System and method for signaling emergency responses

• US 7,098,787 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2003
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US10/448,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20040239498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.11, 340/539.18, 340/539.13, 340/539.23, 340/539.2, 340/539.21, 340/539.16, 340/539.17, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 379/37, 379/38, 379/45, 455/404.2, 455/404.1
• US Class Current: 340/539.18
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

A system and method for signaling emergency responses. A mobile device receives proximity location information from at least one location identification beacon. A user of the mobile device dials an emergency telephone number when an emergency occurs. Dialing the emergency telephone number enables the proximity location information to be transmitted to an emergency call center. Upon receipt of the proximity location information by the emergency call center, a globally unique identifier within the proximity location information is extracted and mapped to a database to obtain a precise location of the emergency, thereby enabling a dispatcher to better instruct an emergency response team as to the location of the emergency without requiring the user to provide the location.

Claims

1. A method for location-awareness comprising:

receiving proximity location information comprising a globally unique identifier (GUID) from one short range location identification beacon that periodically chirps the proximity location information; and

enabling a user to dial an emergency telephone number if an emergency occurs, wherein dialing the emergency telephone number enables the proximity location information to be transmitted to an emergency call center, wherein the proximity location information'"'"'s GUID is mapped to a database at the emergency call center to obtain a location of the emergency.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling a dispatcher at the emergency call center to receive the proximity location information, map the globally unique identifier (GUID) from the proximity location information to a database, and retrieve location information from the database to better instruct an emergency response team to respond to the emergency, the location information comprising a street address, a floor number, a room number, recommended street routes to the location, and recommended stairway access.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein additional information is added to the proximity location information prior to transmitting the proximity location information to the emergency call center, wherein the additional information comprises at least one of the user'"'"'s name, a telephone number of a mobile device used to dial the emergency telephone number, a person to call in case of emergency, and medical information about the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein additional information is added to the proximity location information prior to transmitting the proximity location information to the emergency call center, wherein the additional information comprises location information received from at least one of a global positioning system, a wireless local area network (LAN), and distance measuring.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a mobile device is used to dial the emergency call number, wherein the mobile device comprises a cell phone.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the cell phone includes a plurality of body sensors for extracting vital signs of the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of body sensors comprise at least one of a temperature body sensor, a pulse body sensor, and a heartbeat body sensor.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein additional information is added to the proximity location information prior to transmitting the proximity location information to the emergency call center, wherein the additional information comprises one or more of temperature, pulse, and heartbeat information from the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency call center comprises a public safety answering point.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency call number comprises 911.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one location identifying beacon periodically chirps the proximity location information using one of a radio frequency identification (RFID), an infrared (IR), an ultra wide band (UWB), and a Bluetooth short-range signal.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a mobile device receives the proximity location information from the one location identifying beacon, wherein the mobile device comprises an additional receiver/transmitter or infrared (IR) port for receiving the proximity location information.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a user-friendly location of the emergency is displayed back to the user via a mobile device to inform the user of the location of the emergency.

14. An article comprising:

a storage medium having a plurality of machine accessible instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by a processor, the instructions provide for receiving proximity location information comprising a globally unique identifier (GUID) from at least one short range location identification beacon; and

enabling a user to dial an emergency telephone number if an emergency occurs, wherein dialing the emergency telephone number enables the proximity location information to be transmitted to an emergency call center, wherein the proximity location information'"'"'s GUID is mapped to a database of the emergency call center to obtain a location of the emergency.

15. The article of claim 14, further comprising instructions for receiving the proximity location information from the at least one location identifying beacon via a mobile device, wherein the mobile device comprises an additional receiver/transmitter for receiving the proximity location information.

16. The article of claim 14, wherein the instructions further provide for adding additional information to the proximity location information prior to transmitting the proximity location information to the emergency call center, wherein the additional information comprises at least one of the user'"'"'s name, a telephone number of a mobile device used to dial the emergency telephone number, a person to call in case of emergency, and medical information about the user.

17. The article of claim 14, wherein the instructions further provide for adding additional information to the proximity location information prior to transmitting the proximity location information to the emergency call center, wherein the additional information comprises location information received from at least one of a global positioning system, a wireless local area network (LAN), and distance measuring.

18. The article of claim 14, wherein a mobile device is used to dial the emergency call number, wherein the mobile device comprises a cell phone.

19. The article of claim 18, wherein the cell phone comprises a plurality of body sensors for extracting vital signs of the user.

20. The article of claim 19, wherein the plurality of body sensors comprise at least one of a temperature body sensor, a pulse body sensor, and a heartbeat body sensor.

21. The article of claim 20, the instructions further provide for adding additional information to the proximity location information prior to transmitting the proximity location information to the emergency call center, wherein the additional information comprises one or more of temperature, pulse, and heartbeat information from the user.

22. The article of claim 14, wherein the emergency call center comprises a public safety answering point.

23. The article of claim 14, wherein the emergency call number comprises 911.

24. The article of claim 14, further comprising instructions for enabling the at least one location identifying beacon to periodically chirp the proximity location information using one of a radio frequency identification (RFID), an infrared (IR), an ultra wide band (UWB), and a Bluetooth short-range signal.

25. The article of claim 14, further comprising instructions for enabling a dispatcher at the emergency call center to receive the proximity location information, map the globally unique identifier (GUID) from the proximity location information to a database, and retrieve location information from the database to better instruct an emergency response team to respond to the emergency.

26. The article of claim 25, wherein the location information comprises a street address, a floor number, a room number, recommended street routes to the location, and recommended stairway access.

27. A method for determining location during an emergency comprising:

transmitting a distress message from a mobile device to at least one smoke detector, wherein the transmission of the distress message is triggered by a caller dialing an emergency call number on the mobile device during an emergency; and

enabling the at least one smoke detector to sound an alarm upon receiving the distress message, wherein the distress message and an identity signal of the at least one smoke detector are transmitted from the at least one smoke detector to an alarm system infrastructure, the alarm system infrastructure being connected to an emergency call center, wherein the identity signal of the at least one smoke detector is mapped to a database at the emergency call center to obtain a location of the emergency.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising enabling a dispatcher at the emergency call center to retrieve the location of the emergency from the database to better instruct an emergency response team to respond to the emergency in a timely manner.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the mobile device comprises a cell phone, and the distress message comprises one or more of the caller'"'"'s name, a telephone number of the cell phone, a serial number of the cell phone, a person to call in case of emergency, and medical information about the caller.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the alarm is different from a fire alarm to discern between a fire and another type of emergency.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the identity signal of the at least one smoke detector comprises a globally unique identifier (GUID), and wherein the GUID is mapped to a database at the emergency call center to obtain the location of the emergency.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the location of the emergency comprises one or more of a street address, latitude/longitude information, floor number, room number, text describing a building in which the emergency occurred, recommended street routes to the building, and a recommended stairway access.

33. An article comprising:

a storage medium having a plurality of machine accessible instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by a processor, the instructions provide for transmitting a distress message from a mobile device to at least one smoke detector, wherein the transmission of the distress message is triggered by a caller dialing an emergency call number on the mobile device during an emergency; and

enabling the at least one smoke detector to sound an alarm upon receiving the distress message, wherein the distress message and an identity signal of the at least one smoke detector are transmitted from the at least one smoke detector to an alarm system infrastructure, the alarm system infrastructure being connected to an emergency call center, wherein the identity signal of the at least one smoke detector is mapped to a database at the emergency call center to obtain a location of the emergency.

34. The article of claim 33, further comprising instructions for enabling a dispatcher at the emergency call center to retrieve the location of the emergency from the database to better instruct an emergency response team to respond to the emergency in a timely manner.

35. The article of claim 33, wherein the mobile device comprises a cell phone, and the distress message comprises one or more of the caller'"'"'s name, a telephone number of the cell phone, a serial number of the cell phone, a person to call in case of emergency, and medical information about the caller.

36. The article of claim 33, wherein the sound of the alarm is different from a fire alarm to discern between a fire and another type of emergency.

37. The article of claim 33, wherein the identity signal of the at least one smoke detector comprises a globally unique identifier (GUID), wherein the article further comprises instructions for mapping the GUID to a database at the emergency call center to obtain the location of the emergency.

38. The article of claim 33, wherein the location of the emergency comprises one or more of a street address, latitude/longitude information, floor number, room number, text describing a building in which the emergency occurred, recommended street routes to the building, and a recommended stairway access.

39. A system for location-awareness comprising:

at least one location identification beacon, wherein the at least one location identification beacon periodically chirps a proximity location signal using a short-range transmission signal, wherein the proximity location signal comprises a globally unique identifier (GUID); and

a mobile device for receiving the proximity location signal from the at least one location identification beacon, wherein a caller during an emergency situation triggers the mobile device to transmit the proximity location signal to an emergency call center by calling an emergency telephone number,

wherein the proximity location signal'"'"'s GUID is mapped to a database at the emergency call center to obtain and provide location information of the emergency location to an emergency response team to enable the emergency response team to respond to the emergency in a timely manner.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the mobile device comprises one of a cell phone, a pager, a personal digital assistant, and an alarm button.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein the mobile device comprises an additional receiver/transmitter for receiving the location information from the at least one location identification beacon.

42. A location-awareness system, comprising:

a mobile device to transmit a distress message to at least one smoke detector, wherein the transmission of the distress message is triggered by a caller dialing an emergency telephone number during an emergency; and

an alarm system infrastructure, the alarm system infrastructure coupled to an emergency call center;

wherein an alarm is sounded when the distress message is received by the at least one smoke detector, wherein the distress message and an identity signal for the at least one smoke detector are transmitted to the emergency call center via the alarm system infrastructure, wherein the identity signal for the at least one smoke detector is mapped to a database at the emergency call center to provide location information for the emergency.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the identity signal comprises a globally unique identifier (GUID) and wherein the GUID is mapped to a database at the emergency call center to provide location information for the emergency.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein the mobile device comprises one of a cell phone, a pager, a personal digital assistant, and an alarm button.

45. The system of claim 42, wherein the mobile device comprises an additional receiver/transmitter for transmitting the distress message to the at least one smoke detector.