Emergency services based on location information statistics

• US 8,750,822 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2007
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Daniel, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEAN, JR, JOSEPH E
• Application Number:
  US11/747,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20070279218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,588 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041- 2, 4554141- 2, 455/461, 4554561- 6, 379/33, 379 38- 51, 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• 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 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer

Abstract

A system and a method for tracking users in a closed environment even in the case the available system for locating a user is an idle state is based on the use of a system which comprises a database for storing the location of the users measured at regular time interval within that closed environment. Such a system comprises further a processor for estimating the possible location of a registered user at any time according to the different stored measured location. Such estimation can be advantageously a statistical analysis corresponding to some daily geographical footprint of the registered user. The system comprises also a decision unit to provide the possible location of the registered user estimated for a specific time when required in the case the location measurement system is in an idle state. In that case, the estimated possible location can be forwarded to some PSAP.

Claims

1. A system for tracking users in a closed environment, the system comprising:

a location measurement system operative to locate registered users within the closed environment;

a database storing locations of the users within the closed environment measured at different times versus the time the measurement is performed; and

a processor operative to estimate a possible location of a registered user at any time according to the measured locations stored in the database for a specific time using a statistical analysis corresponding to a daily geographical footprint of the registered user;

wherein the location measurement system includes an indoor location information server operatively coupled with the wireless network infrastructure, and wherein the indoor location information server receives an activated call for emergency service, determines that the location measurement system is in an idle state, and pushes an indication to a nearest IP PSAP indicating that an emergency call has been launched and that the location measurement system is in an idle state.

2. The system for tracking users according to claim 1, wherein the indoor location information server is operative to determine a hit geographical area affected by an emergency situation, and to push the indication to the nearest IP PSAP indicating the hit geographical area affected by the emergency situation.

3. The system for tracking users according to claim 2, wherein the processor analyzes stored locations and the corresponding times the measurements were performed for a given registered user to build at least one statistic giving a daily geographical footprint for the given registered user, the daily geographical footprint for the given registered user including at least one location within the closed environment and a corresponding value indicating a probability corresponding to the specific time at that location for the given registered user.

4. The system for tracking users according to claim 1, wherein the processor analyzes stored locations and the corresponding times the measurements were performed for a given registered user to build at least one statistic giving a daily geographical footprint for the given registered user, the daily geographical footprint for the given registered user including at least one location within the closed environment and a corresponding value indicating a probability corresponding to the specific time at that location for the given registered user.

5. A system for tracking users in a closed environment, the system comprising:

a database for registering the different possible users within the closed environment;

a location measurement system for locating the users within the closed environment;

a database for storing the location of the users measured at regular time intervals within the closed environment, wherein the database stores locations of the users within the closed environment versus the time the measurement is performed;

a processor operative to estimate a possible location of a registered user at any time according to the stored measured locations in the database for a specific time using a statistical analysis corresponding to a daily geographical footprint of the registered user, wherein the processor analyzes stored locations and the corresponding times the measurements were performed for a given registered user to build at least one statistic giving a daily geographical footprint for the given registered user, the daily geographical footprint for the given registered user including at least one location within the closed environment and a corresponding value indicating a probability corresponding to the specific time at that location for the given registered user; and

a decision unit to provide the possible location of the registered user estimated for a specific time when required in the case the location measurement system is in an idle state;

wherein the location measurement system includes an indoor location information server operatively coupled with the wireless network infrastructure, and wherein the indoor location information server receives an activated call for emergency service, determines that the location measurement system is in an idle state, and pushes an indication to a nearest IP PSAP indicating that an emergency call has been launched and that the location measurement system is in an idle state.

6. The system for tracking users according to claim 5, wherein the indoor location information server is operative to determine a hit geographical area affected by an emergency situation, and to push the indication to the nearest IP PSAP indicating the hit geographical area affected by the emergency situation.

7. The system for tracking users according to claim 5, wherein the location measurement system comprises a wireless network infrastructure spread over the closed environment, and wherein the database for storing the location of the users is part of an indoor location information server operatively coupled with the wireless network infrastructure.

8. The system for tracking users according to claim 5, wherein in an emergency situation the estimated possible location is forwarded to some Public Safety Answering Point.

9. A method for tracking users in a closed environment comprising:

registering different possible users within the closed environment;

measuring at regular time intervals the location of the users within the closed environment using some location measurement system;

storing the different location measurements of the users with respect to the time of the performed measurement;

estimating the possible location of the registered users at any time within the closed environment according to the stored measured locations for a specific time using a statistical analysis corresponding to a daily geographical footprint of the registered user by analyzing stored locations and the corresponding times the measurements were performed for a given registered user to build at least one statistic giving a daily geographical footprint for the given registered user, the daily geographical footprint for the given registered user including at least one location within the closed environment and a corresponding value indicating a probability corresponding to the specific time at that location for the given registered user;

providing the possible location of the registered user for a specific time when required in the case the used location measurement system is in an idle state;

receiving an activated call for emergency service;

determining that the location measurement system is in an idle state; and

pushing an indication to a nearest IP PSAP indicating that an emergency call has been launched and that the location measurement system is in an idle state.

10. The method according to claim 9, comprising:

determining a hit geographical area affected by an emergency situation;

pushing the indication to the nearest IP PSAP indicating the hit geographical area affected by the emergency situation.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:

codes to be executed on a terminal for tracking users in a closed environment, wherein some codes when executed estimates the possible location of registered users at any time within the closed environment using a database with stored location measurements of the users performed at regular time intervals within the closed environment using a statistical analysis corresponding to a daily geographical footprint of the registered user, the resulting estimation being forwarded to some application requiring the location of the user, wherein some codes when executed estimate the possible location of the registered users at any time within the closed environment using the measured locations stored in the database for a specific time by analyzing stored locations and corresponding times the measurements were performed for a given registered user to build at least one statistic giving a daily geographical footprint for the given registered user, the daily geographical footprint for the given registered user including at least one location within the closed environment and a corresponding value indicating a probability corresponding to the specific time at that location for the given registered user;

further comprising codes when executed to;

receive an activated call for emergency service;

determine that the location measurement system is in an idle state; and

push an indication to a nearest IP PSAP indicating that an emergency call has been launched and that the location measurement system is in an idle state.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising codes when executed to:

determine a hit geographical area affected by an emergency situation;

push the indication to the nearest IP PSAP indicating the hit geographical area affected by the emergency situation.