Devices and methods for efficient emergency calling

• US 10,701,541 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2018
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• 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:
  US16/150,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20190104395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 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 establishing emergency communications in response to at least one voice command, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, by a digital processing device, a first voice command indicative of an emergency, wherein the digital processing device is not a phone;

(b) recognizing, by the digital processing device, the first voice command as a request for emergency assistance;

(c) initiating, by the digital processing device, a delay timer in response to recognizing the first voice command as a request for emergency assistance, said delay timer allowing user cancellation of an emergency alert before expiration of the delay timer; and

(d) receiving, by the digital processing device, confirmation of the emergency, wherein the confirmation of the emergency comprises expiration of the delay timer or a second voice command received before expiration of the delay timer;

(e) transmitting, by the digital processing device, the emergency alert comprising location information to an emergency management system (EMS) over a communication link; and

(f) establishing, by the digital processing device, a communication session with an emergency dispatch center (EDC), wherein the emergency dispatch center is an entity that coordinates the emergency assistance and is selected from a plurality of emergency dispatch centers based on the location information transmitted by the digital processing device, wherein the EMS is an independent entity from the EDC and serves as an intermediary that routes information from the digital processing device to the EDC.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises a home or work address of a user of the digital processing device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, by the digital processing device, the delay timer on a digital display.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

(a) displaying, by the digital processing device, a cancel button for cancelling the emergency alert on the digital display;

(b) receiving, by the digital processing device, selection of the cancel button through the digital display; and

(c) cancelling, by the digital processing device, the step of transmitting the emergency alert to the emergency management system in (e) and the step of establishing the communication session with the emergency dispatch center in (f) in response to receiving the selection of the cancel button.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein user authentication for transmitting the emergency alert to the emergency management system and establishing the communication session with the emergency dispatch center is provided by at least one of the first or second voice command through voice recognition.

6. The method of claim 1:

(a) wherein the digital processing device comprises a biometric information reader; and

(b) further comprising receiving, by the digital processing device, biometric authentication through the biometric information reader before establishing the communication link with the emergency management system and establishing the communication session with the emergency dispatch center.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the biometric information reader is a fingerprint reader.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital processing device is in sleep or hibernate mode and is configured to exit sleep or hibernate mode based on the first voice command.

9. The method of claim 1:

(a) wherein the digital processing device comprises a digital display; and

(b) further comprising activating, by the digital processing device, an emergency mode in response to establishing the communication link or the communication session, wherein the digital display presents one or more interactive communication elements available for user selection to communicate with the emergency management system or emergency dispatch center.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more communication elements comprise a messaging button configured to prompt the digital processing device to send a message entered by a user to the emergency management system or emergency dispatch center when selected.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing and sending a photo or video to the emergency management system or emergency dispatch center.

12. A system for establishing emergency communications in response to at least one voice command, comprising:

(a) a digital processing device configured to;

(i) receive a first voice command indicative of an emergency, wherein the digital processing device is not a phone;

(ii) recognizing the first voice command as a request for emergency assistance;

(iii) initiate a delay timer in response to recognizing the first voice command as a request for emergency assistance, said delay timer allowing cancellation of the emergency alert before expiration of the delay timer;

(iv) receive confirmation of the emergency, wherein the confirmation of the emergency comprises expiration of the delay timer or a second voice command received before expiration of the delay timer;

(v) transmit the emergency alert comprising location information to an emergency management system (EMS) over a first communication link; and

(vi) establish a communication session with an emergency dispatch center (EDC), wherein the emergency dispatch center is an entity that coordinates the emergency assistance and is selected from a plurality of emergency dispatch centers based on the location information; and

(b) the emergency management system configured to;

(i) establish a second communication link between the emergency management system and the emergency dispatch center; and

(ii) send emergency information comprising the location information of the digital processing device to the emergency dispatch center over the second communication link;

wherein the emergency management system is an independent entity from the emergency dispatch center and serves as an intermediary that routes information from the digital processing device to the emergency dispatch center.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the emergency management system is configured to select the emergency dispatch center from the plurality of emergency dispatch centers based on the location of the digital processing device, thereby enabling the digital processing device to establish the communication session with the emergency dispatch center.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the emergency management system is further configured to select the emergency management system using a VoIP positioning center (VPC) that uses jurisdictional boundaries to determine that the emergency dispatch center is appropriate for establishing the communication session based on the location of the digital processing device.

15. The system of claim 12:

(a) wherein the digital processing device comprises a digital display; and

(b) wherein the digital processing device is further configured to activate an emergency mode in response to establishing the first communication link or the communication session, wherein the digital display presents one or more interactive communication elements available for user selection to communicate with the emergency management system or emergency dispatch center.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more interactive communication elements comprise a messaging button configured to prompt the digital processing device to send a message entered by a user to the emergency management system or emergency dispatch center when selected.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more interactive communication elements comprise a recording button configured to prompt the digital processing device to capture and send a photo or video to the emergency management system or emergency dispatch center when selected.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the emergency management system is configured to act as an intermediary between the digital processing device and the emergency dispatch center by receiving a message, photo, or video received from the digital processing device over the first communication link and sending the message, photo, or video to the emergency dispatch center over the second communication link.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the digital processing device is further configured to provide user authentication for transmitting the emergency alert to the emergency management system and establishing the communication session with the emergency dispatch center through at least one of the first or second voice command.

20. A digital processing device comprising at least one processor, a memory, a network component, and instructions executable by the at least one processor to create an application for sending an emergency alert, the application comprising:

(a) a software module receiving a first voice command indicative of an emergency, wherein the digital processing device is not a phone;

(b) a software module recognizing the first voice command as a request for emergency assistance;

(c) a software module initiating a delay timer in response to recognizing the first voice command as a request for emergency assistance, said delay timer allowing cancellation of the emergency alert before expiration of the delay timer;

(d) a software module receiving confirmation of the emergency, wherein the confirmation of the emergency comprises expiration of the delay timer or a second voice command received before expiration of the delay timer;

(e) a software module transmitting the emergency alert comprising location information to an emergency management system (EMS) over a communication link; and

(f) a software module establishing a communication session with an emergency dispatch center (EDC), wherein the emergency dispatch center is an entity that coordinates the emergency assistance and is selected from a plurality of emergency dispatch centers based on the location information transmitted by the digital processing device, wherein the EMS is an independent entity from the EDC and serves as an intermediary that routes information from the digital processing device to the EDC.