In-vehicle system (IVS) control of emergency data communications

• US 8,417,211 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2010
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karma Automotive LLC (Wanxiang Group Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Airbiquity Incorporated
• Inventors: Hong, Leon
• Primary Examiner(s): CAI, WAYNE HUU
• Application Number:
  US12/716,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20100227584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/450, 455/451, 4554521-4522, 455/464, 455/509, 379/45
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• 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 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

An in-vehicle system (IVS) captures data such as location data and in an emergency automatically places a call to an emergency call taker or PSAP via a wireless telecommunications network. After a voice call session is established, the IVS system transmits a predetermined control signal through the voice channel. The control signal directs the call taker system to prepare to receive data. Preferably, the control signal comprises at least one audio frequency tone. This may be done without human intervention. In this way, emergency information is transmitted accurately and with minimum delay. After transmission of essential information, the IVS system may switch on audio connections for live human voice conversation.

Claims

1. A communications method utilizing a mobile device and a remote call taker server, the method comprising:

using the mobile device, detecting an available wireless telecommunication network;

using the mobile device, registering with the detected carrier;

using the mobile device, detecting an emergency event;

using the mobile device, capturing and storing data descriptive of the emergency event;

using the mobile device, initiating a wireless voice call session on the wireless telecommunication network to a selected call taker service;

after the voice call session is established, automatically transmitting a predetermined control signal in the voice channel using the mobile device, wherein the control signal comprises at least one audio frequency tone selected within the range of human voice to avoid corruption by voice coding elements of the wireless telecommunication network;

using the call taker server, listening for a start data session signal in the voice channel;

in response to recognizing the start data session signal, sending, using the call taker server, an acknowledge signal indicating that the service is ready to receive data on the voice channel;

using the mobile device, receiving the acknowledge signal; and

responsive to the acknowledge signal, transmitting, using the mobile device, the stored data in the voice channel session by using an in-band signaling modem technique to avoid corruption by voice coding elements of the digital wireless telecommunication network.

2. A method according to claim 1 and further comprising, after transmitting the stored data, transmitting a second control signal to indicate completion of sending the stored data.

3. A method according to claim 1 and further comprising, after transmitting the stored data, enabling live human voice communications over the established voice call session.

4. A method according to claim 1 and further comprising, selecting at least one of the audio frequency tones for the control signal responsive to which wireless telecommunication network is being used.

5. A method according to claim 4 and further comprising, changing the selection of the audio frequency tone for the control signal to a different frequency and resending the control signal using the different frequency if the acknowledge signal is not received within a predetermined time.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the mobile device comprises an in-vehicle system (IVS).

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the stored data includes a current location of the mobile device.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the transmitted data includes at least a predetermined minimum set of data (MSD).

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the stored data includes an identifier of a type of emergency that was detected.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the call taker service is automatically selected in response to the type of emergency detected.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein said registering step is deferred until an emergency call is needed (to reduce network congestion).

12. A memory device having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

using a mobile device, detecting an available wireless telecommunication network;

using the mobile device, registering with the detected carrier;

using the mobile device, detecting an emergency event;

using the mobile device, capturing and storing data descriptive of the emergency event;

using the mobile device, initiating a wireless voice call session on the wireless telecommunication network to a selected call taker service;

after the wireless voice call session is established, automatically transmitting a predetermined control signal in the voice channel using the mobile device, wherein the predetermined control signal comprises at least one audio frequency tone selected within the range of human voice to avoid corruption by voice coding elements of the wireless telecommunication network;

wherein the predetermined control signal comprises a start data session indication;

after the automatic transmitting, using the mobile device, determining whether the selected call taker service is ready to receive data on the voice channel; and

responsive to determining that the selected call taker service is ready to receive data on the voice channel, transmitting, using the mobile device, the stored data in the wireless voice call session by using an in-band signaling modem technique to avoid corruption by voice coding elements of the digital wireless telecommunication network.

13. The memory device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise, after transmitting the stored data, transmitting a second control signal to indicate completion of sending the stored data.

14. The memory device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise, after transmitting the stored data, enabling live human voice communications over the established wireless voice call session.

15. The memory device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise, selecting at least one of the audio frequency tones for the predetermined control signal responsive to which wireless telecommunication network is being used.

16. The memory device of claim 12, wherein the mobile device comprises an in-vehicle system (IVS).

17. The memory device of claim 12, wherein the stored data includes a current location of the mobile device.

18. The memory device of claim 12, wherein the transmitted data includes at least a predetermined minimum set of data (MSD).

19. The memory device of claim 12, wherein the stored data includes an identifier of a type of emergency that was detected.

20. The memory device of claim 19, wherein the call taker service is automatically selected in response to the type of emergency detected.

21. The memory device of claim 12, wherein determining whether the selected call taker service is ready to receive data on the voice channel further comprises receiving an acknowledge signal indicating that the selected call taker service is ready to receive data on the voice channel within a predetermined amount of time after the automatic transmitting.

22. The memory device of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise changing the selection of the audio frequency tone for the predetermined control signal to a different frequency and resending the predetermined control signal using the different frequency if the acknowledge signal is not received within the predetermined time after the automatic transmitting.