System for transmitting an emergency call

• US 7,962,119 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2006
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Systems (Becker Division) GmbH
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kuz, Volker, Behrens, Ralph
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gu; Yu (Andy)
• Application Number:
  US11/521,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20070066276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/206 composed of PSTN and wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• 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 transmits an emergency call with emergency information from a vehicle using a communication system. The emergency call system includes an emergency call device that connects with an emergency assistance center during an emergency. The emergency call device may be automatically or manually triggered to transmit data and information related to an emergency to the assistance center. Data and information may be transmitted over a data connection and/or a voice connection over a hardwired or wireless network.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting an emergency call including emergency information using a communication system, the method comprising:

triggering an emergency call from a vehicle;

establishing a data connection with an emergency call assistance center through the communication system to handle the emergency call in which the data connection comprises a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) connection;

transmitting a first portion of the emergency information to the emergency call assistance center through the data connection as a request for a uniform resource locator (URL) that includes the first portion of the emergency information within the URL request in which the first portion of the emergency information is transmitted in a URL using the WAP data connection;

establishing a first voice connection to the emergency call assistance center through the communication system;

transmitting a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) message comprising a second portion of the emergency information through the first voice connection such. that the first portion of the emergency information transmitted through the data connection and the second portion of the emergency information transmitted through the first voice connection include redundant emergency information; and

synchronizing the first portion of the emergency information transmitted through the data connection and the second portion of the emergency information transmitted through the first voice connection at the emergency call assistance center such that errors during transmission may be corrected.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising detecting an end of the DTMF message transmitted via the first voice connection at the emergency call assistance center.

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

determining whether the second portion of the emergency information has been received by the emergency call assistance center;

transferring the first voice connection to an. emergency assistant at the emergency call assistance center when the second portion of the emergency information has been received by the emergency call assistance center; and

establishing a second voice connection to an emergency call dispatch center through the communication system when the second portion of the emergency information has not been received by the emergency call assistance center.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising initiating a counter, where the emergency call may be cancelled during an emergency call count, and where the emergency call is triggered after the emergency call count reaches a predetermined threshold.

5. The method according to claim 4, where the emergency call count comprises a countdown that is announced audibly.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising testing the availability of the communication system, where the testing comprises transmitting at least a portion of the emergency information. over the communication system through a mobile terminal.

7. The method according to claim 1, where at least a portion of the first portion of the emergency information transmitted using the data connection comprises one of a geographical position of the vehicle or an identification number of the vehicle.

8. The method. according to claim 7, where the emergency information further includes one of a timestamp of a generation of the emergency message, a vehicle descriptor, a breakdown status, or additional information and parameters based on an occupant of the vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 7, where the at least a portion of the emergency information comprises a history of information related to a time period that occurs before an emergency, where the history of information tracks a steering of the vehicle, a level of deceleration of the vehicle, or a driving direction of the vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 4, where the emergency call count comprises a countdown that is announced through a display.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising synchronizing the portion of emergency information received through the data connection and the first voice connection at the emergency call assistance center;

and

transmitting a confirmation for the emergency information received from the emergency call assistance center.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising requesting the emergency information from the vehicle through the communication system.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising informing at least one emergency call dispatch center of the emergency using the received emergency information.