System and method for automatic storage and retrieval of emergency information

• US 8,036,634 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2009
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: DiMeo, David M., Berry, Joseph J., Wadhwa, Sukhwinder
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Ajit
• Assistant Examiner(s): Navar; Erica
• Application Number:
  US12/406,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20100240337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.9, 455/556.1, 4554041-4042, 4554141-4144, 455 901- 903
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• 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 vehicle communication system may retrieve “in case of emergency” (ICE) information from a wireless device. The ICE information may include contact information, medical information, etc., and may be transferred to an emergency provider, if the vehicle communication system places an emergency call. The information may also be retrieved at some point before an emergency call is placed and stored in a memory circuit of the vehicle communication system.

Claims

1. A vehicle communication system comprising:

a computer processor in communication with a memory;

a transceiver in communication with the processor and operable to communicate with one or more wireless devices;

wherein the processor is operable to establish communication with a first wireless device through the transceiver;

wherein the processor is further operable to search an address book of the first wireless device for in case of emergency (ICE) information;

wherein the processor is operable to transfer the ICE information stored on the first wireless device to the memory;

wherein the processor is further operable to determine if additional wireless devices other than the first wireless device are within communicable range of the transceiver, and wherein the processor is able to establish communication with, search the address books of, and transfer the ICE information stored on the additional wireless devices to the memory for storage;

wherein the memory is operable to store the transferred ICE information and to store an association with the first and/or additional wireless devices from which the transferred ICE information was transferred; and

wherein the processor is operable to detect a presence of one or more wireless devices and to provide to a remote emergency operator, based at least in part on the wireless devices being detected, the transferred ICE information associated with the detected first and/or additional wireless devices having been stored in the memory.

2. The system of claim 1, further including at least one output controllable by the processor, wherein the processor is operable to inform a user of the non-existence of ICE information via the at least one output.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to establish communication with the additional wireless devices sequentially.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to establish communication with a plurality of wireless devices simultaneously.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to connect to an emergency operator through the first wireless device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is operable to retrieve the ICE information from the memory and wherein the processor is further operable to provide the retrieved ICE information to an emergency operator through the connection established through the first wireless device.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is operable to retrieve the ICE information from a connected wireless device and wherein the processor is further operable to provide the retrieved ICE information to an emergency operator.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the transferred ICE information is stored as text information and provided to the emergency operator as text information.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the transferred ICE information is stored as text information, and wherein the processor is operable to convert the text information to speech information and provided to the emergency operator as audible information.

10. A vehicle communication system comprising:

a computer processor in communication with a memory and a transceiver, the transceiver operable to communicate with one or more wireless devices;

wherein the processor is operable to detect one or more wireless devices and is operable to search an address book of one or more detected wireless devices for ICE information and to transfer the found ICE information from each device to the memory;

wherein the processor is further operable to store an association in the memory associating the transferred ICE information with the each device from which the transferred ICE information was transferred; and

wherein, in the event the processor is requested to transfer ICE information to an emergency operator, the processor is operable to determine which transferred ICE information corresponds to the detected wireless devices and transfer the ICE information corresponding to the detected wireless devices to the emergency operator.