Methods and systems for relaying out of range emergency information

• US 8,208,891 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2009
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jacobs, Ross, Zampiello, Geoffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Agosta, Steve D
• Application Number:
  US12/434,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20100279647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455418-420, 455/421, 455/11.1, 455/13.1, 455/466, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 370/310.2, 370/312, 370/328, 370/338, 370351-357
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• 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 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Disclosed herein are techniques for transmitting a report message with collaborated information related to the occurrence of an emergency event. A plurality of devices, such as mobile communications devices, that are out of range of a communications network can communicate via direct communication, such as device-to-device communication, to corroborate characteristics that are indicative of an occurrence of an emergency event. Information related to the occurrence may be collaborated amongst the plurality of devices. A transmitting device, which may be one of the plurality of devices that corroborates characteristics or collaborates information, may generate and transmit the report message comprising the collaborated information. A receiving device may provide the message over a communications network, or the report message may continue to be handed off between devices capable of direct communication, the message eventually reaching a device that is within range of the communications network.

Claims

1. A transmitting device comprising:

a memory comprising computer instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor when executing the computer instructions is configured to;

identify characteristics indicative of an occurrence of an emergency event;

transmit information related to the occurrence of the emergency event via device-to-device communication with at least one of a plurality of devices when the transmitting device and the at least one of the plurality of devices are out of range of a communications network;

generate a report message comprising the transmitted information;

evaluate first device characteristics associated with the transmitting device and second device characteristics associated with the at least one of a plurality of devices via device-to-device communication with the at least one of a plurality of devices, the first and second device characteristics comprising at least one of respective device-to-device transmission capabilities, respective remaining battery power, respective subscriptions for transmitting emergency-event information, or respective message capacity transmission capabilities; and

when, based upon the evaluation of the first and second device characteristics, the first device characteristics are more favorable for transmission of the report message than the second device characteristics, select the transmitting device as a designated transmitter of the report message; and

an input/output component configured for device-to-device communication with the plurality of devices, wherein;

when the transmitting device is out of range of the communications network, the transmitting device provides the report message via device-to-device communication with at least one relay device; and

the input/output component is configured to receive, via device-to-device communication, acknowledgement of receipt of the report message.

2. The transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to corroborate, with at least one of the plurality of devices, characteristics that are indicative of the occurrence of the emergency event.

3. The transmitting device of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to generate, based on the corroboration of information related to the occurrence with the at least one of the plurality of devices, a confidence rating of the occurrence of the emergency event.

4. The transmitting device of claim 1, wherein, upon an identification of the characteristics indicative of the occurrence of the emergency event, the processor searches for at least one of the plurality of devices for device-to-device communication.

5. The transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the input/output component is further configured to request information related to the occurrence from the at least one of the plurality of devices.

6. The transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the characteristics indicative of the occurrence of the emergency event comprise at least one of a G-force measurement, a velocity measurement, a signal received from another source, a temperature measurement, an orientation status, a water sensor, or a user-controlled sensor.

7. The transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the plurality of devices is at least one of a mobile telephone, an accelerometer, an odometer, a global positioning system unit, a water sensor, a temperature gauge, an orientation sensor, a proximity sensor, a gyro rate sensor, or an engine sensor.

8. The transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the acknowledgement of receipt of the report message indicates that the at least one relay device received the report message, was within range of the communications network, and transmitted the report message over the communications network.

9. The transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the acknowledgement of receipt of the report message indicates that the at least one relay device transmitted the report message to at least one second relay device, and the at least one second relay device was within range of the communications network and transmitted the report message over the communications network.

10. The transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the transmitting device and the at least one of the plurality of devices are associated with the emergency event.

11. The transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the at least one relay device is configured to alert a user of the at least one relay device of the occurrence of the emergency event.

12. A method performed by a first device associated with an emergency event, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying characteristics indicative of an occurrence of the emergency event;

detecting a second device associated with the emergency event, the second device capable of device-to-device communication with the first device within a device-to-device communication range;

transmitting, via device-to-device communication from the first device to the second device, first information related to the occurrence of the emergency event;

receiving, via device-to-device communication from the second device to the first device, second information related to the occurrence of the emergency event;

generating a report message comprising at least one or both of the first information or the second information;

evaluating, via device-to-device communication between the first device and the second device, first device characteristics associated with the first device and second device characteristics associated with the second device, the first and second device characteristics comprising at least one of respective device-to-device transmission capabilities, respective remaining battery power, respective subscriptions for transmitting emergency-event information, or respective message capacity transmission capabilities;

selecting the first device as a designated transmitter of the report message when, based upon the evaluation of the first and second device characteristics, the first device characteristics are more favorable for transmission of the report message than the second device characteristics;

transmitting, when the first device is selected as the designated transmitter, the report message;

receiving, via device-to-device communication, an acknowledgement of receipt of the report message.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of, upon identifying the characteristics indicative of the occurrence of the emergency event, searching for devices capable of device-to-device communication.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of requesting the second information from the second device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the characteristics indicative of the occurrence of the emergency event comprise at least one of a G-force measurement, a velocity measurement, a signal received from another source, a temperature measurement, an orientation status, a water sensor, or a user-controlled sensor.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of detecting a relay device that is capable of device-to-device communication within the device-to-device communication range, wherein transmitting the report message comprises transmitting the report message to the relay device via device-to-device communication.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the acknowledgement of receipt of the report message indicates that the relay device was within range of a communications network and transmitted the report message over the communications network.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the acknowledgement of receipt of the report message indicates that the relay device transmitted the report message to at least one second relay device, and that the at least one second relay device was within range of a communications network and transmitted the report message over the communications network.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the relay device is configured to alert a user of the relay device of the occurrence of the emergency event.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

selecting the second device as the designated transmitter when, based upon the evaluation of the first and second device characteristics, the second device characteristics are more favorable for transmission of the report message than the first device characteristics; and

providing the report message to the second device via device-to-device communication.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the first device is at least one of a mobile telephone, an accelerometer, an odometer, a global positioning system unit, a water sensor, a temperature gauge, an orientation sensor, a proximity sensor, a gyro rate sensor, or an engine sensor.