Emergency radio communications system incorporating integral public safety radio bridging capability

• US 8,934,934 B1
• Filed: 10/11/2010
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safecom 911 Inc
• Original Assignee: Safecom 911 Inc
• Inventors: Hobby, Patrick L., Petty, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): STERNBANE, LAURENCE J
• Application Number:
  US12/901,993
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• Field of Search: 370/260, 370/329, 370/401, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/426, 455/507, 455/508, 455/521, 455/516, 455/527, 455/512, 379 37- 51, 379/164
• US Class Current: 455/521
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• 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 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A communication system and method is provided for handling emergency situations wherein complex public safety radio systems can be used to directly communicate with normally incompatible radio systems used by organizations such as schools, hospital, and other facilities. The system includes a radio communication bridge that is selectively activated by emergency personnel to contact selected organizations. The bridge is activated via a TCP/IP command sent from an organization having activation privileges to the selected communication endpoints. Computer software or firmware installed at various communication endpoints, emergency responder locations, and at an emergency call center is used to facilitate functionality of the system to include emergency notifications, dissemination of information associated with a particular emergency, and the status of the system to include activation and deactivation of the radio bridge.

Claims

1. A communication system especially adapted for facilitating emergency communications between communicants having respective radio systems, said system comprising:

a first computer processor located at an emergency call center location or an emergency responder location, said first computer processor including a first user interface and a first input means for inputting data in said first computer processor;

a second computer processor located at a communication endpoint location, said second computer processor including a second user interface and a second input means for inputting data in said second computer processor;

a communication server for managing communications between users located at said locations;

a communications network for interconnecting said communications server and said computer processors, said server and each of said computer processors having respective IP addresses;

a public radio system comprising a plurality of public safety radios, at least one public safety radio being associated with said emergency call center or emergency responder locations;

a local radio system comprising a plurality of local radios, at least one local radio being associated with said communication endpoint;

a radio bridge for facilitating direct radio communications between said public safety radio system and said local radio system, said radio bridge being installed at said communication endpoint and including hardware to enable connection between the radio systems, said bridge further including a processor that communicates with said server to receive activation and deactivation instructions sent from an authorized user, said instructions being sent as IP packets over the communications network; and

computer coded instructions associated with said server and said computer processors to selectively control and monitor the system to include (i) activation and deactivation of said radio bridge as controlled by said first computer and to prevent activation and deactivation control at said communication endpoint, and (ii) to produce visual displays on said user interfaces; and

wherein said visual displays include an activation or status screen showing an Audio Detect feature, said Audio Detect feature being an indication of which communication endpoints are currently transmitting radio communications at that time.

2. A communication system especially adapted for facilitating emergency communications between communicants having respective radio systems, said system comprising:

a first computer processor located at an emergency call center location or an emergency responder location, said first computer processor including a first user interface and a first input means for inputting data in said first computer processor;

a second computer processor located at a communication endpoint location, said second computer processor including a second user interface and a second input means for inputting data in said second computer processor;

a communication server for managing communications between users of said respective computer processors located at said locations;

a communications network for interconnecting said communications server and said computer processors, said server and each of said computer processors having respective IP addresses;

a public radio system comprising a plurality of public safety radios, at least one public safety radio being associated with said emergency call center or emergency responder locations;

a local radio system comprising a plurality of local radios, at least one local radio being associated with said communication endpoint;

a radio bridge for facilitating direct radio communications between said public safety radio system and said local radio system, said radio bridge being installed at said communication endpoint and including hardware to enable connection between the radio systems, said bridge further including a processor that communicates with said server to receive activation and deactivation instructions sent from an authorized user, said instructions being sent as IP packets over the communications network; and

computer coded instructions associated with said server and said computer processors to selectively control and monitor the system to include (i) activation and deactivation of said radio bridge as controlled by said first computer and to prevent activation and deactivation control at said communication endpoint, and (ii) to produce visual displays on said user interfaces; and

wherein said visual displays include an activation or status screen showing a Channel Take Over feature, said Channel Take Over feature indicating whether the authorized user has interrupted the ability of radio transmissions at selected endpoint locations.

3. A method of communicating radio transmissions between communicants having respective radio systems, said method comprising:

providing;

(i) an emergency call center having a first user interface for viewing a status of an emergency communication system;

(ii) at least one communication endpoint having a second user interface for viewing a status of the emergency communication system;

(iii) a communications server for managing communications between users located at said emergency call center and said at least one communication endpoint;

(iv) a communications network for interconnecting the communications server, the emergency call center, and the at least one communication endpoint, the server, the emergency call center, and the at least one communication endpoint each having respective IP addresses;

(v) a public radio system comprising a plurality of public safety radios, at least one public safety radio being associated with said emergency call center or an emergency responder location;

(vi) a local radio system comprising a plurality of local radios, at least one local radio being associated with the communication endpoint;

(vii) a radio bridge for facilitating direct radio communications between the public safety radio system and the local radio system, the radio bridge including hardware to enable bridging between the radio systems, said bridge further including a processor that communicates with said communications server to receive activation and deactivation instructions, said instructions being sent by IP packets over the communications network;

(viii) computer coded instructions associated with said server and a computer processor located at said emergency call center, said computer coded instructions to selectively control and monitor the local radio system to include activation and deactivation of the radio bridge and to produce visual displays on said user interfaces;

providing a Channel Take Over feature associated with the emergency call center;

using the Channel Take Over feature to selectively activate and deactivate the radio bridge to said at least one communication endpoint for a selected period of time,

said Channel Take Over feature including at least one of (i) disconnection of the bridge by said instructions being sent as IP packets or (ii) generation of a dominating radio signal at a selected location(s) for which the Channel Take Over feature is to be activated to temporarily interrupt transmissions generated from those location(s).

4. A method, as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

said Channel Take Over feature further includes activating and deactivating the radio bridge by manipulation of one or more icons on the first or second user interface.

5. A method, as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

said computer coded instructions are configured to prevent activation and deactivation control of said radio bridge at said communication endpoint.

6. A method of communicating radio transmissions between communicants having respective radio systems, said method comprising:

providing;

(i) an emergency call center location having a first user interface for viewing a status of an emergency communication system;

(ii) a communication endpoint location having a second user interface for viewing a status of the emergency communication system;

(iii) a communications server for managing communications between users of the respective user interfaces located at said emergency call center location and said communication endpoint location;

(iv) a communications network for interconnecting the communications server and the locations, the server and each of the locations having respective IP addresses;

(v) a public radio system comprising a plurality of public safety radios, at least one public safety radio being associated with said emergency call center or an emergency responder location;

(vi) a local radio system comprising a plurality of local radios, at least one local radio being associated with the communication endpoint;

(vii) a radio bridge for facilitating direct radio communications between the public safety radio system and the local radio system, the radio bridge including hardware to enable bridging between the radio systems, said bridge further including a processor that communicates with said communications server to receive activation and deactivation instructions, said instructions being sent by IP packets over a communications network;

(viii) computer coded instructions associated with said server and respective computer processors at said emergency responder and communication endpoint locations, said computer software coded instructions to selectively control and monitor the system to include activation and deactivation of the radio bridge and to produce visual displays on said user interfaces; and

generating a visual display including an activation or status screen on the first or second user interfaces showing an Audio Detect feature, said Audio Detect feature being an indication of which communication endpoints are currently transmitting radio communications at that time.