METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR EMERGENCY CALL MANAGEMENT

• US 20160088455A1
• Filed: 09/17/2015
• Published: 03/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rapidsos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rapidsos, Inc.
• Inventors: Bozik, 14856818, Horelik, Nicholas, Martin, Michael J., Mehta, Anil
• Granted Patent: US 9,942,739 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0654 using network fault recovery ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• 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 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A system and method for generating and transmitting emergency messages and for maintaining real-time emergency communications sessions between users and emergency dispatch centers. A system receives data transmitted from a user device and constructs an emergency message related to a specific type of emergency scenario as well as the location, meta-data and background information of the user. The generated emergency message is transmitted via a communications network and delivered to an appropriate emergency dispatch center. The method enables the user to deliver a detailed request for help regardless of his or her location or, in another instance, delivers the basic emergency response related information for the user. The generated emergency message is universally compatible with emergency communications center infrastructure so long as the communications centers possess basic voice call equipment.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating a reliable and persistent communication between a user of a user communication device and an emergency response dispatch center, the method comprising:

receiving an emergency alert from the user communication device at an emergency messaging system;

constructing an emergency message that is based on the emergency alert and that includes at least one of an audio file, an interactive voice response (IVR) message, a Short Message Service (SMS) text message, a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) message, an e-mail message, an Instant Messaging (IM) message, and a message otherwise formatted for communication over the Internet;

establishing a first communication link, the first communication link including at least one of a communication link between the emergency messaging system and an emergency response dispatch center, a link between the emergency messaging system and a Routing Service Provider (RSP) and a communication link between the RSP and the dispatch center, and a communication link between the emergency response dispatch center and a first gateway and a communication link between the first gateway and the emergency messaging system;

establishing a second communication link, the second communication link including at least one of a communication link between the emergency messaging system and the user communication device, and a communication link between the emergency messaging system and a second gateway and between the second gateway and the user communication device;

bridging the first communication link and the second communication link;

routing the emergency message from the emergency messaging system to the dispatch center over the first communications link; and

actively managing the first and second communication links until a termination signal is received from the user communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising communicating between the user communication device and the dispatch center via one or more of text messages and e-mail exchanges.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein constructing the IVR message includes generating an audio message from alert metadata and user information of the user stored in a database of the emergency messaging system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency messaging system sends a push notification to the user communication device notifying the user of an attempted connection with the dispatch center and wherein the emergency messaging system sends an SMS message to the user communication device notifying the user of an attempted connection with the dispatch center.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency messaging system continuously attempts to initiate a voice connection with the dispatch center until success or termination by request by one of the user and a session controller of the emergency messaging system and the emergency messaging system maintains the first communication link if the second communication link fails and maintains the second communication link if the first communication link fails and wherein the emergency messaging system re-establishes the first communication link responsive to failure of the first communication link and re-establishes the second communication link responsive to failure of the second communication link.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency messaging system:

determines whether a reliable data connection to the dispatch center is available;

implements a VoIP session between the dispatch center and the user communication device responsive to a determination that a reliable data connection to the dispatch center is available;

implements a cellular phone call between the dispatch center and the user communication device responsive to a determination that a reliable data connection to the dispatch center is not available and that a reliable cellular connection between the user communication device and the dispatch center is available; and

implements a PSTN phone call between the dispatch center and the user communication device responsive to a determination that a reliable data connection to the dispatch center is not available and that a cellular phone call between the user communication device and the dispatch center failed to initiate and that a PSTN telephone connection between the user communication device and the dispatch center is available.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication link includes multiple TCP or UDP sessions and the second communication link includes multiple TCP or UDP sessions.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first gateway and the second gateway is configured to generate, transmit, receive and interpret one or more of multimedia Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) messages and H.323 signaling messages.

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

12-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A method for providing emergency communication with an emergency messaging system, the method comprising:

provisioning and maintaining a pool of direct inward dial telephone numbers at one or more gateways;

receiving, at a server of the emergency messaging system (EMS) remote from a user communication device, a transmission from the user communication device that indicates that a user of the user communication device is in an emergency;

receiving, at the EMS, metadata containing information regarding a location of the user communication device sent from the user communication device;

using information regarding the location of the user communication device to determine an Emergency Dispatch Center (EDC) to which to transmit an emergency message;

selecting a telephone number from the pool of direct inward dial telephone numbers;

associating the telephone number with the user communication device;

associating the telephone number with the location of the user communication device in real-time using an emergency service provisioning application programming interface (API); and

utilizing the telephone number to provision emergency service for the user from the EDC.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the emergency messaging system sends location information metadata to one of a number of APIs exposed by third-party Routing Service Providers (RSPs) and, in response to sending the location information metadata, receives, from the one of the number of APIs, an identity of an EDC and identifying information associated with the EDC, including location, infrastructure capabilities, and responder availability of the EDC, and wherein the emergency messaging system includes the location information in a request for provisioning of emergency services for the user utilizing the telephone number, and the third-party RSP updates an automatic location identification (ALI) database of the emergency messaging system to associate the location information with the telephone number.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the emergency messaging system determines if communications between the user communication device and the EDC have been successfully established utilizing the telephone number and a third-party RSP and, responsive to communications between the user communication device and the EDC having not been successfully established, attempts to establish communication between the user communication device and the EDC using a different third-party RSP and associated telephone number, and wherein the emergency messaging system originates a telephone call to the EDC through one of the one or more gateways and/or through a PSTN landline.

17. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. An emergency management system (EMS) containing a communications system comprising:

at least one first input/output (I/O) system configured to receive a request for assistance from a user communication device, the request including metadata providing an indication of a location of the user communication device and a type of emergency reported by a user of the user communication device; and

at least one processing unit in communication with the at least one first I/O system and configured to;

receive an indication of the request from the at least one first I/O system and interpret the metadata transmitted from the user communication device;

communicate with a server of the EMS housing a memory unit including personal information associated with the user via a communications network of the EMS, and read the personal information from the memory unit;

generate an emergency message related to an emergency category associated with the type of emergency reported by the user, the emergency message including information associated with the emergency category, an indication of the location of the user communication device, and the personal information of the user;

determine, based upon knowledge of the capabilities of a plurality of emergency dispatch centers and based upon the location of the user communication device, an emergency dispatch center that is equipped to receive the alert and whether the emergency dispatch center is configured to receive non-voice calls;

responsive to a determination that the emergency dispatch center is configured to receive non-voice calls and to a determination that the emergency message is in a non-voice format, to transmit the emergency message in the non-voice format to the emergency dispatch center; and

responsive to a determination that the emergency dispatch center is not configured to receive non-voice calls and to a determination that the emergency message is in a non-voice format, to convert the emergency message to a voice format and transmit the emergency message via a non-IP communication link to the emergency dispatch center;

wherein the EMS is configured to create a communications bridge between the user communication device and the emergency dispatch center.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to communicate the emergency message to at least one Routing Service Provider (RSP) over a communications network via at least one second I/O system of the EMS, and wherein the RSP is configured to communicate the emergency message to a network address of one of the plurality of emergency dispatch centers selected based on at least one of the emergency category and the location of the user communication device, at least one of the plurality of emergency dispatch centers being one of a police station, a fire house, a university-affiliated emergency dispatch center, a corporate emergency dispatch center, and a private emergency dispatch center.

28. The system of claim 20, wherein the user communication device is configured to transmit the request for assistance to the at least one first I/O system in one of text, speech-to-text, voice, and voice-to-text format, based upon a selection made by the user, and the at least one first I/O system is configured to receive and process the request for assistance in any of the text, speech-to-text, voice, and voice-to-text formats.

29. The system of claim 20, wherein the EMS includes an application programming interface (API) configured to create the communications bridge between the user communication device and the emergency dispatch center.

22-27. -27. (canceled)

30. A user communications device comprising a portable electronic device selected from the group consisting of a smart phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, and a wearable smart device or other form of Internet enabled portable electronic device and configured to request emergency assistance from an emergency management system, the user communications device comprising:

a user interface;

a location determination module configured to determine a location of the user communication device;

a communications module configured to send and receive messages over a communications network; and

a processor configured to;

display a plurality of user-selectable emergency message indicators in the user interface, each of the plurality of user-selectable emergency message indicators indicative of a different type of emergency situation;

receive an indication of the location of the user communication device from the location determination module;

receive an indication of a selection of one of the user-selectable emergency message indicators by a user;

responsive to receiving the indication of the selection, generate a message including an indication of the selected one of the user-selectable emergency message indicators and an indication of the location of the user communication device;

transmit the message via the communications module to the emergency management system;

establish a communications link to an emergency dispatch center through the emergency management system; and

receive a real-time response to the message from the emergency dispatch center via the emergency management system.

32. The user communications device of claim 30, further configured to request a verification of the location of the user communication device from the user and to receive an input from the user one of confirming the location of the user communication device and selecting a location other than the location determined by the location determination module, and, responsive to the user selecting the location other than the location determined by the location determination module, include the location other than the location determined by the location determination module in the message.

34. The user communications device of claim 30, further configured to present a sub-menu of characterizations of the emergency situation, the sub-menu selected based on the selected one of the user-selectable emergency message indicators, the sub-menu of characterizations including characterizations of the emergency situation that contain more specific information than the type of emergency situation indicated by the selected one of the user-selectable emergency message indicators, and to include an indication of a characterization of the emergency situation selected from the sub-menu by the user in the message.

36. The user communications device of claim 30, further configured to receive additional information from the user in the form of one of touch, voice, gesture, an image, and a video message, and include the additional information in the message.

43. The user communications device of claim 30, configured to transmit the message over any of a plurality of communication channels, at least one of the plurality of communication channels including a wireless network, to determine a communications channel among the plurality of communication channels most suitable for the communications link, and to transmit the message over the determined communications channel, and to switch the communications link from a first communications channel to a second communications channel responsive to a command from the emergency management system.

45. The user communications device of claim 30, configured to receive session status updates regarding the communications link from the emergency management system and display the session status updates in the user interface, to re-transmit the message responsive to not receiving an indication of a successful establishment of the communications link from the emergency management system, and to dial a conventional emergency response number responsive to not receiving an indication of a successful establishment of the communications link from the emergency management system after a pre-determined number of iterations of re-transmitting the message.

31. (canceled)

33. (canceled)

35. (canceled)

37-42. -42. (canceled)

44. (canceled)

46. (canceled)

47. (canceled)