Emergency call system and control method thereof

• US 7,574,194 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2005
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Hwan-Seog, Yang, Sung-Chul
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro; Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ajayi; Joel
• Application Number:
  US11/071,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20050197096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,622 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• 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 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• 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

An emergency call system and a control method thereof are provided for notifying a third party of an emergency situation using a mobile communication terminal. The emergency call system includes a calling terminal, a base station (BS), and a management server. When recognizing the emergency situation of a registered subscriber, the management server notifies an emergency reception center of the emergency situation. The calling terminal generates and transmits first and second emergency messages. The first emergency message includes an emergency notification message, a phone number of at least one called terminal (recipient), and BS identification information, and the second emergency message includes the emergency notification message and the subscriber'"'"'s phone number. The BS receives the first and second emergency messages, and transfers the received first and second emergency messages to the management server and the at least one called terminal.

Claims

1. An emergency call system comprising:

a calling terminal including a controller configured to simultaneously generate and transmit a first mobile communication emergency message including an emergency notification message, a phone number of at least one called terminal (recipient) and Base Station (BS) identification information, and a second emergency message including the emergency notification message and a subscriber'"'"'s phone number;

a BS configured to receive the first and second emergency messages, and transfer the received first and second emergency messages to a management server with a predetermined phone number and the at least one called terminal, respectively; and

the management server configured to receive the first emergency message from the BS according to the predetermined phone number, compute a location of the calling terminal based on the BS identification information included in the first emergency message, generate subscriber location information using the computed location of the calling terminal, notify the at least one called terminal and an emergency reception center of the subscriber location information, and transmit the subscriber location information to the at least one called terminal requesting the subscriber location information.

2. The emergency call system according to claim 1, wherein the calling terminal further includes an emergency call key and a memory, and transmits the first and second emergency messages in response to an input of the emergency call key, the memory storing the emergency notification message, management server registration identification (ID), the at least one called terminal'"'"'s phone number, and the BS identification information.

3. The emergency call system according to claim 1, wherein the management server provides voice guidance, when detecting a request for location information of the calling subscriber from the at least one called terminal.

4. The emergency call system according to claim 1, wherein the management server computes a location of the calling terminal according to the BS identification information to make a mark on a map when detecting a location information request from at least the called terminal, and transmits, to the at least one called terminal, a uniform resource locator (URL) to download the map.

5. The emergency call system according to claim 1, wherein the management server transmits emergency notification information to the emergency reception center.

6. The emergency call system according to claim 5, wherein the emergency notification information includes the subscriber location information.

7. The emergency call system according to claim 1, wherein the calling terminal distinguishes emergency rescue mode or designated call mode, operates according to the emergency rescue mode or the designated call mode, and transmits the first emergency message to the management server in the emergency rescue mode.

8. The emergency call system according to claim 1, wherein the calling terminal is switched to emergency mode after transmitting the first and second emergency messages, and wherein the calling terminal is configured to operate a microphone when the at least one called terminal transmits a voice call, such that emergency information is transferred to the at least one called terminal through a sound signal from the microphone.

9. The emergency call system according to claim 1, wherein the first or second emergency message further includes a management server registration ID of the subscriber.

10. A method for controlling an emergency call in an emergency call system including a calling terminal, at least one called terminal, a management server for notifying an emergency reception center of an emergency situation of a registered subscriber, and a base station (BS), comprising:

determining call mode by the calling terminal;

simultaneously generating first and second emergency mobile communication messages in emergency rescue mode by the calling terminal, and generating the second emergency message in designated call mode made by the calling terminal;

transmitting the first emergency messages to the management server with a predetermined phone number and second emergency messages to the at least one called terminal in the emergency rescue mode by the calling terminal;

transmitting the second emergency message to the at least one called terminal in the designated call mode by the calling terminal;

transmitting a request for subscriber location information from the at least one called terminal to the management server when the at least one called terminal receives the second emergency message to the management server by the at least one called terminal after receiving the second emergency message;

computing the subscriber location based on BS identification information by the management server; and

receiving the subscriber location information to the at least one called terminal by the management server.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the emergency rescue mode or the designated call mode is decided by a user when an emergency call function is set and registered in the calling terminal.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first emergency message includes an emergency notification message, a phone number of the at least one called terminal (recipient) and the BS identification information, and wherein the second emergency message includes the emergency notification message and the subscriber'"'"'s phone number.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first or second emergency message further includes a management server registration identification (ID) of the subscriber.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the management server transmits emergency notification information to the emergency reception center when receiving the first emergency message.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting, by the management server, a message asking if the at least one called terminal desires to receive the subscriber location information after receiving the first emergency message; and

providing, by the management server, the subscriber location information when a reply from the at least one called terminal is received.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first emergency message is transmitted before the second emergency message.

17. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

setting and registering an emergency call function, and

wherein registering comprises;

registering at least one emergency message recipient to which the emergency message is transmitted by a user of the calling terminal, content of the emergency message, and the number of emergency message transmissions.

18. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

setting and registering an emergency call function,

wherein the registering step comprises;

registering at least one emergency message recipient to which the emergency message is transmitted by a user of the calling terminal, content of the emergency message, and the number of emergency message transmissions.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein registering the at least one emergency message recipient comprises:

retrieving a phone number stored in advance and registering a predetermined phone number selected by the user.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein registering the at least one emergency message recipient is performed by a direct recording from the user.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein registering the emergency message content comprises:

retrieving emergency message content stored in advance and registering predetermined emergency message content selected by the user.

22. The method according to claim 17, wherein registering the emergency message content is performed by a direct recording from the user.

23. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

determining a caller when an incoming call is detected in emergency call standby mode;

automatically connecting the call without making incoming call notification when the incoming call is received from an emergency message recipient; and

rejecting the call when the incoming call is received from a different caller rather than the emergency message recipient, and transmitting, to the caller, an automatic answering message for notification of an emergency situation of a user.