DELAYED EMERGENCY POSITION DETERMINATION AND TRANSMISSION

• US 20090291664A1
• Filed: 05/22/2008
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Sandberg, Jesper, Tang, Wing Kei
• Granted Patent: US 8,401,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02522 The radio-map containing measured values of non-radio values
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• 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 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A method including detecting a communication call attempt in a portable communication device, determining whether the portable communication device is outside of a communication network coverage area, determining a location of the portable communication device where the communication call attempt is detected if outside of the communication network coverage area with a position determining module of the portable communication device and storing the location in a memory of the portable communication device, determining at least one route from the location of the portable communication device where the communication call attempt is detected to at least one communication network coverage area with a navigation module of the portable communication device and presenting the at least one route on a display of the portable communication device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a communication call attempt in a portable communication device;

determining whether the portable communication device is outside of a communication network coverage area;

determining a location of the portable communication device where the communication call attempt is detected if outside of the communication network coverage area with a position determining module of the portable communication device and storing the location in a memory of the portable communication device;

determining at least one route from the location of the portable communication device where the communication call attempt is detected to at least one communication network coverage area with a navigation module of the portable communication device; and

presenting the at least one route on a display of the portable communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprising automatically establishing a communication connection for transmitting a call corresponding to the communication call attempt, the location of the portable communication device where communication call is detected, and/or a present location of the portable communication device to a recipient when the user enters the at least one communication network coverage area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one route is a fastest or shortest route to the at least one communication network coverage area, a route to a closest communication network coverage area, a route back to a last known communication network coverage area, or a route to a predetermined coverage area corresponding to a predetermined network provider.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location is determined by a global positioning system, a dead reckoning system or an inertial navigation system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one route guides a user of the portable communication device to the at least one communication network coverage area for establishing communication between the portable communication device and a network.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically determining at least one return route from the at least one communication network coverage area to the location of the portable communication device where the communication call attempt is detected with a navigation module of the portable communication device; and

presenting the at least one return route on a display of the portable communication device for guiding a user of the portable communication device back to the location of the portable communication device where the communication call attempt is detected.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication call attempt is an attempt to establish an emergency call.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one route is based on terrain and/or an ability of a user of the portable communication device to traverse the terrain between the location of the portable communication device where the communication call attempt is detected and the at least one communication network coverage area.

9. A computer program product stored in a memory comprising computer readable program code embodied in a computer readable medium for executing the method of claim 1.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the computer readable program code is stored in a memory of a mobile communications device.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a display; and

a processor operably connected to the display, the processor being configured to

detect a communication call attempt made with the apparatus;

determine whether the apparatus is outside of a communication network coverage area;

determine a location of the apparatus where the communication call attempt is detected if outside of the communication network coverage area;

store the location of the apparatus where the communication call attempt is detected in a memory connected to the processor;

determine at least one route from the location of the apparatus where the communication call attempt is detected to at least one communication network coverage area; and

present the at least one route on the display for guiding a user to the at least one communication network coverage area.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to automatically establish a communication connection for transmitting a call corresponding to the communication call attempt, the location of the apparatus where the communication call attempt is detected, and/or a present location of the apparatus to a recipient when the user enters the at least one communication network coverage area.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one route is a fastest or shortest route to the at least one communication network coverage area, a route to a closest communication network coverage area, a route back to a last known communication network coverage area, or a route to a predetermined coverage area corresponding to a predetermined network provider.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a position determining module connected to the processor for determining a location of the apparatus with one or more of a global positioning system, a dead reckoning system and an inertial navigation system.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to:

automatically determine at least one return route from the at least one communication network coverage area to the location of the apparatus where the communication call attempt is detected; and

present the at least one return route on the display for guiding a user of the apparatus back to the location of the apparatus where the communication call attempt is detected.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the communication call attempt is an attempt to establish an emergency call.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one route is based on terrain and/or an ability of a user of the apparatus to traverse the terrain between the location of the apparatus where the communication call attempt is detected and the at least one communication network coverage area.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is a mobile communication device.

19. A user interface comprising:

a processor configured to

detect a communication call attempt made with a communication device;

determine whether the communication call attempt is made outside of a communication network coverage area,

determine a location of the communication device where the communication call attempt is detected if outside of the communication network coverage area,

store the location of the communication device where the communication call attempt is detected in a memory connected to the processor,

determine a first route from the location of the communication device where the communication call attempt is detected to at least one communication network coverage area; and

a display area configured to present the first route for guiding a user from the first location to the second location.

20. The user interface of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to cause a presentation of user selections on the display, where the user selections provide for causing the determination of the first route.

21. The user interface of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to:

automatically determine a second route from the at least one communication network coverage area to the location of the communication device where the communication call attempt is detected; and

cause a presentation of the second route on the display for guiding a user of the apparatus back to the location of the apparatus where the communication call attempt is detected.

22. The user interface of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to cause a presentation of user selections on the display, where the user selections provide for causing the determination of the second route.

23. The user interface of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to cause a presentation of user selections on the display, where the user selections provide for sending a location of the first location to a recipient of a communication made at the second location.

24. The user interface of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to cause a presentation of user selections on the display, where the user selections provide for inputting route criteria for determining the first route.

25. The user interface of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to automatically establish a communication connection for transmitting a call corresponding to the communication call attempt, the location of the communication device where the communication call attempt is detected, and/or a present location of the communication device to a recipient when the user enters the at least one communication network coverage area