SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20170251347A1
• Filed: 02/27/2017
• Published: 08/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rapidsos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rapidsos, Inc.
• Inventors: Mehta, Anil, Martin, Michael John, Horelik, Nicholas Edward, Ekl, Reinhard
• Granted Patent: US 9,986,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• 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 4/08 User group management
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Described herein are systems, devices, methods, and media for managing emergency communications providing data sharing amongst groups of devices, proxy calling by one communication device on behalf of another, and seamless data extraction from a communication device by first responders.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising at least one processor, a memory, a network element, and a computer program including instructions executable by the at least one processor to create a group monitoring application comprising:

a) a group module determining that the communication device belongs to a group of devices, wherein the group of devices comprises member devices that are authorized to share data with each other;

b) a data sharing module providing data associated with the communication device to one or more member devices in the group of devices;

c) a data intake module obtaining data associated with a member device in the group of devices and using the data to update a data set associated with the member device; and

d) a communication module sending a request for assistance to a recipient on behalf of the member device and providing the data set associated with the member device to the recipient.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the recipient is an emergency dispatch center identified as being responsible for the jurisdiction where the member device is located based on the data set associated with the member device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the data set for the member device comprises current location data, health data, user data, sensor data, or any combination thereof.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the communication device autonomously obtains data from the member device without requesting data.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the communication device and one or more member devices in the group of devices share data with each other directly without routing the data through an intermediary.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the group of devices comprises an ad hoc selection of member devices that joins the group automatically when the member devices are linked to a common emergency.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises an interactive display showing a map, wherein the map displays a location of the communication device, location of one or more member devices in the group of devices, or any combination thereof.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising an alert module determining an emergency situation relating to the member device.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the alert module provides an alert to a user of the communication device, wherein the alert informs the user of the emergency situation relating to the member device.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the alert module determines the emergency situation exists when the communication device has not received a status update from the member device in response to a status update request for a threshold number of times within a defined time period.

11. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media encoded with a computer program including instructions executable by a processor to create a group monitoring application comprising:

a) a group module determining that the communication device belongs to a group of devices, wherein the group of devices comprises member devices that are authorized to share data with each other;

b) a data sharing module providing data associated with the communication device to one or more member devices in the group of devices;

c) a data intake module obtaining data associated with a member device in the group of devices and using the data to update a data set associated with the member device; and

d) a communication module sending a request for assistance to a recipient on behalf of the member device and providing the data set associated with the member device to the recipient.

12. The media of claim 11, wherein the recipient is an emergency dispatch center identified as being responsible for the jurisdiction where the member device is located based on the data set associated with the member device.

13. The media of claim 11, wherein the data set for the member device comprises current location data, health data, user data, sensor data, or any combination thereof.

14. The media of claim 11, wherein the communication device autonomously obtains data from the member device without requesting data.

15. The media of claim 11, wherein the communication device and one or more member devices in the group of devices share data with each other directly without routing the data through an intermediary.

16. The media of claim 11, wherein the group of devices comprises an ad hoc selection of member devices that joins the group automatically when the member devices are linked to a common emergency.

17. The media of claim 11, wherein the communication device comprises an interactive display showing a map, wherein the map displays a location of the communication device, location of one or more member devices in the group of devices, or any combination thereof.

18. The media of claim 11, further comprising an alert module determining an emergency situation relating to the member device.

19. The media of claim 18, wherein the alert module provides an alert to a user of the communication device, wherein the alert informs the user of the emergency situation relating to the member device.

20. The media of claim 18, wherein the alert module determines the emergency situation exists when the communication device has not received a status update from the member device in response to a status update request for a threshold number of times within a defined time period.

21. A method for monitoring a group of devices by a communication device, the method comprising:

a) determining, by the communication device, that the communication device belongs to a group of devices, wherein the group of devices comprises member devices that are authorized to share data with each other;

b) providing, by the communication device, data associated with the communication device to one or more member devices in the group of devices;

c) obtaining, by the communication device, data associated with a member device in the group of devices and using the data to update a data set associated with the member device; and

d) sending, by the communication device, a request for assistance to a recipient on behalf of the member device and providing the data set associated with the member device to the recipient.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the recipient is an emergency dispatch center identified as being responsible for the jurisdiction where the member device is located based on the data set associated with the member device.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the data set for the member device comprises current location data, health data, user data, sensor data, or any combination thereof.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the communication device autonomously obtains data from the member device without requesting data.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the communication device and one or more member devices in the group of devices share data with each other directly without routing the data through an intermediary.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the group of devices comprises an ad hoc selection of member devices that joins the group automatically when the member devices are linked to a common emergency.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the communication device comprises an interactive display showing a map, wherein the map displays a location of the communication device, location of one or more member devices in the group of devices, or any combination thereof.

28. The method of claim 21, further comprising determining, by the communication device, an emergency situation relating to the member device.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising providing, by the communication device, an alert to a user of the communication device, wherein the alert informs the user of the emergency situation relating to the member device.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the communication device determines the emergency situation exists when the communication device has not received a status update from the member device in response to a status update request for a threshold number of times within a defined time period.