Method and system for emergency calls from vehicles

• US 7,541,921 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2006
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Hofmann, Matthias, Hoffmann, Lars, Wittorf, Marten
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US11/484,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20080074245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.11, 340/506, 340/425.5, 340/426.1, 340/426.18, 340/539.13, 340/539.1
• US Class Current: 340/539.11
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A method for an emergency call from a vehicle to an alarm centre, including receiving a wireless initiation signal from a portable alarm unit, evaluating the initiation signal, and sending, based on the result of the evaluation, a wireless alarm signal from a vehicle communication system arranged in the vehicle to the alarm centre. If the owner of the vehicle or some other person gets into an emergency, for instance is assaulted, in the immediate surroundings of the vehicle, it is thus possible to send an alarm signal to an alarm centre via the vehicle without first entering it. The personal safety for the individual is therefore increased. In addition, in the case of an assault, the perpetrator can be frightened away by sound and/or light signals emitted by the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for an emergency call from a vehicle to an alarm center, comprising:

receiving a wireless initiation signal from a portable alarm unit, said wireless initiation signal including an identification code which identifies the alarm unit;

evaluating said initiation signal; and

sending, based on the result of said evaluation, a wireless alarm signal from a vehicle communication system arranged in the vehicle to the alarm center,

wherein evaluating said initiation signal includes;

identifying said initiation signal as an emergency signal;

allowing emission of a wireless alarm signal in response to a wireless initiation signal from each of a plurality of portable alarm units, said alarm units having different identities; and

at least one of said portable alarm units having no relation to said vehicle.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein emission of a wireless alarm signal is allowed in response to a wireless initiation signal from a portable alarm unit which is related to another vehicle.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising obtaining a safety-related signal from a sensor located in the vehicle.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said evaluating said initiation signal further comprises evaluating said safety-related signal in order to thus obtain information about an emergency.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said alarm signal comprises information about at least one of the position of the vehicle, the identity of the vehicle, the identity of the alarm unit and the emergency.

6. An emergency call system for vehicles, comprising:

a receiver located in a vehicle and adapted to receive a wireless initiation signal from a portable alarm unit, a control unit connected to the receiver and adapted to send, after evaluation of said initiation signal, an alarm command to a vehicle communication system, the vehicle communication system being adapted to send, in response to said alarm command, a wireless alarm signal to an alarm center, said wireless initiation signal including an identification code which identifies the alarm unit, and said control unit being adapted to send an alarm command to said vehicle communication system in response to a wireless initiation signal from each of a plurality of portable alarm units with different identities, wherein at least one of said portable alarm units having no relation to said vehicle.

7. An emergency call system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said control unit is adapted to send an alarm command to said vehicle communication system in response to a wireless initiation signal from a portable alarm unit which is related to another vehicle.

8. An emergency call system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said control unit is further adapted to obtain a safety-related signal from a sensor located in the vehicle.

9. An emergency call system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said control unit is further adapted to evaluate said safety-related signal in order to thus obtain information about an emergency.

10. An emergency call system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said alarm signal comprises information about at least one of the position of the vehicle, the identity of the vehicle, the identity of the alarm unit and the emergency.