EMERGENCY TEXT COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20110064205A1
• Filed: 11/04/2009
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Armstrong, Michael, Kim, Jong Yul, Song, Wonsang, Boni, Piotr, Schulzrinne, Henning
• Granted Patent: US 8,401,154 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• 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 includes one or more devices connected to or within one of a group of emergency services networks. The one or more devices may generate a text message that includes information identifying a user device, information identifying a geographic location of the user device, and information identifying a particular emergency services network of the group of emergency services networks; establish, based on the text message, a text-based communication session between the user device and a call taker device within the particular emergency services network; store session information regarding the text-based communication session; receive a subsequent text message; and transmit the subsequent text message to the call taker device based on the session information.

Claims

1. A method performed by one or more devices connected to or within one of a plurality of emergency services networks, the method comprising:

generating a text message that includes information identifying a user device, information identifying a geographic location of the user device, and information identifying a particular emergency services network of the plurality of emergency services networks;

establishing, based on the text message, a text-based communication session between the user device and a call taker device within the particular emergency services network;

storing session information regarding the text-based communication session;

receiving a subsequent text message; and

transmitting the subsequent text message to the call taker device based on the session information.

2. The method of claim 1, where generating the text message includes:

receiving, from a user of the user device, text input via an instant messaging application operating on the user device,

identifying a geographic location of the user device,

identifying the particular emergency services network based on the geographic location of the user device, and

generating the text message based on the text input, information identifying the geographic location of the user device, and information identifying the particular emergency services network.

3. The method of claim 2, where receiving the text input includes:

presenting a user interface associated with the instant messaging application, where the user interface includes a button for initiating a request for emergency services,

receiving selection of the button,

presenting a dialog window in response to the selection, and

receiving the text input within the dialog window.

4. The method of claim 1, where generating the text message includes:

receiving, from a user of the user device, text input via a short message services application operating on the user device,

identifying a geographic location of the user device,

identifying the particular emergency services network based on the geographic location of the user device, and

generating the text message based on the text input, information identifying the geographic location of the user device, and information identifying the particular emergency services network.

5. The method of claim 4, where receiving the text input includes:

presenting a user interface associated with the short message services application, where the user interface includes an address section and a text entry section,

receiving an address, associated with the emergency services network, within the address section, and

receiving the text input within the text entry section.

6. The method of claim 1, where storing the session information includes:

storing information identifying the user device,

storing information identifying a public safety answering point with which the call taker device is associated, and

storing a timestamp value reflecting a time at which the text message is received.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

resetting the timestamp value to a time at which the subsequent text message is received; and

ending the text-based communication session when a particular amount of time elapses, from the time reflected in the timestamp value, before the subsequent text message is received.

8. The method of claim 1, where storing the session information includes:

storing information identifying the user device, and

storing information identifying a device within the particular emergency services network.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an instruction from the call taker device to end the text-based communication session; and

ending the text-based communication session in response to the instruction.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a response text message from the call taker device; and

sending the response text message to the user device.

11. A system, comprising:

one or more devices connected to or within one of a plurality of emergency services networks, the one or more devices to;

receive text input from a user of a user device, where the text input is associated with a request for emergency services,

identify a geographic location of the user device,

identify a particular emergency services network, of the plurality of emergency services networks, based on the geographic location of the user device,

generate a text message based on the text input, information identifying the geographic location of the user device, and information identifying the particular emergency services network,

route the text message to a call taker device within the particular emergency services network to establish a communication session between the user device and the call taker device,

store session information regarding the communication session,

receive a subsequent text message from the user device, and

transmit the subsequent text message to the call taker device based on the session information.

12. The system of claim 11, where, when receiving the text input, the one or more devices are to:

present a user interface associated with an instant messaging application, where the user interface includes a button for initiating a request for emergency services,

receive selection of the button,

present a dialog window in response to the selection, and

receive the text input within the dialog window.

13. The system of claim 11, where, when receiving the text input, the one or more devices are to:

present a user interface associated with a short message services application, where the user interface includes an address section and a text entry section,

receive an address, associated with the emergency services network, within the address section, and

receive the text input within the text entry section.

14. The system of claim 11, where the text message is a session initiation protocol (SIP) message.

15. The system of claim 11, where the text input is part of a short message services (SMS) message, and

where the one or more devices are further to convert the SMS message into a session initiation protocol (SIP) message.

16. The system of claim 11, where, when storing the session information, the one or more devices are to:

store information identifying the user device,

store information identifying a device within the particular emergency services network, and

store a timestamp value reflecting a time at which the text message is received.

17. The system of claim 16, where the one or more devices are further to:

reset the timestamp value to a time at which the subsequent text message is received, and

end the communication session when a particular amount of time elapses, from the time reflected in the timestamp value, before the subsequent text message is received.

18. The system of claim 11, where, when storing the session information, the one or more devices are to:

store information identifying the user device, and

store information identifying a device within the particular emergency services network.

19. The system of claim 11, where the one or more devices are further to:

receive an instruction from the call taker device to end the communication session, and

end the communication session in response to the instruction.

20. The system of claim 11, where the one or more devices are further to:

receive a response text message from the call taker device, and

send the response text message to the user device.

21. An emergency services network, comprising:

a plurality of first devices; and

a second device to;

receive a text message that includes;

text input, associated with a request for emergency services, entered via an instant messaging application or a short message services application operating on a user device, and

information identifying a geographic location at which the user device is located,

identify one of the plurality of first devices to which to forward the text message,

record session information associated with the text message,

forward the text message to the one of the plurality of first devices,

receive a subsequent text message, and

forward the subsequent text message to the one of the plurality of first devices based on the session information.

22. The emergency services network of claim 21, where, when recording the session information, the second device is to:

store information identifying the user device,

store information identifying the one of the plurality of first devices, and

store a timestamp value reflecting a time at which the text message is received.

23. The emergency services network of claim 22, where the second device is further to:

reset the timestamp value to a time at which the subsequent text message is received, and

delete the session information when a particular amount of time elapses, from the time reflected in the timestamp value, before the subsequent text message is received.

24. The emergency services network of claim 21, where the second device is further to:

receive a response text message, and

send the response text message to the user device.