Method for identifying appropriate public safety answering points

• US 20070191027A1
• Filed: 02/16/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Oesterling, Christopher, McCormick, Catherine
• Granted Patent: US 7,991,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• 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 40/18 based on predicted events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A method for identifying an appropriate public safety answering point for a mobile unit includes establishing communication between a telematics service provider and the mobile unit. Mobile unit data is received at the telematics service provider. The data includes at least the speed of the mobile unit. The telematics service provider, upon recognition and analysis of the data, predicts a position of the mobile unit during a planned conversation with a public safety answering point. An appropriate public safety answering point is identified based on the predicted position of the mobile unit. Communication with the identified public safety answering point is established from the telematics service provider.

Claims

1. A method for identifying an appropriate public safety answering point for a mobile unit, the method comprising:

establishing communication between a telematics service provider and the mobile unit;

receiving data of the mobile unit at the telematics service provider, the data including at least mobile unit speed;

predicting, at the telematics service provider and upon recognition and analysis of the data, a position of the mobile unit during a planned conversation with a public safety answering point;

identifying an appropriate public safety answering point based on the predicted position of the mobile unit; and

establishing, from the telematics service provider, communication with the identified public safety answering point.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein, from the telematics service provider, communication is established between the mobile unit and the public safety answering point.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the data further includes then-current mobile unit position, mobile unit heading, and combinations thereof.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the then-current mobile unit position is determined via a location detection system operatively disposed in the mobile unit.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the data is transmitted over a two-way radio frequency communication system from the mobile unit to the telematics service provider.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the telematics service provider predicts at least two positions of the mobile unit, and wherein the method further comprises assigning a success factor to each of the at least two predicted positions.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein at least two appropriate public safety answering points are identified, and wherein the method further comprises assigning a success factor to each of the identified appropriate public safety answering points.

8. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein communication with the telematics service provider is initiated from a user of the mobile unit.

9. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the data is substantially continuously updated while communication between the telematics service provider and the mobile unit is established.

10. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein identifying the appropriate public safety answering point is accomplished by validating the predicted mobile unit position with a database of public safety answering points.

11. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the mobile unit is a vehicle.

12. A system for identifying an appropriate public safety answering point for a vehicle, the system comprising:

means for establishing communication between a telematics service provider and the mobile unit;

means for receiving data of the mobile unit at the telematics service provider, the data including at least mobile unit speed;

means for predicting, at the telematics service provider and upon recognition and analysis of the data, a position of the mobile unit during a planned conversation with a public safety answering point;

means for identifying an appropriate public safety answering point based on the predicted position of the mobile unit; and

means for establishing, from the telematics service provider, communication with the identified public safety answering point.

13. A method for identifying an appropriate public safety answering point for a mobile vehicle, the method comprising:

initiating, from a user of the vehicle, communication between the vehicle and a telematics service provider;

transmitting vehicle data to the telematics service provider, the vehicle data including at least vehicle speed;

predicting, at the telematics service provider and upon recognition and analysis of the data, a position of the vehicle during a planned conversation with a public safety answering point;

identifying an appropriate public safety answering point based on the predicted position of the vehicle; and

establishing, from the telematics service provider, communication between the identified public safety answering point and the vehicle.

14. The method as defined in claim 13 wherein the data further includes then-current vehicle position, vehicle heading, and combinations thereof.

15. The method as defined in claim 14 wherein the then-current vehicle position is determined via a location detection system operatively disposed in the vehicle.

16. The method as defined in claim 13 wherein the data is transmitted over a two-way radio frequency communication system from the vehicle to the telematics service provider.

17. The method as defined in claim 13 wherein the telematics service provider predicts at least two positions of the vehicle, and wherein the method further comprises assigning a success factor to each of the at least two predicted positions.

18. The method as defined in claim 13 wherein at least two appropriate public safety answering points are identified, and wherein the method further comprises assigning a success factor to each of the identified appropriate public safety answering points.

19. The method as defined in claim 13 wherein identifying the appropriate public safety answering point is accomplished by validating the predicted vehicle position with a database of public safety answering points.