Method and apparatus for communicating emergency information using wireless devices

• US 7,574,195 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2006
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Wolf, Thomas G., Krasner, Norman F., Sheynblat, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, PHUOC HUU
• Application Number:
  US11/538,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20070167147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• 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 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing emergency notification by a wireless mobile device in response to triggering a sensor. A detection system, which may be located within a vehicle, comprises one or more sensors configured to sense an emergency event and transmit a message via a wireless link regarding the emergency event. For example, the wireless mobile device may be programmed to call a predetermined emergency number such as E911, and transmit data including position and other information from the mobile device to the emergency number in response to the received message.

Claims

1. A wireless mobile device comprising:

a notification system electrically configured to process an event message received from an event detection system, said event message selected by said notification system based on a set of preprogrammed messages, the event detection system and notification system included within the wireless mobile device;

a position location system electrically coupled to said notification system that provides position information upon request from said notification system; and

a two-way wireless mobile telecommunications system electrically coupled to said notification system;

wherein said telecommunications system is configured to call a given number upon request from said notification system and to provide a data transmission including said position information and an event reporting message based on said event message during said call.

2. The wireless mobile device of claim 1, wherein said two-way telecommunications system comprises a cellular telephone.

3. The wireless mobile device of claim 1, wherein said position location comprises a GPS receiver.

4. The wireless mobile device of claim 1, wherein the event detection system included within the wireless mobile device is configured to communicate with the notification system via an electrical connection.

5. The wireless mobile device of claim 1, wherein said event reporting message includes transmitting at least one of sensor information or vehicular information.

6. The wireless mobile device of claim 1, wherein said notification system is configured to process event messages received from said event detection system.

7. The wireless mobile device of claim 1, wherein said number is configured to send a request for additional information in response to said data transmission, and wherein said notification system is configured to respond to said request for additional information by sending at least one additional data transmission.

8. The wireless mobile device of claim 1, wherein said position information comprises one of a latitude and longitude of said mobile device, a plurality of GPS pseudo-ranges, and a plurality of relative times-of-arrivals of signals from a plurality of base stations.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the event message is provided to the notification system in response to the event detection system detecting that one or more airbags of a vehicle have released.

10. A method of providing automatic notification by a wireless mobile device due to a vehicular event within a vehicle, comprising:

sensing said vehicular event with a sensor within said vehicle;

selecting an event message based on a set of preprogrammed messages with a processor electrically coupled to said sensor,

transmitting said event message from an event detection system within the wireless mobile device and located within said vehicle;

receiving said message from the event detection system at a notification system contained within the wireless mobile device;

determining position information of said wireless mobile device;

automatically calling a number in response to said message using said wireless mobile device; and

transmitting an event reporting message based on said event message and said position information from said wireless mobile device to said number.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said vehicular event comprises at least one of airbag deployment, abrupt deceleration, or detection of a poisonous gas.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of transmitting said event reporting message includes transmitting at least one of sensor information or vehicular information.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of transmitting said event reporting message and said position information further comprises transmitting at least one of electronic data, synthesized voice data, or actual voice communication.

14. A method of providing emergency notification by a wireless mobile device in response to triggering of a sensor, comprising:

sensing an event by said sensor,

selecting an event message based on a set of preprogrammed messages with a processor electrically coupled to said sensor;

transmitting said event message from an event detection system electrically coupled to said sensor, the event detection system contained within the wireless mobile device;

receiving said message from the event detection system at a notification system contained within said wireless mobile device;

determining position information of one of said wireless transmitter or said wireless mobile device;

calling a number using said wireless mobile device in response to said message; and

transmitting data, including said position information and an event reporting message based on said event message, from said wireless mobile device to said number.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of sensing an event comprises sensing said event within a vehicle, and said sensor is located within said vehicle.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of sensing an event comprises sensing said event within a structure, and said sensor is located within said structure.

17. A detection system for sensing an emergency event within a vehicle and transmitting a short range message about the event to a wireless mobile device that can communicate with a remote emergency response service, the detection system being integrated within the wireless mobile device, and comprising:

a sensor configured to sense said emergency event within a vehicle;

a detection system processor electrically coupled to said sensor and configured to process data received from said sensor and select an event message based on a set of preprogrammed messages; and

an electronic communication link within the wireless mobile device configured to transmit an event reporting message based on the selected event message from the detection system to a notification system contained within the mobile device, said event reporting message including information received from said sensor and information indicative of an emergency, thereby informing the wireless mobile device of an emergency situation, which in response thereto communicates the event reporting message to the emergency response service and wherein the event reporting message comprises a message portion recognizable by the emergency response service.

18. The detection system of claim 17, wherein said sensor comprises one of an accelerometer, airbag release sensor, heat sensor, fire detector, and impact sensor.

19. The detection system of claim 17, wherein the event reporting message comprises a request for emergency assistance from at least one of medical personnel, police department, or fire department.

20. The detection system of claim 17, wherein the event reporting message comprises data indicating a priority level of emergency to be transmitted to the emergency response service.

21. The detection system of claim 17, wherein the electronic communication link utilizes a wired communication protocol.

22. A method of using a wireless mobile device to notify an emergency response service in response to an emergency event, comprising:

sensing said emergency event by a sensor;

selecting an event message based on a set of preprogrammed messages based on the sensed emergency event;

generating an event reporting message based on the selected event message, said event reporting message including information received from said sensor and information indicative of the emergency event;

determining position information of said wireless mobile device; and

in response to said event reporting message, communicating said event reporting message and said position information from said wireless mobile device to said emergency response service,

wherein the sensing, selecting, generating and determining steps are each performed at the wireless mobile device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of sensing an emergency event comprises sensing said event within a structure, and said sensor is located within the wireless mobile device at said structure.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of sensing an emergency event comprises sensing said event within a vehicle, and said sensor is located within the wireless mobile device at said vehicle.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said event within said vehicle comprises at least one of airbag deployment, abrupt deceleration, or detection of a poisonous gas.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the event reporting message includes vehicular information.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of communicating said event reporting message and said position information further comprises communicating at least one of electronic data, synthesized voice data, or actual voice communication.

28. An apparatus for providing automatic notification by a wireless mobile device due to a vehicular event within a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

means for sensing said vehicular event with a sensor within said vehicle;

means for selecting an event message based on a set of preprogrammed messages with a processor electrically coupled to said sensor,

means for transmitting said event message from an event detection system within the wireless mobile device and located within said vehicle;

means for receiving said message from the event detection system at a notification system contained within the wireless mobile device;

means for determining position information of said wireless mobile device;

means for automatically calling a number in response to said message using said wireless mobile device; and

means for transmitting an event reporting message based on said event message and said position information from said wireless mobile device to said number.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said vehicular event comprises at least one of airbag deployment, abrupt deceleration, or detection of a poisonous gas.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the means for transmitting said event reporting message includes means for transmitting at least one of sensor information or vehicular information.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the means for transmitting said event reporting message and said position information further comprises means for transmitting at least one of electronic data, synthesized voice data, or actual voice communication.

32. A computer-readable medium encoded with instructions capable of being executed by a computer for providing emergency notification by a wireless mobile device in response to triggering of a sensor, comprising:

program code to sense an event by said sensor,

program code to select an event message based on a set of preprogrammed messages with a processor electrically coupled to said sensor;

program code to transmit said event message from an event detection system electrically coupled to said sensor, the event detection system contained within the wireless mobile device;

receiving said message from the event detection system at a notification system contained within said wireless mobile device;

program code to determine position information of one of said wireless transmitter or said wireless mobile device;

program code to call a number using said wireless mobile device in response to said message; and

program code to transmit data, including said position information and an event reporting message based on said event message, from said wireless mobile device to said number.