METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR RELAYING OUT OF RANGE EMERGENCY INFORMATION

• US 20100279647A1
• Filed: 05/01/2009
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jacobs, Ross, Zampiello, Geoffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,208,891 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• 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 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Disclosed herein are techniques for transmitting a report message with collaborated information related to the occurrence of an emergency event. A plurality of devices, such as mobile communications devices, that are out of range of a communications network can communicate via direct communication, such as device-to-device communication, to corroborate characteristics that are indicative of an occurrence of an emergency event. Information related to the occurrence may be collaborated amongst the plurality of devices. A transmitting device, which may be one of the plurality of devices that corroborates characteristics or collaborates information, may generate and transmit the report message comprising the collaborated information. A receiving device may provide the message over a communications network, or the report message may continue to be handed off between devices capable of direct communication, the message eventually reaching a device that is within range of the communications network.

Claims

1. A transmitting device configured to collaborate and transmit information indicative of an occurrence of an emergency event, the transmitting device comprising:

a processor configured to;

identify characteristics indicative of the occurrence of the emergency event;

collaborate, via direct communication with at least one of a plurality of devices when the transmitting device and the at least one of the plurality of devices are out of range of a communications network, information related to the occurrence;

generate a report message comprising the collaborated information;

an input/output component configured for direct communication with the plurality of devices, wherein;

when the transmitting device is out of range of the communications network, the transmitting device provides the report message via direct communication with at least a second one of the plurality of devices, wherein the at least a second one of the plurality of devices is a relay device, and

the input/output component is configured to receive, via direct communication, acknowledgement of receipt of the report message.

2. The transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the transmitting device is further configured to corroborate, with at least one of the plurality of devices, characteristics that are indicative of the occurrence of the emergency event.

3. The transmitting device of claim 2, further comprising, based on the corroboration of information related to the occurrence with the at least one of the plurality of devices, a confidence rating of the occurrence of the emergency event.

4. The transmitting device of claim 1, wherein, upon an identification of the characteristics indicative of the occurrence of the emergency event, the transmitting device searches for at least one of the plurality of devices for direct communication.

5. The transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the input/output component is further configured to request information related to the occurrence from the at least one of the plurality of devices.

6. The transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the characteristics indicative of the occurrence of the emergency event comprise at least one of a G-force measurement, a velocity measurement, a signal received from another source, a temperature measurement, an orientation status, a water sensor, or a user-controlled sensor.

7. The transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the plurality of devices is at least one of a mobile telephone, an accelerometer, an odometer, a GPS unit, a water sensor, a temperature gauge, a orientation sensor, a proximity sensor, a gyro rate sensor, or an engine sensor.

8. The transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the transmitting device is selected, between the device and the plurality of devices, for the transmission of the report message via the direct communication with the relay device.

9. The transmitting device of claim 8, wherein the transmitting device is selected for transmission due to the transmitting device having, compared to the at least one of the plurality of devices with which it collaborates information, at least one of longer device-to-device transmission capabilities, more remaining battery power, a subscription for transmitting emergency-event information, or message capacity transmission capabilities.

10. The transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the acknowledgement of receipt of the report message indicates that a relay device received the report message, was within range of the communications network, and transmitted the report message over the communications network.

11. The transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the acknowledgement of receipt of the report message indicates that a relay device transmitted the report message to at least one other relay device, and the at least one other relay device was within range of the communications network and transmitted the report message over the communications network.

12. The transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the transmitting device and the at least one of the plurality of devices that the transmitting device collaborates with is associated with the emergency event.

13. A method for transmitting information indicative of an emergency event, the method comprising:

identifying characteristics indicative of an occurrence of the emergency event;

detecting a lack of connection to a communications network;

detecting at least one of a plurality of devices capable of direct communication within direct communication range;

collaborating information, related to the occurrence, with the at least one of the plurality of devices via direct communication;

generating a report message comprising the collaborated information;

providing the report message; and

receiving, via direct communication, acknowledgement of receipt of the report message.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising, upon an identification of the characteristics indicative of the occurrence of the emergency event, searching for devices capable of direct communication.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising requesting information related to the occurrence from the at least one of the plurality of devices.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the characteristics indicative of the occurrence of the emergency event comprise at least one of a G-force measurement, a velocity measurement, a signal received from another source, a temperature measurement, an orientation status, a water sensor, or a user-controlled sensor.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising detecting a second device of the plurality of devices that is capable of direct communication within direct communication range, wherein providing the report message comprises providing the report message to the second device via direct communication.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the acknowledgement of receipt of the report message indicates that a second device was within range of the communications network and transmitted the report message over the communications network.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the acknowledgement of receipt of the report message indicates that the relay device transmitted the report message to at least one other relay device, and the at least one other relay device was within range of the communications network and transmitted the report message over the communications network.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein a device for identifying characteristics of the emergency event is at least one of a mobile telephone, an accelerometer, an odometer, a GPS unit, a water sensor, a temperature gauge, a orientation sensor, a proximity sensor, a gyro rate sensor, or an engine sensor.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising selecting at least one of the plurality of devices for the transmission of the report message via direct communication.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one of the plurality of devices is selected for transmission for having, compared to at least a second one of the plurality of devices with which it collaborates information, at least one of longer device-to-device transmission capabilities, more remaining battery power, a subscription for transmitting emergency-event information, or message capacity transmission capabilities.

23. A relay device for relaying a report message, the relay device comprising:

an input component configured;

for direct communication with other devices;

to receive the report message, via the direct communication, from at least one of the other devices, wherein the at least one of the other devices is out of range of a communications network;

a storage component configured to store the report message;

a processor configured;

to identify that the report message comprises collaborated information related to an occurrence of an emergency event; and

to determine when the relay device is within range of direct communication with a second relay device or within range of the communications network;

an output component configured to relay the report message to the second relay device or over the communications network.

24. The relay device of claim 23, wherein the output component is configured to, upon receipt of the report message, transmit an acknowledgement that the report message was received.

25. The relay device of claim 23, further configured, upon relaying the report message to the second relay device or over the communications network, for transmitting an acknowledgement that the report message was relayed.

26. The relay device of claim 23, wherein the relay device is out of range of the communications network when receiving the report message from the at least one of the other devices that is out of range of the communications network.

27. The relay device of claim 26, wherein the processor directs the storage component to store the report message until the relay device enters the range of communication with the second relay device or the communications network.

28. The relay device of claim 23, wherein the relay device is in range of the communications network when receiving the report message from the at least one of the other devices that is out of range of the communications network, and the processor directs the output component to relay the report message over the communications network.

29. The relay device of claim 23, wherein a relay of the report message is transparent to a user associated with the relay device.

30. The relay device of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured to identify receipt of the report message and the output component is further configured to transmit an acknowledgement of the receipt.

31. The relay device of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured to identify that the report message was transmitted over the communications network and the output component is further configured to transmit an indication that the report message was transmitted over the communications network.

32. The relay device of claim 23, wherein the output component is further configured to transmit an acknowledgement of receipt of the report message with an indication that the report message was transmitted to at least one other relay device.

33. The relay device of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured to identify an indication from the second relay device, received via the input component, that the report message was transmitted over the communications network.

34. A method for relaying a report message with collaborated emergency information, the method comprising:

receiving the report message;

identifying that the report message was transmitted via direct communication by a transmitting device that is out of range of a communications network, and

identifying that the report message comprises collaborated information related to the occurrence of an emergency event;

storing the report message;

detecting a capability of direct communication with a relay device or a capability to communicate over a communication network; and

relaying the report message to the relay device or over the communications network.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising, upon receipt of the report message, transmitting an acknowledgement that the report message was received.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising, upon relaying the report message to the relay device or over the communications network, transmitting an acknowledgement that the report message was relayed.

37. The method of claim 34, further comprising detecting a lack of a connection to the communications network upon receipt of the report message.

38. The method of claim 34, further comprising detecting a connection to the communications network and relaying the stored report message over the communications network.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein storing the report message comprises storing the report message until the detection of the capability to communicate with the relay device or over the communications network.

40. The method of claim 34, further comprising detecting an entry into range of the communications network upon receipt of the report message, and transmitting the report message over the communications network.

41. The method of claim 34, wherein a relay of the report message is transparent to a user associated with the relay device.

42. The method of claim 34, further configured to transmit an acknowledgement of receipt of the report message with an indication that the report message was transmitted.

43. The method of claim 34 further configured to receive an indication from the relay device that the report message was transmitted over the communications network, and transmitting an acknowledgement with an indication that the report message was transmitted over the communications network.