METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING A DATA STREAM DURING AN INCIDENT

• US 20140187190A1
• Filed: 12/31/2012
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: SCHULER, FRANCESCA, CHEN, ETHAN Y., REITSMA, KATRIN, MAROCCHI, JAMES A., WHITELOCK, LISA S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,226,124 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking 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 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided, for accessing a data-capture device in a different domain, by public safety wireless communications equipment, for the purpose of obtaining information at an incident. A dispatch controller of a public safety wireless communications system receives an access token from a server of a non-public-safety network, when an incident occurs. The token allows access to a data-capture device, and is associated with the incident. The dispatch controller sends the token to the data-capture device, receives a data stream, and forwards the data stream to a public safety wireless communication device. The public safety wireless communication device may itself discover and access the data-capture device, and may receive the data stream directly from the data-capture device. The public safety wireless communication device may forward the data stream and/or the access token to other public safety wireless communication devices.

Claims

1. A method of accessing a data-capture device, by public safety wireless communications equipment during an incident, the method comprising:

a dispatch controller of a public safety wireless communications system;

receiving a token from a server of a non-public safety network at a time of occurrence of an incident, the token allowing access to at least one data-capture device in a domain of the server and the token having an association with the incident;

sending the token to the at least one data-capture device;

receiving a data stream from the at least one data-capture device; and

forwarding the data stream to a public safety wireless communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the dispatch controller receiving the data stream directly from the at least one data-capture device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the dispatch controller receiving the data stream from the at least one data-capture device via the server of the non-public safety network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the dispatch controller;

sending an authentication and access request to an authentication/authorization server; and

receiving the token from the authentication/authorization server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the authentication/authorization server is a public safety authentication and authorization (PSAA) server located in a public safety domain;

and further comprising the PSAA server;

sending the authentication and access request to the server of the non public-safety network;

receiving the token from the server of the non public-safety network; and

forwarding the token to the dispatch controller.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

the PSAA server;

sending the authentication and access request to the server in the non public-safety network via a public-safety meta server.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

in an emergency, the public-safety meta server unlocking one or more non-PS servers or non-PS devices, by;

sending an access token;

or

using stealth mode, whereby authorized and authenticated PS servers obtain access to data capture devices without asking permission from the severs of the non-PS domain.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

the authentication and access request comprising at least one from the following;

an identifier of the incident;

an identifier of the jurisdiction of the public safety wireless communication system;

a geo-location of the incident; and

a geo-fence boundary.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the dispatch controller sending an authentication request from a public safety authentication and authorization (PSAA) server to an ID management server (IDMS);

the IDMS issuing an authentication token to the PSAA server;

the PSAA server or the dispatch controller sending an access request to a plurality of servers in a non public-safety network, the access request comprising the authentication token and an identifier of the incident;

the non-PS domain servers each issuing an access token to the dispatch controller via the PSAA server.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the dispatch controller is a computer aided dispatch (CAD) unit, and further comprising:

the CAD repeatedly polling equipment in the vicinity of the incident, and/or public safety wireless communication devices automatically reporting found data-capture devices, thereby providing an ongoing search for data-capture devices in the vicinity of the incident.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the token allowing access to at least one data-capture device in a domain of a second non-PS server, the token thereby defining an incident vicinity that spans at least two domains.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the server is a private domain server;

the at least one data-capture device is a surveillance camera or a smart phone operated in the private domain, and is not accessible to the public safety wireless communication device without the token; and

the token is associated with the incident by the token defining at least one of;

a geographical boundary of the incident;

a jurisdictional boundary of the incident; and

a security domain.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the dispatch controller;

receives the token from a server in the non public-safety network; and

forwards the token to at least one public safety wireless communication device, thereby assigning a user of the public safety wireless communication device as a responder to the incident.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the dispatch controller;

creating a network of one or more public safety wireless communication devices and one or more data-capture devices at the time of the incident; and

varying membership of the network dynamically, in response to changes to the location and/or severity of the incident, by;

changing the token and/or changing the incident location information in the token, to change a set of data-capture devices covered by the token;

changing a list of public safety wireless communication devices that are provided with the token.

15. A method of accessing a data-capture device by public safety wireless communications equipment during an incident, the method comprising:

a dispatch controller of a public safety wireless communications system;

receiving a token from a server of a non-public safety network at a time of occurrence of an incident, the token allowing access to at least one data-capture device in a domain of the server and the token having an association with the incident;

sending the token to at least one public safety wireless communication device; and

the at least one public safety wireless communication device;

sending the token to the data-capture device or a server of the non-public safety network; and

receiving a data stream directly from the data-capture device or the server of the non-public safety network.

16. A method of accessing a data-capture device by public safety wireless communications equipment during an incident, the method comprising:

a public safety wireless communication device, at a time of an incident;

identifying a non-public safety data-capture device at a location of an incident;

receiving a token directly from a server of a non-public-safety network, the token allowing secure access to the non-public-safety data-capture device at the location of the incident;

sending the token to the non-public-safety data-capture device;

receiving a data stream directly from the non-public-safety data-capture device and/or from the server of the non-public safety network;

sending the token and/or streaming the data stream to one or more other public safety wireless communication devices of a communication group, the public safety wireless communication device being a member of the communication group.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

when the public safety wireless communication device sends the token to the one or more other public safety wireless communication devices of the communication group, at least one of the other public safety wireless communication devices of the communication group;

sending the token to the non-public-safety data-capture device; and

receiving a data stream directly from the data-capture device and/or the server of the of the non-public safety network.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

the one or more other public safety wireless communication devices of the communication group authenticating with the public safety device, prior to the public safety device streaming the data stream to the one or more other public safety wireless communication devices of the communication group.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

one or more wireless communication devices that do not form part of the communication group;

authenticating with the wireless communication device; and

receiving the data stream from the public safety device.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein:

there is a threshold maximum number of wireless devices to which the data-capture device can stream data directly; and

when a number of wireless communication devices wishing to receive the data stream exceeds the threshold maximum number, additional wireless communication devices wishing to receive the data stream only receive the data stream from the public safety device.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein:

wireless communication devices wishing to receive the data stream only receive the data stream directly from the data-capture device when the public safety device cannot provide the data stream.

22. A method of accessing a data-capture device by public safety wireless communications equipment during an incident, the method comprising:

a public safety wireless communication device, at a time of an incident;

identifying a non-public-safety data-capture device at a location of the incident;

receiving a token directly from a server of a non-public-safety network, the token allowing secure access to the non-public-safety data-capture device;

sending the token to a dispatch controller of a public safety wireless communications system;

the dispatch controller of the public safety wireless communications system;

forwarding the token to one or more other public safety wireless communication devices;

or

sending the token to the server of the non-public-safety network, receiving a data stream directly from the server of the non-public-safety network, and forwarding the data stream to the one or more other public safety wireless communication devices.