Method and device for synchronization of speech and data concerning location information for location-related services

• US 9,185,535 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2006
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deutsche Telekom AG
• Original Assignee: Deutsche Telekom AG
• Inventors: Ebersberger, Georg
• Primary Examiner(s): Mishler, Robin
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOO, KUO-KONG
• Application Number:
  US11/918,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20090215425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,526 Days
• Field of Search: 370493-495, 455/40, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/464, 455/456.1, 455/502, 455/426, 342/357.37
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/16 Security signalling or alarm systems, e.g. redundant systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/045 using recorded signals, e.g. speech
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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 method, system, and device are provided for transmitting emergency calls by means of a mobile device via a speech channel and a data channel. The data channel serves to transmit location information. The location information may be transmitted in encoded form. The information also may be transmitted via the speech channel. The information may then be compared for consistency in the service center.

Claims

1. A method for processing emergency calls from a mobile device, comprising:

receiving, at a service center, an emergency call from the mobile device via a speech channel and a data channel, wherein the emergency call includes reception of location information via the data channel from the mobile device and reception of location information in encoded form via the speech channel from the mobile device;

comparing, by a computing device at the service center, the location information received via the speech channel with the location information received via the data channel; and

synchronizing, by the computing device at the service center, a speech portion of the emergency call with a data portion of the emergency call based on a result of the comparison of the location information received via the speech channel with the location information received via the data channel indicating a match;

wherein the location information received via the speech channel and the location information received via the data channel correspond to a location of the mobile device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location information received via the speech channel is in the form of dual tone multi frequency (DTMF) tones.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location information is received at the start of the emergency call.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location information received via the speech channel is determined by a base station where the mobile terminal device is registered.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location information received via the speech channel and the location information received via the data channel are determined by a satellite signal-based receiver in active connection with the mobile device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein comparing the location information received via the speech channel with the location information received via the data channel is based on a comparison of geographical coordinates.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the location information received via the speech channel and the location information received via the data channel were received at the service center within a predetermined interval.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the location information received via the speech channel and the location information received via the data channel do not deviate from each other outside of a predetermined tolerance.

9. A device for making emergency calls, comprising:

a first interface for connecting to a speech channel;

a second interface for connecting to a data channel;

a processor, configured to cause one or more transmitters to transmit an emergency call via the speech channel and the data channel, wherein the emergency call includes transmission of location information via the data channel through the second interface and transmission of location information in encoded form via the speech channel through the first interface;

wherein the location information transmitted via the speech channel and the location information transmitted via the data channel correspond to a location of a mobile device and enable synchronization of a speech portion of the emergency call with a data portion of the emergency call by a computing device of a service center based on a result of a comparison of the location information transmitted via the speech channel with the location information transmitted via the data channel indicating a match.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to cause the location information transmitted via the speech channel to be transmitted in the form of dual tone multi frequency (DTMF) tones.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to cause the location information to be transmitted at the start of an emergency call.

12. The device according to claim 9, wherein the device is a base station at which the mobile device is registered.

13. The device according to claim 9, wherein the device is the mobile device and the mobile device further comprises:

a location determination device for determining the location of the mobile device.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the location determination device is a satellite signal-based receiver.

15. A device, corresponding to a service center, for receiving and processing emergency calls from a mobile device, comprising:

a first interface for connecting to a speech channel;

a second interface for connecting to a data channel;

a processor, configured to cause one or more receivers to receive location information transmitted via the speech channel by the mobile device through the first interface and to receive location information transmitted via the data channel by the mobile device through the second interface, the processor being further configured to evaluate the location information transmitted via the speech channel and the location information transmitted via the data channel;

wherein the location information transmitted via the speech channel and the location information transmitted via the data channel correspond to a location of the mobile device; and

wherein the location information transmitted via the speech channel and the location information transmitted via the data channel are part of an emergency call and the processor is further configured to synchronize a speech portion of the emergency call with a data portion of the emergency call based on the evaluation of the location information transmitted via the speech channel and the location information transmitted via the data channel indicating a match.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein evaluation of the location information transmitted via the speech channel and the location information transmitted via the data channel comprises comparing the location information transmitted via the speech channel with the location information transmitted via the data channel.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the comparison is made on the basis of a comparison of geographical coordinates.

18. The device according to claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the location information transmitted via the speech channel and the location information transmitted via the data channel was received at the device within a predetermined time interval.

19. The device according to claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the location information transmitted via the speech channel and the location information transmitted via the data channel do not deviate from each other outside of a predetermined tolerance.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, corresponding to a service center, having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for processing emergency calls from a mobile device, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by a processor, causing the following steps to be performed:

receiving an emergency call from the mobile device via a speech channel and a data channel, wherein the emergency call includes reception of location information via the data channel from the mobile device and reception of location information in encoded form via the speech channel from the mobile device;

comparing the location information received via the speech channel with the location information received via the data channel; and

synchronizing a speech portion of the emergency call with a data portion of the emergency call based on a result of the comparison of the location information received via the speech channel with the location information received via the data channel indicating a match;

wherein the location information received via the speech channel and the location information received via the data channel correspond to a location of the mobile device.