Systems, methods, and media for connecting emergency communications

• US 9,154,562 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2013
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trustees Of Columbia University In The City Of New York (Columbia University)
• Original Assignee: Trustees Of Columbia University In The City Of New York (Columbia University)
• Inventors: Schulzrinne, Henning G., Song, Wonsang, Kim, Jong Yul
• Primary Examiner(s): El-Zoobi, Maria
• Application Number:
  US14/031,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20140023064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5009 Adding a party to an existing conference conducting a computer conference, e.g. admission detection H04L12/1822
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

Systems, methods, and media for connecting emergency communications are provided. For example, the methods can include: receiving an emergency communication at a particular public safety answering point from a caller directed to the particular public safety answering point by a location-to-service system; creating a conference on a conference system in response to the particular public safety answering point accepting the emergency communication; selecting a particular call-taker of a plurality of call-takers; sending the particular call-taker an invitation to accept the emergency communication; in response to receiving an indication that the particular call-taker has accepted the emergency communication, connecting the selected call-taker to the conference; connecting the caller to the conference; determining the location of the caller; querying the location-to-service system to identify at least one particular emergency responder of a plurality of emergency responders; and connecting at least one of the at least one particular emergency responder to the conference.

Claims

1. A method for connecting emergency communications, comprising:

receiving an emergency communication at a particular public safety answering point from a caller directed to the particular public safety answering point by a location-to-service system;

automatically creating a conference on a conference system in response to the particular public safety answering point accepting the emergency communication prior to communications between a particular call-taker and the caller;

connecting the particular call-taker to the conference;

connecting the caller to the conference;

determining the location of the caller;

querying the location-to-service system to identify at least one particular emergency responder of a plurality of emergency responders; and

connecting at least one of the at least one particular emergency responder to the conference.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising inhibiting the caller from terminating the connection of the caller to the conference until the particular call-taker indicates the conference can terminate.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the particular call-taker of a plurality of call-takers based on a language preference of the particular call-taker and a language preference of the caller.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising calling back the caller if the connection of the caller to the conference is terminated.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the conference is at least one of a voice conference, a text conference, and a video conference.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the caller is connected to the conference based on the particular call-taker being connected to the conference.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a map indicating the location of the caller on a screen of the particular call-taker; and

displaying video received from the caller on the screen of the particular call-taker.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording a time of the emergency communication, data identifying the caller, data identifying the particular call-taker, and a time related to the emergency communication in a database.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the caller a message describing an emergency based on the nearness of the location of the caller and a location of a previously known emergency and based on the nearness of a time of the emergency communication and a time associated with the previously known emergency;

receiving a response from the caller; and

connecting the caller to the conference if the response indicates the caller would like to be connected to a call-taker.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for connecting emergency communications, comprising:

receiving an emergency communication at a particular public safety answering point from a caller directed to the particular public safety answering point by a location-to-service system;

automatically creating a conference on a conference system in response to the particular public safety answering point accepting the emergency communication prior to communications between a particular call-taker and the caller;

connecting the particular call-taker to the conference;

connecting the caller to the conference;

determining the location of the caller;

querying the location-to-service system to identify at least one particular emergency responder of a plurality of emergency responders; and

connecting at least one of the at least one particular emergency responder to the conference.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, the method further comprising inhibiting the caller from terminating the connection of the caller to the conference until the particular call taker indicates the conference can terminate.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, the method further comprising selecting the particular call-taker of a plurality of call-takers based on a language preference of the particular call-taker and a language preference of the caller.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, the method further comprising calling back the caller if the connection of the caller to the conference is terminated.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the conference is at least one of a voice conference, a text conference, and a video conference.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the caller is connected to the conference based on the particular call-taker being connected to the conference.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, the method further comprising:

displaying a map indicating the location of the caller on a screen of the particular call-taker; and

displaying video received from the caller on the screen of the particular call-taker.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, the method further comprising:

recording a time of the emergency communication, data identifying the caller, data identifying the particular call-taker, and a time related to the emergency communication in a database.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, the method further comprising:

sending the caller a message describing an emergency based on the nearness of the location of the caller and a location of a previously known emergency and based on the nearness of a time of the emergency communication and a time associated with the previously known emergency;

receiving a response from the caller; and

connecting the caller to the conference if the response indicates the caller would like to be connected to a call-taker.

19. A public safety answering point comprising:

a plurality of call-takers;

a policy server storing information indicating the availability of the plurality of call-takers;

a controller in communication with the policy server for selecting a particular call-taker of the plurality of call-takers based at least in part on the information indicating availability of the plurality of call-takers stored in the policy server; and

a conference system in communication with the plurality of call-takers, the controller, and a plurality of emergency responders;

wherein the controller;

receives an emergency communication from a caller directed to the public safety answering point by a location-to-service system;

automatically creates a conference on the conference system in response to accepting the emergency communication at the public safety answering point prior to communications between a particular call-taker and the caller;

connects the particular call-taker to the conference;

connects the caller to the conference;

determines the location of the caller;

queries the location-to-service system to identify at least one particular emergency responder of a plurality of emergency responders;

connects at least one of the at least one particular emergency responder to the conference.

20. The public safety answering point of claim 19, wherein the controller further inhibits the caller from terminating the connection of the caller to the conference until the particular call-taker indicates the conference can terminate.

21. The public safety answering point of claim 19, wherein the controller further calls back the caller if the connection of the caller to the conference is terminated.

22. The public safety answering point of claim 19, wherein the controller further connects the caller to the conference based on the particular call-taker being connected to the conference.

23. The public safety answering point of claim 19, further comprising a call-record database in communication with the controller and wherein the controller further records a time of the emergency communication, data identifying the caller, data identifying the particular call-taker, and a time related to the emergency communication in the call-record database.

24. The public safety answering point of claim 19, wherein the controller further:

sends the caller a message describing an emergency based on the nearness of the location of the caller and a location of a previously known emergency and based on the nearness of a time of the emergency communication and a time associated with the previously known emergency;

receives a response from the caller; and

connects the caller to the conference if the response indicates the caller would like to be connected to a call-taker.