Notifying mobile-device users of emergency vehicles

• US 8,483,651 B1
• Filed: 01/22/2009
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Zamora, Pedro A., Mauer, Brian D., Lynch, John David, Cummings, Larry D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Obayanju, Omoniyi
• Application Number:
  US12/357,998
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2
• 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 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing proximate-and-active-emergency-vehicle notifications to mobile-device users are provided. The emergency vehicle may become active, and its location and status may be received by a network element. A mobile-device user'"'"'s location may also be received by a network element. It may be determined based on analyzing the location of the emergency vehicle and the location of the mobile-device user to provide the mobile-device user with a proximate-and-active-emergency-vehicle notification.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, enable a given device to perform a method of providing an emergency-vehicle notification to a mobile-device user, the method comprising:

receiving emergency-vehicle location data at a server that indicates a location of an emergency vehicle, the server being remote from the emergency vehicle;

receiving mobile-device location data at the server that indicates a location of a mobile device, the server being remote also from the mobile device;

determining at the server that the emergency vehicle is active;

determining whether to provide the emergency-vehicle notification to the mobile device based on analyzing the mobile-device location data and the emergency-vehicle location data at the server,

wherein the mobile-device location data includes the location of the mobile device and a determination of one or more future locations of the mobile device, where such determination includes;

first-location data, second-location data, a mobile device destination and a rate of movement of the mobile device,

wherein the emergency-vehicle location data includes the location of the emergency-vehicle and the one or more future locations of the emergency vehicle, where such determination includes;

emergency-vehicle location, emergency-event location, and an anticipated future location of the emergency-vehicle;

based on determining to provide the emergency-vehicle notification to the mobile device, providing the emergency-vehicle notification to the mobile device; and

providing the anticipated future location of the emergency vehicle to the mobile-device user through the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is separate from the emergency vehicle and located outside of the emergency vehicle.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein the mobile-device location data includes one or more of:

GPS data;

gyroscopic data;

BTS data; and

available wireless networks data.

3. The media of claim 1, wherein the mobile-device user is hearing impaired.

4. The media of claim 1, wherein the emergency-vehicle notification comprises one or more of:

vibration;

notification from a device connected to a receiver adapted to communicate via Bluetooth;

text message; and

video.

5. The media of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the mobile-device user is moving;

determining the direction of the mobile-device user; and

determining an anticipated future location of the mobile-device.

6. The media of claim 1, further comprising receiving a destination of the emergency vehicle.

7. The media of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a direction of the emergency vehicle; and

providing the direction of the emergency vehicle to the mobile device.

8. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, enable a given device to perform a method of providing an emergency-vehicle notification to a mobile-device user, the method comprising:

automatically determining at a server that an emergency vehicle is active, the server being remote from the emergency vehicle;

receiving emergency-vehicle location data at the server that is associated with the emergency vehicle;

receiving, at the server, mobile-device location data that is associated with a mobile device which is associated with a user profile of a user, the server being remote also from the mobile device and having the user profile stored thereon;

automatically determining that the user desires to receive the emergency-vehicle notification based on analyzing the user profile;

automatically determining, at the server, to provide the emergency-vehicle notification to the user based on comparing the mobile-device location data with the emergency-vehicle location data, and based on the determination that the user desires to receive an emergency-vehicle notification,

wherein the mobile-device location data comprises the location of the mobile device and a determination of one or more future locations of the mobile device, where such determination includes;

first-location data, second-location data, mobile device destination and rate of movement of the mobile device,

wherein the emergency-vehicle location data comprises the location of the emergency-vehicle and a determination of one or more future locations of the emergency vehicle, where such determination includes;

emergency-vehicle location and an emergency-event location; and

based on automatically determining, at the server, to provide the emergency-vehicle notification to the user, providing the emergency-vehicle notification to the user, wherein the emergency-vehicle notification comprises a text message, wherein the text message includes a route of the emergency-vehicle.

9. The media of claim 8, wherein the user profile comprises one or more of:

information that the user wishes to receive emergency-vehicle notifications; and

information that the user is hearing impaired.

10. The media of claim 9, wherein the user profile is stored on one or more of:

an LBS;

a mobile device; and

an application server.

11. The media of claim 8, further comprising automatically determining the direction of the emergency vehicle.

12. The media of claim 11, further comprising providing the direction of the emergency vehicle to the user.

13. The media of claim 11, further comprising:

automatically determining an anticipated future location of the emergency vehicle; and

providing the anticipated future location of the emergency vehicle to the user.

14. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, enable a given device to perform a method of providing an emergency-vehicle notification to a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving emergency-vehicle location data that indicates the location of an emergency vehicle at a server, the server being remote from the emergency vehicle;

receiving, at the server, mobile-device location data that indicates the location of a mobile device, the server being remote also from the mobile device and having stored profile-data for a user;

automatically determining at the server that the emergency vehicle is active;

automatically determining, at the server, to provide the emergency-vehicle notification to the mobile device based on analyzing the mobile-device location data, the emergency vehicle location data, an element of the profile-data indicating that the user desires to receive a notification,

wherein the mobile-device location data comprises the location of the mobile device and a determination of one or more future locations of the mobile device, where such determination includes;

first-location data, second-location data, mobile device destination and rate of movement of the mobile device;

wherein the emergency-vehicle location data comprises the location of the emergency-vehicle and a determination of one or more future locations of the emergency vehicle, where such determination includes;

emergency-vehicle location, emergency-event location, and anticipated future location of the emergency vehicle;

wherein profile-data indicates that the user desires to receive emergency-vehicle notification when an emergency-vehicle is within a certain proximity of at least one of the following;

the mobile-device location, one or more determined future locations of the mobile device;

based on automatically determining, at the server, to provide an emergency-vehicle notification to the mobile device, providing the emergency-vehicle notification to the mobile device; and

providing the anticipated future location of the emergency vehicle to the mobile-device user through the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is separate from the emergency vehicle and located outside of the emergency vehicle.

15. The media of claim 14, wherein the user is hearing impaired.

16. The media of claim 15, wherein data indicating that the user is hearing impaired is stored on the mobile device.

17. The media of claim 15, wherein data indicating that the user is hearing impaired is stored on a server connected to a network.

18. The media of claim 14, wherein the stored profile-data is stored on the mobile device.