Centurylink Intellectual Property LLC

Lynn T Greene

Amar Nath Ray

Carl Milton Coppage

Robert J Morrill

A system and method for tracking a wireless communications device of a user may include, in response to receiving a request to track the wireless communications device, notifying a plurality of wireless networks of different communications carriers to collect geographic coordinates at which a wireless communications device is located. Geographic coordinates of the wireless communications device may be collected from at least one of the wireless networks and communicated to a requestor for tracking the wireless communications device.

System and method for providing multi-carrier tracking of wireless devices during an emergency

A system and method for communicating a pre-stored emergency message from a TTY to a PSAP may include, in response to receiving an emergency call signal, accessing a pre-stored emergency message stored in a memory. A PSAP may be dialed. In one embodiment, the PSAP may be dialed by the user dialing 911 or the TTY may automatically dial 911 in response to the user selecting a hard or soft-button associated with communicating an emergency message to a PSAP. The pre-stored emergency message may be communicated to a PSAP using a TTY communications protocol. A TTY compatible device utilized by a PSAP operator may be configured to provide the PSAP operator with pre-stored messages available for selection and communication to the emergency caller. By providing pre-stored messages on TTY devices, emergency communications between users of the TTY devices may be expedited, thereby potentially saving lives.

Teletypewriter (TTY) for communicating pre-stored emergency messages to public safety answering points (PSAPs)

A system and method for routing an emergency data message to a PSAP may include receiving an emergency data message and cell code identifier indicative of a location of a wireless communications device of a user. A PSAP local to the user may be selected, and the emergency data message is sent to the selected PSAP. The location may be a centralized network location associated with an emergency network address, where the emergency network address is an easy address for users to remember.

PSAP capabilities defining system and method for handling emergency text messaging

A system and method for receiving and processing data messages at a PSAP may include parsing an emergency data message to identify data elements in an emergency data message, populating data fields of a data record with the data elements of the emergency data message, and displaying the data record in a list of selectable data records representative of received emergency data messages for an operator at the PSAP to view.

System and method for processing emergency data messages at a PSAP

A system and method for communicating geographic coordinates with an emergency data message to a public safety answering point (PSAP) may include receiving a request from a user to send an emergency data message to a PSAP and determining whether geographic coordinates are locally available. If geographic coordinates are locally available, then the locally available geographic coordinates may be obtained and included with an emergency data message. Otherwise, if the geographic coordinates are not locally available, then a request for geographic coordinates from a network node on a communications network may be made and received from the communications network for inclusion with the emergency data message. The emergency data message may be communicated to a network node on the communications network for routing to the PSAP.

System and method for providing network assisted geographic coordinates for emergency data messaging

A system and method for updating a public safety answering point (PSAP) with a current location of a user may include communicating a first emergency message including a set of geographic coordinates to a PSAP in response to a user request to send an emergency message from a wireless communications device. The emergency may be a text message. The set of geographic coordinates of the wireless communications device may be updated, and a second emergency message including the updated set of geographic coordinates of the wireless communications device may be communicated to the PSAP. By updating the geographic coordinates, an operator at the PSAP may provide emergency personnel with changes in location of the user.

System and method for generating and communicating updated emergency messages

A system and method for providing information associated with public safety answering points may include storing a set of records including information associated with a plurality of PSAPs, each record may include (i) an identifier indicative of a PSAP available to service emergency communications, (ii) at least one cell code identifier indicative of cell sites in which the associated PSAP services, and (iii) at least one network address capable of receiving certain emergency data message types. In response to receiving a request, a PSAP local to a wireless communications device of a user who sent an emergency data message may be identified, and a network address associated with the identified local PSAP may be provided.

Emergency data message router database

A system and method for routing emergency data messages to public safety answering points may include identifying PSAPs local to the user and configured to receive emergency data messages. A determination of distribution of previous emergency data messages to the identified PSAPs may be performed. Based on the distribution of previous emergency data messages to the identified PSAPs, one of the identified PSAPs may be selected and the emergency data message may be routed thereto.

System and method for distributing emergency data messages to public safety answering points in a balanced manner

A system and method for communicating an emergency data message includes receiving a data message and determining whether an emergency abbreviated dialing code was received with the data message. If an emergency data message includes an abbreviated dialing code, an emergency data message short code associated with the abbreviated dialing code may be requested. A cell code identifier in which the wireless communications device is located may be determined, and the data message, emergency data message short code, and cell code identifier may be communicated via a communications network for the data message to be routed to a PSAP handling emergencies in an area in which the wireless communications device is located.

Data message service controller and method for handling emergency text messaging

A system and method for routing emergency image messages to a PSAP may include receiving an emergency data message and identifying that the emergency data message includes an image. A location of a wireless communications device used to send the emergency data message may be determined. At least one PSAP local to the emergency communications device may be identified and a determination as to which, if any, of the at least one PSAP is capable of receiving an emergency data message that includes an image may be made. The emergency data message that includes an image may be routed to a PSAP local to the wireless communications device and capable of receiving emergency data messages that include an image.

System and method for handling emergency image messaging

A wireless communications device including a housing, a user interface configured to enable a user to type text messages for communication over a communications network, an emergency message button selectable by a user, and a processing unit in communication with the user interface and emergency message button. The processing unit may be configured to generate and send an emergency message to a public safety answering point in response to a user selecting the emergency message button.

Emergency message button and method on a wireless communications device for communicating an emergency message to a public safety answering point (PSAP)

A system and method for powering-up a wireless communications device may include (i) powering-up the wireless communications device using a standard power-up sequence in response to a request for a standard power-up sequence by a user, and (ii) powering-up the wireless communications device using an abbreviated power-up sequence in response to a request for an emergency message to be communicated by the user.

System and method for performing an abbreviated power-up sequence on a wireless communications device

A wireless communications device and method for communicating an emergency message to a public safety answering point (PSAP) may include storing (i) data representative of a plurality of emergency messages being of different message types and (ii) a network address associated with each emergency message. In response to a user selecting one of the emergency messages, the selected emergency message and associated network address may be established as defaults for communication of the default emergency message to a PSAP over the communications network. In response to the user requesting to send an emergency message, the default emergency message may be generated by using the default network address to communicate the emergency message and communicated over the communications network to the default network address for routing the default emergency message to a PSAP local to the user.

Growing community of inventors

Olathe, KS, United States of America

Lynn T Greene