Methods, user terminals, computer program products, and components for providing communications in emergency situations

• US 20060128355A1
• Filed: 12/10/2004
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chanyu Holdings LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aaron, Jeffrey A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,127,230 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications

Abstract

A method for providing communications services in a network can include adjusting a mode of communication for devices operating in the network based on emergency state information. Related user terminals, computer program products, and components are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for providing communications services in a network comprising:

adjusting a mode of communication for devices operating in the network based on emergency state information.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring information associated with increased communications demands for the network;

determining the emergency state information based on the information associated with increased communications demands for the network;

determining the mode of communication based on the emergency state information; and

transmitting emergency mode messages to devices in the network based on the emergency state information to synchronize the devices.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the emergency mode messages comprise first emergency mode messages, the method further comprising:

monitoring receipt of status message from devices responsive to the first emergency mode messages transmitted to the devices;

transmitting second emergency mode messages to the devices not responding or not properly responding to the first emergency mode messages within a time-out interval; and

activating an alarm if a number of devices do not respond or do not properly respond to the first and second emergency mode messages within the time-out interval.

4. A method according to claim 2 wherein transmitting emergency mode messages comprises transmitting different emergency mode messages to different devices having different emergency mode compatibilities.

5. A method according to claim 2 wherein adjusting comprises adjusting the mode of communication to increase or decrease an amount of permissible bandwidth for the devices based on changes in the emergency state information.

6. A method according to claim 2 wherein adjusting comprises adjusting the mode of communication to a normal mode of communication responsive to determining adequate network resources are available and after an additional time interval.

7. A method according to claim 2 wherein adjusting comprises adjusting the mode of communication responsive to a manual input.

8. A method according to claim 2 wherein determining emergency state information comprises:

authenticating information including weather information, traffic information, emergency broadcast information, broadcast media information, security information, network traffic and/or status information, and/or 911 emergency information;

filtering the authenticated information to block a portion of the authenticated information; and

determining the emergency state information based on the filtered authenticated information.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the mode of communication comprises a normal mode, a limited audio mode, a text mode, a limited text mode, a video mode, and/or a limited video mode.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the mode of communication further comprises one of a plurality of different codecs to be used for audio and/or video, one of a plurality of different compression modes to be used for audio and/or video, a TCP/IP communication mode, a UDP communication mode, a shortcut based communication mode, a hotkey based communication mode, an abbreviation based communication mode, and/or a communications mode having a predetermined number of messages and/or amount of time allocated for use.

11. A method according to claim 8 wherein determining the emergency state information comprises:

accumulating different types of filtered authenticated information separately to provide accumulated information;

weighting the accumulated information separately based on database information;

combining the weighted accumulated information to provide the emergency state information.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein accumulating comprises accumulating different types of filtered authenticated information separately to provide accumulated information based on the database information.

13. A computer program product configured to operate the method according to claim 1.

14. A user terminal for use in a communications network comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit/receive communications to a communications network according to an emergency communications mode; and

a processor circuit coupled to the transceiver circuit configured to activate the emergency communications mode responsive to an emergency message received from the network based on emergency state information.

15. A user terminal according to claim 14 wherein the emergency communications mode comprises a limited audio mode, a text mode, a limited text mode, and/or a limited video mode.

16. A user terminal according to claim 15 wherein the emergency communications mode further comprises one of a plurality of different codecs to be used for limited audio and/or video mode, one of a plurality of different compression modes to be used for limited audio and/or video mode, a TCP/IP communication mode to be used in limited audio and/or video mode, a UDP communication mode to be used in limited audio and/or video mode, a shortcut based communication mode to be used in limited text mode, a hotkey based communication mode to be used in limited text mode, an abbreviation based communication mode to be used in limited text mode, and/or a communications mode having a predetermined number of messages and/or amount of time allocated for use.

17. A user terminal according to claim 15 wherein the processor is configured to activate the emergency communications mode responsive to a manual input at the user terminal.

18. A component for use in routing and/or switching and/or transporting communications in a communications network, comprising a processor circuit configured to activate the emergency communications mode responsive to an emergency message received from the network based on emergency state information.

19. A component according to claim 18 wherein the emergency communications mode comprises a limited audio mode, a text mode, a limited text mode, and/or a limited video mode.

20. A component according to claim 19 wherein the emergency communications mode further comprises a TCP/IP communication mode to be used in audio and/or video mode, a UDP communication mode to be used in limited number video mode, and/or a communications mode having a predetermined messages and/or amount of time allocated for use.