Automatic emergency call language provisioning

• US 8,224,523 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2010
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hatton, David Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US12/705,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20110202233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 701/24, 701/25, 701/36, 701/31.5, 701/412, 701/442, 701/468, 701/469, 701/472, 701/484
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 method of language provisioning includes receiving a language designation as part of a packet sent from a communication point. The method also includes setting a local language emergency database (LLED) as a basis for a spoken language when placing emergency calls. According to this method, if an emergency call is originated by a vehicle computing system, outgoing communication from the vehicle computing system is performed at least substantially based on words and/or phrases stored in the LLED.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a language designation added to a packet by a communication point and sent from the communication point; and

utilizing a local-language emergency database (LLED) whose language corresponds to the language designation as a basis for a vehicle-spoken language, wherein, if an emergency call is originated by a vehicle computing system (VCS), outgoing spoken communication produced by the VCS is based on words and/or phrases stored in the LLED.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication point is a cellular tower.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing communication between a vehicle computing system and a nomadic device;

sending a periodic signal to the nomadic device to transfer a language designation known by the nomadic device to the vehicle computing system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the periodic signal is at least sent when a predetermined geographic border is crossed by a vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the crossing of the geographic border is determined by reference to GPS coordinates.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a word or phrase to be communicated to an emergency operator from the vehicle computing system;

looking up the determined word or phrase in a lookup table to determine a corresponding sound bite to be played; and

playing the determined corresponding sound bite over an outgoing communication with an emergency operator, such that the sound bite communicates the determined phrase in the local language to the emergency operator.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

breaking the determined phrase into a plurality of smaller words and/or phrases.

8. A vehicle communication system, in communication with a nomadic device, comprising:

for a processor configured to receive a language or country designation as part of a packet sent from a communication point to the nomadic device, the designation having been added to the packet by the communication point; and

wherein the processor is further configured to set a local-language emergency database (LLED) as a basis for a vehicle-spoken language when placing emergency calls, wherein, if an emergency call is originated by the vehicle computing system, outgoing spoken communication produced by the vehicle computing system is performed based on words and/or phrases stored in the LLED.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the communication point is a cellular tower.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to

establish communication between the vehicle computing system and the nomadic device, and

a periodic signal to the nomadic device to transfer a language designation known by the nomadic device to the vehicle computing system.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the periodic signal is at least sent when a predetermined geographic border is crossed by a vehicle.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the crossing of the geographic border is determined by reference to GPS coordinates.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to

determine a word or phrase to be communicated to an emergency operator from the vehicle computing system,

look up the determined word or phrase in a lookup table to determine a corresponding sound bite to be played, and

play the determined corresponding sound bite over an outgoing communication with an emergency operator, such that the sound bite communicates the determined phrase in the local language to the emergency operator.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to

break the determined phrase into a plurality of smaller words and/or phrases.

15. A computer readable storage medium, storing instructions that, when executed by a processor in a vehicle computing system, cause the vehicle computing system to perform the method comprising:

receiving a language designation or country code as part of a packet sent from a communication point and added to the packet by the communication point; and

utilizing a local-language emergency database (LLED) whose language corresponds to the language designation as a basis for a vehicle-spoken language, wherein, if an emergency call is originated by a vehicle computing system (VCS), outgoing spoken communication produced by the VCS is based on words and/or phrases stored in the LLED.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the communication point is a cellular tower.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method performed by the vehicle computing system upon execution of the instructions stored on the storage medium further comprises:

establishing communication between a vehicle computing system and a nomadic device; and

sending a periodic signal to the nomadic device to transfer a language designation or country code known by the nomadic device to the vehicle computing system.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the periodic signal is at least sent when a predetermined geographic border is crossed by a vehicle.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the crossing of the geographic border is determined by reference to GPS coordinates.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method performed by the vehicle computing system upon execution of the instructions stored on the storage medium further comprises:

determining a word or phrase to be communicated to an emergency operator from the vehicle computing system;

looking up the determined word or phrase in a lookup table to determine a corresponding sound bite to be played; and

playing the determined corresponding sound bite over an outgoing communication with an emergency operator, such that the sound bite communicates the determined phrase in the local language to the emergency operator.