Caller location determination systems and methods

• US 9,402,159 B1
• Filed: 11/12/2015
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Laaser Critical Communications Corp.
• Original Assignee: Laaser Critical Communications Corp.
• Inventors: Self, Michael R., White, Frederick L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Cong
• Application Number:
  US14/939,702
• Time in Patent Office: 257 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041- 2, 4554121- 2, 4554561- 2, 455/567, 379/45
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Computer systems, according to various embodiments, are adapted to assist emergency services providers in determining the location of an individual who is in need of help. In various embodiments, the system may be adapted to determine a current dispatchable location for the individual who is in need of help, update a data structure associated with a public-safety answering point to indicate the individual'"'"'s current location, and then initiate and/or mediate a call between the individual and the emergency services provider. In various embodiments, updating the database may provide more accurate information regarding the individual'"'"'s location than would otherwise be available for the individual.

Claims

1. A computer system for initiating an emergency call to an emergency services provider from an individual who is in need of emergency assistance, and for providing an accurate, dispatchable location for the individual, to the emergency services provider, for use in dispatching emergency assistance to the individual, the computer system comprising at least one processor and memory, wherein the computer system further comprises:

(A) executable software operatively installed on a portable computing device associated with the individual, the executable software displaying a user interface, on a display screen of the portable computing device, that is adapted to receive a request from a user to request initiation of an emergency call; and

(B) a geolocation cache database storing current location data for the individual, the current location data comprising telemetry data from the portable communications device, wherein;

the system is adapted for, in response to receiving the request from the user to request initiation of the emergency call;

analyzing, in real time, the current location data for the individual, from the geolocation cache database, to determine a suitable current dispatchable location for the individual;

in response to determining the suitable current dispatchable location for the individual, updating an ALI database, in real time, to reflect that the individual'"'"'s location is the determined current dispatchable location, the ALI database being an ALI database that a public-safety answering point that will handle an emergency call placed by the individual will access to determine the current location of the individual; and

initiating the emergency call to the particular public-safety answering point.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein:

the executable software receives current location information for the user via the user interface;

the step of analyzing current location data for the individual comprises determining whether to use the received current location information as the current dispatchable location, or to determine a current dispatchable location based on the telematics information; and

in response to determining to use the received current location information as the current dispatchable location, using the determined received current location information as the current dispatchable location.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein:

the geolocation cache database stores information regarding the MAC address of one or more networks that the portable computing device is in communication with;

the step of analyzing current location data for the individual comprises determining whether to ascertain the current dispatchable location based on the MAC address information or a location of the portable computing device that has been determined using triangulation techniques; and

in response to determining to ascertain the current dispatchable location based on the MAC address information, ascertaining the current dispatchable location information based on the MAC address information.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein:

the geolocation cache database stores information regarding the MAC address of one or more networks that the portable computing device is in communication with;

the step of analyzing current location data for the individual comprises determining whether to ascertain the current dispatchable location based on the MAC address information or a location of the individual that has been determined based on one or more social media postings associated with the individual; and

in response to determining to ascertain the current dispatchable location based on the MAC address information, ascertaining the current dispatchable location information based on the MAC address information.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein:

the geolocation cache database stores first location information regarding a location of the portable computing device that has been determined using triangulation techniques and second location information regarding a location of the portable computing device that has been determined using GPS technology;

the step of analyzing current location data for the individual comprises determining whether to ascertain the current dispatchable location based on the first location information or the second location information; and

in response to determining to ascertain the current dispatchable location based on the second location information, ascertaining the current dispatchable location based on the second location information.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein:

the computer system further receives information regarding a probable location of the particular individual when the individual'"'"'s location satisfies one or more predetermined criteria; and

the step of analyzing the current location data for the individual, from the geolocation cache database, to determine a suitable current dispatchable location for the individual comprises;

(a) receiving information regarding an approximate location of the portable computing device;

(b) determining whether the portable computing device'"'"'s approximate location satisfies the one or more predetermined criteria; and

(c) at least partially in response to determining that the portable computing device'"'"'s approximate location satisfies the one or more predetermined criteria, determining the suitable current dispatchable location based on the received probable location of the particular individual.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the step of determining whether the portable computing device'"'"'s approximate location satisfies the one or more predetermined criteria comprises determining whether the portable computing device'"'"'s approximate location is within a predetermined distance of the probable location.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer executable instructions for:

receiving from a particular individual, via a user interface of a portable computing device, a request to place an emergency call; and

at least partially in response to receiving the request to place an emergency call;

determining a current location of the portable computing device;

using the determined current location of the portable computing device to determine a dispatchable location for use in dispatching emergency assistance to the particular individual;

updating a data structure to indicate that the portable computing device is at the determined current location, the data structure being a data structure that a particular public-safety answering point that will be handling the emergency call will access to determine location information for individuals who contact the public-safety answering point to request emergency assistance; and

initiating an emergency call, by the portable computing device, to the public-safety answering point, regarding an emergency involving the particular individual.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the step of determining a current location of the portable computing device comprises:

receiving a first current location for the individual, as determined via triangulation techniques;

receiving a second current location for the individual, the second current location having been input into the mobile computing device by the user as part of the request to make the emergency call; and

determining to use the second current location as the individual'"'"'s current location based on a set of rules that specifies that location information provided by the particular individual will be used over location information determined by triangulation techniques.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the step of determining a current location of the portable computing device comprises:

receiving a first current location for the individual, as determined via triangulation techniques;

receiving a second current location for the individual, the second current location having been determined based on a MAC address associated with a computing device with which the portable computing device is currently in communication; and

determining to use the second current location as the individual'"'"'s current location based on a set of rules that specifies that location information associated with a MAC address will be used over location information determined by triangulation techniques.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein:

the non-transitory computer-readable medium further stores computer-executable instructions for receiving information regarding a probable location of the particular individual when the portable computing device'"'"'s location satisfies one or more criteria; and

the step of determining a current location of the portable computing device comprises;

(a) receiving information regarding an approximate location of the portable computing device;

(b) determining whether the portable computing device'"'"'s approximate location satisfies the one or more criteria; and

(c) at least partially in response to determining that the portable computing device'"'"'s approximate location satisfies the one or more criteria, updating the data structure to indicate that the portable computing device is at the probable location.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the step of determining whether the portable computing device'"'"'s approximate location satisfies the one or more criteria comprises determining whether the portable computing device'"'"'s approximate location is within a predetermined distance of the probable location.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the data structure is an ALI database.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the portable computing device is a smartphone.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the portable computing device is a tablet computer.

16. A computer-implemented method of initiating an emergency call to an emergency services provider from an individual who is in need of emergency assistance, and for providing, to the emergency services provider, an accurate dispatchable location for the individual for use in dispatching emergency assistance to the individual, the method comprising:

using one or more computing devices to continuously monitor a location of the individual'"'"'s portable computing device;

receiving, via the individual'"'"'s portable computing device, a request to place an emergency call; and

in response to receiving the request to place an emergency call;

(A) updating a particular data structure with a current dispatchable location for the individual, as determined by the one or more computing devices that are continuously monitoring the location of the individual'"'"'s portable computing device, the particular data structure being a data structure that a particular public-safety answering point, that will be handling the emergency call, accesses to determine location information for one or more individuals who contact the public-safety answering point to request emergency assistance; and

(B) initiating an emergency call, by the individual'"'"'s portable computing device to the public-safety answering point, regarding an emergency involving the individual.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the step of using one or more computing devices to continuously monitor the location of the individual'"'"'s portable computing device comprises:

storing, in computer memory, first information regarding a first probable location of the individual when a location of the individual'"'"'s portable computing device satisfies a first set of one or more criteria;

storing, in computer memory, second information regarding a second probable location of the individual when a location of the individual'"'"'s portable computing device satisfies a second set of one or more criteria;

receiving information, at a first time, regarding a first current approximate location of the individual'"'"'s portable computing device;

determining that the first current approximate location of the individual'"'"'s portable computing device satisfies the first set of one or more criteria;

at least partially in response to determining that the first current approximate location of the individual'"'"'s portable computing device satisfies the first set of one or more criteria, updating a geolocation cache database to indicate that the individual'"'"'s portable computing device is at the first probable location; and

after the step of updating the geolocation cache database to indicate that the individual'"'"'s portable computing device is at the first probable location and after the individual'"'"'s portable computing device moves from a first location to a second location;

receiving information, at a second time, regarding a second current approximate location of the individual'"'"'s portable computing device;

determining that the second current approximate location of the individual'"'"'s portable computing device satisfies the second set of one or more criteria; and

at least partially in response to determining that the second current approximate location of the individual'"'"'s portable computing device satisfies the second set of one or more criteria, updating the geolocation cache database to indicate that the individual'"'"'s portable computing device is at the second probable location;

wherein;

the step of updating the particular data structure comprises, after updating the geolocation cache database to indicate that the individual'"'"'s portable computing device is at the second probable location and while the individual is at the second location, updating the particular data structure to indicate that the individual'"'"'s portable computing device is at the second location.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the first location is a home of the individual and the second location is a workplace of the individual.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the first location is a workplace of the individual and the second location is a home of the individual.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein:

the step of storing, in computer memory, first information regarding a first probable location of the individual when a location of the individual'"'"'s portable computing device satisfies a first set of one or more criteria comprises;

storing, in computer memory, information indicating that, if an approximate location of the individual'"'"'s portable computing device is within a predetermined distance of a first location, the individual'"'"'s portable computing device is probably at the first location.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, wherein:

the step of storing, in computer memory, second information regarding a second probable location of the individual when a location of the individual'"'"'s portable computing device satisfies a second set of one or more criteria comprises;

storing, in computer memory, information indicating that, if an approximate location of the individual'"'"'s portable computing device is within a predetermined distance of a second location, the individual'"'"'s portable computing device is probably at the second location.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the step of using one or more computing devices to continuously monitor a location of an individual'"'"'s portable computing device comprises continuously using information from a plurality of different sources to determine the location of the individual'"'"'s portable computing device.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, wherein the step of using one or more computing devices to continuously monitor a location of an individual'"'"'s portable computing device comprises continuously:

using information from a plurality of different sources to determine a plurality of potential current locations of the individual'"'"'s portable computing device; and

determining which of the plurality of potential current locations is the individual'"'"'s probable current location.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 23, wherein the step of determining which of the plurality of potential current locations is the individual'"'"'s probable current location comprises:

determining whether the individual'"'"'s portable computing device is currently in a first location or a second location; and

the step of determining whether the individual'"'"'s portable computing device is currently in a first location or a second location comprises;

determining a first number of sources of location information that indicate that the individual'"'"'s portable computing device is at the first location;

determining a second number of sources of location information indicate that the individual'"'"'s portable computing device is at the second location;

in response to the first number of sources being greater than the second number of sources, determining that the individual'"'"'s portable computing device is currently at the first location; and

in response to the second number of sources being greater than the first number of sources, determining that the individual'"'"'s portable computing device is currently at the second location.