System and method for call management

• US 9,992,655 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2017
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rapidsos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rapidsos, Inc.
• Inventors: Anand, Preet, Antypas, Peter, Osipovas, Motiejus
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghulamali, Qutbuddin
• Application Number:
  US15/436,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20170171735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 3404042, 4554042
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• 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 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/12 Application layer protocols, e.g. WAP [Wireless Application Protocol]

Abstract

A system and method are provided in accordance with the various aspects of the invention that enhance the information regarding a caller and a call location. Such calls are typically sent to a dispatcher that handles urgent or emergency calls. The information provided can be in the form of a message that is includes specifics about the call initiator and the nature of and/or reason for the call; a message that is converted to verbal form from text-to-speech; and/or the message may include location information, especially as it relates to representing a wireless device as a landline location based on nearby communication options, such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth beacons.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a location of a wireless device and sending an emergency communication to an emergency service, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a user request from the wireless device to send the emergency communication;

(b) obtaining initial latitude and longitude coordinates for the wireless device;

(c) refining the initial latitude and longitude coordinates by comparing relative signal strengths of nearby access points with locations of the nearby access points stored on a database to obtain a refined location, wherein the nearby access points comprise at least one Wi-Fi or Bluetooth access point;

(d) providing the refined location of the wireless device to the emergency service by writing the refined location to an emergency database associated with the emergency communication, wherein the refined location is provided to the emergency service after multiple location sensor inputs are used to enhance location accuracy of the wireless device; and

(e) sending the emergency communication to the emergency service only after the refined location has been written to the emergency database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein refining the initial latitude and longitude coordinates of the wireless device comprises using timing information of a signal path between the wireless device and a wireless network transmitter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the coordinates of the wireless device are enhanced using a power-difference-of-arrival technique with multiple beacons, each beacon comprising a beacon ID and signal power level.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein refining the initial latitude and longitude coordinates comprises accessing a database comprising beacon IDs, beacon power levels, beacon geographical locations, or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the beacon IDs comprise a Media Access Control (MAC) address, a Temporary Mobile Station Identifier, or an Internet Protocol address.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial latitude and longitude coordinates are GPS coordinates.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the refined location comprises Wi-Fi refined longitude and latitude GPS coordinates that are referenced against a lookup database that stores lookup information to obtain an identifiable address by reverse geo-coding.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the refined location of the wireless device is determined using radio messaging between the wireless device and the nearby access points, wherein the nearby access points are selected from the group consisting of cellular system, WiMAN, WiMAX, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, and any combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the refined location and an identity of the wireless device is determined from physical or virtual network identifiers.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is identified by USIM, IMEI, Cell ID, or a telephone number.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless device transmits and receives the refined location as web content information using WAP or HTTP technology.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency communication is routed to the emergency service and a third party.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a series of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform steps comprising:

(a) receiving a user request from a wireless device to send an emergency communication to an emergency service;

(b) obtaining initial latitude and longitude coordinates for the wireless device;

(c) refining the initial latitude and longitude coordinates by comparing relative signal strengths of nearby access points with locations of the nearby access points stored on a database to obtain a refined location, wherein the nearby access points comprise at least one Wi-Fi or Bluetooth access point;

(d) providing the refined location of the wireless device to the emergency service by writing the refined location to an emergency database associated with the emergency communication, wherein the refined location is provided to the emergency service after multiple location sensor inputs are used to enhance location accuracy of the wireless device; and

(e) sending the emergency communication to the emergency service only after the refined location has been written to the emergency database.

14. The medium of claim 13, wherein the initial latitude and longitude coordinates of the wireless device are refined using timing information of a signal path between the wireless device and a wireless network transmitter.

15. The medium of claim 13, wherein the coordinates of the wireless device are enhanced using a power-difference-of-arrival technique with multiple beacons, each beacon comprising a beacon ID and signal power level.

16. The medium of claim 13, wherein the database in step (c) comprises access point IDs, power levels, geographical locations, or any combination thereof.

17. The medium of claim 13, wherein the refined location comprises Wi-Fi refined longitude and latitude GPS coordinates that are referenced against a lookup database that stores lookup information to obtain an identifiable address by reverse geo-coding.

18. The medium of claim 13, wherein the series of instructions cause the processor to update the refined location in the emergency database.

19. A wireless device comprising at least one processor, at least one receiver operably connected to the at least one processor, and at least one memory, wherein the device further comprises:

(a) an interface module receiving a request from a user to send an emergency communication to an emergency service;

(b) a control module obtaining initial latitude and longitude coordinates for the wireless device and refining the initial latitude and longitude coordinates by comparing relative signal strengths of nearby access points with locations of the nearby access points stored on a database to obtain a refined location, wherein the nearby access points comprise at least one Wi-Fi or Bluetooth access point;

(c) a communication module providing the refined location of the wireless device to the emergency service by writing the refined location to an emergency database associated with the emergency communication, wherein the refined location is provided to the emergency service after multiple location sensor inputs are used to enhance location accuracy of the wireless device; and

(d) sending the emergency communication to the emergency service only after the refined location has been written to the emergency database.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein refining the initial latitude and longitude coordinates of the wireless device comprises using timing information of a signal path between the wireless device and a wireless network transmitter.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the coordinates of the wireless device are enhanced using a power-difference-of-arrival technique with multiple beacons, each beacon comprising a beacon ID and signal power level.

22. The device of claim 19, wherein refining the initial latitude and longitude coordinates comprises accessing a database comprising beacon IDs, beacon power levels, network transmitter geographical locations, or any combination thereof.

23. The device of claim 19, wherein the nearby access points are configured to communicate with the wireless device using IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.16, IEEE 802.15, Bluetooth, ultra wideband, RF, RFID, IRDA, WLAN, WiMAX, or WPAN.

24. The device of claim 19, wherein the refined location comprises Wi-Fi refined longitude and latitude coordinates that are referenced against a lookup database that stores lookup information to obtain an identifiable address by reverse geo-coding.

25. The device of claim 19, wherein the communication module updates the refined location of the wireless device on the emergency database.

26. A system for providing a location of a wireless device and sending an emergency communication to an emergency service, the system comprising:

(a) the wireless device comprising a user interface for receiving a request to send the emergency communication to the emergency service;

(b) a database for storing location information for the wireless device, the location information comprising initial latitude and longitude coordinates of the wireless device; and

(c) a computing device configured to perform steps comprising;

i) receiving the request to send the emergency communication to the emergency service;

ii) obtaining the initial latitude and longitude coordinates of the wireless device and refining the initial latitude and longitude coordinates by comparing relative signal strengths of nearby access points with locations of the nearby access points stored on a database to obtain a refined location, wherein the nearby access points comprise at least one Wi-Fi or Bluetooth access point;

iii) providing the refined location of the wireless device to the emergency service by writing the refined location to an emergency database associated with the emergency communication, wherein the refined location is provided to the emergency service after multiple location sensor inputs are used to enhance location accuracy of the wireless device; and

iv) sending the emergency communication to the emergency service only after the refined location has been written to the emergency database.