METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR EMERGENCY TRACKING

• US 20120302197A1
• Filed: 05/25/2011
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Blackbird Technologies Incorporated (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Blackbird Technologies Incorporated (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Koontz, Michael, Tran, Andrew, Sherman, James, Gunderson, Jake
• Granted Patent: US 8,538,373 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3278 Power saving in modem or I/O interface
• 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 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An apparatus includes a set of network communication modules, a communication control module and an input actuator. Each network communication module from the set of network communication modules is configured to send signals to and receive signals from a remote device via a distinct communication mode from a set of communication modes. The communication control module is configured to periodically send a set of second status signals intended to be sent to the remote device via each communication mode from the set of communication modes when the communication control module is in an emergency operating mode and the communication mode is available. The communication control module is configured to switch from the default operating mode to the emergency operating mode in response to receiving an input signal indicating that the input actuator has been actuated.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of network communication modules, each network communication module from the plurality of network communication modules configured to send signals to and receive signals from a remote device via a distinct communication mode from a plurality of communication modes; and

a communication control module configured to automatically determine, based on a preconfigured network priority list and an availability of at least one communication mode from the plurality of communication modes, via which network communication module from the plurality of network communication modules to send a first status signal to the remote device when the communication control module is in a default operating mode,

the communication control module configured to periodically send a plurality of second status signals intended to be sent to the remote device via each communication mode from the plurality of communication modes when the communication control module is in an emergency operating mode and the communication mode is available; and

an input actuator, the communication control module configured to switch from the default operating mode to the emergency operating mode in response to receiving an input signal indicating that the input actuator has been actuated.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication modes includes at least one of a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, and a low-earth orbiting (LEO) satellite network.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the preconfigured network priority list is configured to be modified using a configuration tool, the preconfigured network priority list being modifiable only by the configuration tool.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input actuator is a first input actuator, the apparatus further comprising:

a second input actuator, the communication control module configured to send the first status signal to the remote device in response to receiving an input signal indicating that the second input actuator has been actuated.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication module is configured to encrypt the first status signal prior to sending the first status signal to the remote device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first status signal includes one of a short message service (SMS) message and a short burst data (SBD) message.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication control module is configured to receive an acknowledgment signal from the remote device in response to the remote device receiving at least one second status signal from the plurality of second status signals, the communication control module configured to be disabled in response to receiving the acknowledgement signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a status indicator configured to provide an indication on the apparatus when the communication control module is in the default operating mode.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication control module is configured to modify the preconfigured network priority list in response to receiving a configuration command from a configuration tool located remote from the communication control module.

10. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to cause a processor to:

automatically determine, at a communication control module, an availability of a communication network from a plurality of communication networks, the communication network included in a preconfigured network priority list;

receive a first input signal indicating that a first input actuator has been actuated, the communication control module remaining in a default mode after receiving the first input signal;

send, based on the first input signal, a first status signal to a remote device via the communication network from the plurality of communication networks;

receive a second input signal indicating that a second input actuator has been actuated;

switch, in response to the second input signal, the communication control module from the default mode to an emergency mode;

periodically send, when the communication control module is in the emergency mode, a plurality of second status signals to the remote device via each communication network from the plurality of communication networks;

receive an acknowledgement signal from the remote device indicating that the remote device received at least one second status signal from the plurality of second status signals; and

disable the communication control module in response to receiving the acknowledgement signal.

11. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the communication network from the plurality of communication networks is one of a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, and a low-earth orbiting (LEO) satellite network.

12. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the preconfigured network priority list is configured to be modified using a configuration tool, the preconfigured network priority list being modifiable only by the configuration tool.

13. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising code representing instructions to cause the processor to:

encrypt the first status signal prior to executing the code representing instructions to cause the processor to send the first status signal to the remote device.

14. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first status signal includes one of a short message service (SMS) message and a short burst data (SBD) message.

15. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the code representing instructions to cause the processor to periodically send includes code representing instructions to cause the processor to send the plurality of second status signals one of simultaneously or serially.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a first status actuator;

a second status actuator; and

a communication control module having a first mode and a second mode, the communication control module configured to send a first status signal to a remote device in response to the communication control module receiving an indication that the first status actuator has been actuated when the communication control module is in the first mode, the communication control module configured to automatically send the first status signal via a first communication mode when the first communication mode is accessible, the communication control module configured to automatically send the first status signal via a second communication mode when the first communication mode is unavailable, the first communication mode having a higher priority within a preconfigured network priority list than the second communication mode,

the communication control module configured to send a second status signal and a third status signal to the remote device via the first communication mode and the second communication mode, respectively, when the communication control module is in the second mode, the communication control module configured to switch from the first mode to the second mode in response to receiving an indication that the second status actuator has been actuated.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second status signal is one from a plurality of second status signals, the communication control module is configured to periodically send the second status signal from the plurality of second status signals when the communication control module is in the second mode.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the communication control module is configured to be inoperable in a third mode, the communication control module switching from the second mode to the third mode in response to receiving an acknowledgement signal indicating that the remote device received at least one of the second status signal or the third status signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first communication mode is one of a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, and a low-earth orbiting (LEO) network, the second communication mode being a different one of the GSM network, the CDMA network, and the LEO satellite network.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the communication module is configured to encrypt the first status signal prior to sending the first status signal to the remote device.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a first network communication module configured to facilitate communication between the communication control module and the remote device via the first communication mode; and

a second network communication module configured to facilitate communication between the communication control module and the remote device via the second communication mode, the second network communication module being inoperable when the communication control module sends the first status signal to the remote device via the first communication mode.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first status signal includes one of a short message service (SMS) message and a short burst data (SBD) message.

23. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the communication control module is configured to modify the preconfigured network priority list in response to receiving a configuration command from a configuration tool located remote from the communication control module.