Systems, devices and methods to communicate public safety information

• US 9,135,808 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2012
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James Petrizzi
• Original Assignee: James Vincent Petrizzi
• Inventors: Johnson, Jeffrey Douglas, Petrizzi, James Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V
• Application Number:
  US13/717,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20150206419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.12, 340/539.13, 340/539.25, 340/425.5, 340/426.16, 340/426.1, 340/426.28, 340/540, 348/148, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 701/36, 701/117
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19621 Portable camera
• 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 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/001 Signalling to an emergency team, e.g. firemen
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

Systems, devices and/or methods include communication of information, such as real-time rich media (e.g., video and audio) to, from and/or between a mobile first responder, such as remote public safety field personnel for public safety applications. Sensor data may be captured, stored, or transmitted and disseminated in real-time or on a schedule from field officers or their vehicles, based on one or more defined rules. In some examples, communication priority may be determined in response to detecting one or more events at a location of a mobile first responder.

Claims

1. A method wireless communication, comprising:

detecting one or more events at a location of a mobile first responder;

determining a communication priority level in response to the detecting of one or more events;

establishing a first wireless communication from the mobile first responder in a wireless communication system having a plurality of communication priority levels including the determined communication priority level, the determined wireless communication priority level being assigned to the first wireless communication,

wherein the wireless communication system is configured to be responsive to the priority level to determine at least one of the following;

a bandwidth assigned to the first wireless communication;

a quality of service of the first wireless communication;

whether to terminate a communication link of the wireless communication system;

whether to create a communication link of the wireless communication system;

whether to provide an alert to a party receiving the first wireless communication;

whether to display media sent with the first wireless communication;

how to route media sent with the first wireless communication; and

with whom to establish the first wireless communication.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a threat level to the mobile first responder based upon the detecting of the one or more events; and

determining the communication priority level in response to the determined threat level.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the detecting one or more events comprises detecting a change in the state of a weapon of the first responder.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the detecting one or more events comprises detecting at least one of:

unholstering a weapon, putting a safety mechanism of a weapon in an off state, firing a weapon and deploying a weapon.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the detecting one or more events comprises detecting a stress level of the first responder.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein detecting the stress level of the first responder comprises monitoring a heart rate of the first responder.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting one or more events comprises detecting the status of a vehicle associated with the first responder.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting the status of the vehicle associated with the first responder comprises detecting a speed of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting the status of the vehicle associated with the first responder comprises detecting a speed of the vehicle higher than a first value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first value is a fixed value or a value determined based upon a location of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting a speed of the vehicle comprises determining that the vehicle has stopped.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining locations that are typical for stopping a vehicle, and determining that the vehicle has stopped at a location that is not one of the locations determined to be typical for stopping a vehicle.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting the status of the vehicle comprises detecting an opening of a door of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting the status of the vehicle comprises detecting turning on at least one of a siren or emergency lights of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting the status of the vehicle comprises detecting a deployment of airbags.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein the detecting the status of the vehicle comprises detecting that the vehicle has been in an accident.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication priority levels of the wireless communication system are used by the wireless communication system to determine the bandwidth of the first wireless communication link of the wireless communication system.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication priority levels are used by the communication system to determine which of plural communication links of the wireless communication system to terminate in the event of over congestion of the communication system.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a first wireless communication with the mobile first responder and an additional party, wherein the additional party is selected in response to the determined communication priority level.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the additional party is a central command station.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein establishing the first wireless communication with the first mobile responder is automatically established in response to the detecting of the one or more events.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the additional party is one or more additional first responders.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the one or more additional first responders are selected for receiving the first wireless communication based upon respective one or more locations one or more additional first responders.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the one or more additional first responders are selected for receiving the first wireless communication based upon an authority rank associated with the one or more additional first responders.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

the additional party selecting rules for receiving communications, and

establishing a first wireless communication with the mobile first responder and the additional party in response to the determined communication priority level and the rules selected by the additional party.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the first wireless communication with the first mobile responder is automatically established in response to the detecting of the one or more events.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the first wireless communication transmits images taken from the location of the first responder.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the images taken from the location of the first responder are transmitted in real time.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the images are video images.

30. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

at a location of a first mobile responder, receiving, via a wireless communication system, a wireless communication request from a second first responder to establish a wireless communication with a communications device;

a first priority level associated with the wireless communication request; and

determining whether to accept the wireless communication request to establish immediate communication with the first responder in response to the priority level;

wherein the first priority level represents a determination responsive to detecting one or more events at a location of the second first responder,

wherein the wireless communication system comprises a plurality of priority levels including the first priority level,

wherein the wireless communication system is configured to be responsive to the first priority level to determine at least one of the following;

a bandwidth assigned to the wireless communication;

a quality of service of the wireless communication;

whether to terminate a communication link of the wireless communication system;

whether to create a communication link of the wireless communication system;

whether to provide an alert to a party receiving the wireless communication;

whether to display media sent with the wireless communication;

how to route media sent with the wireless communication; and

with whom to establish the wireless communication.

31. The method of claim 30,

wherein the communications device provides a first indication of the first priority level associated with the wireless communication request to assist the first responder in determining whether or not to accept the wireless communication request.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

by a user interface of the communications device, setting one or more rules; and

determining whether to accept the wireless communication request in response to the first priority level and the one or more rules.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

selecting the first indication from a plurality of different types of indications in response to the setting of one or more rules.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the first indication comprises at least one of a display, sound and vibration.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the first indication is a picture-in-picture within a display.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the picture-in-picture display is a video.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein accepting the wireless communication request comprises expanding a size of the video in the display.

38. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

setting a first rule set of one or more rules for a first time period and setting a second rule set of one or more rules for a second time period, the first rule set being different than the second rule set.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

during the first time period, receiving a first wireless communication request to establish a wireless communication with the communications device and one of the plurality of priority levels associated with the first wireless communication request; and

during the second time period, receiving a second wireless communication request to establish a wireless communication with the communications device and the one of the plurality of priority levels associated with the second wireless communication request;

in response to the first set of rules and the one of the pluralities of priority levels, accepting the first wireless communication request to establish immediate communication with the first responder;

in response to the second set of rules and the one of the pluralities of priority levels, preventing or delaying the second wireless communication request to establish communication with the first responder.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

during the second time period, receiving a third wireless communication request to establish a wireless communication with the communications device and a second priority level associated with the second wireless communication request; and

in response to the second set of rules and the second priority level, accepting the third wireless communication request.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein in response to the second set of rules and the one of the plurality of priority levels, storing at the communications device a communication associated with the second wireless communication request.

42. The method of claim 31, wherein the first indication is an alphanumeric indication.

43. A mobile communications device, comprising:

one or more sensors configured to sense respective information at the location of the mobile communications device and to provide respective sensor data;

a rules engine processor configured to receive the sensor data, to analyze the sensor data to detect one or more events, and to determine a communications priority level based on the detected one or more events; and

a transmitter configured to establish a communication over a wireless communication network having a plurality of communication priority levels including the communications priority level determined by the rules engine processor, the communications priority level effective to determine a communications mode for the communication by the wireless communication network,

wherein the communication comprises a wireless communication,

wherein the wireless communication network is configured to be responsive to the communications priority level to determine at least one of the following;

a bandwidth assigned to the communication;

a quality of service of the communication;

whether to terminate a communication link of the wireless communication network;

whether to create a communication link of the wireless communication network;

whether to provide an alert to a party receiving the communication;

whether to display media sent with the communication;

how to route media sent with the communication; and

with whom to establish the communication.

44. The mobile communications device of claim 43, further comprising a processor configured to automatically initiate a transmission of sensor data information with the communication.