Overriding vehicle communications in emergency situations

• US 8,326,258 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2010
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Chmielewski, Laura R., McGarry, Daniel C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Assistant Examiner(s): Navar, Erica
• Application Number:
  US12/846,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20120028597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041-4042, 455/521, 4554141-415, 455344-346, 455567-5692, 455/575.9, 455/556.1, 340/429, 34042611-42636, 340/438, 340/436, 340/461, 3405391-5392, 340 102- 1032, 379/37, 379/40, 379/45, 379/51, 379/142.1, 379/201.01, 379/203.01, 379/218.02, 379/265.01, 379260-267, 379/308, 379/321, 379/448
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/20 with means for interrupting existing connections; with means for breaking-in on conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications

Abstract

A system and method for controlling calls in a vehicle during an emergency situation that includes identifying an emergency situation and placing a voice call or a data call to the vehicle in response to the emergency situation. If the placed call cannot be connected because the vehicle has another call in progress, then an SMS message is sent to the vehicle which contains a command used by the vehicle to interrupt the in-progress call. This enables a call center or public safety personnel to obtain remote access in emergency situations, such as when the vehicle location needs to be determined or an occupant of the vehicle is contacted.

Claims

1. A method of controlling calls in a vehicle during an emergency situation, comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying an emergency situation;

(b) placing a voice call or a data call to the vehicle in response to the emergency situation;

(c) if unable to connect the placed call with the vehicle, then determining whether the vehicle has another call in progress that is preventing the placed call from connecting with the vehicle; and

, if so,

(d) sending a short message service (SMS) message to the vehicle based on the identified emergency situation, wherein the SMS message contains a command instructing the vehicle to interrupt the other call.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving a call automatically placed by the vehicle to a call center.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of establishing the received call as a voice call and placing a live advisor at the call center in voice communication with an occupant of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises the step of detecting the theft of a vehicle using sensor input received from vehicle sensors.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises the step of placing the voice call or data call using a live advisor at a call center.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the live advisor is in communication with a Public Safety Access Point (PSAP).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises the step of instructing the vehicle to send a data message to the call center if the vehicle is connected to an external caller.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of constructing the SMS message, wherein the constructed SMS message includes a command to carry out any one or more of the following steps:

terminating present communications to and from the vehicle, initiating a call to the call center from the vehicle, or communicating a message to occupants inside of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the SMS message further comprises a machine-to-machine communication.

10. A method of controlling calls in a vehicle during an emergency situation, the steps comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying an emergency situation;

(b) placing a voice call or a data call to the vehicle;

(c) determining that the vehicle is connected to an external caller via an in-progress voice call or data call;

(d) initiating a call interrupt function from a call center;

(e) sending a message created using a text-messaging service of a wireless carrier system to the vehicle based on the call interrupt function, wherein the message includes a command that instructs the vehicle to;

(e1) end the in-progress call; and

(e2) place an outbound call from the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the sent message is an SMS message.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein step (a) further comprises the step of detecting the theft of a vehicle using sensor input received from vehicle sensors.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of receiving the outbound call at the call center and connecting the received call to a live advisor.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the live advisor is in communication with a Public Safety Access Point (PSAP).

15. The method of claim 13, wherein step (c) further comprises the step of detecting a busy signal as a result of the placed call.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein step (c) further comprises the step of instructing the vehicle to send a data message to the call center if the vehicle is connected to an external caller.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of constructing the message, wherein the constructed message includes a command to carry out any one or more of the following steps:

terminating present communications to and from the vehicle, initiating a call to the call center from the vehicle, or communicating a message to occupants inside of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the message further comprises a machine-to-machine communication.

19. A method of controlling calls in a vehicle during an emergency situation, the steps comprising:

(a) identifying an emergency situation;

(b) placing a voice call or a data call to the vehicle;

(c) determining that a telematics device of the vehicle is connected to an external caller via an in-progress voice call or data call;

(d) initiating a call interrupt function from a call center;

(e) transmitting a short message service (SMS) message to the vehicle based on the initiated call interrupt function;

(f) disconnecting the voice call or data call based on an instruction included in the SMS message;

(g) preventing the establishment of external voice calls or external data calls to or from the telematics device based on an instruction included in the SMS message; and

(h) placing a voice call or data call to the telematics device from the call center, wherein the voice call or data call includes information based on the identified emergency situation.

20. A method of controlling calls in a vehicle during an emergency situation, the steps comprising:

(a) identifying an emergency situation;

(b) placing a voice call or a data call to the vehicle;

(c) determining that a telematics device of the vehicle is connected to an external caller via an in-progress voice call or data call;

(d) initiating a call interrupt function from a call center;

(e) constructing a short message service (SMS) message, wherein the constructed SMS message includes a command to carry out any one or more of the following steps;

terminating present communications to and from the vehicle, initiating a call to the call center from the vehicle, or communicating a message to occupants inside of the vehicle;

(f) transmitting the SMS message to the vehicle based on the initiated call interrupt function;

(g) disconnecting the voice call or data call based on an instruction included in the SMS message;

(h) preventing the establishment of external voice calls or external data calls to or from the telematics device based on an instruction included in the SMS message; and

(i) placing a voice call or data call to the telematics device from the call center, wherein the voice call or data call includes information based on the identified emergency situation.