Devices and methods for efficient emergency calling

• US 10,136,294 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2017
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rapidsos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rapidsos, Inc.
• Inventors: Mehta, Anil, Martin, Michael John, Horelik, Nicholas Edward, Bozik, Matthew, Kolodziej, Kris
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Michael T
• Application Number:
  US15/588,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20170245130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/236 including keys on side or rear faces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72424 with manual activation of emergency-service functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• 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 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/68 with means for recording information, e.g. telephone number during a conversation recording of telephone conversations H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Disclosed are devices, systems, methods, and media for efficient emergency calling using digital devices. In some embodiments, a user is able to make an emergency call by a one-touch or dual-touch process. An authentication process may reduce inadvertent and unauthorized emergency calling. Persistent emergency buttons are also disclosed that may be used for calling emergency in different states of the device.

Claims

1. A method of sending an emergency alert in response to voice commands, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, by a digital processing device, a first voice command indicative of an emergency;

(b) initiating, by the digital processing device, a delay timer in response to the first voice command, said delay timer allowing user cancellation of the emergency alert before expiration of the delay timer;

(c) receiving, by the digital processing device, confirmation of the emergency, wherein the confirmation is one of;

a second voice command received before expiration of the delay timer, selection of a confirmation button from an interface of the digital processing device before expiration of the delay timer, or expiration of the delay timer

(d) establishing, by the digital processing device, a communication link with an emergency management system in response to receiving the confirmation of the emergency;

(e) sending, by the digital processing device, the emergency alert comprising a request for emergency assistance over the communication link to the emergency management system;

(f) establishing, by the digital processing device, an emergency call with an emergency dispatch center; and

(g) providing, by the digital processing device, at least two device modes comprising an active mode characterized by a display of the digital processing device being powered on and an inactive mode characterized by the display of the digital processing device being powered off, wherein the digital processing device is configured to send the emergency alert to the emergency management system in response to at least one of the first and second voice commands when the at least one of the first and second voice commands is received during active mode and during inactive mode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the digital processing device, location information for the digital processing device to the emergency management system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein user authentication for sending the emergency alert is provided by the first or second voice command.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a user provides user authentication by confirming the emergency with the second voice command.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the digital processing device, an emergency mode characterized by an established emergency call with the emergency dispatch center, wherein a display of the digital processing device presents at least one interactive element for communicating with the emergency dispatch center.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first voice command indicative of an emergency is predefined by a user.

7. A digital processing device comprising at least one processor, a memory, a user interface, a display, and instructions executable by the at least one processor to create an emergency alert application comprising:

(a) an interface module receiving a first voice command indicative of an emergency from the user interface;

(b) an authentication module initiating a delay timer in response to the first voice command, said delay timer allowing user cancellation of an emergency alert before expiration of the delay timer;

(c) a software module receiving confirmation of the emergency, wherein the confirmation is one of;

a second voice command received before expiration of the delay timer, selection of a confirmation button from the user interface before expiration of the delay timer, or expiration of the delay timer;

(d) a communication module establishing a communication link with an emergency management system in response to receiving the confirmation of the emergency;

(e) a software module sending the emergency alert comprising a request for emergency assistance over the communication link to the emergency management system;

(f) a software module establishing an emergency call with an emergency dispatch center; and

(g) at least two device modes comprising an active mode characterized by the display being powered on, and an inactive mode characterized by the display being powered off, wherein the digital processing device is configured to send the emergency alert to the emergency management system in response to at least one of the first and second voice commands when the at least one of the first and second voice commands is received during active and during inactive mode.

8. The digital processing device of claim 7, wherein the device further comprises a location component for obtaining location information for the device, and wherein the communication module provides the location information for the digital processing device to the emergency management system.

9. The digital processing device of claim 7, wherein user authentication is provided by the first or second voice command.

10. The digital processing device of claim 7, wherein a user provides user authentication by confirming the emergency with the second voice command.

11. The digital processing device of claim 7, wherein the digital processing device further comprises an emergency mode characterized by an established emergency call with the emergency dispatch center, wherein the display presents at least one interactive element for communicating with the emergency dispatch center.

12. The digital processing device of claim 7, wherein the first voice command indicative of an emergency is predefined by a user.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage media encoded with a computer program including instructions executable by at least one processor to create an emergency alert application, the application comprising:

(a) an interface module receiving a first voice command indicative of an emergency from a user interface of a digital processing device;

(b) an authentication module initiating a delay timer in response to the first voice command, said delay timer allowing user cancellation of an emergency alert before expiration of the delay timer;

(c) a software module receiving confirmation of the emergency, wherein the confirmation is one of;

a second voice command received before expiration of the delay timer, selection of a confirmation button from the user interface before expiration of the delay timer, or expiration of the delay timer;

(d) a communication module establishing a communication link with an emergency management system in response to receiving the confirmation of the emergency;

(e) a software module sending the emergency alert comprising a request for emergency assistance over the communication link to the emergency management system;

(f) a software module establishing an emergency call with an emergency dispatch center; and

(g) at least two device modes comprising an active mode characterized by a display of the digital processing device being powered on, and an inactive mode characterized by the display of the digital processing device being powered off, wherein the application is configured to send the emergency alert to the emergency management system in response to at least one of the first and second voice commands when the at least one of the first and second voice commands is received during active and during inactive mode.

14. The media of claim 13, wherein the communication module provides location information for the digital processing device to the emergency management system.

15. The media of claim 13, wherein user authentication is provided by the first or second voice command.

16. The media of claim 13, wherein a user provides user authentication by confirming the emergency with the second voice command.

17. The media of claim 13, wherein the application further comprises an emergency mode characterized by an established emergency call with the emergency dispatch center, wherein the display presents at least one interactive element for communicating with the emergency dispatch center.