Emergency report cellular phone, cellular connection switching method and GPS positioning method

• US 7,127,229 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2002
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Uniden Corporation (Cornwall Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: Uniden Corporation (Cornwall Capital Management LP)
• Inventors: Akiyama, Masaru, Sekine, Kenji, Takahashi, Toshihiro, Miyamoto, Katsuhiro, Abe, Norio, Yoshida, Jun, Yuasa, Toshiaki, Iwakuni, Mikio, Kunimitsu, Teruhide, Kogure, Tadashi, Baba, Yoshihiko, Kaneda, Katsuya, Konishi, Shuji, Ohki, Isao, Suzuki, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson, Matthew D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRINH, TAN H
• Application Number:
  US10/233,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20030050039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,511 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/321, 455/456.1, 455/575.9, 455/434, 455/404.2, 455/521, 455/414.1, 381/104
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/006 for emergency situations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72421 with automatic activation of emergency service functions, e.g. upon sensing an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72424 with manual activation of emergency-service functions
• 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 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to provide a cellular phone to be used for emergency reports that performs GPS positioning by means of remote control from an emergency report center, and transmits positional information to the emergency report center. The emergency report cellular phone according to the present invention is constituted such that when an emergency report switch thereof is depressed, a call request is made to the emergency report center. The emergency report center transmits a response signal with the result that a call link is formed between the emergency report cellular phone and the emergency report center. Following completion of the telephone call, the emergency report center transmits a position recalculation command message, by means of a DTMF signal. The emergency report cellular phone, which has received this command message, performs GPS positioning and then converts latitudinal and longitudinal information to a DTMF signal before transmitting same to the emergency report center. As a result, even in a case where, in a time of emergency, a reporting party is unable to perform GPS positioning manually as a result of a poor physical condition, for example, since GPS positioning is possible by means of remote control, it is possible to rescue the reporting party in a rapid and reliable manner.

Claims

1. An emergency report cellular phone, comprising:

a microphone and a speaker, which are employed for interaction with an emergency report center and which implement a speaker phone function;

a siren for notification of a state of emergency;

a drive section, which, so that a reporting party interacts with the emergency report center by means of said speaker phone function, intermittently drives the siren; and

a wireless communications section, which, when the siren function of said siren is ON, and at a time when said siren is not being driven, performs data communications with the emergency report center via an analog wireless line.

2. An emergency report cellular phone, comprising:

a system controller containing a siren intermittent drive section for intermittently driving a siren, and a communications enable signal generating section, which, on the basis of an intermittent siren drive signal, outputs a communications enable signal;

a memory, which stores information for connections;

a cellular transceiver section, which connects to a cellular system to transmit and receive data and/or voice signals;

a voice processing section, which contains a DTMF encoder for data communications and which is for voice communications with the emergency report center via said cellular system;

a DTMF decoder, which decodes DTMF signals transmitted from the emergency report center and then outputs the decoded result to said system controller;

a speaker and a microphone, which are connected with said voice processing section; and

a siren, which is driven by the intermittent siren drive signal and which performs notification of a state of emergency to the surrounding area;

wherein, even in a state in which the siren function is ON on the basis of said communications enable signal, said emergency report cellular phone performs data communications at a time when said siren is not being driven.

3. The emergency report cellular phone according to claim 2, wherein said communications enable signal generating section outputs said communications enable signal by inverting the logic of the siren drive signal.

4. The emergency report cellular phone according to claim 2, wherein an edge of said communications enable signal indicating a communications enabled state is delayed from an edge of the siren drive signal indicating drive OFF by a period from stoppage of said siren until the power supply voltage of the device returns to normal.

5. The emergency report cellular phone according to claim 2, wherein, when said communications enable signal generating section generates said communications enable signal, an edge of said communications enable signal indicating a communications disabled state is substantially synchronous with an edge of the siren drive signal indicating drive ON.

6. An emergency report cellular phone, comprising:

a system controller, which contains a connection system switching section for connecting to a plurality of cellular systems;

a memory, which stores information for connections;

a cellular transceiver section, which connects to a cellular system to transmit and receive data and/or voice signals;

a voice processing section, which contains a DTMF encoder for data communications by means of DTMF signals, and which is for voice communications with an emergency report center via said cellular systems;

a DTMF decoder, which decodes DTMF signals transmitted from said emergency report center and then outputs the decoded result to said system controller;

a microphone and a speaker, which are connected with said voice processing section;

a siren, which performs notification of a state of emergency; and

a timer for judging processing time out, wherein said memory stores system A connection information, system B connection information, and a maximum connection frequency, and said connection system switching section uses a system A and a system B on the basis of the content of said memory and the output of said timer and following a predetermined procedure such that while the connection system switching section performs connection processing with respect to a preset first telephone number, when connection with respect to said first telephone number is not possible, same performs connection processing with respect to a preset second telephone number, wherein said connection system switching section sets systems for connection as preset systems;

on the basis of the system A connection information or system B connection information stored in said memory, connects to said first telephone number or said second telephone number;

activates said timer;

according to whether a user identification request signal is received, judges whether or not a connection has been established;

on the basis of the output of said timer, judges whether or not time out is effected; and

, when the time out judgement frequency is no more than the maximum connection frequency stored in said memory, switches the system for connection, and once more repeats the connection with respect to said first telephone number or said second telephone number.

7. An emergency report cellular phone, comprising:

a system controller, which contains a connection system switching section for connecting to a plurality of cellular systems;

a memory, which stores information for connections;

a cellular transceiver section, which connects to a cellular system to transmit and receive data and/or voice signals;

a voice processing section, which contains a DTMF encoder for data communications by means of DTMF signals, and which is for voice communications with an emergency report center via said cellular systems;

a DTMF decoder, which decodes DTMF signals transmitted from said emergency report center and then outputs the decoded result to said system controller;

a microphone and a speaker, which are connected with said voice processing section;

a siren, which performs notification of a state of emergency; and

a timer for judging processing time out, wherein said memory stores system A connection information, system B connection information, and a maximum connection freciuency, and said connection system switching section uses a system A and a system B on the basis of the content of said memory and the output of said timer and following a predetermined procedure such that while the connection system switching section performs connection processing with respect to a preset first telephone number, when connection with respect to said first telephone number is not possible, same performs connection processing with respect to a preset second telephone number, wherein said connection system switching section sets systems for connection as preset systems;

on the basis of the system A connection information or said system B connection information stored in said memory, connects to said first telephone number or said second telephone number;

sets a start channel of a control channel search;

judges whether or not connection is possible in accordance with the existence or non-existence of a control channel;

judges whether or not a final channel of a control channel search has been reached; and

, when the frequency of judging whether or not the final channel has been reached is no more than the maximum connection frequency stored in said memory, switches the system for connection, and once more repeats the connection with respect to said first telephone number or said second telephone number.

8. An emergency report cellular phone, comprising:

a system controller, which contains a connection system switching section for connecting to a plurality of cellular systems;

a memory, which stores information for connections;

a cellular transceiver section, which connects to a cellular system to transmit and receive data and/or voice signals;

a voice processing section, which contains a DTMF encoder for data communications by means of DTMF signals, and which is for voice communications with an emergency report center via said cellular systems;

a DTMF decoder, which decodes DTMF signals transmitted from said emergency report center and then outputs the decoded result to said system controller;

a microphone and a speaker, which are connected with said voice processing section;

a siren, which performs notification of a state of emergency; and

a timer for judging processing time out, wherein said memory stores system A connection information, system B connection information, and a maximum connection frequency, and said connection system switching section uses a system A and a system B on the basis of the content of said memory and the output of said timer and following a predetermined procedure such that while the connection system switching section performs connection processing with respect to a preset first telephone number, when connection with respect to said first telephone number is not possible, same performs connection processing with respect to a preset second telephone number, wherein said connection system switching section sets systems for connection as preset systems;

on the basis of the system A connection information or said system B connection information stored in said memory, connects to said first telephone number or said second telephone number;

activates said timer;

according to whether or not origination is successful, judges whether or not a connection has been established;

on the basis of the output of said timer, judges whether or not time out is effected; and

, when said time out judgement frequency is no more than the maximum connection frequency stored in said memory, switches the system for connection, and once more repeats the connection with respect to said first telephone number or said second telephone number.