METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR RELAYING OUT OF RANGE EMERGENCY INFORMATION

• US 20120252398A1
• Filed: 06/15/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• 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 8,406,729 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

A report message may be transmitted 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 computer readable storage medium that is not a transient signal per se, the computer readable storage medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, perform operations comprising:

identifying, by a first device, characteristics indicative of an occurrence of an emergency event;

detecting a second device associated with the emergency event, the second device capable of device-to-device communication with the first device within a device-to-device communication range;

transmitting, via device-to-device communication from the first device to the second device, first information related to the occurrence of the emergency event;

receiving, via device-to-device communication from the second device to the first device, second information related to the occurrence of the emergency event;

generating a report message comprising at least one or both of the first information or the second information;

evaluating, via device-to-device communication between the first device and the second device, first device characteristics associated with the first device and second device characteristics associated with the second device, the first and second device characteristics comprising at least one of respective device-to-device transmission capabilities, respective remaining battery power, respective subscriptions for transmitting emergency event information, or respective message capacity transmission capabilities;

selecting the first device as a designated transmitter of the report message when, based upon the evaluation of the first and second device characteristics, the first device characteristics are more favorable for transmission of the report message than the second device characteristics;

when the first device is selected as the designated transmitter, transmitting the report message from the first device; and

receiving, via device-to-device communication, an acknowledgement of receipt of the report message.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising, upon identifying the characteristics indicative of the occurrence of the emergency event, searching for devices capable of device-to-device communication.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising requesting the second information from the second device.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the characteristics 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 signal, or a user-controlled sensor signal.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising detecting a relay device that is capable of device-to-device communication within the device-to-device communication range, wherein transmitting the report message comprises transmitting the report message to the relay device via device-to-device communication.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the acknowledgement of receipt of the report message indicates that the relay device was within range of a communications network and transmitted the report message over the communications network.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the acknowledgement of receipt of the report message indicates that the relay device transmitted the report message to at least one second relay device, and that the at least one second relay device was within range of a communications network and transmitted the report message over the communications network.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the relay device is configured to alert a user of the relay device of the occurrence of the emergency event.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises at least one of a mobile telephone, an accelerometer, an odometer, a global positioning system unit, a water sensor, a temperature gauge, an orientation sensor, a proximity sensor, a gyro rate sensor, or an engine sensor.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the report message is generated by the first device and the operations further comprise:

selecting the second device as the designated transmitter when, based upon the evaluation of the first and second device characteristics, the second device characteristics are more favorable for transmission of the report message than the first device characteristics;

transferring the report message from the first device to the second device via device-to-device communication; and

transmitting the report message from the second device.

12. The first device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify characteristics indicative of an occurrence of an emergency event;

transmit first information related to the occurrence of the emergency event via device-to-device communication to the second device;

receive second information related to the occurrence of the emergency event via device-to-device communication from the second device;

generate a report message comprising at least one or both of the first information or the second information; and

when the first device has been selected as the designated transmitter, transmit the report message.

13. The first device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to corroborate the characteristics indicative of an occurrence of an emergency event with the second device.

14. The first device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to generate, based on the corroboration, a confidence rating pertaining to the occurrence of the emergency event.

15. The first device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to, upon identifying the characteristics, search for the second device via device-to-device communication.

16. The first device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to query the second device for the second information via device-to-device communication.

17. The first device of claim 12, wherein the characteristics indicative of an occurrence of an 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 signal, or a user-controlled sensor signal.

18. The first device of claim 12, wherein the first device comprises at least one of a mobile telephone, an accelerometer, an odometer, a global positioning system unit, a water sensor, a temperature gauge, an orientation sensor, a proximity sensor, a gyro rate sensor, or an engine sensor.

19. The first device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to receive an acknowledgement of receipt of the report message, the acknowledgment of receipt indicating that the second device received the report message, was within range of the communications network, and transmitted the report message over the communications network.

20. The first device of claim 12, wherein the second device is configured to alert a user of the second device of the occurrence of the emergency event.

11. A first device comprising:

a memory having at least one executable instruction stored thereon; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the at least one executable instruction to;

detect a second device within a device-to-device communication range of the first device when the first device is out of range of a communications network;

evaluate first device characteristics associated with the first device and second device characteristics associated with the second device via device-to-device communication with the second device, the first and second device characteristics comprising at least one of respective device-to-device transmission capabilities, respective remaining battery power, respective subscriptions for transmitting messages, or respective message capacity transmission capabilities; and

when, based upon the evaluation of the first and second device characteristics, the first device characteristics are more favorable than the second device characteristics for transmission of a message, select the first device as a designated transmitter.