Method, Emergency System and Emergency Call Center for Handling Emergency Calls From a Communication Terminal

• US 20090093230A1
• Filed: 02/13/2007
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Bozionek, Bruno, Klaus, Dieter, Niemeier, Hubert
• Granted Patent: US 8,185,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53375 Message broadcasting

Abstract

After an emergency call from a communication terminal has been received by an emergency call center, the position of the communication terminal is determined by querying a database. An area around the position of the communication terminal is defined as danger area and other communication terminals located in the danger area are identified. Communication terminals of rescue workers in the danger area who are to be informed are then selected. Finally, emergency information is generated, which can, for example, contain information about escape routes for potentially imperiled persons or access route information for rescue workers. This emergency information is then communicated to each of the selected communication terminals of potentially imperiled persons and/or rescue workers.

Claims

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A method for handling emergency calls from a communication terminal, comprising:

determining the position of the communication terminal (KE) making the emergency call after an emergency call has been recorded;

defining a spatial area as the danger area around the position of the communication terminal;

identifying terminals located in the danger area with the aid of communication networks or localization devices;

generating emergency information; and

transmitting the generated emergency information to

the communication terminal making the emergency call, and/or at least one of the identified communication terminals, and/or output devices arranged in the danger area.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the emergency information describes:

the type of a danger situation, and/or

the urgency of the existing danger situation, and/or

the type of measures to be taken, and/or

the urgency of the measures, and/or

contains escape route information for leaving the defined danger area.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein

the position of the communication terminal making the emergency call and of communication terminals in the danger area is determined

with the aid of the Global Positioning System, and/or

by system-inherent positioning methods of GSM, UMTS, DECT, RFID or WLAN networks, and

position information is generated indicating the position of the communication terminal making the call and of communication terminals in the danger area, and

the danger area is defined with the position information of the communication terminal making the emergency call.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the emergency information

is transmitted to the communication terminals making the emergency calls, and/or

the terminals located in the danger area by communication services such as Short Message Service, Multimedia Messaging Service, voice messages or e-mail, and/or

via output devices arranged in the danger area by a warning signal and/or loudspeaker recorded messages.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the communication terminals of persons located in the defined danger area are identified by the processing of information from a building or room access control system.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein emergency information is transmitted to selected communication terminals of rescue workers inside and outside the danger area, with the selection depending on the type of danger situation.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the communication terminals of rescue workers are selected depending on their position.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein entry route navigation aid information is transmitted to communication terminals of the rescue workers, depending on the position of the danger area.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein emergency information is transmitted to communication terminals of the rescue workers concerning

the nature danger situation, and/or

the extent of the danger situation, and/or

the possible number of persons involved.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein

further emergency call information from the communication terminal making the emergency call, and/or

further information that represents a position that deviates from the current position of the communication terminal making the emergency call, is taken into account.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the position of the communication terminal making the emergency call is mapped onto an image representing the danger area.

28. An emergency system for handling emergency calls from a communication terminal, comprising:

an emergency call center and a database for determining the position of the communication terminal making the emergency call;

a determination module for defining a spatial area as the danger area around a position of the communication terminal;

a communication network or a localization device that identifies communication terminals located in the danger area; and

a determination module that generates and transmits emergency information to communication terminals of the identified persons and/or output devices arranged in the danger area.

29. The emergency system as claimed in claim 28, further comprising an initialization module for an emergency system or emergency call center that initializes Global Positioning Systems, GPS, and/or system-inherent positioning methods in the communication terminals or communication networks.

30. The emergency system as claimed in claim 29, wherein the determination module further provides in the generation and transmission of the emergency information:

the type of danger situation, and/or urgency of the existing danger situation, and/or

the type of measures to be taken, and/or

the urgency of the measures to be taken, and/or

escape route information for leaving the danger area, and/or

entry route information for reaching the danger area.

31. The emergency system as claimed in claim 30, further comprising a transmission module that transmits the emergency information to communication terminals of the identified persons via communication services such as Short Message Service, Multimedia Messaging Service, wirelessly transmitted voice messages, e-mail or to output devices arranged in the danger area by warning signal and/or recorded loudspeaker announcements.

32. An emergency call center for handling emergency calls from a communication terminal, comprising:

a database that records position information of the communication terminal making the emergency call; and

a determination module that

defines the danger area,

identifies the communication terminals of persons located in the defined danger area with the aid of communication networks or localization devices, and

generates and transmits emergency information to communication terminals of the identified persons and/or output devices arranged in the danger area.

33. The emergency call center as claimed in claim 32, further comprising an initialization module for an emergency system or emergency call center that initializes Global Positioning Systems, GPS, and/or system-inherent positioning methods in the communication terminals or communication networks.

34. The emergency call center as claimed in claim 33, wherein the determination module further provides in the generation and transmission of the emergency information:

the type of danger situation, and/or urgency of the existing danger situation, and/or

the type of measures to be taken, and/or

the urgency of the measures to be taken, and/or

escape route information for leaving the danger area, and/or

entry route information for reaching the danger area.

35. The emergency call center as claimed in claim 34, further comprising a transmission module that transmits the emergency information to communication terminals of the identified persons via communication services such as Short Message Service, Multimedia Messaging Service, wirelessly transmitted voice messages, e-mail or to output devices arranged in the danger area by warning signal and/or recorded loudspeaker announcements.