SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20140024333A1
• Filed: 05/10/2013
• Published: 01/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stadson Technology Corp.
• Original Assignee: Stadson Technology Corp.
• Inventors: STADTLANDER, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,071,957 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• 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 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

The provision of emergency response services to a user can be based on transitioning a communications device associated with a user to a listening mode, setting a first timer, recording user actions with the communications device, ascertaining, based on a status of the first timer and the user actions, whether a criteria with respect to at least user interaction is met, and, if the criteria is met, transitioning the communications device to an emergency communications mode, else resetting the timer and repeating the recording and the ascertaining until the criteria is met. The emergency communication mode consists of forwarding user and live location information to a remote server and receiving emergency contact information, selected based on the user and live location information, for establishing a communication with emergency response personnel.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transitioning a communications device associated with a user to a listening mode;

setting a first timer in the communications device;

recording, at the communications device, user actions with the communications device;

ascertaining, based on a status of the first timer and the user actions, whether the communications device meets criteria with respect to at least user interaction;

if the communications device meets the criteria, transitioning the communications device to an emergency communications mode, else resetting the timer and repeating the recording and the ascertaining until the communications device meets the criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ascertaining further comprises determining that the communications device meets the criteria by comparing a current pattern defined by the user actions with at least one pre-defined pattern of user action, and wherein the communications device is determined to meet the criteria if the current pattern substantially matches the pre-defined pattern.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the ascertaining further comprises determining whether the timer has expired, and wherein the communications device is determined to meet the criteria if the current pattern substantially matches the pre-defined pattern prior to the expiry of the first timer.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the pre-defined pattern comprises a pre-defined sequence of activation of user control elements on the communications device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising preventing the communications device from transitioning to the emergency communication mode if the communications device is currently engaged in a persistent communications session.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the persistent communications session comprises one of a voice call or a video call.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing, responsive to transitioning to the emergency communication mode, the steps of:

setting a second timer in the communications device;

collecting user information and live location information for the device transmitting a request for assistance to a remote server; and

establishing a communications session based on the second timer, wherein the communication session is established using default emergency contact information at the communications device if the second timer expires prior to receiving a response to the request from the remote server, else the communications session is established using emergency contact information in the response.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the request is cancelled and establishment of the communications session is prevented when an abort signal is detected at the device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the collecting of live location information comprises:

acquiring one or more sets of location information for the device via at least one of a geolocation system associated with the device, a primary communications network for the device, and a secondary communications network to yield acquired location;

determining an accuracy of each of the sets of location information;

selecting as the live location information the one of the sets of location information associated with the accuracy that is highest.

10. A communications device, comprising:

a processor;

at least one control element communicatively coupled to the processor;

a computer-readable medium, having stored thereon a plurality of instructions for causing the processor to perform the steps of;

establishing a listening mode;

setting a first timer;

recording user actions with the at least one control element;

ascertaining, based on a status of the first timer and the user actions, whether criteria with respect to at least user interaction has been met;

if the criteria has been met, transitioning the communications device to an emergency communications mode, else resetting the timer and repeating the recording and the ascertaining until the criteria is met.

11. The communications device of claim 10, wherein the instructions for the ascertaining further comprise instructions for causing the processor to determine that the communications device meets the criteria by comparing a current pattern defined by the user actions with at least one pre-defined pattern of user action, and wherein the criteria is determined to be met if the current pattern substantially matches the pre-defined pattern.

12. The communications device of claim 11, wherein the instructions for the ascertaining further comprise instructions for causing the processor to determine whether the timer has expired, and wherein the criteria is determined to be met if the current pattern substantially matches the pre-defined pattern prior to the expiry of the first timer.

13. The communications device of claim 11, wherein the pre-defined pattern comprises a pre-defined sequence of activation of the at least one control element.

14. The communications device of claim 10, further comprising instructions for causing the processor to prevent the transitioning to the emergency communication mode if the communications device is currently engaged in a persistent communications session.

15. The communications device of claim 14, wherein the persistent communications session comprises one of a voice call or a video call.

16. The communications device of claim 10, further comprising at least one communications interface communicatively coupled to the processor, and wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for causing the processor to perform, responsive to transitioning to the emergency communication mode, the steps of:

setting a second timer;

collecting user information and live location information for the device

transmitting, via the at least one communications interface, a request for assistance to a remote server; and

establishing, via the at least one communications interface, a communications session based on the second timer, wherein the communication session is established using default emergency contact information at the communications device if the second timer expires prior to receiving a response to the request from the remote server, else the communications session is established using emergency contact information in the response.

17. The communications device of claim 16, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for causing the processor perform the steps of:

detecting an abort signal at the communications device; and

upon detecting the abort signal, cancelling the request and preventing establishing of the communications session.

18. The communications device of claim 16, wherein the instructions for the collecting of live location information further comprise instructions for causing the processor to perform, via the at least one communications interface, the steps of:

acquiring one or more sets of location information for the communications device via at least one of a geolocation system associated with the device, a primary communications network for the device, and a secondary communications network to yield acquired location;

determining an accuracy of each of the sets of location information;

selecting as the live location information the one of the sets of location information associated with the accuracy that is highest.

19. A method, comprising:

obtaining, from a remote communications device, user information and live location information for the remote communications device;

setting a timer;

based on the user information and the live location information, generating a hidden incident object associated with the remote communications device; and

upon an expiry of the timer, making the hidden incident object visible to yield a visible incident object and forwarding contact information for a selected response authority to the remote communications device based on the live location information extracted from the visible incident object.

20. The method of claim 20, wherein the forwarding comprises:

parsing the visible incident object to extract the live location information; and

identifying a one of the at least one response authority having a service area intersecting the live location information to yield the selected response authority.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining that an abort signal has been received from the remote communications device and a state of the timer; and

upon determining that an abort signal has been received and that the state of the timer indicates that the timer has not expired, deleting the hidden incident object.