Patent Grant
8270940
The present invention relates in general to a wireless communications system and more particularly to a method for creating a relation between mobiles and a vehicle in such a system.
There are several occasions where locating unknown mobile phones in idle mode are of very high interest. One particular example is in emergencies and accidents where the locations of mobile phones in an accident area are of interest of two main reasons: the first is to get an approximate understanding of how many persons that are involved in the accident; the second is to learn who they are. Even if one can not be sure that the person registered on a mobile phone subscription is the one currently wearing it, most likely it is so, and especially people with special health conditions who has been encouraged to wear their phones, will likely keep track of there mobiles. A problem with finding mobile phones in idle mode is however that common positioning procedure requires the phone number of the mobile to position to be known.
Location based services has become a well known concept. In addition to the commercial services, the governments in several countries have also put requirements on the network operators to be able to determine the position of an emergency call. For instance, the governmental requirements in USA (FCC E911) require that it must be possible to determine the position of a certain percentage of all emergency calls.
A general problem with most prior art emergency call systems is that positioning in general requires extensive control signalling. Such control signalling requires relative large efforts from a system, occupying communication and computational resources. Global Positioning System (GPS) is a technique often used for determining a location of airplanes, boats, busses mobiles etc. There are also some existing systems using GPS implemented in mobiles or vehicles for locating the mobiles or the vehicles upon an emergency call. Also other techniques requiring additional device equipments are known. Solutions for decreasing signalling and simplifying the positioning procedure have therefore recently been developed and are described below.
There are some solutions relating to on-board telemetric components for heavy vehicles (busses and trucks) but non of them addresses a solution containing equipment reporting information about passengers in the vehicle.
In the published patent application PCT/SE2004/001328, publication number WO2005/032202, there is described a method for estimating the position of mobile terminals with improved accuracy and limited investments in additional equipment. According to the method additional control signals comprising virtual base station identification data are distributed in the radio system from well defined locations. There is a connection between each virtual base station identification data and the location from where it is transmitted, and a mobile terminal can use the information for improving its position estimation according to conventional procedures. Since the virtual base station identification data is provided in the same format as normal base station identification data, no modifications at all of the mobile terminals are necessary. However, the mobile terminal is not able to connect to the communications system using a cell associated with the virtual base station identification data, since this data only is intended for position estimating purposes. In such a way, the devices for providing the additional information necessary for the improved position estimation can be made very simple and inexpensive.
Similar solutions are also described in patent applications PCT/SE2004/01345 with publication number WO2005/039214, and PCT/SE2005/001003 with publication number WO2006/009497.
In patent application PCT/SE2005/001257, publication number WO2006/033607, there is described a cellular communications network where text messages that are unique for a certain group of base stations, at each instant, are broadcast to mobile terminals. The mobile terminals include the text message or a text derived based on at least the text message as a part of a position dependent service request data packet. The data packet is sent to a service provider. The included text is interpreted, e.g. in the communications system or in the service provider, as a position or location associated with the base station group that broadcast the text message. The position dependent service is then provided based on the interpreted position or location.
In most cellular systems, it is possible to broadcast messages to all terminals within a cell. This is a message sent by the base station situated in the top of the present neighbour list. This message is typically broadcasted in a similar way as the control signals that are used by the terminals to tune in to a certain base station. However, this broadcast signal transmits a message, typically a text message (SMS) that all terminals in the cell can receive. It is in other words possible to send out information locally to the particular cell, or a number of cells if several cells send the same message, to all terminals in that cell.
WO2006/033607 presents a solution where the location of a mobile terminal can be determined to the accuracy of the cell a mobile phone is camping on. That is the area covered by the cell the mobile phone is attached to. The base station which the mobile phone is being attached to, can send a broadcast text message (e.g SMS-Broadcast) set by network control and messaging nodes in the network. By making this message unique to the radio cell, an application fetching this message can, by using a mapping table, translate the message to a geographical area. This can be done in the mobile phone, which can then be in idle mode since the broadcasted message is received also in idle mode. If the mapping is not done in the mobile phone, it can also be done in the network. In this case the mobile phone must send the received message to a mapping server in the network over the user plane, e.g. GPRS. The network then returns the geographical location.
Non of the above mentioned systems describes a common simple available solution for estimating the number of persons bound to an emergency call area and at the same procedure identifying who they are and locating them in a fast and low capacity requiring matter.
An object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a solution for how to get indications of how many people are involved in an accident, and possibly also who they are, without the persons themselves doing anything actively.
An advantage of the present invention is to provide a simple solution which does not require additional equipments, that is fast to implement and that does not require large signalling efforts.
In another embodiment of the invention there is described a method for creating a relation between mobiles and a vehicle, determining a location of the vehicle and using the identification numbers of mobiles to retrieve passenger identification information.
Another embodiment of the present invention comprises an emergency reporting method for reporting vehicle accidents wherein the reports includes information about the passengers in the vehicle.
It is another object of an embodiment of the present invention to present a method for detecting mobiles in idle mode by sending messages using the existing control channels.
It is an object of an embodiment of the present invention to present a method for creating a relation between mobiles and a vehicle of a wireless communications network. The vehicle is equipped with an on-board device with wireless communication capability. According to the method, messages are broadcasted in the vehicle to all mobiles within the vehicle. The messages include vehicle identity information or information which can be used together with other information to get a unique identity of the vehicle. A signal triggering all mobiles in the vehicle to transmit location area update messages, and/or re-register to network messages, is sent to a network node. The mobiles sends first measurement reports to the network node, the reports including broadcasted messages or information based on the broadcasted messages. The on-board device sends second measurement reports from the on-board device to a road user server, the reports including information used to correlate the first measurement reports received from the network node with the vehicle.
It is another object of an embodiment of the present invention to present a device in a wireless communications network, wherein the device is intended to be used on-board a vehicle. The device is equipped with wireless communication capability used to access and communicate with the wireless communications network. A first transmitter, in the device, is used for broadcasting messages including vehicle identity information or information which can be used together with other information to get a unique identity of the vehicle. The messages sent in the vehicle are limited to reach within the vehicle only. A second transmitter, in the device, is used for sending signals to all mobiles within the vehicle triggering all mobiles to send location area update messages and/or re-register to network messages. The signals include the broadcasted information and are sent to a mobility management controller, e.g. serving mobile centre. The device also comprises a transceiver used to send measurement reports to a road user server. The reports include information to be used by the road user server in a correlating procedure performed for determining which mobiles are considered to be within the vehicle.
In the following description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, specific details are set forth, such as particular techniques and applications in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from these specific details. In other instances, detailed descriptions of well-known methods and apparatuses are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the present invention with unnecessary details.
There are multiple ways in determining the number of persons in a vehicle involved in an accident. Following are two principles describe for when and how this is done:
There are also different alternative solutions of how to implement the different principles mentioned above. A few alternatives how to do pairing of person and vehicle is now presented:
When an accident occurs, the on-board device in the vehicle will automatically perform an emergency call to an emergency centre reporting that there has been an accident and also send its location to the centre. Equipment necessary to do this will be installed in all new cars and all trucks and busses in Europe and likely in other markets as well.
According to an embodiment of the present invention there is provided means for locating a standard GSM/WCDMA phone without any special application or configuration, having an accuracy down to a couple of meters. This is far less than the area covered by a regular radio cell. Positioning of mobile phones is performed using control signals, and standard radio network control signalling and procedures, between the radio network and the mobile phones. This is further more a positioning using measurement of radio signals from multiple control signal transmitters.
According to an embodiment of the present invention a network is disclosed including an on-board device in a vehicle, a road user server, or traffic server system, managing the information, including other traffic related information, and an emergency centre. Such traffic related information is current situation of traffic jam, bad weather, construction work etc. There is also a network connection between the on-board device and the traffic server. This network is a wide area coverage network typically a cellular network.
An object of the present invention is to enhance message and/or information sent or presented to an emergency centre with information relating to the number of persons that are involved in an accident, and if possibly who they are. Reporting the number of persons that are estimated to be in the vehicle is done either in advance at a report triggering event, e.g. when starting the vehicle, opening a door etc, or when an accident triggered sensor is activated. The reporting can also include information received from sensors in seat belts, seats, doors, cameras etc.
Using Cellular Network and passengers/drivers mobile (GSM/UMTS) devises:
If a passengers and/or a driver of a vehicle have a mobile device each, e.g. user devices or mobile phones with GSM or UMTS capabilities, these devices is used to get an understanding of how many passengers are in the vehicle and also who they are. Identifying who the passengers are is a matching procedure where mobile identification numbers are matched with user profiles. Mobile devices send reports to the network constantly in order for the network to have a decent understanding where the phones are. Thereby the network is able to page a mobile device when the mobile device has an incoming call. Such a reporting procedure, update signalling and location based on events, is initiated by for example a user when he or she makes or receives a phone call. Other activities causing update signalling are data transmission from/to mobiles or a triggering event making an idle mobile report where the mobile is. This triggering event, making an idle mobile report where it is, may be either getting into a new location area, finding a network after suffered from no coverage or by time scheduled updates.
A way to make the mobile device report that it is located in a vehicle, possibly also in an accident/emergency situation with the vehicle, is to emulate one of those events mentioned above. Considering that the mobile device is using the GSM or UMTS network and without involving the holder of the device or putting requirements on any specific software or hardware.
Two of these events mentioned above are triggered, for example by a transmitter sending control signals on a control channel. These two events are the new location area event and re-registration in the network event.
To emulate new location area event, the transmitter will, with low power, transmit a control signal in the same way as ordinary base stations. For GSM this would be a BCCH with a BSIC and with a location area number different from the location area of the cell the mobiles currently are camping in. Typically the location area should be unique and only used as ‘in-vehicle’ location area and possibly, depending on implementation, also uniquely used for emergencies. In another embodiment of the present invention the unique number is the vehicle registration number.
To emulate re-register in network, the transmitter shall interfere with the radio network, either by interfering all GSM/UMTS frequencies, or by interfering one-by-one the different operator's spectrum. The interference should be transmitted during a time interval as short as possible, though long enough for the mobiles to lose the network connection so that the mobiles will try to re-connect.
The association between the passenger/driver and the vehicle, is done by letting the transmitter transmit a signal that later is associated, as will be described in specific further below, with the vehicle in the network.
The invocation of the transmitter to trigger each mobile phone to register that it is in the car. If the new location area trigger is used, a pre-condition is that each operator has a channel, the BCCH in GSM, which is transmitting on in the BCCH Allocation List (BA list) sent to the mobile phone to measure on. The BA list is a list of frequencies supported on neighbouring cells. This list is broadcast on the BCCH (Broadcast Control Channel) giving mobiles frequencies of the BCCH carriers on neighbouring cells. The BA list is typically used by the MS (Mobile Station) in the cell selection and re-selection processes.
The network controller detects that there is a special location area identity, e.g. BCCH/BSIC, in neighbour report(s) of user device(s) just registering. The special location area identity is then reported together with identifications of the user devices to a road user server (RUS). User devices are identified by their identity numbers, e.g. SIM, USIM, MSIN, MSISDN etc.
In an embodiment of the present invention the reporting is performed as a pre-defined mechanism and therefore step 6 is not needed then.
The RUS processes the information received from the MMC and from O-B-D and composes lists of user identities, e.g. names, social security numbers, medical needs etc. Person profiles are pre-stored locally in a database or gathered from other distributed location in the network.
In another embodiment of the present invention the vehicle registration number is used when reporting an accident. The vehicle is then located using GPS or other locating mechanism. Then an association between persons involved in an accident and the vehicle may be done by using a database mapping the emergency call information, the vehicle and user devices who have reported to be in the accident area.
Hospital pools and other information pools are used for identifying proper HITS, emergency vehicles etc. The pools are preferably real time updated.
In an embodiment of the invention the correlation procedure mentioned above in 1)-7) is pre-configured and is initiated by an event, such as the engine of the vehicle turned on, the vehicle starts moving or at pre-defined time intervals.
In another embodiment of the present invention the correlation procedure mentioned above in steps 1)-7) is performed after a collision is detected.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention the O-B-D includes either a transmitter turned on and transmitting a BCCH, witch could be a BCCH with a special location area identity or different form the one in the surrounding outdoor area, or a transmitter that is always on. The transmitter keeps transmitting a BCCH as long as the vehicle is moving, possibly also a certain time after that the vehicle stops.
In another embodiment of the present invention local reporting to the on-board device is performed. The on-board device first gather information of how many there are in the vehicle and possibly also identifying who the persons are. Then the gathered information is sent as a list to the TUS. There are a few alternatives how to do a gathering of information. It can be performed using sensors in the car or using passenger's user devices. Communication with user devices when collecting information is typically performed using a wireless interface, such as Wireless LAN, Bluetooth, or infra red light (IR). Possible access networks are GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000 etc.
Additionally, sensors and/or cameras are used for gathering additional information. The sensors are used for detecting how many passengers are in the vehicle, e.g. sensors in seat belts, seats, doors etc. Possibly combining sensors with other identification mechanism to find out who the persons in the vehicle are, for example using identification mechanisms like fingerprints, portable USB-memories, identification cards etc. The cameras are used for taking snapshots at a collision moment and/or at different times, after a triggering event starting the correlation procedure. The pictures are analysed and/or stored in the on-board device. Snapshots and/or sensor information are sent as additional information to the emergency centre.
In another embodiment of the present invention the O-B-D reports gathered information to the RUS either when doing the emergency call or as part of a reporting procedure not triggered by at a time of the accident.
In another embodiment of the present invention the transceiver 32, in the O-B-D 10, is controlled by an application 35. The application 35 controls the transceiver 32 to send a request including identity information to the RUS 6. The RUS 6 returns a list with person identities and/person profiles. The list is compared with stored information received from sensors 20 and/or cameras 21, and stored in the O-B-D database 33. After check the O-B-D 10 sends a complete report along with the emergency call to the emergency centre 5.
Alternatively, passenger's user devices with short range wireless communication capabilities are used for gathering information about the persons in the vehicle. This typically, but not necessary, requires that user devices has a software doing reporting when requested by the on-board device. Reporting is, as a further alternative, based on usual device discovery signalling which sometimes is initiated automatically when a device discovers a network.
It will be obvious that the invention may be varied in a plurality of ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the scope of the invention. All such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.
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| Number | Date | Country |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20120100827 A1 | Apr 2012 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 12374206 | US | |
| Child | 13342336 | US |
