Communication system and method for notifying persons of an emergency telephone call

• US 7,920,679 B1
• Filed: 02/02/2006
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Naim, Usman Muhammad, Mirza, Nasir Mahmood, Khan, Sameer Akbar
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah; Melur
• Application Number:
  US11/346,019
• Time in Patent Office: 1,888 Days
• Field of Search: 379 37- 51, 340/506, 340/286.06, 340/505
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2094 Proximity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0033 Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• 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

A communication system for notifying persons of an emergency telephone call is provided according to the invention. The communication system includes a communication network configured to receive a user-initiated emergency telephone call from a caller. The communication system further includes a notification system configured to receive the user-initiated emergency telephone call from the communication network, select one or more proximity communication devices based on one or more predetermined proximity criteria, and generate a notification communication to the one or more proximity communication devices. The notification communication notifies the one or more proximity communication devices of the user-initiated emergency telephone call.

Claims

1. A communication system for notifying persons of an emergency telephone call, the system comprising:

a communication network configured to receive a user-initiated emergency telephone call from a caller device operated by a caller; and

a notification system configured to receive the user-initiated emergency telephone call from the communication network, transfer a query for delivery to an emergency system requesting confirmation that the caller device established a connection to the emergency system, receive a response transmitted from the emergency system indicating whether or not the caller device established the connection to the emergency system, determine a location of the caller device, select one or more proximity communication devices from a predetermined communication device grouping based on one or more predetermined proximity criteria, wherein the one or more predetermined proximity criteria comprises a geographical proximity to the location, and generate a notification communication to the one or more proximity communication devices, with the notification communication notifying the one or more proximity communication devices of the user-initiated emergency telephone call.

2. The system of claim 1, with the one or more predetermined proximity criteria including a subscriber status.

3. The system of claim 1, with the one or more predetermined proximity criteria including a geographically proximate transmitter device that is in range of the caller.

4. The system of claim 1, with the notification communication including the location of the caller device.

5. The system of claim 1, with the notification communication including a caller telephone number.

6. The system of claim 1, with the notification communication including an emergency call type.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication network configured to receive the user-initiated emergency telephone call from the caller device operated by the caller comprises the emergency system in the communication network configured to receive the user-initiated emergency telephone call from the caller device operated by the caller.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification communication indicates whether or not the caller device established the connection to the emergency system.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the query further requests confirmation that the user-initiated emergency telephone call was completed, and the response transmitted from the emergency system indicates whether or not the user-initiated emergency telephone call was completed.

10. A communication system for notifying persons of an emergency telephone call, the system comprising:

a caller telephone device configured to generate a user-initiated emergency telephone call and an emergency call notification; and

a notification system configured to receive the emergency call notification from the caller telephone device, query an emergency system that receives the user-initiated emergency telephone call, verify that the caller telephone device established a connection to the emergency system based on the query, determine a location of the caller telephone device, select one or more proximity communication devices from a predetermined communication device grouping based on one or more predetermined proximity criteria, wherein the one or more predetermined proximity criteria comprises a geographical proximity to the location, and generate a notification communication to the one or more proximity communication devices, with the notification communication notifying the one or more proximity communication devices of the user-initiated emergency telephone call.

11. The system of claim 10, with the one or more predetermined proximity criteria including a subscriber status.

12. The system of claim 10, with the one or more predetermined proximity criteria including a geographically proximate transmitter device that is in range of the caller.

13. The system of claim 10, with the notification communication including the location of the caller telephone device.

14. The system of claim 10, with the notification communication including a caller telephone number.

15. The system of claim 10, with the notification communication including an emergency call type.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising the emergency system that receives the user-initiated emergency telephone call.

17. The system of claim 10, with the notification system being configured to include information in the notification communication that the user-initiated emergency telephone call was established.

18. The system of claim 10, with the notification communication including the geographical proximity.

19. The system of claim 10, with the notification system being further configured to determine an emergency call type based on the query and include the emergency call type in the notification communication.

20. The system of claim 10, with the notification system being configured to verify an emergency call completion based on the query and include emergency call completion information in the notification communication.

21. A method for notifying persons of an emergency telephone call, the method comprising:

receiving a user-initiated emergency telephone call from a caller device operated by a caller into a notification system;

in response, the notification system determining a location of the caller device and selecting one or more proximity communication devices from a predetermined communication device grouping based on one or more predetermined proximity criteria, wherein the one or more predetermined proximity criteria comprises a geographical proximity to the location;

the notification system transferring a query for delivery to an emergency system that receives the user-initiated emergency telephone call, wherein the query requests confirmation that the caller device established a connection to the emergency system, and receiving a response transmitted from the emergency system indicating whether or not the caller device established the connection to the emergency system; and

the notification system generating a notification communication to the one or more proximity communication devices, with the notification communication notifying the one or more proximity communication devices of the user-initiated emergency telephone call.

22. The method of claim 21, with the one or more predetermined proximity criteria including a subscriber status.

23. The method of claim 21, with the one or more predetermined proximity criteria including a geographically proximate transmitter device that is in range of the caller.

24. The method of claim 21, with the notification communication including the location of the caller device.

25. The method of claim 21, with the notification communication including a caller telephone number.

26. The method of claim 21, with the notification communication including an emergency call type.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the notification communication indicates whether or not the caller device established the connection to the emergency system.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the query requests confirmation that the user-initiated emergency telephone call was completed, and the response transmitted from the emergency system indicates whether or not the user-initiated emergency telephone call was completed.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the query requests an emergency call type associated with the user-initiated emergency telephone call, and the response transmitted from the emergency system indicates the emergency call type.

30. A method for notifying persons of an emergency telephone call, the method comprising:

receiving an emergency call notification from a caller into a notification system, with the emergency call notification being transmitted by a telephone device of the caller substantially in parallel with a user-initiated emergency telephone call;

in response, the notification system determining a location of the telephone device and selecting one or more proximity communication devices from a predetermined communication device grouping based on one or more predetermined proximity criteria, wherein the one or more predetermined proximity criteria comprises a geographical proximity to the location;

querying an emergency system that receives the user-initiated emergency telephone call;

verifying that the telephone device established a connection to the emergency system based on the query; and

the notification system generating a notification communication to the one or more proximity communication devices, with the notification communication notifying the one or more proximity communication devices of the user-initiated emergency telephone call.

31. The method of claim 30, with the one or more predetermined proximity criteria including a subscriber status.

32. The method of claim 30, with the one or more predetermined proximity criteria including a geographically proximate transmitter device that is in range of the caller.

33. The method of claim 30, with the notification communication including the location of the telephone device.

34. The method of claim 30, with the notification communication including a caller telephone number.

35. The method of claim 30, with the notification communication including an emergency call type.

36. The method of claim 30, with the selecting the one or more proximity communication devices further comprising:

determining one or more proximity communication devices within the geographical proximity of the location.

37. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

including information in the notification communication that the user-initiated emergency telephone call was established.

38. The method of claim 30, with the notification communication including the geographical proximity.

39. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

determining an emergency call type based on the query; and

including the emergency call type in the notification communication.

40. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

verifying an emergency call completion based on the query; and

including emergency call completion information in the notification communication.