System and Method for Locating a Cellular Telephone in an Emergency

• US 20090088125A1
• Filed: 10/01/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jeffrey, Emlyn C., Sprague, William O. JR., Wollmershauser, Steven M.
• Application Number:
  US11/865,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20090088125A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• 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 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for providing information about a cellular telephone. The method comprises determining that an emergency condition exists, and acquiring a location of the cellular telephone. Audio, a still image, or a video image are also acquired from the cellular telephone, and provided with the location of the cellular telephone on a server.

Claims

1. A method for providing information about a cellular telephone, the method comprising:

determining that an emergency condition exists;

acquiring a location of the cellular telephone;

acquiring audio, a still image, or a video image from the cellular telephone; and

providing the location and the audio, still image or video image on a server.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising notifying an interested party that the information is available.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein notifying the interested party comprises sending an email.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the location of the cellular telephone is determined using a Global Positioning System.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the location of the cellular telephone is determined using triangulation.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the cellular telephone includes a main battery and a backup battery.

7. A system for providing information about a cellular telephone, the system comprising:

a server adapted to acquire a location of the cellular telephone when an emergency condition exists, to acquire audio, a still image, or a video image from the cellular telephone, and to provide the location and the audio, still image or video image to an Internet page.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the server is adapted to notify an interested party that the information is available.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the server is adapted to send an interested party an email that the information is available.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the location of the cellular telephone is determined using a Global Positioning System.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the location of the cellular telephone is determined using triangulation.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein the cellular telephone includes a main battery and a backup battery.

13. A cellular telephone comprising:

a main battery; and

a backup battery to enable the cellular telephone to provide its location in an emergency when the main battery is unavailable.

14. The cellular telephone of claim 13 wherein the backup battery is normally inaccessible.

15. The cellular telephone of claim 13 further comprising a microphone adapted to transmit audio during the emergency.

16. The cellular telephone of claim 13 further comprising a camera adapted to transmit images during the emergency.

17. The cellular telephone of claim 16 wherein the images are still images.

18. The cellular telephone of claim 13 wherein the location of the cellular telephone is determined using a Global Positioning System.

19. A method for providing information about a cellular telephone having main and backup batteries and a camera, the method comprising:

determining that the main battery is unavailable; and

using the backup battery to enable the cellular telephone to provide its location and to provide an image from the camera.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising providing at least one of the location or image available to an interested party.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the location of the cellular telephone is provided on an Internet page.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the location is provided on a map display.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the location of the cellular telephone is determined using a Global Positioning System.

24. The method of claim 19 further comprising notifying an interested party that at least one of the location or image is available.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein notifying the interested party comprises sending an email.