Sharing data with an emergency response service over a mobile network

• US 8,199,697 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2006
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: McNamara, Justin Michael, Mikan, Jeffrey Clinton, Tuthill, Carolyn
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Mahendra R
• Application Number:
  US11/583,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20080095098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,063 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404, 455/414, 455/456, 455/418, 340/988, 370/310, 370/350, 370/428, 370/348, 370/229, 370/477, 370/338
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4025 where none of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. downloading a file in a parallel FTP session, initiating an email or combinational services

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed which relate to the sending and receiving of multimedia files between mobile users and emergency response service operators while connected through a voice call. These devices are free to send any type of file through a direct connection without the need to hang up and call back just to see if the file was sent successfully. These methods work for a plurality of cellular and computer devices connected through a cellular network or other Internet Service Provider.

Claims

1. A network system for sharing files, comprising:

an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) to provide a primary cellular data connection between engaged devices, the engaged devices including at least one device that is engaged in a voice communication with another device that is part of an emergency response service, the voice communication occurring over a cellular voice connection, the IMS to further provide a secondary cellular data connection to share a file between the engaged devices; and

a plurality of units capable of acting as a gateway between the devices and an IP network, wherein the plurality of units initiate, maintain, and terminate the cellular data connections while the devices are engaged in voice communication;

wherein data connection requests between the engaged devices are initiated using a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) or Packet Delivery Protocol (PDP); and

wherein the PDP connection between the engaged devices uses the primary cellular data connection to send and receive a plurality of file requests and the secondary cellular data connection to send and receive a plurality of files.

2. The network system in claim 1, wherein the devices are mobile phones, computers, PDAs, or any combination of such devices.

3. The network system in claim 1, wherein the devices connect via a GSM, CDMA, TDMA or equivalent mobile network.

4. The network system of claim 1, wherein the second cellular data connection uses the Realtime Transfer Protocol (RTP).

5. The network system of claim 1, wherein the second cellular data connection is used to send a plurality of multimedia files of any type.

6. The network system of claim 5, wherein the multimedia files are related to providing information to an emergency response service.

7. The multimedia files in claim 6, wherein the information provided includes vital bodily statistics for patients involved in emergencies.

8. A network system for improved E911 response, comprising:

an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) to provide a primary cellular data connection between engaged devices, the engaged devices including at least one device that is engaged in a voice communication with another device handled by an emergency response service operator, the voice communication occurring over a cellular voice connection, the IMS to further provide a secondary cellular data connection between the engaged devices to transfer a plurality of multimedia files to the emergency response service across the IMS, and

a plurality of units capable of acting as a gateway between either device and an IP network, wherein the plurality of units initiate, maintain, and terminate the cellular data connections using the SIP, PDP and RTP protocols, while the devices are engaged in voice communication;

wherein data connection requests between the engaged devices are initiated using a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) or Packet Delivery Protocol (PDP); and

wherein the PDP connection between the engaged devices uses the primary cellular data connection to send and receive a plurality of file requests and the secondary cellular data connection to send and receive a plurality of files.

9. The network system in claim 8, wherein the devices are mobile phones, computers, or PDAs that connect via a GSM, CDMA, TDMA or an equivalent mobile network.

10. The network system in claim 8, wherein the multimedia files are related to providing emergency-related information to an emergency response service.

11. The multimedia files in claim 10, wherein the information provided includes vital bodily statistics for patients involved in emergencies.

12. A method for improved emergency response, comprising the steps of:

establishing a cellular voice connection between a plurality of communications devices, wherein the receiving device is operated by an emergency response service, and all devices are either SIP enabled or connected to SIP-enabled gateways;

assigning an IP address to the devices using an IP Multimedia Subsystem;

establishing a primary cellular direct data connection between the sending device and the receiving device, where this request and response are transmitted using the SIP or PDP protocols;

establishing a secondary cellular direct data connection over an appropriate file transfer protocol from the sending IP to the receiving IP; and

sending an emergency-related data through the secondary cellular data connection, where both cellular data connections are established while the devices maintain the cellular voice connection;

wherein the primary cellular data connection between the communications devices is used to send and receive a plurality of file requests.