911 Emergency light

• US 7,355,507 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Binning, Valerie
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US10/745,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20050134455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,568 Days
• Field of Search: 340/331, 340/7.2, 340/332, 340/5.84, 340/539.13, 340/573.1, 340/825.49, 379/45, 379/37, 379/38, 379/41, 342/357.1, 455/404.1, 455/404.2
• US Class Current: 340/332
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/064 indicating houses needing emergency help, e.g. with a flashing light or sound
• 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 3/5116 for emergency applications

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses that operate with different communications devices, different users, and/or different communications networks to generate, enable, and/or transmit an Emergency Alert Communications Signal to an Emergency Alert Communications Address. According to embodiments, the transmitted Emergency Alert Communications Signal activates an emergency alert at the geographic address of the Emergency Alert Communications Address. The activated alert may be visual, audio, and/or transmission of a positioning signal that aids emergency response personnel in locating the geographic address.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

means for receiving an emergency communication from a calling number to an emergency response communications address;

means for querying a profile associated with the calling number and with the emergency response communications address;

means for using a speech decoder that listens to the emergency communication to obtain a physical address associated with a calling party'"'"'s communications device; and

means for sending an emergency alert control signal that activates an emergency alert at the physical address.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for activating a visual emergency alert.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising further comprising means for activating an audible emergency alert.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for sending the emergency alert control signal to deactivate the emergency alert at the physical address.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for sending a position locating transmission signal.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for obtaining from the profile (i) an Emergency Alert Communications Address, (ii) a communications device associated with the Emergency Alert Communications Address, (iii) an identifier of the emergency alert, (iv) an originating communications address associated with the calling party'"'"'s communications device, (v) a parameter for activating the emergency alert, (vi) a parameter for deactivating the emergency alert, (vii) a parameter for monitoring the emergency alert, (viii) a communications parameter, and (ix) a calling party control parameter.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the calling party'"'"'s communications device comprises at least one of the following:

a POTS phone,

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.

8. A computer program product storing processor-executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

receiving an emergency communication from a calling number to an emergency response communications address;

querying a profile associated with the calling number and with the emergency response communications address;

using a speech decoder that listens to the emergency communication to obtain a physical address associated with the calling party'"'"'s communications device; and

sending an emergency alert control signal that activates an emergency alert at the physical address.

9. A communications method, comprising:

processing an incoming communications signal from a calling party'"'"'s communications device to an emergency response communications address;

associating a profile to an incoming line identification (ICLID) signal and to the emergency response communications address;

using a speech decoder that listens to the incoming communications signal to obtain a physical address associated with the calling party'"'"'s communications device;

generating an emergency alert control signal; and

sending the emergency alert control signal that activates an emergency alert at the physical address.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

using the profile, an instruction transmitted from the calling party'"'"'s communications device, and an instruction transmitted from the emergency response communications address to generate the emergency alert control signal.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the profile comprises (i) an Emergency Alert Communications Address, (ii) a communications device associated with the Emergency Alert Communications Address, (iii) an identifier of the emergency alert comprising visual signaling means, audio signaling means, and position locating transmission means, (iv) an originating communications address associated with the calling party'"'"'s communications device, (v) a parameter for activating the emergency alert, (vi) a parameter for deactivating the emergency alert, (vii) a parameter for monitoring the emergency alert, (viii) a communications parameter, and (ix) a calling party control parameter.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

communicating the emergency alert control signal to the emergency alert associated with the Emergency Alert Communications Address.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising at least one of:

activating the emergency alert;

deactivating the emergency alert; and

monitoring the emergency alert.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the emergency alert comprises at least one of visual signaling means, audio signaling means, and position locating transmission means.