Method and system for emergency control of a voice/data communications device

• US 7,257,387 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Laliberte, Donald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Chuck
• Application Number:
  US10/880,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20060009190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/521, 455/404.1, 455/408, 455/414.2, 455/9, 455/418, 455/419, 379/33, 379/42, 379/38, 379/45, 379/37, 370/352
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 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 4/90 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

Abstract

Emergency remote control communications systems and methods provide remote access to, activation of, deactivation of, monitoring of, communications with, and/or otherwise management of a Voice-Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communications device (and/or another peripheral communications device) in response to an emergency communication originating from the VoIP communications device. An emergency remote control communications software product detects an emergency communications signal, and, in response, generates an emergency remote control communications signal for communication to the VoIP communications device via a communications network.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving an emergency communications signal from a voice/data communications device to an emergency responder communications device, the emergency communications signal comprising at least one of (1) a communications signal, (2) a communications address for communicating with an emergency site communications device, (3) remote activation data associated with the emergency site communications device, (4) emergency data, and (5) an emergency data communications address for accessing the emergency data;

generating an emergency remote control communications signal comprising (1) a response communications signal, (2) the communications address of the emergency site communications device, (3) a control parameter for accessing the emergency site communications device, (4) a control parameter for activating the emergency site communications device, (5) a control parameter for deactivating the emergency site communications device, (6) a control parameter for monitoring the emergency site communications device, (7) a control communications parameter for communicating with the emergency site communications device, and (8) an override parameter for terminating the emergency remote control communications signal; and

communicating the emergency remote control communications signal to the communications address of the emergency site communications device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein communicating the emergency remote control communications signal to the emergency site communications device comprises communicating the emergency remote control communications signal to the emergency site communications device via at least one of a telecommunications network, a satellite network, a private branch exchange network, a data network, and a mobile switching telephone network.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the voice/data communications device comprises at least one of a wireless communications device, a voice-over internet protocol phone, a pager, a computer, a digital music device, a digital recording device, a personal digital assistant, an interactive television, and a digital signal processor.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

using the emergency remote control communications signal to control at least one of communications with, access to, activation of, deactivation of, and monitoring of the emergency site communications device.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

communicating a subsequent communications signal to the responder'"'"'s communications address, the subsequent communication signal comprising at least one of (1) a response of the emergency site communications device to the emergency remote control communications signal and (2) a status of the emergency site communications device.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

using the emergency remote control communications signal to control real-time monitoring of a positioning system of the voice/data communications device; and

communicating a subsequent communications signal to the responder'"'"'s communications address with at least one location co-ordinate in response to the real-time monitoring.

7. A computer-readable medium storing processor-executable code for performing a method of emergency notification, the method comprising:

receiving an emergency communications signal from a voice/data communications device to an emergency responder communications device, the emergency communications signal comprising at least one of

(1) a communications signal,

(2) a communications address for communicating with an emergency site communications device,

(3) remote activation data associated with the emergency site communications device,

(4) emergency data, and

(5) an emergency data communications address for accessing the emergency data;

generating a an emergency remote control communications signal comprising

(1) a response communications signal,

(2) the communications address of the emergency site communications device,

(3) a control parameter for accessing the emergency site communications device,

(4) a control parameter for activating the emergency site communications device,

(5) a control parameter for deactivating the emergency site communications device, (6) a control parameter for monitoring the emergency site communications device,

(7) a control communications parameter for communicating with the emergency site communications device, and

(8) an override parameter for terminating the emergency remote control communications signal; and

communicating the emergency remote control communications signal to the communications address of the emergency site communications device.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the computer-readable medium is stored in a voice-over internet protocol wireless communications device.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the computer-readable medium is stored in a computer system.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the emergency communications signal and the emergency remote control communications signal are communicated via a communications network, the communications network comprising at least one of a telecommunications network, a data network, and a satellite network.

11. A system, comprising:

means for receiving an emergency communications signal from a voice/data communications device to an emergency responder communications device, the emergency communications signal comprising at least one of

(1) a communications signal,

(2) a communications address for communicating with an emergency site communications device

(3) remote activation data associated with the emergency site communications device,

(4) emergency data, and

(5) an emergency data communications address for accessing the emergency data;

means for generating a an emergency remote control communications signal comprising

(1) a response communications signal,

(2) the communications address of the emergency site communications device,

(3) a control parameter for accessing the emergency site communications device,

(4) a control parameter for activating the emergency site communications device

(5) a control parameter for deactivating the emergency site communications device, (6) a control parameter for monitoring the emergency site communications device,

(7) a control communications parameter for communicating with the emergency site communications device, and

(8) an override parameter for terminating the emergency remote control communications signal; and

communicating the emergency remote control communications signal to the communications address of the emergency site communications device.

12. The communications system of claim 11, wherein the emergency communications signal comprises at least one of (1) a communications signal from the voice/data communications device, (2) a communications address for communicating with an emergency site communications device, (3) remote activation data associated with the emergency site communications device, (4) emergency data, and (5) an emergency data communications address for accessing the emergency data.

13. The communications system of claim 12, wherein the remote activation data comprises at least one of (1) a communications address of the emergency site communications device, (2) a description of hardware and equipment of the emergency site communications device, (3) a responder'"'"'s communications address associated with an emergency responder, (4) a parameter for accessing the emergency site communications device, (5) a parameter for activating the emergency site communications device, (6) a parameter for deactivating the emergency site communications device, (7) a parameter for monitoring the emergency site communications device, (8) a communications parameter for communicating with the emergency site communications device, and (9) an override parameter for terminating the emergency remote control communications signal.

14. The communications system of claim 12, wherein the emergency site communications device comprises at least one of the voice/data communications device and a peripheral communications device of an emergency site.

15. The communications system of claim 14, wherein the peripheral communications device of an emergency site comprises at least one of a security system, an HVAC control system, a lighting control system, an audio distribution system, a multimedia-on-demand system, an appliance system, an environmental management system, a communications system, a transportation vehicle management system, a visual monitoring system, a medical device, a positioning system, and an information management system.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the information management system comprises at least one of an electronic calendar, a voice messaging system, a text messaging system, a video messaging system, an electronic to-do list, an electronic directory, a word processing system, a spreadsheet system, a presentation system, a medical information system, and a research system.

17. The communications system of claim 11, wherein the emergency remote control communications signal comprises at least one of (1) a response communications signal, (2) the communications address of the emergency site communications device, (3) a responder'"'"'s communications address, (4) a control parameter for accessing the emergency site communications device, (5) a control parameter for activating the emergency site communications device, (6) a control parameter for deactivating the emergency site communications device, (7) a control parameter for monitoring the emergency site communications device, (8) a control communications parameter for communicating with the emergency site communications device, and (9) an override parameter for terminating the emergency remote control communications signal.

18. The communications system of claim 11, the Emergency Remote Control Communications Module further communicating with at least one of the communications network and an emergency communications module of the voice/data communications device to generate the emergency remote control communications signal.

19. The communications system of claim 11, the communications network comprising a world wide electronic data communications network having an emergency remote control user interface via at least one of an internet, an intranet, and an extranet.

20. The communications system of claim 11, wherein the responder'"'"'s communications device comprises at least one of:

a POTS phone,

a voice over internet protocol communications device,

a wireless communications device,

a mobile phone,

a wireless phone,

a WAP phone,

a satellite phone

a computer,

a modem,

a pager,

a digital music device,

a digital recording device,

a personal digital assistant,

an interactive television,

a digital signal processor, and

a Global Positioning System device.