System and method for providing the precise location of a cell phone making an emergency call

• US 20070004379A1
• Filed: 06/19/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Celphinder Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Celphinder Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Stanners, Sydney
• Granted Patent: US 7,912,185 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/62 Keyboard equipment in key telephone systems H04M9/003
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The present invention relates to providing precise location data to a 911 operator of a cell phone operator who initiates a 9-1-1 call and, more particularly, to the interaction of transmitting circuitry in a cellular telephone and complementary receiving circuitry in a landline telephone or stand-alone unit. When a cellular 9-1-1 call is made within proximity of a landline telephone or a stand-alone unit, an interaction takes place between the enabled cell phone and the landline telephone. Upon receiving and decoding the cellular transmission, the landline telephone or stand-alone unit transmits a 9-1-1 call which provides more precise location data (in the form of the landline telephone'"'"'s subscriber'"'"'s identification) to a 911 operator than if the 9-1-1 call was simply connected to the operator from the cell phone. The present invention has further applications for locating a 9-1-1 call from a landline telephone connected through a PBX-type master switching box.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting precise location data to a 911 operator comprising:

a cell phone capable of transmitting a triggering signal;

a landline telephone within the cell phone'"'"'s broadcast range including a receiver for receiving the triggering signal from the cell phone; and

a predialler in communication with the landline telephone, the predialler being activated by the receiver upon the receiver'"'"'s receipt of the triggering signal, upon activation the predialler transmitting a 9-1-1 signal with the precise location data embedded in the 9-1-1 signal to a 911 operator.

2. A system as in claim 1 wherein the triggering signal indicates that a 9-1-1 call is being initiated.

3. A system as in claim 1 wherein the landline telephone is capable of transmitting an encoded signal to a 911 operator.

4. A system as in claim 1 wherein the receiver and predialler are integrated within a wall jack.

5. A system as in claim 1 wherein the receiver and predialler are integrated within a landline telephone.

6. A system for transmitting precise location data to a 911 operator comprising:

a cell phone including a first transceiver for transmitting a triggering signal;

a landline telephone within the cell phone'"'"'s broadcast range including a second transceiver for receiving the triggering signal from the first transceiver and transmitting a return signal to the first transceiver thereby activating the first transceiver, the return signal including precise location data obtained from the nearest landline telephone; and

the first transceiver for receiving the return signal and, in response, for initiating a 9-1-1 call with the precise location data embedded in the 9-1-1 signal.

7. A system for transmitting precise location data to a 911 operator comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a first triggering signal;

a cell phone including a transceiver for receiving the first triggering signal and in response to receiving the first triggering signal, for transmitting a second triggering signal;

a landline telephone within the cell phone'"'"'s broadcast range including a receiver for receiving the second triggering signal from the cell phone; and

a predialler containing precise location data obtained from the landline telephone and being activated by the receiver upon the receiver'"'"'s receipt of the second triggering signal, the predialler initiating a 9-1-1 call and transmitting a 9-1-1 signal with the precise location data embedded in the 9-1-1 signal.

8. A system as in claim 7 wherein the triggering signal indicates that a 9-1-1 call is being initiated.

9. A system as in claim 7 wherein the landline phone is replaced with a stand alone stationary unit programmed with location information.

10. A system as in claim 7 wherein the landline telephone includes voice-over-IP for transmitting a signal.

11. A system as in claim 7 wherein the receiver and predialler are integrated within a wall jack.

12. A system as in claim 7 wherein the receiver and predialler are integrated within a landline telephone.

13. A system as in claim 7 wherein the transmitter is integrated into existing circuitry in a vehicle communication system.

14. A system as in claim 13 wherein the vehicle communication system includes satellite transmission means for transmitting a 9-1-1 signal with precise location data to a 911 operator.

15. A system for transmitting precise location data to a 911 operator comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a first triggering signal;

a cell phone including a first transceiver for receiving the first triggering signal and for transmitting a second triggering signal upon reception of the first triggering signal;

a landline telephone within the broadcast range of the transceiver, the landline telephone including a second transceiver for receiving the second triggering signal from the first transceiver and in response for transmitting a return signal to the first transceiver, the return signal including precise location data obtained from the landline telephone; and

the first transceiver for receiving the return signal and, in response, for transmitting the precise location data to a 911 operator.

16. A system for providing a 911 operator with the precise location of a cell phone operator who initiates a 9-1-1 emergency call from a cell phone within the vicinity of any one of a plurality of landline telephones which have been modified to accept a signal from a cell phone and then initiate a second 9-1-1 emergency call, the second 9-1-1 call including Subscriber ID information which provides the 911 operator with precise location data, the system capable of providing the precise location data without any verbal communication between the cell phone operator and the 911 operator comprising:

a cell phone including a transmitter for transmitting a 9-1-1 signal;

a landline telephone within the transmitter'"'"'s broadcast range including a receiver for receiving the 9-1-1 signal from the transmitter; and

a predialler, activated by the receiver upon the receiver'"'"'s receipt of the 9-1-1 signal, the predialler transmitting the 9-1-1 signal with the precise location data embedded in the 9-1-1 signal to a 911 operator upon activation.

17. The system of claim 16 where more than one of the landline telephones receives the first 9-1-1 signal, and each landline telephone sends a second 9-1-1 signal, where the second signals are sorted by the 911 operator.

18. System of claim 16 where the sorting is done based upon time of arrival.

19. System of claim 17 where the sorting is done by clustering the included geographic information in each second signal and determining the most likely site of the 9-1-1 event.

20. System of claim 16 where more than one of the landline telephones receives the first 9-1-1 signal, and each receiving landline telephone polls the other receiving landline telephone with strongest first 9-1-1 signal and earliest first 9-1-1 signal and responds with the second 9-1-1 signal while the others do not respond.

21. A system for providing a 911 operator with the precise location of a cell phone operator who initiates a 9-1-1 emergency call from a cell phone within the vicinity of any one of a plurality of landline telephones which have been modified to accept a signal from a cell phone and then initiate a second 9-1-1 emergency call, the second 9-1-1 call including Subscriber ID information which provides the 911 operator with precise location data, the system capable of providing the precise location data without any verbal communication between the cell phone operator and the 911 operator comprising:

a cell phone including a first transceiver for transmitting a 9-1-1 signal;

a landline telephone within the transceiver'"'"'s broadcast range including a second transceiver for receiving the 9-1-1 signal from the first transceiver and for transmitting a return signal to the first transceiver, the return 9-1-1 signal including precise location data obtained from the landline telephone; and

the first transceiver for receiving the return 9-1-1 signal and, in response, for transmitting a second 9-1-1 signal with the precise location data embedded in the second 9-1-1 signal.

22. A system for providing a 911 operator with the precise location of a cell phone operator who initiates a 9-1-1 emergency call from a cell phone within the vicinity of any one of a plurality of landline telephones which have been modified to accept a signal from a cell phone and then initiate a second 9-1-1 emergency call, the second 9-1-1 call including Subscriber ID information which provides the 911 operator with precise location data, the system capable of providing the precise location data without any verbal communication between the cell phone operator and the 911 operator comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a first signal;

a cell phone including a transceiver for receiving the first signal and for automatically transmitting a 9-1-1 signal upon reception of the first signal;

a landline telephone, within the transceiver'"'"'s broadcast range, including a receiver for receiving the 9-1-1 signal from the cell phone; and

a predialler, the predialler in communication with and activated upon receiving a signal from the receiver to initiate a 9-1-1 call with precise location data embedded in the 9-1-1 signal to a 911 operator.

23. A system for providing a 911 operator with the precise location of a cell phone operator who initiates a 9-1-1 emergency call from a cell phone within the vicinity of any one of a plurality of landline telephones which have been modified to accept a signal from a cell phone and then initiate a second 9-1-1 emergency call, the second 9-1-1 call including Subscriber ID information which provides the 911 operator with precise location data, the system capable of providing the precise location data without any verbal communication between the cell phone operator and the 911 operator comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a first signal;

a cell phone including a first transceiver for receiving the 9-1-1 signal and for transmitting a 9-1-1 signal upon reception of the first signal;

a landline telephone within the first receiver'"'"'s broadcast range including a second transceiver for receiving the 9-1-1 signal from the first transceiver and for transmitting a return 9-1-1 signal to the first transceiver, the return 9-1-1 signal including precise location data obtained from the landline telephone; and

the first transceiver for receiving the return 9-1-1 signal and, in response, for transmitting a second 9-1-1 signal with the precise location data embedded in the second 9-1-1 signal.

24. A system for providing a 911 operator with the location of a cell phone operator, without requiring any verbal communication between the 911 operator and the cell phone operator, where the location data is precise enough to satisfy the FCC'"'"'s e911 mandate, the cell phone operator initiating a 9-1-1 call on a cell phone within a facility having a plurality of rooms which share a common facility street address and which facility has a plurality of landline phones comprising:

the cell phone including a transmitter for transmitting a first 9-1-1 signal;

a landline telephone within the transmitter'"'"'s broadcast range, the landline telephone including a transceiver for receiving the first 9-1-1 signal from the cell phone and transmitting a second 9-1-1 signal and a first predialler for transmitting the first 9-1-1 signal to a 911 operator;

wherein the first predialler contains the facility'"'"'s address;

a wall jack including a receiver for receiving the second 9-1-1 signal from the landline telephone and a second predialler for transmitting the second 9-1-1 signal to a 911 operator;

wherein the second predialler contains a room location which is transmitted with the second to provide the 911 operator with a room number in addition to a facility address.

25. A system for providing a 911 operator with the location of a cell phone operator, without requiring any verbal communication between the 911 operator and the cell phone operator, where the location data is precise enough to satisfy the FCC'"'"'s e911 mandate, the cell phone operator initiating a 9-1-1 call on a cell phone within a facility having a plurality of rooms which share a common facility street address and which facility has a plurality of landline phones comprising:

providing a user with a cell phone including a transmitter for transmitting a first 9-1-1 signal;

enabling a landline telephone within the cell phone'"'"'s broadcast range including a transceiver for receiving the first 9-1-1 signal from the cell phone and transmitting a second 9-1-1 signal and a first predialler for transmitting the first 9-1-1 signal to a 911 operator;

wherein the first predialler containing an address of a building;

enabling an wall jack including a receiver for receiving the second 9-1-1 signal from the landline telephone and a second predialler for transmitting the second 9-1-1 signal to a 911 operator;

wherein the second predialler containing a room location data from the nearest landline telephone activated by the receiver upon the receiver'"'"'s receipt of the second 9-1-1 signal to 911 operator upon activation; and

providing the address of the building from the first 9-1-1 signal and the room number of the building from second 9-1-1 signal to the 911 operator simultaneously.

26. A system for transmitting a signal to a 911 operator from any one of a plurality of landline telephones in an office building comprising:

a landline telephone including a transmitter for transmitting a triggering signal, the landline telephone encoded with an office number;

an office junction box including a receiver for receiving the triggering signal;

a bypass circuit for bypassing a PBX-type master switching box thereby connecting directly to an office junction box; and

a predialler in operative communication with the bypass circuit, the predialler containing precise location activated by the receiver upon the receiver'"'"'s receipt of the triggering signal, the predialler transmitting a 9-1-1 signal with the office number embedded in the triggering signal to a 911 operator upon activation.

27. A system as in claim 26 wherein the landline telephone may be connected to the bypass circuit, the landline telephone integrating the receiver and the predialler.

40. A system as in claim 26 wherein each of the plurality of landline telephones is Bluetooth®

enabled such that if at least one of the plurality of landline telephones is connected to the bypass circuits, the remaining plurality of landline telephones can chain a signal to each neighbouring landline telephone until the signal reaches at least one of the plurality of landline telephones which is connected directly to the bypass circuit.

41. A system as in claim 26 wherein the bypass circuit contains logic to sort a plurality of incoming 9-1-1 calls to determine the correct call to allow through to the 911 operator.

42. A system as in claim 41 wherein the bypass circuit sorts the plurality of incoming 9-1-1 calls based on time distance of arrival.

28. A system for providing a 911 operator with the location of a cell phone operator, without requiring any verbal communication between the 911 operator and the cell phone operator, where the location data is precise enough to satisfy the FCC'"'"'s e911 mandate, the cell phone operator initiating a 9-1-1 call on a cell phone within an office building having a plurality of offices which share a common office building street address and which office building has a plurality of landline phones comprising:

a cell phone including a transmitter for transmitting a 9-1-1 signal;

a landline telephone within the cell phone'"'"'s broadcast range including a receiver for receiving the 9-1-1 signal from the cell phone;

an office junction box including a receiver for receiving the 9-1-1 signal and a predialler;

a bypass circuit for bypassing the PBX-type master switching box thereby connecting directly to the office junction box; and

a predialler in operative communication with the bypass circuit, the predialler containing an office number obtained from the nearest landline telephone and being activated by the receiver upon the receiver'"'"'s receipt of the 9-1-1 signal, the predialler transmitting the 9-1-1 signal with the office number and address of the office building embedded in the 9-1-1 signal to a 911 operator upon activation.

29. A system as in claim 28 wherein the landline telephone may be connected to the bypass circuit, the landline telephone integrating the receiver and the predialler.

30. A system for providing a 911 operator with the location of a cell phone operator, without requiring any verbal communication between the 911 operator and the cell phone operator, where the location data is precise enough to satisfy the FCC'"'"'s e911 mandate, the cell phone operator initiating a 9-1-1 call on a cell phone within an office building having a plurality of offices which share a common office building street address and which office building has a plurality of landline phones comprising:

a cell phone including a first transceiver for transmitting a 9-1-1 signal;

a landline telephone within the cell phone'"'"'s broadcast range including a second transceiver for receiving the 9-1-1 signal from the first transceiver and transmitting a return signal to the first transceiver, the return signal including an office number obtained from the nearest landline telephone;

the first transceiver for receiving the return signal and, in response, for transmitting the return signal with the office number and address of the office building embedded in the signal to a 911 operator upon activation.

31. A system for providing a 911 operator with the location of a cell phone operator, without requiring any verbal communication between the 911 operator and the cell phone operator, where the location data is precise enough to satisfy the FCC'"'"'s e911 mandate, the cell phone operator initiating a 9-1-1 call on a cell phone within an office building having a plurality of offices which share a common office building street address and which office building has a plurality of landline phones comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a first 9-1-1 signal;

a cell phone including a transceiver for receiving the first 9-1-1 signal and for transmitting a second 9-1-1 signal upon reception of the first 9-1-1 signal;

a landline telephone within the cell phone'"'"'s broadcast range including a receiver for receiving the second 9-1-1 signal from the cell phone; and

an office junction box including a receiver for receiving the 9-1-1 signal and a predialler;

a bypass circuit for bypassing the PBX-type master switching box thereby connecting directly to the office junction box; and

a predialler containing precise location data is obtained from the nearest landline telephone and being activated by the receiver upon the receiver'"'"'s receipt of the second 9-1-1 signal, the predialler transmitting the 9-1-1 signal with the precise location data embedded in the second 9-1-1 signal to a 911 operator upon activation.

32. A system as in claim 31 wherein the landline telephone may be connected to the bypass circuit, the landline telephone integrating the receiver and the predialler.

33. A system for providing a 911 operator with the location of a cell phone operator, without requiring any verbal communication between the 911 operator and the cell phone operator, where the location data is precise enough to satisfy the FCC'"'"'s e911 mandate, the cell phone operator initiating a 9-1-1 call on a cell phone within an office building having a plurality of offices which share a common office building street address and which office building has a plurality of landline phones comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a first 9-1-1 signal;

a cell phone including a first transceiver for receiving the first 9-1-1 signal and for transmitting a second 9-1-1 signal upon reception of the first 9-1-1 signal;

a landline telephone within the cell phone'"'"'s broadcast range including a second transceiver for receiving the second 9-1-1 signal from the first transceiver and transmitting a return 9-1-1 signal to the first transceiver, the return 9-1-1 signal including an office number-obtained from the nearest landline telephone; and

the first transceiver for receiving the return 9-1-1 signal and, in response, for transmitting the 9-1-1 signal with the office number and address of the office building embedded in the return 9-1-1 signal to a 911 operator upon.

34. A system for providing a 911 operator with the location of a cell phone operator, without requiring any verbal communication between the 911 operator and the cell phone operator, where the location data is precise enough to satisfy the FCC'"'"'s e911 mandate, the cell phone operator initiating a 9-1-1 call on a cell phone within an office building having a plurality of offices which share a common office building street address and which office building has a plurality of landline phones wherein the landline telephones are all connected to PBX-type master switching box in a building comprising:

a cell phone including a transmitter for transmitting a first 9-1-1 signal;

a landline telephone within the cell phone'"'"'s broadcast range including a transceiver for receiving the first 9-1-1 signal from the cell phone and transmitting a second 9-1-1 signal and a first predialler for transmitting the first 9-1-1 signal to a 911 operator;

wherein the first predialler contains an address of an office building;

an office junction box including a receiver for receiving the second 9-1-1 signal from the landline telephone and a second predialler for transmitting the second 9-1-1 signal to a 911 operator;

a bypass circuit for bypassing the PBX-type master switching box thereby connecting directly to the office junction box; and

wherein the second predialler containing a office number from the nearest landline telephone activated by the receiver upon the receiver'"'"'s receipt of the second 9-1-1 signal to a 911 operator upon activation.

35. A system for providing a 911 operator with the location of a cell phone operator, without requiring any verbal communication between the 911 operator and the cell phone operator, where the location data is precise enough to satisfy the FCC'"'"'s e911 mandate, the cell phone operator initiating a 9-1-1 call on a cell phone within an office building having a plurality of offices which share a common office building street address and which office building has a plurality of landline phones wherein the landline telephones are all connected to PBX-type master switching box in a building comprising the steps:

providing a user with a cell phone including a transmitter for transmitting a first 9-1-1 signal;

enabling a landline telephone within the cell phone'"'"'s broadcast range including a transceiver for receiving the first 9-1-1 signal from the cell phone and transmitting a second 9-1-1 signal and a first predialler for transmitting the first 9-1-1 signal to a 911 operator;

wherein the first predialler contains an address of an office building;

enabling an office junction box including a receiver for receiving the second 9-1-1 signal from the landline telephone and a second predialler for transmitting the second 9-1-1 signal to a 911 operator;

providing a bypass circuit for bypassing the PBX-type master switching box thereby connecting directly to the office junction box;

wherein the second predialler containing a office number from the nearest landline telephone activated by the receiver upon the receiver'"'"'s receipt of the second 9-1-1 signal to 911 operator upon activation; and

providing the address of the building from the first 9-1-1 signal and the office number of the office building from the second 9-1-1 signal to the 911 operator simultaneously.

36. A system for determining the precise location of a lost child comprising:

a transceiver hidden on the child, the transceiver storing a unique identifier;

a transmitter for sending a signal to the transceiver upon which the transceiver will transmit a signal coded with the unique identifier,

a landline phone within the transmitting range of the transceiver, the landline phone enabled with a receiver and a predialler, the receiver for receiving the signal from the transceiver and the predialler for initiating a 9-1-1 call on the landline phone, completing a 9-1-1 call and passing along the unique identifier and the landline phone'"'"'s subscriber identification.

37. A system for conveying location information of a cell phone operator to a 911 operator where such location information is precise enough to comply with the Federal Communications Commission'"'"'s e911 mandate and which requires no verbal communication between the cell phone operator and the 911 operator, the system comprising:

a cell phone having cellular communication means and a first short-range transceiver;

the cell phone sending a signal through the transmitter when the cell phone operator sends a 9-1-1 code a second transceiver for receiving the first transceiver'"'"'s signal;

a predialer in communication with the second transceiver;

the predialer activated upon the second transceiver receiving a signal and for transmitting a 9-1-1 call upon activation, such 9-1-1 call providing a 911 operator with the predialer'"'"'s subscriber identification;

the second transceiver sending a second signal to the first transceiver for communicating that the 9-1-1 call was made;

the first transceiver determining whether a second signal was received and initiating a 9-1-1 call through the cell phone'"'"'s cellular communication means only if the second signal was not received.

38. A system for use in a plurality of environments for providing any number of cell phone operators with a way to provide 911 operators with precise information regarding each such cell phone operator'"'"'s current location when any such cell phone operator initiates a 9-1-1 call using such cell phone operator'"'"'s cell phone, the system ensuring widespread and scalable use by using existing telecommunication systems and by using subscriber identification information which is made available to a 911 operator when a 9-1-1 call is made from a landline phone, the system operating in the absence of any verbal communication between the cell phone operator and the 911 operator with respect to the cell phone operator'"'"'s location, the system comprising:

a device in operative communication with a landline capable of initiating a 9-1-1 call over the landline and providing a 911 operator with subscriber identification over the landline, such device is also capable of receiving a signal from a cell phone, such signal reception causing the device to initiate a 9-1-1 call and send subscriber identification information to a 911 operator thus providing the 911 operator with the precise location from which the cell phone operator is calling.

39. A system for use in at least one of a plurality of facilities, the at least one facility having a plurality of discrete rooms some of which are distal to each other, the number of rooms being large enough that an emergency identified at the facility would not provide enough location data for an emergency response team to pinpoint the location of the emergency in a timely manner, comprising:

at least two of the plurality of rooms having devices, the devices capable of sending an emergency signal to a 911 operator, the at least two devices sharing a common junction box, the at least two devices capable of initiating a 9-1-1 call upon receiving a 9-1-1 signal transmitted from a proximate cell phone;

at least one of a plurality of cell phones capable of transmitting a 9-1-1 call to a 911 operator, the devices programmable with the location of the room in which the device is situate;

a bypass circuit for bypassing the common junction box in operative communication with each of the at least two devices for allowing 9-1-1 calls initiated from the at least two devices to provide information directly to a 911 operator including the room identification to pinpoint the location of the cell phone operator.