Systems and methods for emergency communications amongst groups of devices based on shared data

• US 9,986,404 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2017
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rapidsos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rapidsos, Inc.
• Inventors: Mehta, Anil, Martin, Michael John, Horelik, Nicholas Edward, Ekl, Reinhard
• Primary Examiner(s): ZEWDU, MELESS NMN
• Application Number:
  US15/444,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20170251347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• 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 4/08 User group management
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Described herein are systems, devices, methods, and media for managing emergency communications providing data sharing amongst groups of devices, proxy calling by one communication device on behalf of another, and seamless data extraction from a communication device by first responders.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising at least one processor, a memory, and a network element, the communication device configured to perform at least the following:

a) determining that the communication device belongs to a group of devices, wherein the group of devices comprises member devices that are authorized to share data with each other;

b) obtaining a location associated with a member device in the group of devices and using the location to update a data set associated with the member device, wherein the location is determined by a location based service installed on the member device using at least one source selected from global positioning system (GPS), cellular trilateration, cell-ID, one or more Wi-Fi access points, service set identifier (SSID), media access control (MAC) address, barometric pressure, and one or more Bluetooth beacons;

c) providing an alert to a user of the communication device when the communication device detects one or more of the following;

lack of a status update from the member device in response to a status update request for a threshold number of times within a defined time period, lack of the status update from the member device in response to the status update request within the defined time period, lack of at least a threshold number of periodic pings from the member device within the defined time period, a request for assistance sent by the member device, an alarm indicating that data in the data set associated with the member device is outside a predefined threshold parameter, a request for assistance sent on behalf of the member device by a different member device in the group of devices, that the member device is part of an emergency communication session, sensor data in the data set associated with the member device indicates that a data threshold is exceeded, the location in the data set associated with the member device indicates that the member device is inside a dangerous area or outside a safe area, or a vote by member devices in the group of devices deciding that an emergency situation exists;

d) sending a request for assistance to an emergency management system (EMS) on behalf of the member device or a user of the member device, the request for assistance comprising identifying information for the member device, wherein the emergency management system (EMS) establishes a communication session with the communication device and an emergency dispatch center (EDC) without requiring the member device to join the communication session; and

e) providing the data set comprising the location associated with the member device to the emergency management center (EMS) to be uploaded into an emergency location database, wherein the emergency location database sends the location associated with the member device to the emergency dispatch center (EDC), wherein an emergency response to the member device or the user of the member device does not require the member device to actively communicate with the emergency dispatch center (EDC).

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the emergency dispatch center (EDC) is identified as being responsible for a jurisdiction where the member device is located based on the data set associated with the member device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the data set for the member device comprises current location data, health data, user data, sensor data, or any combination thereof.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the communication device autonomously obtains the data from the member device without requesting the data.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the communication device and one or more member devices in the group of devices share the data with each other directly without routing the data through an intermediary.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the group of devices comprises an ad hoc selection of member devices, in the group of devices, that joins the group automatically when the member devices are linked to a common emergency.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises an interactive display showing a map, wherein the map displays a location of the communication device, location of one or more member devices in the group of devices, or a combination thereof.

8. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the member device is a sensor, a routing device, a smart home, a vehicular system, IoT device, or a wearable device.

9. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the member device is a home sensor and the data set associated with the member device comprises sensor data.

10. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the data set comprises health data of the user of the member device.

11. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media encoded with a computer program including instructions executable by a processor to create a group monitoring application comprising:

a) a group module determining that a communication device belongs to a group of devices, wherein the group of devices comprises member devices that are authorized to share data with each other;

b) a data intake module obtaining a location associated with a member device in the group of devices and using the location to update a data set associated with the member device, wherein the location is determined by a location based service installed on the member device using at least one source selected from global positioning system (GPS), cellular trilateration, cell-ID, one or more Wi-Fi access points, service set identifier (SSID), media access control (MAC) address, barometric pressure, and one or more Bluetooth beacons;

c) an alert module providing an alert to a user of the communication device when the communication device detects one or more of the following;

lack of a status update from the member device in response to a status update request for a threshold number of times within a defined time period, lack of the status update from the member device in response to the status update request within the defined time period, lack of at least a threshold number of periodic pings from the member device within the defined time period, a request for assistance sent by the member device, an alarm indicating that data in the data set associated with the member device is outside a predefined threshold parameter, a request for assistance sent on behalf of the member device by a different member device in the group of devices, that the member device is part of an emergency communication session, sensor data in the data set associated with the member device indicates that a data threshold is exceeded, the location in the data set associated with the member device indicates that the member device is inside a dangerous area or outside a safe area, or a vote by member devices in the group of devices deciding that an emergency situation exists;

d) a communication module sending a request for assistance to an emergency management system (EMS) on behalf of the member device or a user of the member device, the request for assistance comprising identifying information for the member device, wherein the emergency management system (EMS) establishes a communication session with the communication device and an emergency dispatch center (EDC) without requiring the member device to join the communication session; and

e) the communication module providing the data set comprising the location associated with the member device to the emergency management center (EMS) to be uploaded into an emergency location database, wherein the emergency location database sends the location associated with the member device to the emergency dispatch center (EDC), wherein an emergency response to the member device or the user of the member device does not require the member device to actively communicate with the emergency dispatch center (EDC).

12. The media of claim 11, wherein the emergency dispatch center (EDC) is identified as being responsible for a jurisdiction where the member device is located based on the data set associated with the member device.

13. The media of claim 11, wherein the data set for the member device comprises current location data, health data, user data, sensor data, or any combination thereof.

14. The media of claim 11, wherein the communication device autonomously obtains the data from the member device without requesting the data.

15. The media of claim 11, wherein the communication device and one or more member devices in the group of devices share the data with each other directly without routing the data through an intermediary.

16. The media of claim 11, wherein the group of devices comprises an ad hoc selection of member devices, in the group of devices, that joins the group automatically when the member devices are linked to a common emergency.

17. The media of claim 11, wherein the communication device comprises an interactive display showing a map, wherein the map displays a location of the communication device, location of one or more member devices in the group of devices, or a combination thereof.

18. The media of claim 11, wherein the member device is a sensor, a routing device, a smart home, a vehicular system, IoT device, or a wearable device.

19. The media of claim 11, wherein the member device is a home sensor and the data set associated with the member device comprises sensor data.

20. The media of claim 11, wherein the data set comprises health data of the user of the member device.

21. A method for monitoring a group of devices by a communication device, the method comprising:

a) determining, by the communication device, that the communication device belongs to a group of devices, wherein the group of devices comprises member devices that are authorized to share data with each other;

b) obtaining, by the communication device, a location associated with a member device in the group of devices and using the location to update a data set associated with the member device, wherein the location is determined by a location based service installed on the member device using at least one source selected from global positioning system (GPS), cellular trilateration, cell-ID, one or more Wi-Fi access points, service set identifier (SSID), media access control (MAC) address, barometric pressure, and one or more Bluetooth beacons;

c) providing, by the communication device, an alert to a user of the communication device when the communication device detects one or more of the following;

lack of a status update from the member device in response to a status update request for a threshold number of times within a defined time period, lack of the status update from the member device in response to the status update request within the defined time period, lack of at least a threshold number of periodic pings from the member device within the defined time period, a request for assistance sent by the member device, an alarm indicating that data in the data set associated with the member device is outside a predefined threshold parameter, a request for assistance sent on behalf of the member device by a different member device in the group of devices, that the member device is part of an emergency communication session, sensor data in the data set associated with the member device indicates that a data threshold is exceeded, the location in the data set associated with the member device indicates that the member device is inside a dangerous area or outside a safe area, or a vote by member devices in the group of devices deciding that an emergency situation exists;

d) sending, by the communication device, a request for assistance to an emergency management system (EMS) on behalf of the member device or a user of the member device, the request for assistance comprising identifying information for the member device, wherein the emergency management system (EMS) establishes a communication session with the communication device and an emergency dispatch center (EDC) without requiring the member device to join the communication session; and

e) providing, by the communication device, the data set comprising the location data associated with the member device to the emergency management center (EMS) to be uploaded into an emergency location database, wherein the emergency location database sends the location associated with the member device to the emergency dispatch center (EDC), wherein an emergency response to the member device or the user of the member device does not require the member device to actively communicate with the emergency dispatch center (EDC).

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the emergency dispatch center (EDC) is identified as being responsible for a jurisdiction where the member device is located based on the data set associated with the member device.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the data set for the member device comprises current location data, health data, user data, sensor data, or any combination thereof.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the communication device autonomously obtains the data from the member device without requesting the data.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the communication device and one or more member devices in the group of devices share the data with each other directly without routing the data through an intermediary.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the group of devices comprises an ad hoc selection of member devices, in the group of devices, that joins the group automatically when the member devices are linked to a common emergency.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the communication device comprises an interactive display showing a map, wherein the map displays a location of the communication device, location of one or more member devices in the group of devices, or a combination thereof.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the member device is a sensor, a routing device, a smart home, a vehicular system, IoT device, or a wearable device.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the member device is a home sensor and the data set associated with the member device comprises sensor data.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein the data set comprises health data of the user of the member device.