, and monitoring of an Emergency Remote Control System at a geographic location of the Emergency Remote Control Communications Address.

2. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the Emergency Alert Control Application communicates with the communications network and with a calling party'"'"'s communications device to generate the Emergency Remote Control Communications Signal.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

the Emergency Remote Control System operatively controlled by the Emergency Remote Control Signal.

4. The system of claim 3, the Emergency Remote Control System comprising at least one of a home security system, an HVAC control system, a lighting control system, an audio distribution system, a multimedia-on-demand system, an appliance system, a lawn and garden management system, a communications system, a transportation vehicle management system, a visual monitoring system, and a pet management system.

5. The method of claim 1, the Emergency Remote Control System comprising at least one of an electronic calendar, a voice messaging system, a text messaging system, a video messaging system, a digital communications system, an electronic to-do list, an electronic directory, a word processing system, a spreadsheet system, a presentation system, a medical system, and a research system.

6. The system of claim 1, the communications network comprising at least one of a public switched telephone network, a mobile switching telephone communications network, and a satellite communications network.

7. The system of claim 1, the communications network comprising a world wide electronic data communications network having an Emergency Remote Control User Interface via at least one of an internet, an intranet, and an extranet.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications network communicates the Emergency Remote Control Communications Signal to the Emergency Remote Control Communications Address.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the Emergency Alert Profile comprises at least one of (i) the Emergency Remote Control Communications Address, (ii) a communications device associated with the Emergency Remote Control Communications Address, (iii) the Emergency Remote Control Device Communications Address, (iv) an identifier of the Emergency Remote Control System, (v) an originating communications address associated with a calling party'"'"'s communications device, (vi) a parameter for accessing the Emergency Remote Control System, (vii) a parameter for activating the Emergency Remote Control System, (viii) a parameter for deactivating the Emergency Remote Control System, (ix) a parameter for monitoring the Emergency Remote Control System, (x) a communications parameter, and (xi) a calling party control parameter.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the calling party'"'"'s communications device comprises at least one of the following:

a POTS phone,

a wireless communications device,

a mobile phone,

a wireless phone,

a WAP phone,

a satellite phone

a computer,

a modem,

a pager,

a digital music device,

a digital recording device,

a personal digital assistant,

an interactive television,

a digital signal processor, and

a Global Positioning System device.

11. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

an Emergency Alert Activation Application stored on the computer-readable medium, the Emergency Alert Activation Application stored in a memory device, the Emergency Alert Activation Application using at least one of an Emergency Alert Profile and an instruction from a calling party'"'"'s communications device to generate an Emergency Remote Control Communications Signal, the Emergency Alert Activation Application initiating communication of the Emergency Remote Control Communications Signal to an Emergency Remote Control Communications Address, wherein the Emergency Remote Control Communications Signal controls at least one of access to, activation of, deactivation of, and monitoring of an Emergency Remote Control System at a geographic location of an Emergency Remote Control Communications Address.

12. A communications method, comprising:

receiving an incoming communications signal from a calling party'"'"'s communications device to an emergency response communications address;

associating at least one of an incoming line identification (ICLID) signal and an enhanced emergency response identification signal with the incoming communications signal;

associating an Emergency Alert Profile with the at least one of an incoming line identification (ICLID) signal and an enhanced emergency response identification signal; and

transmitting a network initiated communications signal to the calling party'"'"'s communications device, the network initiated communications signal presenting a selection of at least one of the following (i) the Emergency Remote Control Communications Address, (ii) a communications device associated with the Emergency Remote Control Communications Address, (iii) the Emergency Remote Control Communications Address, (iv) an identifier of the Emergency Remote Control System, (v) an originating communications address associated with a calling party'"'"'s communications device, (vi) a parameter for accessing the Emergency Remote Control System, (vii) a parameter for activating the Emergency Remote Control System, (viii) a parameter for deactivating the Emergency Remote Control System, (ix) a parameter for monitoring the Emergency Remote Control System, (x) a communications parameter, and (xi) a calling party control parameter;

receiving the selection from the calling party'"'"'s communications device; and

using at least one of the incoming communications signal, the Emergency Alert Profile, and the selection from the calling party'"'"'s communications device to generate an Emergency Remote Control Communications Signal,

wherein the Emergency Remote Control Communications Signal controls at least one of access to, activation of, deactivation of, and monitoring of an Emergency Remote Control System at a geographic location of the Emergency Remote Control Communications Address.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting a network initiated communications signal to the emergency response communications address, the network initiated communications signal presenting a selection of at least one of the following (i) the Emergency Remote Control Communications Address, (ii) the communications device associated with the Emergency Remote Control Communications Address, (iii) the Emergency Remote Control Communications Address, (iv) an identifier of the Emergency Remote Control System, (v) an originating communications address associated with a calling party'"'"'s communications device, (vi) a parameter for accessing the Emergency Remote Control System, (vii) a parameter for activating the Emergency Remote Control System, (viii) a parameter for deactivating the Emergency Remote Control System, (ix) a parameter for monitoring the Emergency Remote Control System, (x) a communications parameter, and (xi) a calling party control parameter;

receiving the selection from the emergency response communications address; and

using at least one of the incoming communications signal, the Emergency Alert Profile, and the selection from the emergency response communications address to generate an Emergency Remote Control Communications Signal.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting a network initiated communications signal to a third party'"'"'s communications address, the network initiated communications signal selection of at least one of the following (i) the Emergency Remote Control Communications Address, (ii) the communications device associated with the Emergency Remote Control Communications Address, (iii) the Emergency Remote Control Communications Address, (iv) an identifier of the Emergency Remote Control System, (v) an originating communications address associated with a calling party'"'"'s communications device, (vi) a parameter for accessing the Emergency Remote Control System, (vii) a parameter for activating the Emergency Remote Control System, (viii) a parameter for deactivating the Emergency Remote Control System, (ix) a parameter for monitoring the Emergency Remote Control System, (x) a communications parameter, and (xi) a calling party control parameter;

receiving the selection from the third party'"'"'s communications device; and

using at least one of the incoming communications signal, the Emergency Alert Profile, and the selection from the third party'"'"'s communications device to generate an Emergency Remote Control Communications Signal.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

communicating the Emergency Remote Control Communications Signal to the emergency remote system associated with the Emergency Remote Control Communications Address.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising at least one of:

accessing the Emergency Remote Control System;

activating the Emergency Remote Control System;

deactivating the Emergency Remote Control System; and

monitoring the Emergency Remote Control System.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the Emergency Remote Control System comprises at least one of a home security system, an HVAC control system, a lighting control system, an audio distribution system, a multimedia-on-demand system, an appliance system, a lawn and garden management system, a communications system, a transportation vehicle management system, a visual monitoring system, and a pet management system.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the Emergency Remote Control System comprises at least one of an electronic calendar, a voice messaging system, a text messaging system, a video messaging system, a digital communications system, an electronic to-do list, an electronic directory, a word processing system, a spreadsheet system, a presentation system, a medical system, and a research system.

20. An emergency remote control communications method, comprising:

receiving a communications signal from a calling party'"'"'s communications device via a communications network, the communications signal addressed to an emergency response communications address; and

using the communications signal to generate an Emergency Remote Control Communications Signal, the Emergency Remote Control Communications Signal comprising at least one of (i) the Emergency Remote Control Communications Address, (ii) the communications device associated with the Emergency Remote Control Communications Address, (iii) the Emergency Remote Control Communications Address, (iv) an identifier of the Emergency Remote Control System, (v) an originating communications address associated with a calling party'"'"'s communications device, (vi) a parameter for accessing the Emergency Remote Control System, (vii) a parameter for activating the Emergency Remote Control System, (viii) a parameter for deactivating the Emergency Remote Control System, (ix) a parameter for monitoring the Emergency Remote Control System, (x) a communications parameter, and (xi) a calling party control parameter,

wherein the communications network comprises at least one of a public switched telephone network and a mobile switching telephone communications network.