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

• US 10,419,915 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2018
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• 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 N
• Application Number:
  US15/958,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20180249315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 515 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 method for sharing data pertaining to an emergency by an emergency management system comprising:

a) detecting a request for emergency assistance from a user communication device;

b) identifying a first responder in the vicinity of the user communication device for responding to the request for the emergency assistance;

c) establishing a first data channel with the user communication device;

d) establishing a second data channel with a communication device of the first responder;

e) bridging the first data channel and the second data channel using a communication bridge, wherein the data from the user communication device is screened or filtered based on at least one of spam, virus, file size, file type, or first responder preference settings to provide a data set comprising relevant data pertaining to the emergency; and

f) sharing the data set with the communication device of the first responder over the communication bridge by routing the data set through the emergency management system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data pertaining to the emergency is transmitted between the user communication device and the communication device of the first responder via a shortest available networking path.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data pertaining to the emergency comprises a video file, an image file, streaming video, multimedia messaging data system, short messaging system, or GPS location.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a direct communication session between the user communication device and the communication device of the first responder.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising providing the first responder with remote access to the user communication device via a trusted and screened connection.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing the first responder with remote access to at least one module on the user communication device, wherein the module is selected from a camera module, a sound system module, a gyroscope module, an application client, and a GPS module.

7. The method in claim 1, further comprising:

a) selecting a list of communication devices based at least one factor selected from location estimates for the list of communication devices, relative distances from the emergency location, current time, type of user for the list of communication devices, type of emergency, relationship of users for the list of communication devices with a user of the user communication device, and predefined connections; and

b) transmitting a mass message to the list of communication devices, wherein the mass message comprises the data pertaining to the emergency.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the mass message includes additional information comprising at least one of a cause of the emergency, geographic location affected by the emergency, latest status of a response to the emergency, and instructions to safeguard self and property.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the list of communication devices is updated periodically.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the mass message comprises a request for remote access to the communication device from the first responder.

11. An emergency management system comprising at least one processor, a memory, a network element, and a computer program including instructions executable by the at least one processor to create a server software application for sharing data pertaining to an emergency, the application configured to perform steps comprising:

a) detecting a request for emergency assistance from a user communication device;

b) identifying a first responder in the vicinity of the user communication device for responding to the request for the emergency assistance;

c) establishing a first data channel with the user communication device;

d) establishing a second data channel with a communication device of the first responder;

e) bridging the first data channel and the second data channel using a communication bridge, wherein the data from the user communication device is screened or filtered based on at least one of spam, virus, file size, file type, or first responder preference settings to provide a data set comprising relevant data pertaining to the emergency; and

f) sharing the data set with the communication device of the first responder over the communication bridge by routing the data set through the emergency management system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the data pertaining to the emergency is transmitted between the user communication device and the communication device of the first responder via a shortest available networking path.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the data pertaining to the emergency comprises a video file, an image file, streaming video, multimedia messaging data system, short messaging system, or GPS location.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the application is further configured for establishing a direct communication session between the user communication device and the communication device of the first responder.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the application is further configured for providing the first responder with remote access to the user communication device via a trusted and screened connection.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the application is further configured for providing the first responder with remote access to at least one module on the user communication device, wherein the module is selected from a camera module, a sound system module, a gyroscope module, an application client, and a GPS module.

17. The system in claim 11, wherein the application is further configured for:

a) selecting a list of communication devices based at least one factor selected from location estimates for the list of communication devices, relative distances from the emergency location, current time, type of user for the list of communication devices, type of emergency, relationship of users for the list of communication devices with a user of the user communication device, and predefined connections; and

b) transmitting a mass message to the list of communication devices, wherein the mass message comprises the data pertaining to the emergency.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the mass message includes additional information comprising at least one of a cause of the emergency, geographic location affected by the emergency, latest status of a response to the emergency, and instructions to safeguard self and property.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the list of communication devices is updated periodically.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the mass message comprises a request for remote access to the communication device from the first responder.