Systems and methods for identifying caller locations

• US 8,270,939 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2011
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Best Buy Health Incorporated (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GreatCall Incorporated (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Imming, Philip C., Chin, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Heiber, Shantell L
• Application Number:
  US13/276,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20120208491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 336 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.4, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/006 for emergency situations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method, system and device for determining information about a location of the mobile device. The mobile device is configured to contact a private response call center (PRCC), e.g., by pressing or selecting one or more buttons or a softmenu. A PRCC operator can identify a potential emergency situation and, upon such an identification, initiate a conference call between a PRCC operator, a user of the mobile device, and a public safety answering point (PSAP) operator. The mobile device may transmit location information previously determined before PRCC call and be commanded to gather new location information during the call. The mobile device may also, while on a call with the PRCC, determine and transmit to the PRCC location information.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system with enhanced location processing for a plurality of mobile devices using the wireless communication system, the wireless communication system comprising:

a first interface to a public safety answering point (PSAP);

a second interface to a private response call center (PRCC); and

a mobile device operable in a first mode and a second mode, the mobile device comprising;

a location determining function that operates in the first mode and second mode;

an input interface configured to receive one or more user inputs, wherein transition from the first mode to the second mode is triggered by the user inputs;

a first communication function configured to have a wireless voice call with the PRCC triggered by the user inputs; and

a second communication function configured to wirelessly pass location information to the PRCC in the second mode, wherein;

location determinations are made more frequently by the location determining function in the second mode than in the first mode,

the second mode includes a call connected state during which location determinations are made, and

in the first mode, location determinations are requested to be performed using a first location determination method and a second location determination method, and when a predetermined number of location determination requests using the second location determination method have failed, a new location determination using the first location determination method is requested only if a predetermined interval has elapsed since the most recent use of the first location determination method.

2. The wireless communication system with enhanced location processing for the plurality of mobile devices using the wireless communication system as recited in claim 1, wherein location determinations in the first mode are performed no more frequently than every one, two, three, five, ten, fifteen, thirty, or sixty minutes.

3. The wireless communication system with enhanced location processing for the plurality of mobile devices using the wireless communication system as recited in claim 1, wherein location determinations in the in the first mode are performed more frequently than every 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 45, 60, or 90 seconds.

4. The wireless communication system with enhanced location processing for the plurality of mobile devices using the wireless communication system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first communication function uses a voice channel and the second communication function uses a channel separate from the voice channel.

5. The wireless communication system with enhanced location processing for the plurality of mobile devices using the wireless communication system as recited in claim 1, wherein first and second communication functions use the same channel to reach the second interface.

6. The wireless communication system with enhanced location processing for the plurality of mobile devices using the wireless communication system as recited in claim 1, wherein updates to almanac and/or ephemeris are prevented in the second mode.

7. The wireless communication system with enhanced location processing for the plurality of mobile devices using the wireless communication system as recited in claim 1, wherein the PRCC can connect the mobile device with a voice connection to the PSAP.

8. A mobile device for wirelessly communicating with a private response call center (PRCC), the mobile device operable in a first mode and a second mode, the mobile device comprising:

a location determining function that operates in the first mode and second mode;

an input interface configured to receive one or more user inputs, wherein transition from the first mode to the second mode is triggered by the user inputs;

a first communication function configured to have a wireless voice call with the PRCC triggered by the user inputs; and

a second communication function configured to wirelessly pass location information to the PRCC in the second mode, wherein;

location determinations are made more frequently by the location determining function in the second mode than in the first mode,

the second mode includes a call connected state during which location determinations are made, and

in the first mode, location determinations are requested to be performed using a first location determination method and a second location determination method, and when a predetermined number of location determination requests using the second location determination method have failed, a new location determination using the first location determination method is requested only if a predetermined interval has elapsed since the most recent use of the first location determination method.

9. The mobile device for wirelessly communicating with the PRCC as recited in claim 8, wherein location determinations in the first mode are performed no more frequently than every one, two, three, five, ten, fifteen, thirty, or sixty minutes.

10. The mobile device for wirelessly communicating with the PRCC as recited in claim 8, wherein location determinations in the in the first mode are performed more frequently than every 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 45, 60, or 90 seconds.

11. The mobile device for wirelessly communicating with the PRCC as recited in claim 8, wherein the first communication function uses a voice channel and the second communication function uses a channel separate from the voice channel.

12. The mobile device for wirelessly communicating with the PRCC as recited in claim 8, wherein first and second communication functions use the same channel to reach the PRCC.

13. The mobile device for wirelessly communicating with the PRCC as recited in claim 8, wherein updates to almanac and/or ephemeris are prevented in the second mode.

14. The mobile device for wirelessly communicating with the PRCC as recited in claim 8, wherein the PRCC can connect the mobile device with a voice connection to a public safety answering point (PSAP).

15. A method for a mobile device to process information about its location that is sent to a PRCC, the method comprising:

determining location information for the mobile device while the mobile device is in a first mode, wherein during the first mode location determinations are requested to be performed using a first location determining method and a second location determining method, the location determination requests for using the second location determining method being separated in time by at least a first predetermined interval, and wherein when a predetermined number of location determination requests for using the second location determination method have failed, a new location determination using the first location determining method is requested only if a second predetermined interval has elapsed since the most recent use of the first location determining method;

receiving one or more user inputs;

triggering transition from the first mode to a second mode, the second mode including a call-connected state;

initiating a wireless communication over a wireless network to the PRCC in the second mode;

calling the PRCC from the mobile device;

sending location information to the PRCC using the wireless network;

determining location information for the mobile device while the mobile device is in the second mode, wherein location determinations are performed more frequently in the second mode than in the first mode; and

sending updated location information to the PRCC using the wireless network while the mobile device is in the call-connected state.

16. The method for the mobile device to process information about its location that is sent to the PRCC as recited in claim 15, further comprising storing location information on the mobile device while the mobile device is in the first mode without reporting the location information away from the mobile device.

17. The method for the mobile device to process information about its location that is sent to the PRCC as recited in claim 15, wherein the location information is sent to the PRCC over a short messaging service (SMS) channel.

18. The method for the mobile device to process information about its location that is sent to the PRCC as recited in claim 15, further comprising connecting the PRCC, the mobile device and a PSAP together using a phone bridge.

19. The method for the mobile device to process information about its location that is sent to the PRCC as recited in claim 15, wherein the location information is sent using the same data network as the voice call between the PRCC and the mobile device.

20. A method of maintaining a location fix in a mobile device while limiting network data traffic, the method comprising:

obtaining a first location fix using a first location determining method that requires a network data access;

storing the first location fix in a memory of the mobile device;

repeatedly requesting additional location fixes using a second location determining method that sometimes requires a network data access and sometimes does not, the repeated requests being separated in time by at least a first predetermined interval;

storing any location fixes obtained by the second location determining method in the memory of the mobile device;

when a predetermined number of requests to determine location using the second location determining method have failed, obtaining a new location fix using the first location determining method only if a second predetermined interval has elapsed since the most recent use of the first location determining method;

recognizing that a user of the mobile device has initiated a voice call over a voice channel to a receiving party; and

during the call, repeatedly requesting location fixes using the second location determining method, wherein the location determination requests performed during the call are separated in time by amounts of time less than the first interval.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the location determination requests performed during the call are performed in response to prompts from the receiving party.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the prompts from the receiving party are received via a communication channel separate from the voice channel.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the prompts from the receiving party are received via short message service (SMS) messages.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising, during the call, transmitting any location fixes obtained using the second location determining method to the receiving party.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the location fixes are transmitted to the receiving party using a communication channel separate from the voice channel of the voice call.