EMERGENCY NUMBER CALLING WITH PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES

• US 20140213214A1
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert S. Reis
• Original Assignee: Robert S. Reis
• Inventors: Reis, Robert S.
• Application Number:
  US14/166,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20140213214A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• 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

A personal communications device for communications using a satellite including emergency calls using a satellite in a satellite communications system where the satellite communications system processes emergency calls. The device includes a power unit for powering the personal communications device, a transceiver unit for communicating with the satellite and a control unit for controlling the personal communications device. The control unit includes an emergency call processor for controlling emergency calls with a satellite and includes a location processor for determining the location of the personal communications device whereby an emergency call transmitted to a satellite includes the location of the personal communications device. A user interface provides for emergency call communication with a caller.

Claims

1. A personal communications device for communications including emergency calls using a satellite in a satellite communications system comprising,

a power unit for powering the personal communications device,

a transceiver unit for communicating with the satellite,

a control unit for controlling the personal communications device, the control unit including an emergency call processor for controlling emergency calls with the satellite and including a location processor for determining the location of the personal communications device whereby an emergency call transmitted to the satellite includes the location of the personal communications device,

a user interface for communicating emergency call information with a caller.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the emergency call processor generates the emergency call as text code.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the emergency call processor generates the emergency call as TTY code.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein TTY code results from the conversion of text to baudot where baudot encodes the call as tones for transmission over a voice channel.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the location processor selects the device location from one or more of GPS, Wi-Fi and Cellular location units.

6. The device of claim 1 including a current location register for storing the most current device location and wherein the location processor determines the most current device location for storing in the current location register.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the location processor includes,

a plurality of location units, each for providing a candidate location for the current device location,

a current location processing unit for analyzing candidate locations from the location units to determine the current location stored in the current location register.

8. The device of claim 1 including a cross-router for selecting the communications services to be used by the device.

9. An emergency call system for processing emergency calls from personal communications devices comprising,

one or more satellites in a satellite communications system for processing emergency calls,

one or more personal communications devices, each personal communications device including,

a power unit for powering the personal communications device,

a transceiver unit for communicating with the satellite,

a control unit for controlling the personal communications device, the control unit including an emergency call processor for controlling emergency calls with a satellite and including a location processor for determining the location of the personal communications device whereby an emergency call transmitted to the satellite includes the location of the personal communications device,

a user interface for communicating emergency call information with a caller.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the satellite communications system includes a satellite gateway for receiving a down-link emergency call transmitted from the satellite in response to an emergency call from a personal communications device, the down-link emergency call including the location of the personal communications device transmitting the emergency call to the satellite, the satellite gateway processing the down-link emergency call to request emergency services for dispatch to the location of the personal communications device.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the down-link emergency call includes the location of the personal communications device transmitting the emergency call to the satellite and wherein the satellite gateway includes a PSAP index addressed by the location whereby a suitable PSAP is requested to dispatch emergency services to the personal communications device.