Method and System for Emergency Call Handling

• US 20100227582A1
• Filed: 03/06/2009
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: VanDagens, Douglas R., Luk, Francis, Berry, Joseph J., Nixon, Timothy Robert, Scalf, Mark J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,903,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• 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 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A vehicle communication system includes a computer processor in communication with persistent and non-persistent memory. The system also includes a local wireless transceiver in communication with the computer processor and configured to communicate wirelessly with a cellular telephone located at the vehicle. The system further includes a backup power circuit comprising a charge storage device such as a local battery or capacitor having enough charge to power the computer processor and local wireless transceiver long enough to send an emergency call signal to the cellular telephone, and an emergency call command signal is sent from the local wireless transceiver to the cellular telephone in the event a vehicle emergency is detected at the computer processor and vehicle power is lost. The signal causes the cellular telephone to place or continue an emergency call to an emergency responder or agency over the cellular telephone network.

Claims

1. A vehicle communication system comprising:

a computer processor in communication with persistent and non-persistent memory;

a local wireless transceiver in communication with the computer processor and configured to communicate wirelessly with a cellular telephone located at the vehicle; and

a backup power circuit comprising a charge storage device such as a local battery or capacitor having enough charge to power the computer processor and local wireless transceiver long enough to send an emergency call signal to the cellular telephone, wherein

the persistent memory includes an application for execution by the computer processor to communicate an emergency call command signal from local wireless transceiver to the cellular telephone in the event a vehicle emergency is detected at the computer processor and vehicle power is lost, causing the cellular telephone to place or continue an emergency call to an emergency responder or agency over the cellular telephone network.

2. The vehicle communication system of claim 1, wherein the emergency call signal includes an instruction to wait for a predetermined period of time before the wireless device makes the call.

3. The vehicle communication system of claim 2, wherein the instruction to wait for a predetermined period of time further comprises a series of commas sent before an emergency number that the phone is to dial.

4. The vehicle communication system of claim 1, wherein vehicle power loss includes the vehicle being manually powered down.

5. The vehicle communication system of claim 1, wherein vehicle power loss includes the vehicle being manually powered down and a door being opened.

6. The vehicle communication system of claim 1, wherein continuing an emergency call includes handling a call that has already been placed and is in progress, and wherein the processor is operable to transfer control of the input and output of the call entirely to the wireless device.

7. A vehicle-based computing system comprising:

a processor; and

a transceiver operable to communicate with the processor and to receive information for transmission to the processor and to send information from the processor to a wireless device, wherein;

the transceiver is further operable to send instructions from the processor to the wireless device, the instructions preventing all other incoming and outgoing transmission from the nomadic device except for the emergency call.

8. The vehicle-based computing system of claim 7, further including a transfer input, wherein activation of the transfer input causes control of the emergency call to be transferred from a vehicle-based system to the wireless device.

9. The vehicle-based computing system of claim 7, further including a cancellation input, wherein activation of the cancellation input cancels the transfer of the call to the wireless device.

10. The vehicle-based computing system of claim 7, wherein incoming portions of the emergency call are output through vehicle speakers, and outgoing portions of the emergency call are input through a vehicle microphone, the apparatus further including a controller having control over one or more SOS notifications, including an audible notification that is activated at least in the event of a vehicle accident, wherein the controller suppresses the audible notification while the emergency call is in progress.

11. A vehicle communication system comprising:

a computer processor in communication with persistent and non-persistent memory;

a local wireless network transceiver in communication with the computer processor, configured to communicate wirelessly with a remote wireless network transceiver connected to a computer network, wherein

the persistent memory includes an application for execution by the computer processor to communicate an emergency call signal from the local wireless network transceiver to the remote wireless network transceiver in the event of an emergency at the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the remote wireless network transceiver is operable to convert the received signal into one or more packets for transmission over the computer network to notify an emergency responder or agency that an emergency has occurred at the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the remote transceiver is operable to route the packets to a network router operable to route the packets to the appropriate network address for addressing the emergency.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the appropriate network address is based on at least one of:

the network address of the remote wireless transceiver or the location of the vehicle, as defined by vehicle location information included with the emergency call signal.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the packets include data or attributes identifying the packets as emergency call packets for facilitating routing through the computer network.

15. The system of claim 15, wherein the vehicle location information is supplied to the computer processor at the vehicle by a global positioning system.