In-vehicle system (IVS) control of emergency data communications

• US 8,971,839 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2013
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karma Automotive LLC (Wanxiang Group Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Airbiquity Incorporated
• Inventors: Hong, Leon
• Primary Examiner(s): CAI, WAYNE HUU
• Application Number:
  US13/786,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20130183925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/450, 455/451, 4554521-4522, 455/464, 455/509, 379/45
• 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 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• 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 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

An in-vehicle system (IVS) captures data such as location data and in an emergency automatically places a call to an emergency call taker or PSAP via a wireless telecommunications network. After a voice call session is established, the IVS system transmits a predetermined control signal through the voice channel. The control signal directs the call taker system to prepare to receive data. Preferably, the control signal comprises at least one audio frequency tone. This may be done without human intervention. In this way, emergency information is transmitted accurately and with minimum delay. After transmission of essential information, the IVS system may switch on audio connections for live human voice conversation.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle system for emergency communications, the in-vehicle system comprising:

a digital processor;

an emergency event detector arranged to communicate with the digital processor;

a GPS receiver arranged to provide location information to the digital processor;

a memory coupled to the digital processor for storing program code and/or data;

a wireless telecommunications module arranged for interacting with a wireless telecommunications network as a mobile terminal unit and operatively coupled to the digital processor;

an in-band modem coupled to the digital processor or executable as software on the digital processor and operatively coupled to the wireless telecommunications module for transmitting data in the voice channel during a wireless voice session; and

application software for controlling the in-vehicle system, the application software configured to;

transmit a predetermined control signal in the voice channel responsive to establishment of the wireless voice session using the in-band modem, the predetermined control signal comprising a start data session indication that is configured to signal a call taker server to prepare to receive data transmitted in- band during the voice call session;

after transmitting the predetermined control signal, determine whether the call taker service is ready to receive data on the voice channel; and

responsive to determining that the call taker service is ready to receive data on the voice channel, transmit the stored program code and/or data in the wireless voice call session using the in-band modem.

2. The in-vehicle system according of claim 1, wherein the application software is configured to make a selection among available wireless carriers based on predetermined criteria for making a wireless call in response to detection of an emergency event.

3. The in-vehicle system according of claim 1, wherein the wireless telecommunications module is configured to register with a wireless carrier only after the digital processor signals an emergency event.

4. The in-vehicle system according of claim 1, wherein the application software is further configured to, after transmitting the stored program code and/or data, transmit another control signal to indicate completion of sending the stored program code and/or data.

5. The in-vehicle system according of claim 1, wherein the application software is further configured to, after transmitting the stored program code and/or data, enable live human voice communications over the established voice call session.

6. The in-vehicle system according of claim 1, wherein the application software is further configured to, select an audio frequency tone for the predetermined control signal responsive to which wireless telecommunication network is being used.

7. The in-vehicle system according of claim 6, wherein the application software is further configured to, change the selection of the audio frequency tone for the predetermined control signal to a different frequency and resend the predetermined control signal using the different frequency if the acknowledge signal is not received within a predetermined time.

8. The in-vehicle system according of claim 6, wherein the stored program code and/or data includes a current location of the GPS receiver.

9. The in-vehicle system according of claim 1, wherein the transmitted program code and/or data includes at least a predetermined minimum set of data (MSD).

10. The in-vehicle system according of claim 1, wherein the transmitted program code and/or data includes an identifier of a type of emergency that was detected.

11. An in-vehicle system for emergency communications, the in-vehicle system comprising:

a digital processor;

an emergency event detector arranged to communicate with the digital processor;

a GPS receiver arranged to provide location information to the digital processor;

a memory coupled to the digital processor for storing program code and/or data;

a wireless telecommunications module arranged for interacting with a wireless telecommunications network as a mobile terminal unit and operatively coupled to the digital processor;

an in-band modem coupled to the digital processor or executable as software on the digital processor and operatively coupled to the wireless telecommunications module for transmitting data during a wireless voice session comprising a plurality of channels including a first signaling channel and a second channel that is different than the first signaling channel;

wherein the in-band modem is further operatively coupled to the wireless telecommunications module for transmitting data in the second channel during the wireless voice session; and

application software for controlling the in-vehicle system, the application software configured to;

transmit a predetermined control signal in the second channel responsive to establishment of the wireless voice session using the in-band modem, the predetermined control signal comprising a start data session indication that is configured to signal a call taker server to prepare to receive data transmitted in-band during the voice call session; and

after transmitting the predetermined control signal, transmit the stored program code and/or data in the wireless voice call session using the in-band modem.

12. The in-vehicle system according of claim 11, wherein the application software is further configured to, after transmitting the stored program code and/or data, transmit another control signal to indicate completion of sending the stored program code and/or data.

13. The in-vehicle system according of claim 11, wherein the application software is further configured to, after transmitting the stored program code and/or data, enable live human voice communications over the established voice call session.

14. The in-vehicle system according of claim 11, wherein the application software is further configured to, select an audio frequency tone for the predetermined control signal responsive to which wireless telecommunication network is being used.

15. The in-vehicle system according of claim 14, wherein the application software is further configured to, change the selection of the audio frequency tone for the predetermined control signal to a different frequency and resend the predetermined control signal using the different frequency if the acknowledge signal is not received within a predetermined time.

16. The in-vehicle system according of claim 14, wherein the stored program code and/or data includes a current location of the GPS receiver.

17. The in-vehicle system according of claim 11, wherein the transmitted program code and/or data includes at least a predetermined minimum set of data (MSD).

18. The in-vehicle system according of claim 11, wherein the application software is further configured to:

after transmitting the predetermined control signal, determine whether the call taker service is ready to receive data on the second channel; and

transmit the stored program code and/or data in the wireless voice call session using the in-band modem in response to determining that the call taker service is ready to receive data on the second channel.

19. The in-vehicle system according to claim 11, wherein the second channel comprises a voice channel.