Emergency location analysis system

• US 10,820,181 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2019
• Issued: 10/27/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rapidsos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rapidsos, Inc.
• Inventors: Horelik, Nicholas Edward, Katz, Henry, Mahoney, IV, Gabriel Charles, Hinton, IV, John Thomas, Martin, Michael John
• Primary Examiner(s): Washington, Erika A
• Application Number:
  US16/271,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20190253861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• 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 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Described herein are systems, servers, devices, methods, and media for validating, improving, and predicting emergency locations. In some embodiments, disclosed herein is a method for validating a reported location associated with an emergency request comprises: detecting an emergency request from a first device; identifying a reported location associated with the emergency request; identifying one or more attributes associated with the emergency request; determining a location accuracy metric for the emergency request using the one or more attributes; comparing the location accuracy metric to a first accuracy threshold, wherein the reported location is converted to a validated location when the location accuracy metric meets the first accuracy threshold; and, in response to the location accuracy metric meeting the first accuracy threshold, providing the validated location to one or more recipients comprising a public safety answering point (PSAP).

Claims

1. A method for validating a reported location associated with an emergency alert, the method comprising:

a) detecting an emergency alert from an electronic device;

b) identifying a reported location associated with the emergency alert;

c) identifying one or more attributes associated with the emergency alert;

d) comparing the one or more attributes to one or more flagged characteristics, wherein said one or more flagged characteristics are indicative of inaccurate device location and comprise or are based on one or more of device manufacturer, device model, network carrier, location source, battery level, connection type, operating system, device identifier, accelerometer speed, power saving status, connectivity status, a location accuracy or confidence threshold, time or date of emergency communication, geographic area or location of emergency communication, or destination number or origination number of emergency communication; and

e) converting the reported location into a validated location and providing the validated location to one or more emergency service providers (ESPs) in response to determining that none of the one or more attributes match any of the one or more flagged characteristics, or not converting the reported location into the validated location and not providing the validated location to the one or more emergency service providers (ESPs) in response to determining that any of the one or more attributes match any of the one or more flagged characteristics.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reported location is a hybrid device-based location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the validated location is not provided to the one or more ESPs if the validated location is not within one or more geofences associated with the one or more ESPs.

4. The method of claim 1:

a) wherein detecting the emergency alert from the electronic device further comprises receiving a payload comprising information regarding the emergency alert; and

b) wherein identifying the one or more attributes associated with the emergency alert further comprises extracting the one or more attributes associated with the emergency alert from the payload comprising information regarding the emergency alert.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the payload comprises an HTTP post or an SMS message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more flagged characteristics comprises a location accuracy threshold, and wherein the method further comprises:

a) determining a location accuracy metric for the emergency alert using the one or more attributes and one or more ground-truth locations; and

b) comparing the location accuracy metric to the location accuracy threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining a location accuracy metric for the emergency alert using the one or more attributes and one or more ground truth locations further comprises accessing a database comprising a set of entries, wherein each entry in the set of entries represents a unique phone call and comprises:

a) a set of attributes associated with a test device from which the unique phone call was made;

b) a test location received from the test device during the unique phone call; and

c) a ground-truth location associated with the unique phone call.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more ground-truth locations include locations obtained from a locationing device, locations obtained from a pre-surveyed environment, or locations received from an emergency service provider.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the location accuracy metric is a location accuracy included in a payload associated with the emergency alert.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a location request from the ESP.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more flagged characteristics comprises the location accuracy or confidence threshold.

12. A system for validating a reported location associated with an emergency alert, the system comprising:

a) an electronic device;

b) a network server comprising at least one processor; and

c) an emergency management system (EMS) executed on the at least one processor and configured to;

i) detect an emergency alert from the electronic device;

ii) identify a reported location associated with the emergency alert;

iii) identify one or more attributes associated with the emergency alert;

iv) compare the one or more attributes to one or more flagged characteristics, wherein said one or more flagged characteristics are indicative of inaccurate device location and comprise or are based on one or more of device manufacturer, device model, network carrier, location source, battery level, connection type, operating system, device identifier, accelerometer speed, power saving status, connectivity status, a location accuracy or confidence threshold, time or date of emergency communication, geographic area or location of emergency communication, or destination number or origination number of emergency communication; and

v) convert the reported location into a validated location and provide the validated location to one or more emergency service providers (ESPs) in response to determining that none of the one or more attributes match any of the one or more flagged characteristics, or not converting the reported location into the validated location and not providing the validated location to the one or more emergency service providers (ESPs) in response to determining that any of the one or more attributes match any of the one or more flagged characteristics.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the reported location is a hybrid device-based location.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the emergency management system is further configured to:

a) detect the emergency alert from the electronic device by receiving a payload comprising information regarding the emergency alert; and

b) identify the one or more attributes associated with the emergency alert by extracting the one or more attributes associated with the emergency alert from the payload comprising information regarding the emergency alert.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the payload comprises an HTTP post or an SMS message.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more flagged characteristics comprises a location accuracy threshold, and wherein the emergency management system is further configured to:

a) determine a location accuracy metric for the emergency alert using the one or more attributes and one or more ground-truth locations; and

b) compare the location accuracy metric to the location accuracy threshold.

17. The system of claim 16:

a) further comprising a database comprising a set of entries, wherein each entry in the set of entries represents a unique phone call and comprises;

i) a set of attributes associated with a test device from which the unique phone call was made;

ii) a test location received from the test device during the unique phone call; and

iii) a ground-truth location associated with the unique phone call; and

b) wherein the emergency management system is further configured to determine a location accuracy metric for the emergency alert by accessing the database.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more ground-truth locations include locations obtained from a locationing device, locations obtained from a pre-surveyed environment, or locations received from an emergency service provider.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the location accuracy metric is a location accuracy included in a payload associated with the emergency alert.

20. Non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with at least one computer program including instructions executable by at least one processor to perform steps comprising:

a) detecting an emergency alert from an electronic device;

b) identifying a reported location associated with the emergency alert;

c) identifying one or more attributes associated with the emergency alert;

d) comparing the one or more attributes to one or more flagged characteristics, wherein said one or more flagged characteristics are indicative of inaccurate device location and comprise or are based on one or more of device manufacturer, device model, network carrier, location source, battery level, connection type, operating system, device identifier, accelerometer speed, power saving status, connectivity status, a location accuracy or confidence threshold, time or date of emergency communication, geographic area or location of emergency communication, or destination number or origination number of emergency communication; and

e) converting the reported location into a validated location and providing the validated location to one or more emergency service providers (ESPs) in response to determining that none of the one or more attributes match any of the one or more flagged characteristics, or not converting the reported location into the validated location and not providing the validated location to the one or more emergency service providers (ESPs) in response to determining that any of the one or more attributes match any of the one or more flagged characteristics.