System for transmitting an emergency call

• US 20070066276A1
• Filed: 09/14/2006
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Systems (Becker Division) GmbH
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Systems (Becker Division) GmbH
• Inventors: Behrens, Ralph, Kuz, Volker
• Granted Patent: US 7,962,119 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/206 composed of PSTN and wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• 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

An emergency call system transmits an emergency call with emergency information from a vehicle using a communication system. The emergency call system includes an emergency call device that connects with an emergency assistance center during an emergency. The emergency call device may be automatically or manually triggered to transmit data and information related to an emergency to the assistance center. Data and information may be transmitted over a data connection and/or a voice connection over a hardwired or wireless network.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting an emergency call including emergency information using a communication system comprising:

triggering an emergency call;

establishing a data connection with an emergency call assistance center through the communication system to handle the emergency call;

transmitting a portion of the emergency information to the emergency call assistance center through the data connection;

establishing a first voice connection to the emergency call assistance center through the communication system; and

transmitting a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) message comprising a portion of the emergency information through the first voice connection.

2. The method according to claim 1, where the emergency call is placed from a vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising detecting an end of the DTMF message transmitted via the first voice connection at emergency call assistance center.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the portion of the emergency information has been received by the emergency call assistance center;

transferring the first voice connection to an emergency assistant at the emergency call assistance center when the portion of the emergency information has been received; and

establishing a second voice connection to an emergency call dispatch center through the communication system when the portion of the emergency information has not been received.

5. The method according to claim 1, where the data connection comprises a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) connection, and where the transmitting act comprises transmitting the portion of the emergency information in a request of an emergency call uniform resource locator (URL) using the WAP connection.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising initiating a counter, where the emergency call may be cancelled during an emergency call count, and where the emergency call is triggered after the emergency count reaches a predetermined threshold.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising testing the availability of the communication system.

8. The method according to claim 7, where the testing comprises transmitting the at least a portion of the emergency information and the communication network of the communication system through a mobile terminal.

9. The method according to claim 2, where the at least a portion of the emergency information transmitted using the data connection comprises one of the geographical position of the vehicle or an identification number of the vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 9, where the emergency information further includes one of a timestamp of the generation of the emergency message, a vehicle descriptor, a breakdown status, or additional information and parameters based on an occupant of the vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 9, where the at least a portion of the emergency information comprises a history of information related to a time period that occurs before an emergency, where the history of information tracks a steering of the vehicle, a level of deceleration of the vehicle, or a driving direction of the vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 8, where the portion of the emergency information transmitted using the voice connection comprises one of the geographical position of the vehicle or an identifier of the terminal transmitting the emergency information.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising synchronizing the portion of the emergency information received through the data connection and the first voice connection at the emergency call assistance center;

and

transmitting a confirmation for the emergency information received from the emergency call assistance center.

14. The method according to claim 2, further comprising requesting the emergency information from the vehicle through the communication system.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising informing at least one emergency call dispatch center of the emergency using the received emergency information.

16. A system for submitting an emergency call comprising:

an emergency call device configured to trigger an emergency call; and

an emergency call assistance center configured to receive an emergency call from the emergency call device;

where the emergency call device establishes a data connection and a first voice connection with the emergency call assistance center, and where the emergency call device is configured to transmit emergency information to the emergency call assistance center through the data connection and the first voice connection.

17. The system of claim 16, where the emergency call device is located in a device that transports a person or a thing.

18. The system of claim 17, where the emergency call information includes a history of information related to a time period before an emergency, and where the history of information indicates a steering of the vehicle, a rate of deceleration of the vehicle, or a driving direction of the vehicle.

19. The system of claim 16 further comprising an emergency call dispatch center coupled to the emergency call assistance center and configured to receive a second voice connection with the emergency call device, where the second voice connection is used to transmit additional emergency information.

20. An emergency call device for transmitting an emergency call including emergency information from a vehicle using a mobile communication system, comprising:

triggering means for triggering an emergency call at the vehicle;

communicating means for transmitting the emergency call;

data connection means for establishing a data connection with an emergency call assistance center via the mobile communication system;

voice connection means for establishing a first voice connection to the emergency call assistance center through the mobile communication system; and

transmission means for transmitting emergency information to the emergency call assistance center using the data connection or the first voice connection.

21. The emergency call device according to claim 20, where the transmission means includes a dual tone multi-frequency message with emergency information using the established first voice connection.

22. The emergency call device according to claim 21 further comprising means for determining the end of dual tone multi-frequency message transmitted through the first voice connection.

23. The emergency call device according to claim 20 further comprising:

transferring means for transferring the first voice connection to the emergency call assistance center when the emergency information has been transmitted successfully; and

second voice connection means for establishing a second voice connection to a emergency call dispatch center through the mobile communication system, when the emergency information has not been transmitted successfully.

24. The emergency call device according to claims 20 further comprising processing means for formatting the emergency information to a pre-selected protocol.

25. The emergency call device according to claim 24, where the processing means is adapted to format emergency information comprising vehicle information, a geographical position of the vehicle, an identification number of the vehicle, or occupant information.