System and Method for Communicating Emergency Information through Messaging

• US 20130237181A1
• Filed: 03/21/2013
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ray, Amar
• Granted Patent: US 9,131,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72421 with automatic activation of emergency service functions, e.g. upon sensing an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• 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 and method for communicating emergency messages. An emergency message is communicated wirelessly from a sending party is received. Location information associated with the sending party is determined. An emergency system associated with the sending party is determined utilizing the location information. A communication session is established with the emergency system. The emergency message is converted to an audio message in response to the communication session being established. The audio message is communicated to the emergency system in response to the communication session being established.

Claims

1. A method for communicating emergency messages, the method comprising:

receiving an emergency message communicated wirelessly from a sending party;

determining location information associated with the sending party;

determining an emergency system associated with the sending party utilizing the location information;

establishing a communications session with the emergency system;

converting the emergency message to an audio message in response to establishing the communications session; and

communicating the audio message to the emergency system in response to the communication session being established.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the emergency message is a text message, and wherein the communications session is performed utilizing a SIP format.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

determining a message is the emergency message;

sending a message to the emergency system indicating that the message was originally a text message.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the determining is performed utilizing an identifier for the receiving party.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location information is global positioning information including a latitude and longitude determined by a wireless device utilized by the sending party.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location information is wireless triangulation information determined by a wireless device utilized by the sending party.

7. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

sending a message received through the emergency system to the receiving party.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the sending comprises:

converting speech from emergency personnel into one or more text messages that are communicated to the receiving party.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

automatically sending a confirmation message to the sending party indicating the emergency message has been received in response to the emergency system receiving the audio message; and

automatically sending a message to the sending party indicating the emergency message has not been received in response to failure to establish the communication session.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the message is one or more text messages, the one or more text messages comply with applicable character limitations.

11. A system for communicating emergency text messages, the system comprising:

a wireless network operable to receive text messages from a plurality of wireless devices including a sending party;

a conversion device in communication with the wireless network operable to receive the text messages, identify a text message as an emergency message, establish a communications session with an emergency system, and convert the emergency message to an audio message in response to establishing the communications session; and

the emergency system in communication with the conversion device, the emergency system plays the audio message received from the conversion device to emergency personnel.

12. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

one or more databases operable to determine the emergency system corresponding to a location of the sending party for establishing the communication session with the emergency system and determine a location of the sending party utilizing location information in the emergency message associate location information for the sending party with the emergency message.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the conversion device sends a confirmation message indicating that the text message was received by the emergency personnel, wherein the conversion device sends a message to the emergency system indicating that the emergency message was originally the text message, and wherein the conversion device converts a response message from the emergency personnel to one or more text messages according to character limitations.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the communication session includes a call to play the audio content, and wherein a portion of the communications session is performed utilizing the SIP format.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the emergency system includes legacy systems for processing 911 calls.

16. A conversion device for emergency communications comprising:

a processor for executing a set of instructions; and

a memory for storing the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions are executed to;

receive an emergency message communicated wirelessly from a sending party;

establish a communications session with an emergency system in response to determining the emergency system is associated with the sending party utilizing the location information;

convert the emergency message to an audio message in response to establishing the communication session; and

communicate the audio message to the emergency system in response to the communication session being established.

17. The conversion device according to claim 16, wherein the emergency system is associated with the sending party in response to the emergency system covering an area corresponding to the location information.

18. The conversion device according to claim 16, wherein the emergency system is associated with the sending party in response to an identifier indicating the receiving party in the emergency message.

19. The conversion device according to claim 18, wherein the emergency message is a text message, wherein the conversion device determines the text message is an emergency message utilizing the identifier.

20. The conversion device according to claim 16, wherein the set of instructions are further executed to:

automatically send a confirmation message to the sending party indicating the emergency message has been received in response to the emergency system receiving the audio message;

automatically send a message to the sending party indicating the emergency message has not been received in response to failure to establish the communication session; and

convert a response message from emergency personnel received from the emergency system to one or more text messages according to character limitations.