U.S. patent application number 13/657044 was filed with the patent office on 2013-02-21 for automatic emergency call notification to pre-designated personal emergency contacts.
The applicant listed for this patent is Gordon John Hines, Brandon Nguyen, Elisabeth Townsdin. Invention is credited to Gordon John Hines, Brandon Nguyen, Elisabeth Townsdin.
Application Number | 20130045708 13/657044 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39184279 |
Filed Date | 2013-02-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130045708 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nguyen; Brandon ; et
al. |
February 21, 2013 |
Automatic Emergency Call Notification to Pre-Designated Personal
Emergency Contacts
Abstract
Automatic notification is provided to pre-designated emergency
contacts for a given wireless subscriber upon the occurrence of an
emergency call from the subscriber. Triggering for the automatic
notification may take place at an appropriate time in the emergency
call, e.g., at a time the emergency call is received, at a time
during the emergency call after a current location of the emergency
caller is obtained by the emergency network, once the emergency
call terminates, after a set amount of time after the emergency
call is received, terminates, etc. The automatic notification is
preferably made using voice over Internet Protocol (VolP), but may
instead be pre-designated by the subscriber to be in an alternative
mode, e.g., by SMS, switched telephone, etc. An option is included
for the emergency caller to cancel the automatic notification. The
location of the emergency caller may be configurably provided to a
notified emergency contact.
Inventors: |
Nguyen; Brandon; (Renton,
WA) ; Townsdin; Elisabeth; (Seattle, WA) ;
Hines; Gordon John; (Kirkland, WA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Nguyen; Brandon
Townsdin; Elisabeth
Hines; Gordon John |
Renton
Seattle
Kirkland |
WA
WA
WA |
US
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
39184279 |
Appl. No.: |
13/657044 |
Filed: |
October 22, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11898237 |
Sep 11, 2007 |
8295445 |
|
|
13657044 |
|
|
|
|
60843507 |
Sep 11, 2006 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
455/404.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G08B 25/006 20130101;
H04M 11/04 20130101; H04M 2242/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
455/404.1 |
International
Class: |
H04W 4/22 20090101
H04W004/22 |
Claims
1-20. (canceled)
21. A method of automatically notifying a pre-designated emergency
contact relating to an emergency communication, comprising:
receiving an emergency communication from a given subscriber
device; and determining at least one pre-designated emergency
contact to be automatically contacted subsequent to said receipt of
said emergency communication, generating said contact notification
message to be sent to said at least one pre-designated emergency
contact, and sending said generated contact notification message to
said at least one pre-designated emergency contact, when a
cancelation request is not received from said given subscriber
device.
22. The method of automatically notifying a pre-designated
emergency contact relating to an emergency communication according
to claim 21, wherein: said generated contact notification message
is sent via a pre-configured method.
23. The method of automatically notifying a pre-designated
emergency contact relating to an emergency communication according
to claim 22, wherein said pre-configured method is at least one of:
an text message; an email; and an audio communication with a
pre-recorded message.
24. The method of automatically notifying a pre-designated
emergency contact relating to an emergency communication according
to claim 22, wherein said pre-configured method is: an text
message.
25. The method of automatically notifying a pre-designated
emergency contact relating to an emergency communication according
to claim 22, wherein sad pre-configured method is: an email.
26. The method of automatically notifying a pre-designated
emergency contact relating to an emergency communication according
to claim 22, wherein said pre-configured method is: an audio call
with a pre-recorded message.
27. The method of automatically notifying a pre-designated
emergency contact relating to an emergency communication according
to claim 21, wherein: said emergency communication is received over
an audio communication network.
28. The method of automatically notifying a pre-designated
emergency contact relating to an emergency communication according
to claim 21 wherein: said contact notification message is sent via
an audio communication network.
29. A notification engine for automatically notifying a
pre-designated emergency contact relating to an emergency
communication, comprising: a receiver to receive an emergency
communication from a given subscriber device; a determiner to
determine at least one pre-designated emergency contact to be
automatically contacted subsequent to said receipt of said
emergency communication; a generator to generate said contact
notification message to be sent to said at least one pre-designated
emergency contact; and a transmitter to transmit said generated
contact notification message to said at least one pre-designated
emergency contact, when a cancelation request is not received from
said given subscriber device.
30. The notification engine for automatically notifying a
pre-designated emergency contact relating to an emergency
communication according to claim 29, wherein: said generated
contact notification message is sent via a ore-configured
method.
31. The notification engine for automatically notifying a
pre-designated emergency contact relating to an emergency
communication according to claim 30, wherein said pre-configured
method is at least one of: an text message; an email; and an audio
call with a pre-recorded message.
32. The notification engine for automatically notifying a
pre-designated emergency contact relating to an emergency
communication according to claim 30, wherein said pre-configured
method is: an text message.
33. The notification engine for automatically notifying a
pre-designated emergency contact relating to an emergency
communication according to claim 30, wherein said pre-configured
method is: an email.
34. The notification engine for automatically notifying a
pre-designated emergency contact relating to an emergency
communication according to claim 30, wherein: said pre-configured
method is an audio call with a pre-recorded message.
35. The notification engine for automatically notifying a
pre-designated emergency contact relating to an emergency
communication according to claim 29, wherein: said emergency
communication is received over a voice over an audio call
communication network.
36. The notification engine for automatically notifying a
pre-designated emergency contact relating to an emergency
communication according to claim 29, wherein: said contact
notification message is sent via an audio call communication
network.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 60/843,507, filed Sep. 11, 2006, entitled
"Automatic Emergency Call Notification To Pre-Designated Personal
Emergency Contacts" to Nguyen et al., the entirety of which is
expressly incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates generally to wireless
telecommunications. More particularly, it relates to cellular
subscriber add-on services (voice and short message system (SMS)),
applicable to voice over Internet protocol (VolP) networks.
[0004] 2. Background of the Related Art
[0005] When a wireless phone subscriber is involved in an emergency
event, family, friends and loved ones will likely be concerned. If
the subscriber is disabled in the emergency event, many times
proper notification to the family, friends and loved ones is at
best significantly delayed, if made at all. Additionally, if a
loved one begins to suspect that the wireless subscriber may have
been in an emergency event, perhaps because of the significantly
delayed arrival, the loved one may not know the general location of
the wireless subscriber, especially if the subscriber is traveling.
This can be a frustrating and heartbreaking experience for the
loved one who does not know which police department, highway
patrol, or hospital(s) to query for information about the
subscriber's well being. Moreover, important time for both the
loved one searching for the subscriber as well as the responders
(e.g., public safety answering point (PSAP), police, hospital,
etc.) is wasted during search efforts.
[0006] FIG. 4 shows relevant portions of a conventional emergency
call made from a subscriber phone.
[0007] In particular, as shown in FIG. 4, a subscriber 300 makes a
911 call, which is routed via an existing 911 call solution 302.
For instance, if the subscriber 300 is making the call via a
landline telephone, then the 911 call will be routed via switched
telephone technology to an appropriate public safety answering
point (PSAP). If, on the other hand, the subscriber 300 is a
wireless phone, the actual location of the subscriber 300 may not
be accurately known, and so the 911 call might be routed to an
emergency call center, which in turn determines an appropriate
PSAP.
[0008] Conventional personal emergency response monitoring services
attempt to solve this type of problem. With a conventional personal
emergency response monitoring service, a subscriber purchases a
monitoring device for use exclusively in the subscriber's home.
Then, during an emergency event, the subscriber uses the device to
contact the call center of their personal emergency response
monitoring service. The call center of the personal emergency
response monitoring service handles the call directly, and contacts
emergency services or loved ones that the monitoring service deems
necessary.
[0009] According to these conventional systems, contact people are
designated in advance by the subscriber, and are called by the
monitoring service at the time of an emergency. If at the time of
the emergency no responder can be contacted, emergency medical
dispatchers at the monitoring service would notify an appropriate
police department, ambulance company or fire department about the
emergency situation.
[0010] For instance, one personal emergency response monitoring
service is provided by Lifecare Ambulance Service.TM.
(http://www.lifecareems.org/pers.htm). Such conventional systems
are a personal alert system for emergency situations allowing a
person, e.g., who is physically unable to seek help in more
traditional ways, to contact trained emergency medical dispatchers
with the touch of a single button. When the help needed button is
activated, emergency medical dispatchers first talk to the
subscriber to determine what the problem is. If the subscriber does
not answer, contact is made by the monitoring service with a
friend, relative, or neighbor who can help.
[0011] Personal emergency response monitoring services generally
utilize private, third-party vendors that may not be held to
proven, government-approved 911 infrastructures. For instance,
personal emergency monitoring services 911 alerts go directly to
the vendor, often bypassing routing to the government-approved and
supported public safety answering points (PSAPs), which have the
best training to handle an emergency and contact the appropriate
responder(s), e.g., fire, medical, police, etc.
[0012] Moreover, conventional personal emergency monitoring
services typically do not function fully or well for wireless
(portable) subscribers. For instance, conventional personal
emergency monitoring services do not have the benefit of position
determining equipment (PDE) and/or a global positioning system
(GPS) to pin-point the current location of an emergency wireless or
otherwise mobile caller, including those calls coming over the
Internet (e.g., voice over Internet Protocol (VolP)).
[0013] Perhaps most significantly, the present inventors have
realized that conventional personal emergency monitoring services
do not immediately notify loved ones upon occurrence of an
emergency event. In fact, many if not most times notification to
loved ones of the emergency event may not be made at all by the
called service. Furthermore, conventional personal emergency
monitoring usually requires purchase of a new electronic device,
and focuses on a small market segment consisting of seniors and/or
chronically ill parties.
[0014] There is a need for a generally better technique and
apparatus for automatically contacting a wireless subscriber's
family and/or loved ones upon occurrence of an emergency event.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] In accordance with the disclosed embodiments, a method of
automatically notifying a pre-designated emergency contact relating
to an emergency call comprises receiving an emergency call from a
given subscriber. At least one pre-designated emergency contact to
be automatically contacted subsequent to the receipt of the
emergency call is determined. A notification message to be sent to
the at least one pre-designated emergency contact is generated. The
generated notification message is sent to the at least one
pre-designated emergency contact.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] Features and advantages of the present invention will become
apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description
with reference to the drawings:
[0017] FIG. 1 shows relevant portions of an automatic emergency
call notification to pre-designated personal emergency contacts, in
accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 2 shows relevant portions and message flow allowing a
subscriber to pre-designate personal emergency contacts and storage
of the pre-designated emergency contacts to be notified in the
event of an emergency call, in an emergency call personal emergency
contact database, in accordance with embodiments of the present
invention.
[0019] FIG. 3 shows exemplary message flow relevant to emergency
call notification to a subscriber's personal emergency contact(s),
in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
[0020] FIG. 4 shows relevant portions of a conventional emergency
call made from a subscriber phone.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
[0021] The present invention generates automatic notification in an
emergency event to one or more pre-designated friend or loved one
of the emergency caller, allowing them to get involved as necessary
or desired, e.g., to provide appropriate emergency responders with
life-saving information relating to the emergency victim. In
preferred embodiments, the emergency notification includes a
location of the emergency victim, making it possible for the friend
or loved one to quickly locate the emergency victim.
[0022] Life saving information that would be particularly helpful
if quickly obtained by emergency personnel from those that are
automatically notified might include, e.g., that the emergency
victim has a pre-existing condition, or a drug allergy. The life
saving information might be the kind that only a few people such as
the person that is automatically notified would even know
about.
[0023] The automatic notification also permits those that are
notified to begin preparations as a result of the emergency. For
instance, a notified husband might leave work immediately to gather
the couple's children; a supervisor of the emergency victim might
immediately attempt to cover for the emergency victim; etc.
[0024] In accordance with the disclosed embodiments, automatic
notification is provided to pre-designated emergency contacts for a
given wireless subscriber upon the occurrence of an emergency call
from the subscriber. Triggering for the automatic notification may
take place at an appropriate time in the emergency call, e.g., at a
time the emergency call is received, at a time during the emergency
call after a current location of the emergency caller is obtained
by the emergency network, once the emergency call terminates, after
a set amount of time after the emergency call is received,
terminates, etc.
[0025] The disclosed embodiments integrate a pre-designated
emergency contact solution into otherwise conventional 911
infrastructure. If an emergency call event occurs, contact is
initiated with any/all emergency contacts pre-identified by the
subscriber and stored in an appropriate database accessible by a
notification engine.
[0026] The automatic notification is preferably made using voice
over Internet Protocol (VolP), but may instead be pre-designated by
the subscriber to be in an alternative mode, e.g., by SMS, switched
telephone, etc.
[0027] When notifying an emergency contact pre-designated by the
emergency caller/subscriber, a general notification disclaimer may
preferably be included to those notified to prevent them from undue
alarm.
[0028] Preferably, an option is included for the emergency
caller/subscriber (e.g., wireless subscriber) to override and/or
cancel the automatic notification to any or all pre-designated
emergency contacts. This cancellation may be activated at the start
of the emergency call, or in response to a prompt from the service
provider during the emergency call itself. For safety purposes, the
prompt may be established as a reverse prompt, meaning that if
cancellation is not confirmed the notifications will automatically
be sent to pre-designated emergency contacts.
[0029] Position determining equipment (PDE) and/or global
positioning system (GPS) integrated support is preferably used to
pin-point the location of an emergency caller. Preferably, the
location may be configurably provided to those people that were
automatically notified.
[0030] FIG. 1 shows relevant portions of an automatic emergency
call notification to pre-designated personal emergency contacts, in
accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
[0031] In particular, as shown in FIG. 1, an automatic emergency
call notification system includes a user interface to allow a
would-be emergency call subscriber to pre-register or pre-designate
one or more friend(s) or loved one(s) that will be notified when
they use their subscriber phone to place an emergency call. In
given embodiments, the user interface is a website 102 accessible
by the subscriber, to enter or pre-designate one or more personal
emergency contacts that the subscriber wants contacted in the event
that an emergency 911 call is placed by the subscriber.
[0032] The contact phone number, universal resource locator (URL)
or other unique contact information for pre-designated personal
emergency contacts and related information is stored in an
emergency call personal emergency contact database 201. Entries in
the emergency call personal emergency contact database 201 are
established and revised via access by the user interface, e.g.,
website 102.
[0033] In some embodiments, a preferred mode or method of
communication may be stored or otherwise associated with one or
more entries in the emergency call personal emergency contact
database 201. For instance, a preferred mode may be VoIP with a
recorded message being routed to the notified emergency contacts.
Another preferred mode may be via short message with text (SMS).
Yet another preferred mode of communication may be via email. The
email may be merely textual, or may include an audio or video
stream containing the notification message.
[0034] FIG. 1 includes depiction of a subscriber phone 300, an
existing 911 emergency call solution 302, and existing callEvent
information 304, as is otherwise conventionally known. However,
FIG. 1 importantly adds a notification engine 100 in communication
with the emergency call personal emergency contact database 201.
The notification engine 100 receives otherwise conventional
existing callEvent information 304, and as a result at the
appropriate time automatically initiates notification message(s) to
pre-designated emergency contacts via preferred communication
methods.
[0035] The notification engine 100 is activated when an emergency
call is made by a subscriber that the notification engine 100 is
responsible for. The notification engine 100 is responsible for
automatically generating notification message(s) as directed by
matching entries in the emergency call personal emergency contact
database 201.
[0036] Upon receipt of callEvent information relating to an
emergency 911 call from a subscriber 300, the notification engine
100 accesses the emergency call personal emergency contact database
201 to determine if the emergency call originates from a registered
subscriber. If the notification engine 100 finds a matching entry
in the emergency call personal emergency contact database 201, then
the notification engine 100 generates and automatically routes
notification message(s) to any/all pre-designated personal
emergency contacts 130 pre-designated in the matching entry in an
appropriate manner (e.g., via VolP with a recorded message, via
short message, via email, etc.), as directed by information
contained in the matching entry.
[0037] FIG. 2 shows relevant portions and message flow allowing a
subscriber to pre-designate personal emergency contacts and storage
of the pre-designated emergency contacts to be notified in the
event of an emergency call, in an emergency call personal emergency
contact database, in accordance with embodiments of the present
invention.
[0038] In particular, as shown in FIG. 2, a wireless carrier or
other service provider 204 may market to its subscriber 202 an
automatic emergency call notification service in accordance with
the principles of the present invention. Or, the subscriber 202 may
be notified about the availability of the automatic emergency call
notification service by advertisement from a third party vendor of
the automatic emergency call notification service. In any event, a
given subscriber (that will later make an emergency call from the
relevant phone such as a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VolP) phone)
registers themselves for automatic notification service, and
pre-designates at least one emergency contact (e.g., a configurable
limit of up to three, up to five, unlimited, etc.) to notify in
case of an emergency call. The pre-designation preferably includes
a preferred mode of notification, if configurable, as well as the
unique address of the emergency contact using that preferred mode
(e.g., phone number, SMS address, email address, URL, etc.)
[0039] In the disclosed embodiments, a subscriber 202 registers
themself by accessing a website 102 at some time before the need
for the emergency call arises. The would-be emergency caller may
designate, edit or delete personal emergency contacts maintained in
the emergency call personal emergency contact database 201 at any
time via the user interface, preferably (but not necessarily) even
during or after an emergency call is placed. Of course,
establishing one or more emergency contacts well before the need
for them during an emergency call will greatly improve the ability
of the emergency contact to help during a debilitating
emergency.
[0040] Preferably the subscriber 202 uses an online registration
form on the website 102 to pre-designate the desired emergency
contacts to be automatically notified in the event that an
emergency call is placed from the serviced phone. For each
emergency contact, the online registration form preferably requires
relevant contact phone numbers, SMS address, email address, URL
addresses, etc. necessary to contact them via the desired contact
mode. Contemplated is the ability to send more than one
notification message to a given emergency contact using multiple
communications methods. For instance, a subscriber may
pre-designate an emergency contact that is to be automatically
notified using multiple methods such as a phone call, email and SMS
message, upon receipt of an emergency call, to give a better chance
of getting in touch with the emergency contact faster.
[0041] Preferably the online registration form is simple in nature,
e.g., requiring less than 2 minutes of time from the subscriber
202.
[0042] Calls to pre-designated emergency contacts is initiated by
the notification engine 100 upon receipt by the notification engine
100 of CallEvent information relating to an emergency call from a
given subscriber, or shortly thereafter. Thus, whatever emergency
contacts are associated with a given subscriber in the emergency
call personal emergency contact database at the time that the
notification engine 100 receives CallEvent information relating to
a given subscriber, are the emergency contacts that will be
automatically contacted as a result of that emergency call.
[0043] FIG. 3 shows exemplary message flow relevant to emergency
call notification to a subscriber's personal emergency contact(s),
in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
[0044] In particular, as shown in FIG. 3, when an emergency 911
call is made from the subscriber's phone 300, the caller's phone
number, MIN (Mobile Identification Number) and physical location is
collected and provided to the notification engine 100 as CallEvent
information via an otherwise conventional 911 call solution
platform 302.
[0045] If the subscriber's phone 300 is not used to place the
emergency 911 call directly, a secondary notification trigger may
be activated from the subscriber's phone 300. The secondary
notification trigger may be made by the subscriber, or by a
secondary party, via an appropriate communication medium. For
instance, the subscriber or secondary party may call a "1-800"
number stored in the subscriber contacts, named "Emergency Contact
Service" or suitable other similar nomenclature. The caller (i.e.,
subscriber or secondary party) can be made to listen to a brief
recorded message describing the automatic notification service, and
required to accept or decline use of the automatic notification
service. Alternatively, no recorded message need be played.
[0046] To cancel routing of the notification messages, once the
emergency 911 or accepted secondary notification call terminates, a
recorded notification cancellation option voice message or short
message service (SMS) text message is sent to the subscriber 300.
As an example, a return call is made to a phone number stating that
an emergency contact notification trigger came through, and asking
for confirmation or authorization to cancel. For example, the
subscriber 300 may be asked "to press `1` to confirm cancellation
of the automatic emergency call notification." If the notification
is cancelled, no notification will occur to any pre-designated
emergency contacts.
[0047] If there is no response by the subscriber 300 to the
cancellation confirmation request, the emergency call notification
message will be sent to all phone numbers pre-designated by the
subscriber 300. In disclosed embodiments, the emergency call
notification message reports generally that the subscriber's phone
was used to report an emergency event. The emergency call
notification message preferably also includes the registered
subscriber's name, and the time the emergency call was initiated
and/or terminated. The emergency notification message preferably
also includes the subscriber's location, either in a general manner
(e.g., city and state) and/or in a more specific manner (e.g., with
latitude/longitude and/or closest street address). In preferred
embodiments the provision of location of the emergency caller to
notified emergency contacts is configurable. The configurability of
the option to provide location may include the ability to provide
location information to some emergency contacts being notified, and
not to others. The configurability of the option may even designate
a location accuracy to be provided to the relevant notified
emergency contact. For instance, some of the available location
information may be provided while other location information is
withheld from the notification. Thus, a more general location may
be provided as only a city and state of the emergency caller,
whereas a more accurate location may include not only the city and
state of the emergency caller but their street address as well.
[0048] The emergency call notification message also preferably
states, e.g., that this is only a notification that the
subscriber's phone was used to call 911, but that this notification
alone does not represent that the subscriber is in any danger, as
the event reported may have been a false alarm, minor, and/or the
event reported may not have involved the subscriber. Preferably the
emergency call notification message also recommends that the
emergency contact attempt to directly contact the subscriber first
(after a reasonable delay) to avoid interfering with any potential
police, medical and/or fire response. In this way, important
information relevant to the subscriber having the emergency and
known by the emergency contact may be passed to necessary
personnel.
[0049] Emergency call notification to subscriber's personal
emergency contacts as disclosed can be extended for use in a voice
over Internet Protocol (VolP) network.
[0050] The disclosed embodiments utilize otherwise conventional
subscriber devices, e.g., wireless and/or VolP devices. Thus, the
subscribers are not required to purchase a new electronic device to
utilize emergency call notification services as disclosed.
[0051] The present embodiments allow for subscriber wireless
(portable) mobile support, and do not circumvent proven,
government-approved PSAP network structure, as PSAPs have the best
training to handle an emergency and contact the appropriate
responder(s).
[0052] Whereas conventional monitoring services (e.g., personal
response monitoring services) target a small market (e.g., the
elderly or infirm), the disclosed embodiments target and support a
much larger market including users of any age group, in any state
of health, thus satisfying the needs of the general population.
[0053] The invention has particular applicability to wireless
(cellular) phone subscribers who have loved ones that might be
concerned about their location and/or well being. Target users
would be wireless carriers already served by wireless E911 services
who would offer emergency call notification services to their
subscribers. The services may be subscribed to, e.g., on a monthly
basis. The emergency call notification services not only enhance
existing subscriber services, but also entice new subscribers to
purchase new cell phone service as the cost can be considerably
less than conventional personal emergency response monitoring
services.
[0054] While the invention has been described with reference to the
exemplary embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will be
able to make various modifications to the described embodiments of
the invention without departing from the true spirit and scope of
the invention.
* * * * *
References