Emergency communications mobile application

• US 8,538,374 B1
• Filed: 12/07/2011
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MyFlare Safety Services, LLC
• Original Assignee: Myflare For Android LLC
• Inventors: Haimo, Barry E., Kahn, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US13/313,799
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/466, 455/404.2, 455/410, 455/414.2, 701/301, 701/45, 701/117, 340/539.11, 600/300, 379/45, 370/259, 375/240.01, 375/E7.026
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/181 due to failing power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2094 Proximity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• 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 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

An automated system, method or computer program product for providing emergency communications can include an emergency communications application and a MyFlare emergency communications server. The MyFlare emergency communications application can run on a mobile device and can be configured to, when activated, interface with the MyFlare emergency communications server to send preconfigured emergency messages to a preconfigured set of emergency contacts. Different emergency profiles can be preconfigured for which different emergency messages can be sent. Additionally, a different set of emergency contacts can be assigned for different emergency profiles. The emergency communications application can be configured to capture additional information, such as but not limited to GPS location of the device, photo, video, or sound recording, in preconfigured time intervals. The updated information can be sent to the one or more preconfigured emergency contacts as part of the initial emergency message or a subsequent emergency notification update.

Claims

1. A method in a mobile device comprising:

receiving at a mobile device an activation triggering input for an emergency communications application, wherein the emergency communication application runs on the mobile device and facilitates information exchanges between an emergency communications server and the mobile device;

determining an emergency mode associated with the received activation message, wherein an emergency mode outlines user preferences specific to the emergency mode for the emergency communications application;

determining one or more emergency contacts to whom one or more emergency messages are to be sent, wherein the one or more emergency messages are also determined, wherein the one or more emergency messages differ for different emergency mode profiles of the emergency communication server or for different emergency contacts of the mobile device, wherein the one or more emergency messages are preconfigured by the emergency communications application user;

capturing one or more additional information items to be attached to the one or more emergency messages;

automatically launching emergency communications associated with the determined emergency mode, wherein launching emergency communications comprises sending the one or more emergency messages to the one or more emergency contacts;

determining whether or not the emergency communications application has been terminated;

responsively capturing one or more updated additional information items to be sent with one or more update emergency messages; and

continuing to send the one or more update emergency messages until the emergency communications application has been terminated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more emergency contacts comprises authority emergency contacts and non-authority emergency contacts, wherein authority contacts are publically provided emergency services, and wherein non-authority emergency contacts are family members, friends, or acquaintances.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more emergency contacts are be reached by instant message (IM), email, text, or voice.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more additional information items include a still image, a video recording or an audio recording.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

redirecting an authority contact emergency message to local authority contacts based on captured GPS location; and

activating local surveillance system, wherein a local surveillance system directs its components to monitor the GPS location of the emergency situation.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a configuration wizard interface upon initial activation of the emergency communications application, wherein the configuration wizard interface consists of emergency contact configuration GUIs, emergency message configuration GUIs, additional information item configuration GUIs, or preference configuration GUIs.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a 911 call from the mobile device, which is the activation message for the emergency communications application, which results in the sending of the one or more emergency messages to the one or more emergency contacts, which includes at least one contact not associated with the 911 call.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a 911 call from the mobile device, which is the activation message for the emergency communications application, which results in the sending of the one or more emergency messages to the one or more emergency contacts, which includes at least one contact associated with the 911 call, and which automatically provides data concerning the 911 call, which need not be input and/or spoken by the caller making the 911 call.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

pressing a button on the mobile device a characteristic number of times or for a characteristic duration, which is the activation message for the emergency communications application, wherein the button of the mobile device is associated with a default function unrelated to the emergency communications application, wherein a standard pressing of the button causes the mobile device to activate the default function that is unrelated to the emergency communications application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein activation of the emergency mode automatically results in the mobile device running the emergency communications application dialing 911 emergency services, which occurs in addition to the sending of the one or more emergency messages to the one or more emergency contacts.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the environmental input is conveyed within at least one of the emergency messages.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the environmental input triggering the activation message comprises an audio input for at least one of breaking glass, a scream, a sound of a vehicle having an accident, an emergency vehicle siren, and a user configured sound defined for triggering the activation message.

11. A method 1, further comprising:

a sensor of the mobile device upon which the emergency communications application runs receiving environmental input, said environmental input comprising ambient noise, an image or video received from a camera, or a set of GPS coordinates;

automatically determining from the environmental input, an existence of a probability of an emergency that is greater than a previously defined threshold for an emergency; and

responsive to the determining, automatically providing the activation message for the emergency communications application.

14. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising:

computer usable program code configured to receive at a mobile device an activation triggering input for an emergency communications application, wherein the emergency communication application runs on the mobile device and facilitates information exchanges between an emergency communications server and the mobile device;

computer usable program code configured to determine an emergency mode associated with the received activation message, wherein an emergency mode outlines user preferences specific to the emergency mode for the emergency communications application;

computer usable program code configured to determine one or more emergency contacts to whom one or more emergency messages are to be sent, wherein the one or more emergency messages differ for different emergency mode profiles of the emergency communication server or for different emergency contacts of the mobile device running the emergency communications application, wherein the one or more emergency messages are preconfigured by the emergency communications application user;

computer usable program code configured to capture one or more additional information items to be attached to the one or more emergency messages;

computer usable program code configured to automatically launch emergency communications associated with the determined emergency mode, wherein launching emergency communications comprises sending the one or more emergency messages to the one or more emergency contacts;

computer usable program code configured to determine whether or not the emergency communications application has been terminated;

computer usable program code configured to responsively capture one or more updated additional information items to be sent with one or more update emergency messages; and

computer usable program code configured to continue sending the one or more update emergency messages until the emergency communications application has been terminated.

15. A mobile device comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more transceivers for transmitting and receiving wireless data;

one or more sensors for detecting events;

one or more storage devices storing program instructions, wherein executing the program instructions by the one or more processes causes the computing device to;

receive at the mobile device an activation triggering input for an emergency communications application, wherein the emergency communication application runs on the mobile device and facilitates information exchanges between an emergency communications server and the mobile device;

determine an emergency mode associated with the received activation message, wherein an emergency mode outlines user preferences specific to the emergency mode for the emergency communications application;

determine one or more emergency contacts to whom one or more emergency messages are to be sent, wherein the one or more emergency messages differ for different emergency mode profiles of the emergency communication server or for different emergency contacts of the mobile device running the emergency communications application, wherein the one or more emergency messages are preconfigured by the emergency communications application user;

capture one or more additional information items to be attached to the one or more emergency messages;

automatically launch emergency communications associated with the determined emergency mode, wherein launching emergency communications comprises sending the one or more emergency messages to the one or more emergency contacts;

determine whether or not the emergency communications application has been terminated;

responsively capture one or more updated additional information items to be sent with one or more update emergency messages; and

continue sending the one or more update emergency messages until the emergency communications application has been terminated.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the emergency communication server maintains emergency profiles, wherein emergency profiles include one or more user information, one or more user specific emergency mode information, one or more emergency mode specific emergency contacts and one or more emergency contact specific emergency messages, wherein the emergency communications application running on the mobile device can trigger capturing of one or more additional information items, wherein the one or more additional information items is a GPS location, a video recording, an audio recording, or a still image, and wherein the one or more additional information items are attached to the one or more emergency messages sent to the one or more emergency contacts.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more emergency messages are previously configured ones which are dependent upon a deterministic condition, wherein the emergency communication server ascertains the deterministic condition given input from a device upon which the emergency communication executes, wherein said input is from a sensor of the mobile device comprising a camera and a GPS device, wherein the messages sent by the server situationally vary based on the input from the sensor.