Two-way distress alert and emergency location apparatus and method

• US 20060007038A1
• Filed: 09/03/2004
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PROCON Incorporated (RCM Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: PROCON Incorporated (RCM Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Boling, Brian M., Bishop, Ronald D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,215,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.310
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1853 Satellite systems for providing telephony service to a mobile station, i.e. mobile satellite service for selecting H04W

Abstract

A portable emergency communication device includes a first receiver for receiving location determination signals from the global positioning satellite (GPS) system, and a second receiver for receiving incoming signals from a subscriber-based satellite radio system, such as the Sirius or XM satellite radio service providers. The device includes a transmitter for transmitting outgoing signals to a search and rescue satellite system, such as the Cospas-Sarsat satellite system. The incoming signals are encoded with preprogrammed queries and prompts that are displayed on a display device on the emergency communication device. The outgoing signals are encoded with location coordinates of the device and preprogrammed messages that respond to queries encoded in the incoming signals. The emergency communication device operates in a communication system wherein the search and rescue satellite system is linked by a communication network to a private search and rescue coordination center, which is linked by a communication network to the satellite radio service provider. In this manner, the invention provides a closed-loop communication system enabling two-way communication between the emergency communication device and the search and rescue coordination center.

Claims

1. A portable emergency communication apparatus comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting an outgoing signal to one or more first satellites that are components of a satellite system for providing assistance in search and rescue operations;

a first receiver for receiving location determination signals from one or more second satellites that are components of a satellite system for providing location information;

a second receiver for receiving an incoming signal from one or more third satellites that are components of a subscriber-based satellite radio system; and

a housing in which the transmitter, first receiver and second receiver are disposed.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising the transmitter for transmitting the outgoing signal including a numeric code.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising the transmitter for transmitting the outgoing signal to the first satellites that are components of a Cospas-Sarsat search and rescue satellite system.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising the first receiver for receiving the location determination signals from the second satellites that are components of a global positioning satellite system.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a display device disposed in the housing for displaying a visual message having subject matter based at least in part on the incoming signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising the display device for displaying the visual message including response options for responding to the incoming signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a user interface device disposed in the housing for selecting at least one of the response options.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising the transmitter for transmitting the outgoing signal including a numeric code determined based at least in part on the at least one response option selected.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a timing device disposed in the housing for generating a local timing signal; and

a display device disposed in the housing for displaying a visual message having subject matter determined based at least in part on the local timing signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a user interface having one or more activation buttons that, when pressed, cause power to be applied to the first transmitter, first receiver and second receiver.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the one or more activation buttons comprise two activation buttons that, when pressed substantially simultaneously, cause activation of the first transmitter, first receiver and second receiver.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising the transmitter for transmitting the outgoing signal including a numeric code determined based at least in part on the location determination signals received by the first receiver.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a timing device disposed in the housing for generating a local timing signal;

a user interface having one or more activation buttons that, when pressed, cause generation of a user input signal; and

the transmitter for transmitting the outgoing signal comprising a numeric code determined based at least in part on the relative timing of the generation of the local timing signal and the user input signal.

14. A portable emergency communication apparatus comprising:

a first receiver for receiving location determination signals from one or more satellites that are components of a global positioning satellite system;

a second receiver for receiving an incoming signal from one or more satellites that are components of a subscriber-based satellite radio system;

a display device for displaying a visual message having subject matter based at least in part on the incoming signal, the visual message including response options for responding to the incoming signal;

a user interface device for selecting at least one of the response options;

a transmitter for transmitting at least first and second outgoing signals to one or more satellites that are components of a Cospas-Sarsat search and rescue satellite system, the first outgoing signal including a numeric code determined based at least in part on the location determination signals received by the first receiver, the second outgoing signal including a numeric code determined based at least in part on the at least one response option selected; and

a housing in which the transmitter, first receiver, second receiver, display device, and user interface are disposed.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising:

a timing device disposed in the housing for generating a local timing signal; and

the display device for displaying the visual message having subject matter determined based at least in part on the local timing signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a user interface having one or more activation buttons that, when pressed, cause power to be applied to at least the first transmitter, first receiver and second receiver.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the one or more activation buttons comprise two activation buttons that, when pressed substantially simultaneously, cause power to be applied to at least the first transmitter, first receiver and second receiver.

18. A method for communicating information between a portable emergency communication device and a first satellite system, a second satellite system and a third satellite system, wherein the first satellite system is for providing assistance in search and rescue operations, the second satellite system is for providing location information, and the third satellite system is for providing subscriber-based satellite radio services, the method comprising:

(i) receiving location determination signals at the emergency communication device, the location determination signals transmitted from the second satellite system;

(j) determining location coordinate information at the emergency communication device based at least in part on the location determination signals, the location coordinate information corresponding to a location of the emergency communication device;

(k) transmitting outgoing information from the emergency communication device to the first satellite system;

(l) communicating the outgoing information from the first satellite system to a search and rescue coordination center;

(m) communicating incoming information from the search and rescue coordination center to a satellite radio service provider, the incoming information generated in response to the outgoing information;

(n) transmitting the incoming information from the satellite radio service provider to the third satellite system;

(o) transmitting the incoming information from the third satellite system to the emergency communication device; and

(p) receiving the incoming information at the emergency communication device.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein step (a) further comprises receiving the location determination signals transmitted from global positioning system satellites.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein step (c) further comprises transmitting the outgoing information including the location coordinate information.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein step (c) further comprises transmitting the outgoing information including a numeric code determined based at least in part on the subject matter of the outgoing information.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein step (c) further comprises transmitting the outgoing information including a unique identification string associated with the emergency communication device, wherein the numeric code is a component of the unique identification string.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein step (c) further comprises transmitting the outgoing information including a unique identification string associated with the emergency communication device.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein step (c) further comprises transmitting the outgoing information via a radio-frequency uplink to a Cospas-Sarsat satellite system.

25. The method of claim 18 wherein step (d) further comprises communicating the outgoing information from the first satellite system to the search and rescue coordination center via a government-operated mission control center.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein step (d) further comprises communicating the outgoing information from the first satellite system via a radio-frequency downlink to a local user terminal operated in association with the government-operated mission control center.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein step (d) further comprises communicating the outgoing information from the government-operated mission control center to the search and rescue coordination center via a virtual private network.

28. The method of claim 18 wherein step (e) further comprises communicating the incoming information from the search and rescue coordination center to the satellite radio service provider via a dedicated data connection.

29. The method of claim 18 wherein step (f) further comprises transmitting the incoming information from the satellite radio service provider to the third satellite system via a radio-frequency uplink.

30. The method of claim 18 wherein step (g) further comprises transmitting the incoming information from the third satellite system to the emergency communication device via a radio-frequency downlink.

31. The method of claim 18 further comprising (i) displaying a message on a display device of the emergency communication device, the subject matter of the message based on the incoming information.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

step (i) further comprising displaying the message including responses that may be selected to respond to the message;

(l) selecting a response to the message using a user interface device of the emergency communication device; and

(m) generating the outgoing information based at least in part on the response selected in step (j).

33. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

(i) displaying a message on a display device of the emergency communication device, the message inquiring whether activation of the emergency communication device was intentional;

(j) responding to the message displayed in step (i) using a user interface device of the emergency communication device; and

(k) generating the outgoing information based at least in part on the response of step (j).

34. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

(i) at the search and rescue coordination center, searching a database of local search and rescue agencies to identify which local search and rescue agency should respond to an emergency situation involving the emergency communication device based on the location coordinate information; and

(j) communicating a notification message from the search and rescue coordination center to the local search and rescue agency identified in step (i) to inform the local search and rescue agency of the emergency situation.

35. The method of claim 23 further comprising (i) searching a database of registered emergency communication devices to identify to whom the emergency communication device is registered based on the unique identification string transmitted in step (c).

36. The method of claim 23 wherein step (g) further comprises transmitting the incoming information from the third satellite system to the emergency communication device identified by the unique identification string.

37. A portable emergency communication apparatus comprising:

transmitter means for transmitting an outgoing signal to one or more first satellites that are components of a satellite system providing assistance in search and rescue operations;

first receiver means for receiving location determination signals from one or more second satellites that are components of a satellite system for providing location information;

second receiver means for receiving an incoming signal from one or more third satellites that are components of a subscriber-based satellite radio system; and

housing means for housing and protecting the transmitter means, first receiver means and second receiver means.

38. The apparatus of claim 37 further comprising display means disposed in the housing means for displaying a visual message having subject matter based on the incoming signal.

39. The apparatus of claim 38 further comprising the display means for displaying the visual message including response options for responding to the incoming signal.

40. The apparatus of claim 39 further comprising user interface means disposed in the housing means for selecting at least one of the response options.

41. The apparatus of claim 37 further comprising:

timing means device disposed in the housing means, the timing means for generating a local timing signal; and

display means disposed in the housing means for displaying a visual message having subject matter determined based at least in part on the local timing signal.

42. The apparatus of claim 37 further comprising:

timing means disposed in the housing means for generating a local timing signal;

user interface means disposed in the housing means for providing user control of the apparatus, the user interface means including one or more activation buttons that, when pressed, cause generation of a user input signal; and

the transmitter means for transmitting the outgoing signal comprising a numeric code determined based at least in part on relative timing of generation of the local timing signal and the user input signal.

43. An emergency communication system for providing communication between a person experiencing an emergency situation in a remote location and search and rescue personnel, the system comprising:

an emergency communication device comprising;

a transmitter for transmitting outgoing signals in a radio frequency communication band allocated for distress beacon signals;

a satellite radio receiver for receiving incoming signals in a radio frequency communication band allocated for satellite radio services;

a search and rescue satellite system that provides assistance in search and rescue operations, the search and rescue satellite system for receiving the outgoing signals from the emergency communication device;

a satellite radio system that provides subscriber-based digital audio services, the satellite radio system for transmitting the incoming signals to the emergency communication device; and

a search and rescue coordination center in communication with the search and rescue satellite system and the satellite radio system.

44. The emergency communication system of claim 43 further comprising:

the emergency communication device including a global positioning system receiver for receiving global positioning system signals; and

a global positioning satellite system for transmitting the global positioning system signals.