System and method utilizing integral wireless protocols of a mobile phone as an emergency beacon to aid first responders in locating people

• US 9,374,673 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2011
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gamba Group Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Gamba Group Ltd
• Inventors: Mendelson, Ehud
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Nghi H
• Application Number:
  US13/135,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20120064855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,813 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/404.1, 455/414.1, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/574, 455/41.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/02 Indoor
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0226 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/20 Destination assistance within a business structure or complex
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings

Abstract

A system and method that employs features of a user'"'"'s cellular phone to emit an emergency beacon to aid first responders search and rescue units or emergency personal in locating a person experiencing an emergency condition. The system includes a process for identifying a location of the user'"'"'s cellular phone independent of functionality of a Global Positioning System (GPS) by determining the location of the user'"'"'s cellular phone by using locating beacon signals emitted from locating beacons deployed in a vicinity of the person. The user'"'"'s cellular phone can be adapted to emit an emergency beacon signal. The emergency beacon signal can include emergency information in a naming portion thereof when the emergency beacon signal is transmitted using Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi protocols. The emergency information can include location information.

Claims

1. A method providing a user'"'"'s cellular phone application software to assist a user during an emergency or disaster situation, wherein said application software increases a probability of being located and getting help from search and rescue or emergency personal, the method comprising steps of:

determining an emergency condition, where a user and said user'"'"'s cellular phone are located within a region wherein cellular communication is at least one of void and inoperable and said user desires to emit a signal to be located;

initiating emergency alert application software on said user'"'"'s cellular phone, wherein said application software encodes emergency identification information into at least one of (a) a naming portion of an encoded Bluetooth emergency signal in accordance with a Bluetooth protocol and (b) a naming portion of an encoded Wi-Fi emergency signal in accordance with a Wi-Fi protocol;

initiating a beacon operating mode of said user'"'"'s cellular phone to preserve battery power, wherein said beacon mode emits and broadcasts a signal with said encoded emergency identification, wherein said emergency broadcasting beacon signal is at least one of a repeating unidirectional Bluetooth beacon signal and a repeating unidirectional Wi-Fi beacon signal;

scanning an area using a scanning device designed to scan an emergency or disaster area to directly detect and locate said repeating emergency broadcasting beacon signal emitted from said user'"'"'s cellular phone;

detecting and decoding repeating emergency broadcasting beacon signal emitted from said cellular phone user identification to identify said user'"'"'s cellular phone and associated emergency information; and

locating said user'"'"'s cellular phone by determining an area where said scanning device system emergency beacon signal has detected and located said repeating emergency broadcasting beacon signal emitted from said user'"'"'s cellular phone and providing said detected and decoded cellular phone user identification and detected location of said user'"'"'s said repeating emergency broadcasting beacon signal to search and rescue or emergency personal,

wherein said naming portion of said emergency signal is received and decoded independent of pairing between said user'"'"'s cellular phone transmitting said emergency signal and said scanning device.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of encoding emergency information into said at least one of user'"'"'s cellular phone Bluetooth identifier and Wi-Fi identifier to be broadcasted in said beacon mode, wherein said encoding emergency information comprises at least one of blood type, medical information, and critical emergency information to be decoded by said scanning device in emergency or disaster situation.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of preserving battery power in emergency situation by placing said user'"'"'s cellular phone into a beacon mode, wherein all possible communication protocols toggle between being deactivated for a deactive period of time and being active for an active period of time resulting in reduced power consumption.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of encoding additional emergency information into said naming portion of at least one of said user'"'"'s cellular phone Bluetooth identifier and Wi-Fi identifier, wherein said additional emergency information is as a profile to be used in said emergency situation.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of using said user'"'"'s cellular phone as an emergency beacon, said user'"'"'s cellular phone in said beacon mode emits a broadcast signal as a burst over a predetermined period of time to be scanned, and located by said scanner device system.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of emitting at least one of:

a sound and a high frequency sound through a loud speaker of said cellular phone, wherein said at least one of said sound and said high frequency sound is generated by said emergency application software.

7. The method in claim 1, further comprising a step of broadcasting a high frequency sound wave, wherein said high frequency sound is broadcast to trigger attention by dogs and said scanning device system, thus providing long range detection and locating of said user'"'"'s cellular phone.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of scanning for a signal being broadcast from said user'"'"'s cellular phone, wherein said signal includes at least one of said Bluetooth signal and said Wi-Fi signal, an audible sound, and a high frequency sound generated by said beacon mode.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of determining a current position of a user by scanning a signal broadcast from said user'"'"'s cellular phone, wherein the position is determined using a method of triangulation.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of performing said step of locating said user'"'"'s cellular phone indoor or outdoor is accomplished without aid of any of the following:

cellular communication and a global positioning satellite system.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of establishing a user profile, wherein said user profile is associated with a user operating said user'"'"'s cellular phone, wherein said user profile can be used to find said user in emergency or non-emergency events.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of detecting and locating said user'"'"'s cellular phone, when said user is in distress or asking for help, wherein said method can be used in any area when and where global positioning satellite system cannot be provided or is not accurate or precise enough to help locate people in an emergency situation.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of providing and storing emergency information in a memory device associated with said user'"'"'s cellular phone, wherein said emergency information is displayed on said user'"'"'s cellular phone when said emergency alert application software is activated.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising a step of providing to and storing within said user'"'"'s cellular phone, an emergency procedure,

wherein said emergency procedure includes at least one of an area map and a facility/building floor plan for emergency use.

15. The scanning device system according to claim 1, further comprising a step of utilizing a scanner to directly detect a Bluetooth signal and a Wi-Fi signal, and sound emitted from said user'"'"'s cellular phone, wherein said scanner is used by at least one of search and rescue and emergency personal.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising a step of detecting and locating a high frequency sound emitted and broadcast by said user'"'"'s cellular phone, wherein said high frequency sound is utilized to attract rescue dogs.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising a step of identifying a location of said user'"'"'s cellular phone using a global positioning satellite system and embedding said user'"'"'s cellular phone location within information being emitted with said emergency signal.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising a step of decoding a detected, encoded emergency signal emitting from said user'"'"'s cellular phone using said scanner device system, and

decoding said detected, encoded emergency signal emitting from said user'"'"'s cellular phone;

identifying at least one of said user and said user'"'"'s emergency medical information based upon information encoded within said emergency signal emitting from said user'"'"'s cellular phone; and

in a condition where said encoded user'"'"'s emergency signal includes emergency medical information, said emergency medical information is used to provide guidance for proactive treatment during a rescue operation.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein said emitted beacon signal includes at least one of:

said Bluetooth signal, and

said Wi-Fi signal.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein said emitted beacon signal includes at least one of:

emergency alert information in a Bluetooth identifier packet of said Bluetooth signal, and

emergency alert information in a Wi-Fi identifier packet of said Wi-Fi signal.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein naming portion of said at least one of said encoded Bluetooth emergency signal in accordance with a Bluetooth protocol and (b) said encoded Wi-Fi emergency signal in accordance with a Wi-Fi protocol is adapted to be dynamically changed.

22. The method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of:

determining a location of said cellular phone by receiving a location signal from at least one location referencing beacon deployed in a vicinity of said user, wherein the location of each of the at least one location referencing beacon is known, wherein said at least one location referencing beacon emits said beacon signal; and

transmitting information to identify said determined location of said user'"'"'s cellular phone as determined by said location referencing beacon signal transmitted from at least one location referencing beacon.

23. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of:

emitting an emergency broadcasting signal with said encoded emergency identification, wherein said encoded emergency information includes said determined location of said user'"'"'s cellular phone, wherein said emergency broadcasting signal is at least one of (a) a Bluetooth signal;

(b) a Wi-Fi signal from said user'"'"'s cellular phone; and

(c) a cellular transmission.

24. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of:

emitting an emergency broadcasting signal with said encoded emergency identification, wherein said encoded emergency information includes said determined location of said user'"'"'s cellular phone, wherein said emergency broadcasting signal is at least one of (a) a repeating unidirectional Bluetooth signal; and

(b) a repeating unidirectional Wi-Fi signal from said user'"'"'s cellular phone.

25. The method according to claim 1 further comprising steps of:

initiating an E-911 call; and

communicating the determined location of said user'"'"'s cellular phone using the E-911 communication system.

26. The method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of:

assisting in locating said user by obtaining said location of said user'"'"'s cellular phone from said transmission.

27. The method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of:

assisting in locating said user by obtaining said location of said user'"'"'s cellular phone from said transmission,

wherein the method includes an interaction with an E-911 system.

28. The method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of:

utilizing said location of said user'"'"'s cellular phone as determined from said at least one location referencing beacon signal as a component of a device locating procedure employed by an E-911 location determining system.

29. The method according to claim 23, further comprising steps of:

emitting an emergency broadcasting signal with said encoded emergency identification, wherein said encoded emergency information includes said determined location of said user'"'"'s cellular phone, wherein said emergency broadcasting signal is at least one of (a) a repeating unidirectional Bluetooth signal and (b) a repeating unidirectional Wi-Fi signal from said user'"'"'s cellular phone;

scanning an area using a scanning device adapted to directly detect and locate said repeating emergency broadcasting signal emitted from said user'"'"'s cellular phone;

detecting and decoding repeating emergency broadcasting signal emitted from said cellular phone user identification to identify said user'"'"'s cellular phone and associated emergency information; and

locating said user'"'"'s cellular phone by determining an area where said scanning device detected and located said repeating emergency broadcasting signal emitted from said user'"'"'s cellular phone and providing said detected and decoded cellular phone user identification and detected location of said user'"'"'s said repeating emergency broadcasting signal to at least one of search and rescue and emergency personal.

30. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of:

utilizing at least one of signal strength and triangulation to increase an accuracy of said location of said cellular phone.

31. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of:

including said location of said cellular phone in said unidirectional identifier portion of said repeating emergency broadcasting beacon signal.

32. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of:

displaying a circle on a display of the cellular phone, wherein the circle identifies a physical area in a proximity of the cellular phone, wherein said location of said cellular phone is indicated within said circle.

33. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of:

displaying an a circle as an overlay a local map that shows detected devices around said area on a display of at least one of said mobile device and said scanning device.

34. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of:

initiating an emergency navigation application, wherein the emergency navigation application directs the user to a desired location using location information obtained from said at least one location referencing beacon deployed in a vicinity of said user.

35. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of:

initiating an emergency navigation application, wherein the emergency navigation application provides navigation to the user to an exit, wherein the navigation uses location information obtained from said at least one location referencing beacon deployed in a vicinity of said user.

36. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of:

providing an emergency procedure to said user.

37. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of:

utilizing said location signal from said at least one location referencing beacon to assist said global positioning system in determining said location of said user'"'"'s cellular phone.