System and Methods for Recording Emergency Data

• US 20100061662A1
• Filed: 09/11/2008
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Services Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Business Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Corporate Services Group Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Clavenna, Robert A., Archer, Steven T., Pate, Kristopher A., Hubner, Paul V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,666,109 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/305
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19621 Portable camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• 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

A system and method for recording emergency data during a 911 call. The emergency data recorded may be in the form of a digital image. The digital image may be of the event prompting the 911 call. The digital image may be a single image, a series of images, or streaming video. The emergency data may be received on a portable electronic device, such as a cell phone, through a digital imaging device, such as a digital camera. The emergency data may then be transmitted to a server, wherein the emergency data is stored. The emergency data may be accessed by a 911 dispatcher during a 911 call to review the image data to aid in assessing the emergency recorded in the emergency data.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

placing an emergency call from a portable electronic device;

receiving image data, at the portable electronic device, wherein the image data is received in response to the placing of the emergency call and is received through a digital imaging device that is associated with the portable electronic device; and

transmitting the image data to a server from the portable electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the emergency call is in response to an emergency telephone number being entered into the portable electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1, where placing the emergency call further comprises connecting the portable electronic device to an emergency dispatcher via an operator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device is at least one of a mobile phone and a personal digital assistant.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital imaging device is a digital camera.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the image data comprises at least one of a digital image, a series of digital images, and digital video.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing of the image data be the server;

retrieving the image data from the server; and

displaying the image data on a remote computer.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

an activation module, configured to activate the data input module in response to an emergency call being placed from the apparatus;

a data input module, configured to receive image data; and

a transmit and receive module, configured to cause the image data to be transmitted to a server and allow data to be received from a server.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

an erasing module configured to erase previously stored image data.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a display module, configured to display the image data.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a user interface module, configured to allow a user to interact with the apparatus.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one of a mobile phone and a personal digital assistant.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the data input module is a digital camera.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is configured to place an emergency call.

15. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is configured to place an emergency call in response to an emergency telephone number being entered into the apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the image data comprises at least one of a digital image, a series of digital images, and digital video.

17. A system, comprising:

a portable electronic device configured to;

place an emergency call wherein placing the emergency call is in response to an emergency telephone number being entered into the portable electronic device;

receive image data in response to the emergency call wherein the image data is in the form of a digital image and wherein further the image data is received through a digital imaging device associated with the portable electronic device; and

transmit the image data;

a server communicatively coupled with the portable electronic device and is configured to;

receive the image data from the portable electronic device store the image data;

retrieve the image data in response to a request wherein the request is originated from a remote computer; and

send the retrieved image data to the remote computer wherein the remote computer is configured to at least display the retrieved image data; and

a storage device, communicatively coupled to the server, wherein the storage device stores the image data received by the server from the portable electronic device;

wherein the image data comprises at least one of a digital image, a series of digital images, and digital video.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the emergency call further comprises connecting the portable electronic device to an emergency dispatcher via an operator.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the portable electronic device comprises at least one of a mobile phone and a personal digital assistant.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the digital imaging device comprises is a digital camera.