Emergency calling device for a vehicle

• US 8,331,338 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2008
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Stählin, Ulrich, Menzel, Marc, Gee, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Anh-Vu
• Application Number:
  US12/674,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20100284382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,567 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element

Abstract

A network-based emergency call device for a vehicle. A first connection between the vehicle and a server is firmly prescribed as a permanent IP connection. This connection is used to send an emergency call, together with the necessary emergency call data to the server. The latter forwards the emergency to all the registered assistance units via further connections directly and without human action. The assistance unit providing assistance is selected automatically by taking the emergency call by an assistance unit. The subsequent setup of a communication link between the assistance unit taking the call and the vehicle involves the use of the already existing IP connection between the vehicle and the server for the communication link which is to be set up. The data to be transmitted and the data rate can also be customized to the current situation of the vehicle and to the surroundings of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An emergency call device for a vehicle for a network-based transmission of an emergency call to assistance units, said emergency call device comprising:

a network interface for setting up a permanent IP connection to a server;

a transmission unit for transmitting emergency call data to the server via the connection;

wherein the network interface is also configured to set up a communication link to an assistance unit via the server in an event of said emergency call being taken by said assistance unit; and

wherein the communication link uses the IP connection between the emergency call device and the server,

wherein a first section of the communication link existing between the emergency call device and the server is a Voice-over-IP connection,

wherein transmission of the emergency call to the assistance units does not require a public safety answering point.

2. The emergency call device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the communication link comprises the first section and a second section;

wherein the second section exists between the server and the assistance unit taking the emergency call.

3. The emergency call device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the assistance unit taking the emergency call is selected by a direct, independent taking of the emergency call by the assistance unit.

4. The emergency call device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the emergency call data are selected from the group consisting of a current and historical position of the vehicle, a nature of an accident, a seriousness of an accident, a time of an accident, a number of occupants, individual information from the occupants, biometric information, information relating to a technical fault, error diagnosis information, and measured values from sensors in the vehicle.

5. The emergency call device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein a nature of the emergency call data and parameters of the transmission of the emergency call data are customized to supplementary information;

and

wherein the supplementary information corresponds to external surroundings of the vehicle.

6. The emergency call device as claimed in claim 5,

wherein the nature of the emergency call data is selected from the group consisting of data format, content of the data, and nature of a conditioning of the data;

and

wherein the parameters of the transmission are selected from the group consisting of data rate, frequency of update for the data, and bandwidth of the connection which has been set up.

7. An emergency call system for vehicles for the network-based transmission of an emergency call, said emergency call system having:

an emergency call device as claimed in claim 1;

a server;

wherein the server is configured to forward the emergency call to all of the assistance units registered on the server.

8. A method for network-based transmission of an emergency call from an emergency call device in a vehicle to assistance units, said method comprising the following steps:

establishing a first permanent IP connection between the vehicle and a server;

sending emergency call data by an emergency call device to a server via the first connection;

distributing emergency call data to the assistance units by the server via a second connection, wherein distribution of the emergency call data to the assistance units does not require a public safety answering point;

establishing a communication link between the vehicle and an assistance unit, taking the emergency call, via the server, wherein the communication link uses the permanent IP connection; and

establishing a Voice-over-IP connection at least in a first section of the communication link that exists between the emergency call device and the server.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the communication link comprises the first section and a second section, wherein the second section exists between the server and the assistance unit taking the emergency call.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8 further comprising the step of:

customizing a nature of the emergency call data and parameters of the transmission of the emergency call data to supplementary information, wherein the supplementary information corresponds to external surroundings of the vehicle.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8 further comprising the step of:

providing information about the assistance units for the server in the form of an emergency call database by a certification point; and

approving voluntary assistance units for entry into the database by a certification point.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodied with a computer program element which, when executed on a processor, instructs the processor to perform the following steps:

setup of a first permanent IP connection between a vehicle and a server;

sending of emergency call data by an emergency call device to a server via a first connection;

distribution of the emergency call data to assistance units by the server via a second connection;

setup of a communication link between the vehicle and an assistance unit, taking the emergency call, via the server; and

establish a Voice-over-IP connection at least in a first section of the communication link that exists between the emergency call device and the server,

wherein the communication link uses the IP connection,

wherein transmission of the emergency call to the assistance unit does not require a public safety answering point.