Automatic routing of in-vehicle emergency calls to automatic crash notification services and to public safety answering points

• US 8,180,316 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2007
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intrado Life & Safety Incorporated
• Original Assignee: West Corporation
• Inventors: Hwang, Kuen-Yih
• Primary Examiner(s): Addy, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Behnamian, Shahriar
• Application Number:
  US11/754,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20070287409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,813 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/414.1, 379/111, 379/45, 379/37
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications

Abstract

A system and method automatically routes in-vehicle emergency calls to an automatic crash notification (ACN) call center using information provided by the calling mobile device in the call set up message. An operator at the ACN call center is presented with an identification of a public safety answering point (PSAP) that serves the location of the vehicle. The ACN operator may then conference in the PSAP if needed. The provided information is displayed at both the ACN operator'"'"'s position and at the PSAP. Alternatively, the call is routed to the PSAP first or to both the PSAP and the ACN call center simultaneously.

Claims

1. A method for routing a wireless emergency call from an in-vehicle mobile device comprising:

receiving a set up message from said in-vehicle mobile device via a wireless network at an emergency location center (ELC) coupled with said wireless network, said set up message including a plurality of parameters;

(a) in no particular order;

(1) determining a destination automatic crash notification (ACN) call center based on one or more of said parameters; and

(2) determining a destination public safety answering point (PSAP) based on one or more of said parameters; and

(b) routing said emergency call directly to said destination ACN call center without involving said destination PSAP, without attempting to involve said destination PSAP and without awaiting involvement of said destination PSAP; and

routing said emergency call directly to said destination PSAP without involving said destination ACN call center, without attempting to involve said destination ACN call center and without awaiting involvement of said ACN call center;

wherein, routing said emergency call to said destination ACN call center and said destination PSAP substantially simultaneously.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

one of said ELC, said destination ACN call center and said destination PSAP setting up a three-way call among said in-vehicle mobile device, said destination ACN call center and said destination PSAP.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

forwarding an identification of said destination PSAP from said destination ELC to said destination ACN call center responsive to a request from said destination ACN call center to said destination ELC.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

one of said ELC, said destination ACN call center and said destination PSAP setting up a three-way call among said in-vehicle mobile device, said destination ACN call center and said destination PSAP.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

determining a language based on said one or more parameters; and

wherein determining a destination ACN call center is based on said language.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

determining a language based on said one or more parameters; and

wherein determining a destination PSAP is based on said language.

7. A method for routing a wireless emergency call from an in-vehicle mobile device comprising:

receiving said wireless emergency call from said in-vehicle mobile device at an emergency location center;

said wireless emergency call including a set up message;

said set up message including a plurality of parameters;

said parameters including an indication of location of said in-vehicle mobile device;

said emergency location center including a database store;

said database store containing information relating at least to purview and contact information for a plurality of automatic crash notification (ACN) call centers and for a plurality of public safety answering points (PSAP);

(a) in no particular order;

(1) determining a destination ACN call center based on one or more of said parameters; and

(2) determining a destination PSAP based on one or more of said parameters; and

(b) routing said emergency call directly to said destination PSAP without involving said destination ACN call center, without attempting to involve said destination ACN call center and without awaiting involvement of said destination ACN call center; and

routing said emergency call directly to said destination ACN call center without involving said destination PSAP, without attempting to involve said destination PSAP and without awaiting involvement of said destination PSAP;

wherein, routing said emergency call to said destination ACN call center and said destination PSAP substantially simultaneously.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7 further comprising:

one of said emergency location center, said destination ACN call center and said destination PSAP setting up a three-way call among said in-vehicle mobile device, said destination ACN call center and said destination PSAP.

9. An emergency location center comprising:

a signaling interface unit coupled with a wireless communication network;

said signaling interface unit being configured to receive a message from a calling unit via said wireless communication network;

said message containing one or more first parameters;

said one or more first parameters including location information relating to said calling unit;

a database configured to store a plurality of second parameters in relation to a plurality of destination public safety answering points (PSAP) and to a plurality of destination automatic crash notification (ACN) call centers;

said plurality of second parameters including contact information relating to said plurality of destination PSAPs and to said plurality of destination ACN call centers; and

a processor coupled to said signaling interface unit and said database and configured to apply one or more of said one or more first parameters to said database to select at least one selected destination PSAP of said plurality of destination PSAPs and at least one selected destination ACN call center of said plurality of destination ACN call centers;

said processor providing said contact information relating to said at least one selected destination PSAP and said contact information relating to said at least one selected destination ACN call center to said signaling interface unit;

said signaling interface unit providing said contact information for routing said message directly to said at least one selected destination PSAP via said communication network without involving said at least one destination ACN call center, without attempting to involve said at least one selected destination ACN call center and without awaiting involvement of said at least one destination ACN call center; and

routing said message directly to said at least one selected destination ACN call center via said communication network without involving said at least one selected destination PSAP, without attempting to involve said at least one selected destination PSAP and without awaiting involvement of said at least one selected destination PSAP;

wherein, said signaling interface unit provides said contact information appropriately to effect routing said message to at least one said selected destination PSAP and at least one said selected destination ACN call center substantially simultaneously.

10. An emergency location center in accordance with claim 9 wherein

at least one other communication network than said wireless communication network cooperates with said signaling interface unit to effect setting up a multi-party call among said calling unit, said at least one destination ACN call center and said at least one selected destination PSAP.

11. An emergency location center in accordance with claim 9 wherein

one of said parameters indicates language preference and said database comprises a language routing database.

12. An emergency location center in accordance with claim 11 wherein

said destination ACN call center is based on said language preference.

13. A system for routing a wireless emergency call from an in-vehicle mobile device;

said emergency call including a plurality of parameters;

said plurality of parameters including location of said in-vehicle mobile device;

the system comprising;

(a) a wireless communication network configured for receiving and handling said emergency call;

(b) at least one automatic crash notification facility coupled with said wireless communication network;

(c) at least one public safety answering point coupled with said wireless communication network;

(d) an emergency location center coupled with said wireless communication network;

said emergency location center including a database storing contact information relating to said at least one automatic crash notification facility and said at least one public safety answering point;

said emergency location center responding to receiving said emergency call using at least one first selected parameter of said plurality of parameters to query said database to obtain said contact information relating to at least one selected automatic crash notification facility of said at least one automatic crash notification facility and at least one selected public safety answering point of said at least one public safety answering point;

said emergency location center effecting routing said emergency call directly to said at least one selected automatic crash notification facility without involving said at least one selected public safety answering point, without attempting to involve said at least one selected public safety answering point and without awaiting involvement of said at least one selected public safety answering point; and

to effect routing said emergency call directly to said at least one selected public safety answering point appropriate for said location of said in-vehicle mobile device without involving said at least one automatic crash notification facility, without attempting to involve said at least one selected automatic crash notification facility and without awaiting involvement of said at least one selected automatic crash notification;

wherein, said emergency location center effecting routing said emergency call to said at least one automatic crash notification facility and said at least one public safety answering point appropriate for said location of said in-vehicle mobile substantially simultaneously.

14. The system for routing an emergency call from an in-vehicle mobile device as recited in claim 13 wherein

at least one of said emergency location center, said at least one selected public safety answering point and said at least one selected automatic crash notification facility is configured for setting up a multi-party call among said calling unit, said at least one selected public safety answering point and said at least one selected automatic crash notification facility.

15. The system for routing an emergency call from an in-vehicle mobile device as recited in claim 13 wherein

said emergency location center further responds to receiving said emergency call using at least one second selected parameter of said plurality of parameters to query said database to determine a language used for conveying said emergency call, and wherein said language is at least partially regarded in effecting said routing said emergency call to at least one of said at least one selected automatic crash notification facility and said at least one selected public safety answering point appropriate for said location of said in-vehicle mobile.

16. The system for routing an emergency call from an in-vehicle mobile device as recited in claim 13 wherein

said emergency location center further responds to receiving said emergency call using at least one second selected parameter of said plurality of parameters to query said database to determine a language used for conveying said emergency call, and wherein said language is at least partially regarded in effecting said routing said emergency call to at least one of said at least one selected automatic crash notification facility and said at least one selected public safety answering point appropriate for said location of said in-vehicle mobile.