Apparatus for emergency communications using dual satellite communications systems for redundancy and a means of providing additional information to rescue services to support emergency response

• US 9,178,601 B1
• Filed: 02/21/2013
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ACR Electronics, Inc. (Drew Marine USA, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Christopher Paul Hoffman, Thomas J. Pack, William Cox
• Inventors: Hoffman, Christopher Paul, Cox, William, Pack, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US13/772,799
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 455/7, 455/11.1, 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/15, 455/16, 455/427, 455/428, 455/429, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/422.1, 455/403, 455/3.02, 455/3.01, 455/3.03, 455/3.05, 455/414.1, 455/414.4, 455/445, 455/550.1, 455/575.1, 342/352, 342/357.21, 342/357.22, 342/357.39, 342/357.395, 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/14 Relay systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1851 Systems using a satellite or space-based relay H04B7/18508, H04B7/18521 take precedence; providing specific services H04B7/18523 - H04B7/18576
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18515 Transmission equipment in satellites or space-based relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18552 using a telephonic control signal and a second ranging satellite determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location G01S5/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

Method and apparatus for emergency communications using dual satellite communication systems for redundancy and a means of providing additional information to rescue services support emergency response. The system combines the Cospas-Sarsat emergency system for 406 beacons with a secondary means of distress alerting over a commercial satellite system as well as permitting the government agencies responsible for emergency services to directly interface with the person in distress to know about his/her location and to communicate with him or her to resolve the emergency in the best possible way.

Claims

1. A system for emergency communications, comprising:

a communications device, a Cospas-Sarsat satellite communications system, and a commercial satellite communications system;

said communications device capable of transmitting messages over each of said Cospas-Sarsat and said commercial satellite communications systems;

said Cospas-Sarsat satellite communications system in communication with one or more local user terminals, said one or more local user terminals in communication with a mission control center, and said mission control center in communication with a rescue coordination center;

said commercial satellite communications system in communication with a commercial satellite gateway, said commercial satellite gateway in communication with one or more servers, said servers connected to the Internet;

wherein said Cospas-Sarsat satellite communications system and said commercial satellite communications systems are in bi-directional communication by way of an interface, said interface interconnected between said one or more servers and said rescue coordination center; and

wherein said Cospas-Sarsat satellite communications system can transmit messages to said communications device over said commercial satellite communications system by way of said interface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said commercial satellite communications system comprises the Iridium satellite communications system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said communications device includes a Cospas-Sarsat transmitter and a Satellite Emergency Notification Device (SEND) transmitter.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said communication device further includes a global positioning system receiver.

5. A method for establishing an emergency communications system, comprising:

providing a communications device capable of transmitting messages over a Cospas-Sarsat and a commercial satellite communications system;

providing said Cospas-Sarsat satellite communications system, said Cospas-Sarsat satellite communication system in communication with one or more local user terminals, said one or more local user terminals in communication with a mission control center, and said mission control center in communication with a rescue coordination center;

providing said commercial satellite communications system, said commercial satellite communications system in communication with a commercial satellite gateway, said commercial satellite gateway in communication with one or more servers, said servers connected to the Internet;

establishing, by way of an interface system, a bi-directional communications link between said Cospas-Sarsat communication system and said commercial satellite communications system,

wherein said interface is interconnected between said one or more servers and said rescue coordination center; and

wherein said Cospas-Sarsat satellite communications system can transmit messages to said communications device over said commercial satellite communications system by way of said interface.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said commercial satellite communications system comprises the Iridium satellite communications system.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said emergency communications device includes a Cospas-Sarsat transmitter and a Satellite Emergency Notification Device (SEND) transmitter.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said communication device further includes a global positioning system receiver.