System and method for emergency reporting

• US 9,154,636 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2008
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Seymour, Shafer
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaheed, Khalid
• Assistant Examiner(s): DONADO, FRANK E
• Application Number:
  US12/338,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20100159868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,483 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/564
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/004 Alarm propagated along alternative communication path or using alternative communication medium according to a hierarchy of available ways to communicate, e.g. if Wi-Fi not available use GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• 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

Abstract

A determination is made as to whether a first channel is communicatively coupled to a communication network. The first communication channel is configured to preferentially transmit emergency messages to the communication network. When the first communication channel is not communicatively coupled to the communication network, a second communication channel and at least one configuration parameter to configure the second communication channel are determined. The second communication channel is configured with the determined at least one parameter. An emergency message is transmitted over the configured second communication channel.

Claims

1. A method of sending a message from a vehicle to an emergency call center, the method comprising:

determining that a vehicle air bag has deployed;

when the vehicle air bag deployed, determining whether a first channel is communicatively coupled to a cellular communication network, the first communication channel configured to preferentially transmit emergency messages to the cellular communication network;

when the first communication channel is not communicatively coupled to the cellular communication network, attempting to transmit an emergency message from the vehicle to the emergency call center over at least one of a plurality of available secondary non-cellular communications channels used for communicating over a first of a plurality of different types of communication protocols over which transmission of the emergency message is attempted when the first channel is not coupled to the cellular network, the transmission of the emergency message from the vehicle via a secondary communication channel comprising;

receiving from an ordered list stored within the vehicle, at least one configuration parameter and an associated non-cellular modulation scheme to be used on a non-cellular frequency for a first secondary communications channel of said plurality of the different types of secondary non-cellular communication channels, the first secondary communication channel used for communicating over a first of the plurality of different types of communication protocols;

configuring the first secondary non-cellular communication channel on the ordered list using the at least one configuration parameter and the associated non-cellular modulation scheme to be used on a non-cellular frequency received for the first secondary communications channel;

attempting to transmit the emergency message from the vehicle to the emergency call center over the configured first secondary non-cellular communication channel, wherein, if the emergency message cannot be transmitted over the first secondary non-cellular communication channel to the emergency call center, receiving from the ordered list, at least one configuration parameter and an associated non-cellular modulation scheme to be used on a non-cellular frequency for a second secondary communications channel of said plurality of the different types of secondary non-cellular communication channels, the second secondary communication channel used for communicating over a second of the plurality of different types of communication protocols;

configuring the second secondary non-cellular communication channel on the ordered list using the at least one configuration parameter and the associated non-cellular modulation scheme to be used on a non-cellular frequency received for the second secondary communications channel;

attempting to transmit the emergency message from the vehicle to the emergency call center over the configured second secondary non-cellular communication channel;

and, if the emergency message cannot be transmitted over the second secondary non-cellular communication channel to the emergency call center, repeating the steps above of receiving, configuring and attempting to transmit the emergency message for the other secondary non-cellular communication channels until the emergency message is transmitted to the emergency call center.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first communications channel is capable of being coupled to a first cellular communication network and wherein the second communications channel is capable of being coupled to a second cellular communication network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a first secondary communications channel comprises selecting an identity of a channel based upon a pre-determined choice.

4. An apparatus for transmitting emergency messages from a vehicle to an emergency call center, the apparatus comprising:

an interface for receiving an indication of whether a primary cellular communication channel is available with an emergency response system;

a transmitter configured to preferentially send emergency messages on the primary cellular communication channel to a cellular communication network and to send messages via a plurality of secondary non-cellular communication channels;

a controller coupled to the transmitter and coupled to a vehicle'"'"'s safety system, the controller being configured to;

determine when an air bag of the vehicle'"'"'s safety system has been deployed;

when the air bag has been deployed, determine when the primary communication channel is not available with the emergency response system;

when the primary channel is not available with the emergency response system, determine a first of a plurality of available secondary non-cellular communications channels used for communicating over a first of a plurality of different types of communication protocols over which transmission of the emergency message from the vehicle to the emergency call center is attempted;

receive at least one configuration parameter and an associated non-cellular modulation scheme to be used on a non-cellular frequency for the first, secondary non-cellular communication channel of said plurality of the different types of secondary non-cellular communication channels, the first secondary communication channel used for communicating over a first of the plurality of different types of communication protocols, from an ordered list stored at the vehicle;

the controller being additionally configured to cause an attempt of a transmission of the emergency message from the vehicle to the emergency call center over the configured first, secondary non-cellular communication channel, configured using the at least one configuration parameter and the associated non-cellular modulation scheme to be used on a non-cellular frequency and obtained from the ordered list;

responsive to failure of the transmission of the emergency message over the first secondary non-cellular communications channel to the emergency call center,

receive from the ordered list, at least one configuration parameter and an associated non-cellular modulation scheme to be used on a non-cellular frequency for a second secondary communications channel of said plurality of the different types of secondary non-cellular communication channels, the second secondary communication channel used for communicating over a second of the plurality of different types of communication protocols;

configure the second secondary non-cellular communication channel on the ordered list using the at least one configuration parameter and the associated non-cellular modulation scheme to be used on a non-cellular frequency received for the second secondary communications channel;

attempt to transmit the emergency message from the vehicle to the emergency call center over the configured second secondary non-cellular communication channel; and

, if the emergency message cannot be transmitted over the second secondary non-cellular communication channel to the emergency call center, repeat the steps above of receiving, configuring and attempting to transmit the emergency message for the other secondary non-cellular communication channels until the emergency message is transmitted to the emergency call center.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a database, the database coupled to the controller, the database including an identity of each of the secondary non-cellular communication channels.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the at least one parameter is selected from a group comprising a data encoding, a data rate, and a signal strength.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the secondary non-cellular communication channel is selected from a group comprising;

a non-cellular radio communication channel, a television communication channel, a wired communication channel, a satellite communication channel, or a non-cellular radio beacon communication channel.