Detecting a Transport Emergency Event and Directly Enabling Emergency Services

• US 20120094628A1
• Filed: 10/19/2011
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adams Family Living Trust, Al Earnest Hewitt, Conrad Family Trust, David Glen Myers, David Heath Roberts, James A. Lombardi, James Scott Hendrix, Jeffrey Craton Giles, Joseph Thomas Mader, Lauri Lafon, Leigh Ann Myers, Luis G. Manon, Mark Gary Meehlhause, Mark G. Johnson, Mary Ann Hewitt, Matthew D. Page, Patrick D. Mccullough, Raymond Scott Mcveigh, Richardson Family Living Trust, Robert Lawrence Carr, Robert Todd Wilkinson, Stephanie Lynne Byrd, Stephen Wayne Wolaver, Steven Michael Wagers, Steven Richard Zemaitis, Terry Dean Seagrave, Thomas Edward Mader, Timothy Doud, Timothy R.G. Sear, Valerie Kay Kasmiersky, Warren Blake Jenkins, Young Family Living Trust
• Original Assignee: Guardity Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Mader, Joseph Thomas, Mader, Thomas Edward, McKown, Russell Carl
• Granted Patent: US 8,676,151 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0136 responsive to actual contact with an obstacle , e.g. to vehicle deformation, bumper displacement or bumper velocity relative to the vehicle monitoring crash strength in combination with passenger seat detection B60R21/01558
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method that provides a standardized and portable automatic emergency event notification, or AEEN, device which detects a vehicle or other transport emergency event and then automatically and directly dials 911 emergency services and further provides the 911 operator with important information pertaining to the emergency event. Ordinary transport owners may readily install the AEEN device of the present invention into their vehicle or other transport. The AEEN device does not involve a subscription service and the device cellphone which places the 911 call does not require activation on a wireless service network.

Claims

1. A method of determining an emergency event has occurred and informing emergency services of the emergency event, the method comprising:

receiving sensor data from at least two on-vehicle sensors of a motor vehicle during operation of the motor vehicle;

comparing the sensor data from each of the at least two sensors to previously obtained sensor data from each of the at least two sensors;

determining, via a processor, that the emergency event has occurred based on results of the comparing operation; and

notifying emergency services of the emergency event.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the sensor data from an accelerometer; and

providing the sensor data to the processor.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the sensor data from an audio sensor; and

providing the sensor data to the processor.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the sensor data from an on-board diagnostics (OBDII) sensor; and

providing the sensor data to the processor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing the sensor data further comprises determining whether a motor vehicle crash has occurred responsive to a sudden change in the sensor data from each of the at least two sensors.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an indication to the vehicle operator that emergency services will be notified of the emergency event.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

initiating a timer upon expiration of which triggers the notifying of the emergency services unless a user initiated response is received not to notify the emergency services.

8. An apparatus configured to determine an emergency event has occurred and inform emergency services of the emergency event, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive sensor data from at least two on-vehicle sensors of a motor vehicle during operation of the motor vehicle;

a processor configured to

compare the sensor data from each of the at least two sensors to previously obtained sensor data from each of the at least two sensors, and

determine that the emergency event has occurred based on results of the comparison; and

a transmitter configured to notify emergency services of the emergency event.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

an accelerometer sensor configured to generate the sensor data and provide the sensor data to the processor.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

an audio sensor configured to generate the sensor data and provide the sensor data to the processor.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

an on-board diagnostics (OBDII) sensor configured to generate the sensor data and provide the sensor data to the processor.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether a motor vehicle crash has occurred responsive to a sudden change in the sensor data from each of the at least two sensors.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit an indication to the vehicle operator that emergency services will be notified of the emergency event.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to initiate a timer upon expiration of which triggers the notifying of the emergency services unless a user initiated response is received not to notify the emergency services.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform determining an emergency event has occurred and informing emergency services of the emergency event, the processor being further configured to perform:

receiving sensor data from at least two on-vehicle sensors of a motor vehicle during operation of the motor vehicle;

comparing the sensor data from each of the at least two sensors to previously obtained sensor data from each of the at least two sensors;

determining, via a processor, that the emergency event has occurred based on results of the comparing operation; and

notifying emergency services of the emergency event.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

generating the sensor data from an accelerometer; and

providing the sensor data to the processor.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

generating the sensor data from an audio sensor; and

providing the sensor data to the processor.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

generating the sensor data from an on-board diagnostics (OBDII) sensor; and

providing the sensor data to the processor.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the comparing the sensor data further comprises determining whether a motor vehicle crash has occurred responsive to a sudden change in the sensor data from each of the at least two sensors.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising:

providing an indication to the vehicle operator that emergency services will be notified of the emergency event; and

initiating a timer upon expiration of which triggers the notifying of the emergency services unless a user initiated response is received not to notify the emergency services.