Wireless protocols for emergency message transmission

• US 10,820,182 B1
• Filed: 06/12/2020
• Issued: 10/27/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David E. Newman, Massengill R. Kemp
• Original Assignee: Ultralogic 5G LLC
• Inventors: Newman, David E., Massengill, R. Kemp
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, David Q
• Application Number:
  US16/946,256
• Time in Patent Office: 137 Days
• Field of Search: 370329, 370336, 370230, 4554041
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/16 using machine learning or artificial intelligence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• 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 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0816 with collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0875 with assigned priorities based access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for improved, rapid wireless emergency communication. Embodiments may provide improved means for preempting other non-emergency communication, delivering an emergency message with sufficient information to enable first-responders to take appropriate action even if no further communication is possible, and for establishing a privileged voice connection following the emergency message. Embodiments may include a hailing-type emergency message configured to alert a base station when the addresses of base station is unknown to the emergency node. With improved speed and reliability of emergency communication, first-responders may begin an appropriate life-saving response without delay and with knowledge of the type and location of the emergency.

Claims

1. A local area network (LAN), comprising a base station in signal communication with a plurality of nodes, wherein:

each node is configured to;

detect an emergency event,

detect a triggering event,

wait a listening interval, and

transmit an emergency message to the base station; and

wherein the listening interval is one or more of;

less than one SIFS in length, a SIFS being an amount of time that the base station delays before sending a CTS message;

less than one PIFS in length, a PIFS being an amount of time that a base station delays before sending a polling message; and

less than one DIFS in length, a DIFS being an amount of time that a node delays before sending an RTS message,

wherein the node is further configured to;

determine, following the detection of the emergency event, whether a DAT message is in progress;

determine that transmission of the DAT message has finished;

determine that transmission of an ACK message associated with the DAT message has finished; and

then

transmit, less than one DIFS after the ACK message, the emergency message.

2. The LAN of claim 1, wherein the node is further configured to transmit, less than one SIFS after the ACK message, the emergency message.

3. A local area network (LAN), comprising a base station in signal communication with a plurality of nodes, wherein:

each node is configured to;

detect an emergency event, detect a triggering event, wait a listening interval, and transmit an emergency message to the base station; and

the listening interval is one or more of;

less than one SIFS in length, a SIFS being an amount of time that the base station delays before sending a CTS message;

less than one PIFS in length, a PIFS being an amount of time that a base station delays before sending a polling message; and

less than one DIFS in length, a DIFS being an amount of time that a node delays before sending an RTS message, wherein a field of the emergency message includes information specifying a location of the emergency and a type of emergency response desired, the information being in human-readable form after demodulation, decoding, and conversion to alphanumeric symbols.

4. A method for responding to an emergency event, comprising:

detecting the emergency event;

then detecting a triggering event;

then waiting a listening interval;

then transmitting an emergency message;

receiving or attempting to receive a reply to the emergency message;

upon receiving a reply comprising a transmit command, transmitting a follow-on emergency message;

upon receiving a reply comprising a retransmit command, retransmitting the emergency message; and

upon failing to receive a reply during a period greater than one SIFS and less than one DIFS, retransmitting the emergency message, and

wherein the listening interval is at least one of;

less than one DIFS;

less than one PIFS;

or less than one SIFS;

or

wherein the transmitting is configured to preempt non-emergency messages.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the retransmit command comprises a CTS message configured to instruct a node to retransmit a previously-transmitted first DAT message, and the transmit command comprises a CTS message configured to instruct the node to transmit a second DAT message.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the transmit command comprises a CTS message with a Frame Control field having a Retry bit set to a first value, and the retransmit command comprises a CTS message with a Frame Control field having a Retry bit set to a second value different from the first value.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the emergency message includes a Receiver Address field equal to a predetermined value indicating that any base station receiving the emergency message may respond.

8. A local area network (LAN), comprising a base station in signal communication with a plurality of nodes, wherein:

each node is configured to;

detect an emergency event, detect a triggering event, wait a listening interval, and transmit an emergency message to the base station; and

the base station is configured to;

receive the emergency message, transfer the emergency message or data derived therefrom to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), and transmit a reply to the node that transmitted the emergency message;

wherein the reply begins less than one DIFS after the emergency message ends.

9. The LAN of claim 8, wherein the base station is configured to:

determine that a message is an emergency message and is corrupted;

decode one or more decodable portions of the emergency message; and

relay at least some of the decoded portion or portions, or data derived therefrom, to a PSAP.

10. The LAN of claim 8, wherein the portion or portions comprise one or more of:

a Frame Control field of the emergency message;

a Duration field of the emergency message;

a Transmitter Address field of the emergency message;

a Sequence Control field of the emergency message;

a Data field of the emergency message;

or

the entire emergency message.

11. The LAN of claim 8, wherein the reply comprises:

when the emergency message indicates that further messages are available, a CTS;

when the emergency message indicates that no further messages are available, an ACK; and

when the emergency message fails to indicate whether further messages are available, a CTS.

12. The LAN of claim 8, wherein the base station is configured to determine whether the emergency message is corrupted;

and

to transmit, when the emergency message is found to be corrupted, a message instructing the node to retransmit the emergency message.

13. The LAN of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether the emergency message includes a Receiver Address field equal to a predetermined value indicating that any base station within range may respond to the emergency message;

upon determining that the emergency message includes a Receiver Address field equal to the predetermined value, performing a backoff delay comprising a randomly-selected portion of a predetermined delay range;

determining whether a base station has responded to the emergency message;

upon determining that no base station has responded to the emergency message, transmitting a reply message to the emergency node; and

communicating the emergency message, or data derived therefrom, to a PSAP.

14. The LAN of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting a signal quality of the received emergency message; and

adjusting the predetermined delay range according to the signal quality.

15. The LAN of claim 14, wherein the adjusting comprises:

when the signal quality is below a first threshold, setting the predetermined delay range to a first value;

when the signal quality is above the first threshold and below a second threshold, setting the predetermined delay range to a second value shorter than the first value;

when the signal quality is above the second threshold, setting the predetermined delay range to a third value shorter than the second value;

waiting a randomly selected interval according to the delay range value so adjusted; and

then

transmitting the reply to the emergency node.

16. The LAN of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether the emergency message is corrupted;

upon determining that the emergency message is corrupted, transmitting, within a delay time of less than one DIFS, a retransmit command to the emergency node.

17. The LAN of claim 16, wherein the retransmit command comprises a CTS message with a bit or bits set to a value instructing the node to retransmit a previously transmitted DAT message, or wherein the retransmit command is configured to cause the node to retransmit a previously transmitted DAT message.

18. The LAN of claim 12, further comprising:

detecting a message from an emergency node;

determining that the message is corrupted;

determining that one or more portions of the message are decodable;

determining, from the one or more decodable portions, that the message is an emergency message;

determining, from the one or more decodable portions, data about an emergency;

communicating the data to a PSAP; and

transmitting a retransmit command to the emergency node.

19. The LAN of claim 8, wherein the node, the base station, and the emergency message are configured to be compatible with 5G and future 6G wireless technology.