Text to 9-1-1 emergency communication

• US 20110009086A1
• Filed: 05/18/2010
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Aryana, Firdaus, Dickinson, Richard, Poremba, Todd
• Application Number:
  US12/801,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20110009086A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• 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 text messaging caller is enabled to communicate with a called party situated at on voice network, such as a PSTN or emergency 911 service center. The method comprises providing a service center, pre-registering a caller with the service center, receiving a text message from the caller through the service center, converting the text message to a voice message, ascertaining the address of the caller according to pre-registration information, and sending the voice message to the called party on the voice network together with the caller'"'"'s identification and location information.

Claims

1. A text-to-911 communication system enabling a text messaging caller to communicate with a called party on an emergency services voice network, comprising:

a physical communication server adapted to receive an emergency text message from an emergency text messaging caller;

a text-to-speech translator to convert said emergency text message to converted voice; and

a physical emergency services gateway adapted to pass said converted voice to a called party on a 911 emergency services voice network.

2. The text-to-911 communication system enabling a text messaging caller to communicate with a called party on an emergency services voice network according to claim 1, further comprising:

a speech-to-text translator to convert voice from said called party into a text message.

3. The text-to-911 communication system enabling a text messaging caller to communicate with a called party on an emergency services voice network according to claim 2, further comprising:

a location database to store location information relating to said emergency text messaging caller;

wherein said physical communication server effects transmission of a location of said emergency text messaging caller to be accessible by said called party when sending said emergency text message to said called party.

4. The text-to-911 communication system enabling a text messaging caller to communicate with a called party on an emergency services voice network according to claim 3, further comprising:

a speech-to-text translator to convert voice from said called party into a return text message.

5. The text-to-911 communication system enabling a text messaging caller to communicate with a called party on an emergency services voice network according to claim 4, further including a speech-to-text wherein:

said speech-to-text translator forwards said return text message back to said emergency text messaging caller.

6. The text-to-911 communication system enabling a text messaging caller to communicate with a called party on an emergency services voice network according to claim 1, further comprising:

an IM/SMS gateway to provide short messaging and instant messaging services to said emergency text messaging caller.

7. A method of enabling an emergency text messaging caller to communicate with a called party on an emergency services network, comprising:

receiving an emergency text message from an emergency text messaging caller;

obtaining a street address of said emergency text messaging caller from a database including pre-registered location information relating to said caller;

converting the received emergency text message to an emergency converted voice message; and

routing said emergency converted voice message to the called party, said emergency converted voice message including said obtained pre-registered location information relating to said emergency text messaging caller.

8. The method of enabling an emergency text messaging caller to communicate with a called party on an emergency services network according to claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a return voice message from said called party;

converting said return voice message to a return text message; and

routing said return text message back to said emergency text messaging caller.

9. A method of enabling an emergency text messaging caller to communicate with a called party situated on an emergency services network, comprising:

providing in physical memory a set of pre-programmed voice responses;

prompting said emergency text messaging caller to select at least one of said pre-programmed voice responses,

obtaining a location of said emergency text messaging caller from a database including pre-registered location information relating to said caller; and

routing said emergency converted voice message to the called party, said emergency converted voice message including said obtained pre-registered location information relating to said emergency text messaging caller.