Systems and methods for providing updated mobile station location estimates to emergency services providers

• US 8,078,210 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2010
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fuller, Jr., Marvin U., Davis, III, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Karikari, Kwasi
• Application Number:
  US12/915,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20110039516A1
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 455/512, 455/456.1, 455/566, 455/456.3, 455/404.1, 455/414.2, 455/457, 455/458, 455/460, 455/9
• US Class Current: 455/521
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• 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 wireless communication system, including apparatuses and methods, for handling emergency calls from wireless communication devices to emergency services providers and for automatically providing updated location estimates for the wireless communication devices to during such emergency calls absent any request therefor. The updated location estimates are generally provided in response to a detected occurrence of a triggering event within the wireless communication system. In the exemplary embodiments, such triggering events include the passage of a pre-determined threshold period of time and the handover of an emergency call between cells or sectors of the wireless communication system in response to movement of the wireless communication device from which the emergency call is being made. Further, according to at least one exemplary embodiment, the wireless communication system may selectively limit the provision of updated location estimates based on whether movement of a wireless communication device is substantial or insubstantial.

Claims

1. A method, for processing an emergency call between the wireless communication device and a public safety answering point, comprising:

establishing, over a wireless communication network, the emergency call between the wireless communication device and the public safety answering point;

initializing a count-up timer;

detecting, at the wireless communication network, whether a triggering event associated with the emergency call has occurred, wherein the triggering event includes handover of the emergency call from one subdivision of the wireless communication network to a new subdivision of the wireless communication network; and

in response to detecting that the triggering event has occurred, determining whether a triggering condition associated with the emergency call is satisfied, wherein the triggering condition includes a current value of the count-up timer being greater than a pre-determined threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining whether the triggering condition is satisfied is performed in a determination step; and

the method further comprises, in response to determining that the triggering condition is not satisfied, returning to the determination step.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting whether the triggering event has occurred is performed after initializing the count-up timer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, in response to determining that the triggering condition is satisfied, whether an automatic provision of updated location estimates feature has been enabled for the public safety answering point.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the automatic provision of updated location estimates feature, when enabled, provides for provisioning of updated location estimates made to the public safety answering point automatically and not in response to a request for updated location estimate.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein:

initializing the count-up timer is performed in an initialization step; and

in response to determining that the automatic provision of updated location estimates feature has not been enabled for the public safety answering point, returning to the initialization step.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein, in response to determining that the automatic provision of updated location estimates feature has been enabled for the public safety answering point;

obtaining updated location information for the wireless communication device; and

transmitting the updated location information to the public safety answering point.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-determined threshold value corresponds to a time period and whether movement of the wireless communication device is substantial or unsubstantial.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-determined threshold value corresponds to a time period related to a desired frequency with which position updates should be provided to the public safety answering point.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-determined threshold value corresponds to a value distinguishing between:

(i) insubstantial movement of the wireless communication device, whereby the wireless device is presumed to be moving rapidly in and out of subdivisions of the wireless communication network; and

(ii) substantial movement of the wireless communication device wherein the wireless device is presumed to not be moving rapidly in and out of subdivisions of the wireless communication network.

11. A method, for processing an emergency call between the wireless communication device and a public safety answering point, comprising:

initializing a count-up timer;

detecting, at a wireless communication network, whether a triggering event associated with the emergency call has occurred, wherein the triggering event includes handover of the emergency call from one subdivision of the wireless communication network to a new subdivision of the wireless communication network;

in response to detecting that the triggering event has occurred, determining whether a triggering condition associated with the emergency call is satisfied, wherein the triggering condition includes a current value of the count-up timer being greater than a pre-determined threshold value;

in response to determining that the triggering condition is satisfied, determining whether an automatic provision of updated location estimates feature has been enabled; and

in response to determining that the automatic provision of updated location estimates feature has been enabled, obtaining updated location information for the wireless communication device, including obtaining an estimated location of the wireless device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the estimated location includes statistically-generated number corresponding to a number of meters from an intersection of the estimated latitude and the estimated longitude, the number of meters representing a distance within which the wireless device is likely to be present according to a pre-determined percentage of confidence.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting the updated location information to the public safety answering point, in response to determining that the automatic provision of updated location estimates feature has been enabled and obtaining updated location information for the wireless communication device.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining, in response to determining that the triggering condition is satisfied, whether an automatic provision of updated location estimates feature has been enabled for the public safety answering point.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the pre-determined threshold value corresponds to a time period and whether movement of the wireless communication device is substantial or unsubstantial.

16. A method, for processing an emergency call between the wireless communication device and a public safety answering point, comprising:

initializing a count-up timer;

detecting, at a wireless communication network, whether a triggering event associated with the emergency call has occurred, wherein the triggering event includes handover of the emergency call from one subdivision of the wireless communication network to a new subdivision of the wireless communication network; and

in response to detecting that the triggering event has occurred, determining whether a triggering condition associated with the emergency call is satisfied, wherein the triggering condition includes a current value of the count-up timer being greater than a pre-determined threshold value, wherein the pre-determined threshold value corresponds to whether movement of the wireless communication device is substantial or unsubstantial.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the pre-determined threshold value corresponds to a value distinguishing between:

(i) insubstantial movement of the wireless communication device, whereby the wireless device is presumed to be moving rapidly in and out of subdivisions of the wireless communication network; and

(ii) substantial movement of the wireless communication device wherein the wireless device is presumed to not be moving rapidly in and out of subdivisions of the wireless communication network.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining, in response to determining that the triggering condition is satisfied, whether an automatic provision of updated location estimates feature has been enabled for the public safety answering point.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the pre-determined threshold value corresponds to a time period and whether movement of the wireless communication device is substantial or unsubstantial.