System and method for generating and communicating updated emergency messages

• US 8,761,720 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2008
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ray, Amar Nath, Greene, Lynn T., Coppage, Carl M., Morrill, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasraian, Allahyar
• Application Number:
  US12/257,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20100003958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,069 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/466, 455/456.1, 455/404.1
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0296 switching to a backup power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system and method for updating a public safety answering point (PSAP) with a current location of a user may include communicating a first emergency message including a set of geographic coordinates to a PSAP in response to a user request to send an emergency message from a wireless communications device. The emergency may be a text message. The set of geographic coordinates of the wireless communications device may be updated, and a second emergency message including the updated set of geographic coordinates of the wireless communications device may be communicated to the PSAP. By updating the geographic coordinates, an operator at the PSAP may provide emergency personnel with changes in location of the user.

Claims

1. A method for updating a public safety answering point (PSAP) with a current location of a user, said method comprising:

pre-establishing an emergency message that at least in part includes information entered by the user;

selecting an emergency message template from a plurality of emergency templates in response to a user'"'"'s selection of emergency type using an emergency text message menu, wherein the plurality of emergency templates define a plurality of structures of text messages that are used to report different types of emergencies;

generating a first emergency message in the selected emergency message template that includes the pre-established emergency message, the first emergency message including a plurality of data fields populated with user data and a pair of data fields automatically populated with a set of geographic coordinates;

communicating the first emergency message including the set of geographic coordinates to the PSAP in response to a user request to send an emergency message from a wireless communications device;

updating the set of geographic coordinates of the wireless communications device; and

communicating a second emergency message including the updated set of geographic coordinates of the wireless communications device to the PSAP in response to determining that the location of the wireless communications device has moved by at least a predetermined distance in any direction; and

informing a network provider that an emergency situation is underway, causing the network provider to forward network assisted GPS data to the PSAP.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein communicating the first and second emergency messages includes communicating text messages.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising automatically initiating the second emergency message without user interaction.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

repeatedly updating the set of geographic coordinates of the wireless communications device; and

communicating at least one third emergency message to the PSAP with the repeatedly updated geographic coordinates.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising stopping updating and communicating in response to the user canceling the request to send an emergency message.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein communicating the set of geographic coordinates includes communicating global positioning system (GPS) coordinates.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second emergency messages are related to the same incident, and wherein communicating the first and second emergency messages includes communicating emergency messages having different formats.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising illuminating an illumination device located behind an emergency message hard button to provide a visual indicator after communicating each emergency message to notify the user that the emergency messages have been communicated.

9. A wireless communications device, comprising:

a memory;

a user interface;

an input/output (I/O) unit;

an electronic display; and

a processing unit in communication with said memory, user interface, I/O unit, and electronic display, said processing unit configured to;

pre-establish an emergency message that at least in part includes information entered by the user;

select an emergency message template from a plurality of emergency templates in response to a user'"'"'s selection of emergency type using an emergency text message menu, wherein the plurality of emergency templates define a plurality of structures of text messages that are used to report different types of emergencies;

generate a first emergency message in the selected emergency message template that includes the pre-established emergency message and a set of geographic coordinates, the first emergency message including a plurality of data fields populated with user data and a pair of data fields automatically populated with the set of geographic coordinates;

communicate the first emergency message via said I/O unit to a public safety answering point (PSAP) in response to receiving an emergency message request;

update the set of geographic coordinates of the wireless communications device;

communicate a second emergency message including the updated set of geographic coordinates of the wireless communications device to the PSAP in response to determining that the location of the wireless communications device has moved by at least a predetermined distance in any direction; and

inform a network provider that an emergency situation is underway, causing the network provider to forward network assisted GPS data to the PSAP.

10. The wireless communications device according to claim 9, wherein the first and second emergency messages are text messages.

11. The wireless communications device according to claim 9, wherein said processing unit is configured to initiate the second emergency message without user interaction.

12. The wireless communications device according to claim 9, wherein said processing unit is further configured to:

repeatedly update the set of geographic coordinates of the wireless communications device; and

communicate at least one third emergency messages with the repeatedly updated geographic coordinates to the PSAP.

13. The wireless communications device according to claim 9, wherein said processing unit is further configured to stop updating and communicating in response to the user canceling the request to send emergency messages.

14. The wireless communications device according to claim 9, wherein the geographic coordinates are global positioning system (GPS) coordinates.

15. The wireless communications device according to claim 9, wherein the first and second emergency messages have different formats.

16. The wireless communications device according to claim 9, further comprising an illumination device located behind an emergency hard button, and wherein said processing unit is further configured to illuminate said illumination device after communicating each emergency message to notify the user that the emergency messages have been sent.

17. The wireless communications device according to claim 9, wherein said memory stores at least one pre-established emergency message, and wherein said processing unit is further configured to select a pre-established emergency message to form the first emergency message.