System and method for emergency communications

• US 9,460,611 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2012
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Emerson, David E., Lafreniere, Gary W., Goergen, Michael S., Lando, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US13/567,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20120317599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,520 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/008 with transmission via TV or radio broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6193 involving transmission via a satellite arrangements for data linking, networking or transporting, or for controlling an end to end session in a satellite broadcast system H04B7/18526

Abstract

A system and method for sending emergency communications. An indicator of an emergency is received through a set-top box. A location associated with the emergency is determined. A message indicating the emergency and the location associated with the emergency is sent from the set-top box.

Claims

1. A method for sending emergency communications, comprising:

receiving an indicator of an emergency through a set-top box from a user, the indicator from the user indicating that the user or other individual is experiencing the emergency;

in response to receiving the indicator of the emergency from the user through the set-top box, streaming real-time video content from an emergency service provider to the user through the set-top box of the user in real-time, wherein the real-time video content provides information to assist the user or other individual who is experiencing the emergency;

determining a location associated with the emergency;

sending a message indicating the emergency and the location associated with the emergency from the set-top box; and

receiving a second indicator of an emergency from one or more sensors.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a set-top box.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the set-top box is a network device configured for emergency communications.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the indicator is received utilizing an emergency menu displayed to a user.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the emergency menu provides instructions for generating the indicator, and wherein the emergency menu provides information for interactively addressing the emergency.

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

communicating real-time information between the user of the set-top box and the emergency service provider in real-time.

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

routing the message to the emergency service provider associated with the location.

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

determining user information associated with the set-top box; and

including the user information in the message.

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

determining the location of the set-top box at pre-defined time periods utilizing global positioning information.

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

storing a most recently determined location of the user in a database; and

determining the emergency service provider associated with the most recently determined location utilizing a second database.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are integrated within the set-top box and include a smoke sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, and a water sensor for automatically generating the indicator.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location includes a timestamp indicating a last time the location was determined.

13. A network device for communicating media content to a display, comprising:

a processor configured to execute a set of instructions; and

a memory configured to store the set of instructions, wherein the instructions are executed to;

receive an indicator of an emergency through a network device from a user, the indicator from the user indicating that the user or other individual is experiencing the emergency;

in response to receiving the indicator of the emergency from the user through the network device, stream real-time video content from an emergency service provider to the user or other individual who is experiencing the emergency through the network device of the user in real-time, wherein the real-time video content provides information to assist the user or other individual who is experiencing the emergency;

determine a location associated with the emergency;

send a message indicating the emergency and the location associated with the emergency from the network device, wherein the network device is configured to format media content for display to one or more displays; and

receive a second indicator of an emergency from one or more sensors of a plurality of sensors.

14. The network device according to claim 13, wherein the location includes a timestamp indicating a last time the location was determined.

15. The network device according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of sensors are integrated with the set-top box for automatically determining there is an emergency, and wherein the plurality of sensors include at least a smoke sensor, a gas sensor, and a water sensor.

16. The network device according to claim 13, wherein the network device communicates with a first database and a second database, wherein the first database stores a most recently determined location of the user;

and wherein the second database determines the emergency service provider associated with the most recently determined location.

17. The network device according to claim 13, wherein the network device determines the location at pre-defined intervals.

18. A network device for generating emergency communications comprising:

a user interface operable to receive user input, wherein the network device is configured to format media content for display to one or more displays;

location logic operable to determine a location of the network device;

emergency logic in communication with the location logic, the emergency logic being operable to determine there is an emergency based on user input from a user and generate a message indicating the location and the emergency, the user input from the user indicating that the user or other individual is experiencing the emergency, wherein the emergency logic is further operable to receive a signal from one or more sensors integrated with the network device indicating an emergency; and

a transceiver in communication with the emergency logic, the transceiver being operable to send the message to an emergency service provider associated with the location,

in response to receiving user input from the user indicating that the user or other individual is experiencing the emergency, the transceiver is operable to receive real-time video content from the emergency service provider to assist the user or other individual who is experiencing the emergency, wherein the network device is configured to format the real-time video content for display on the one or more displays.

19. The network device according to claim 18, wherein the location logic determines the location of the network device at pre-defined time periods.

20. The network device according to claim 18, wherein the message includes user information associated with the network device, and wherein the message is routed to the emergency service provider associated with the location in response to accessing a database to determine the emergency service provider utilizing the location.