E911 SMS Notification via GMLC Location Data
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current E911 systems do not efficiently notify emergency contacts during an emergency, leading to delayed assistance, as they rely solely on traditional response times of first responders, and family or friends may not be informed promptly.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method to send emergency notification SMS messages to registered contacts when an E911 call is made, using location information determined by the Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) system, which includes the caller's location, time of the call, and other relevant details, without requiring over-the-top applications on the user's equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If traditional E911 systems rely solely on first responders for emergency assistance, then the system structure remains simple, but the response time is delayed and emergency contacts are not notified promptly
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-configures emergency contact information and notification preferences before an emergency occurs. When an E911 call is made, the system automatically sends SMS notifications to pre-designated contacts without requiring real-time user input, thereby reducing response time while maintaining manageable system complexity through advance preparation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary notification system that acts as a mediator between the E911 call and emergency contacts. This intermediary component automatically relays emergency information via SMS to designated contacts, enabling faster notification without significantly complicating the core E911 infrastructure
2Speed
If emergency notification SMS messages are sent to registered contacts during E911 calls, then notification speed improves, but the device complexity increases due to integration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system integrates multiple functions into existing network infrastructure components. The same network elements that handle E911 calls are also used to send notification SMS messages, eliminating the need for separate dedicated notification hardware and reducing overall integration complexity while maintaining fast notification speed
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically manages the entire notification process without requiring manual intervention. Upon detecting an E911 call, the system self-initiates the SMS notification to registered contacts using pre-configured information, reducing the need for complex user interfaces and manual configuration mechanisms
3Measurement precision
If location information is determined and included in SMS messages, then notification accuracy improves, but the processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system obtains and stores location information at the time of the E911 call setup, before the call is fully established. This preliminary acquisition of location data ensures high accuracy without requiring complex real-time tracking during the call, as the location is captured once when most accurate and then reused for notification purposes
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure is directed to generating and sending an emergency notification short message service (SMS) message to one or more registered contacts of a user when the user's user equipment (UE) is used to call enhanced 911 (E911). The E911 call may be placed either as a voice over long term evolution (VoLTE) or as a voice over WiFi (VoWiFi) call. The emergency contacts may be previously designated by the user, and saved to a profile associated with the user. When the user calls E911, a gateway mobile location center (GMLC) system may cooperate with one or more other components of a mobile communications network to route the E911 call to a nearby public safety answering point (PSAP) based at least in part on location information of the UE from which the E911 call was placed. This same location information may be provided in the emergency notification SMS message.