Method and system for situational awareness for emergency response

• US 10,140,842 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2017
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rapidsos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rapidsos, Inc.
• Inventors: Mehta, Anil, Martin, Michael John, Horelik, Nicholas Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/667,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20170330447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 34053911, 3405391, 34053912, 34053913, 3405731, 34053918, 34053921, 34053922, 34053926, 34053932, 3405681, 3405721
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• 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 26/00 Alarm systems in which substations are interrogated in succession by a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 26/007 Wireless interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/15 Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for sending emergency alerts. In some embodiments, sensors and wearable devices may trigger and send the emergency alerts and/or warning signals via available communication devices. Multi-media emergency alerts are also disclosed that include situational awareness information for effective and efficient emergency response.

Claims

1. A method for providing an emergency alert from a wearable device using an indirect communication link, comprising:

a) obtaining sensor data from at least one sensor associated with the wearable device, wherein the sensor data comprises at least one environmental parameter or physiological parameter;

b) detecting an indication of an emergency based on the sensor data;

c) identifying at least one communication device for transmitting the emergency alert to an emergency dispatch center, wherein the emergency dispatch center is selected from a plurality of emergency dispatch centers based on location information for one or more of the wearable device and the at least one communication device;

d) establishing an indirect communication link with the emergency dispatch center comprising a first communication link between the wearable device and the at least one communication device and a second communication link between the at least one communication device and the emergency dispatch center; and

e) using the indirect communication link to provide the emergency alert to the emergency dispatch center.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication link comprises a link between the at least one communication device and an emergency management system and a link between the emergency management system and the emergency dispatch center, wherein the emergency management system provides at least one of the emergency alert, the sensor data, and the location information to the emergency dispatch center in a compatible format.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sensor data and the location information is provided to at least one first responder responding to the emergency alert.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency alert is provided to the emergency dispatch center autonomously without requiring user input.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising autonomously providing a warning to a user of the wearable device after detecting the indication of an emergency, wherein the user decides whether to provide the emergency alert to the emergency dispatch center.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the emergency alert initiates at least one of a voice session and a non-voice data session with the emergency dispatch center.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one communication device is a mobile phone, computer, router, server, game console, Bluetooth device, infrared device, or modem.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises a current location for the wearable device or the at least one communication device determined using at least one of GPS, cellular triangulation, based locationing, or an indoor positioning system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one external sensor not located on the wearable device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the wearable device maintains a prioritized list of communication devices for sending the emergency alert, wherein the at least one communication device is chosen from the prioritized list based on priority level.

11. A wearable device for providing an emergency alert using an indirect communication link, the wearable device comprising:

at least one processor, a memory, at least one sensor, and a computer program including instructions executable by the at least one processor to create an emergency alert application configured to perform steps comprising;

a) obtaining sensor data from the at least one sensor, wherein the sensor data comprises at least one environmental parameter or physiological parameter;

b) detecting an indication of an emergency based on the sensor data;

c) identifying at least one communication device for transmitting the emergency alert to an emergency dispatch center, wherein the emergency dispatch center is selected from a plurality of emergency dispatch centers based on location information for one or more of the wearable device and the at least one communication device;

d) establishing an indirect communication link with the emergency dispatch center comprising a first communication link between the wearable device and the at least one communication device and a second communication link between the at least one communication device and the emergency dispatch center; and

e) using the indirect communication link to provide the emergency alert to the emergency dispatch center.

12. The wearable device of claim 11, wherein the second communication link comprises a link between the at least one communication device and an emergency management system and a link between the emergency management system and the emergency dispatch center, wherein the emergency management system provides at least one of the emergency alert, the sensor data, and the location information to the emergency dispatch center in a compatible format.

13. The wearable device of claim 11, wherein at least one of the sensor data and the location information is provided to at least one first responder responding to the emergency alert.

14. The wearable device of claim 11, wherein the emergency alert is provided to the emergency dispatch center autonomously without requiring user input.

15. The wearable device of claim 11, wherein the emergency alert application autonomously provides a warning to a user of the wearable device after detecting the indication of an emergency, wherein the user decides whether to provide the emergency alert to the emergency dispatch center.

16. The wearable device of claim 11, wherein providing the emergency alert initiates at least one of a voice session and a non-voice data session with the emergency dispatch center.

17. The wearable device of claim 11, wherein the at least one communication device is a mobile phone, computer, router, server, game console, Bluetooth device, infrared device, or modem.

18. The wearable device of claim 11, wherein the location information comprises a current location for the wearable device or the at least one communication device determined using at least one of GPS, cellular triangulation, Wi-Fi based locationing, or an indoor positioning system.

19. The wearable device of claim 11, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one external sensor not located on the wearable device.

20. The wearable device of claim 11, wherein the wearable device maintains a prioritized list of communication devices for sending the emergency alert, wherein the at least one communication device is chosen from the prioritized list based on priority level.

21. 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 configured to perform steps comprising:

a) obtaining sensor data from at least one sensor associated with a wearable device, wherein the sensor data comprises at least one environmental parameter or physiological parameter;

b) detecting an indication of an emergency based on the sensor data;

c) identifying at least one communication device for transmitting an emergency alert to an emergency dispatch center, wherein the emergency dispatch center is selected from a plurality of emergency dispatch centers based on location information for one or more of the wearable device and the at least one communication device;

d) establishing an indirect communication link with the emergency dispatch center comprising a first communication link between the wearable device and the at least one communication device and a second communication link between the at least one communication device and the emergency dispatch center; and

e) using the indirect communication link to provide the emergency alert to the emergency dispatch center.

22. The media of claim 21, wherein the second communication link comprises a link between the at least one communication device and an emergency management system and a link between the emergency management system and the emergency dispatch center, wherein the emergency management system provides at least one of the emergency alert, the sensor data, and the location information to the emergency dispatch center in a compatible format.

23. The media of claim 21, wherein at least one of the sensor data and the location information is provided to at least one first responder responding to the emergency alert.

24. The media of claim 21, wherein the emergency alert is provided to the emergency dispatch center autonomously without requiring user input.

25. The media of claim 21, wherein the emergency alert application autonomously provides a warning to a user of the wearable device after detecting the indication of an emergency, wherein the user decides whether to provide the emergency alert to the emergency dispatch center.

26. The media of claim 21, wherein providing the emergency alert initiates at least one of a voice session and a non-voice data session with the emergency dispatch center.

27. The media of claim 21, wherein the at least one communication device is a mobile phone, computer, router, server, game console, Bluetooth device, infrared device, or modem.

28. The media of claim 21, wherein the location information comprises a current location for the wearable device or the at least one communication device determined using at least one of GPS, cellular triangulation, Wi-Fi based locationing, or an indoor positioning system.

29. The media of claim 21, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one external sensor not located on the wearable device.

30. The media of claim 21, wherein the wearable device maintains a prioritized list of communication devices for sending the emergency alert, wherein the at least one communication device is chosen from the prioritized list based on priority level.