Emergency Call Location Sharing for Mobile Devices Without GPS

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mobile computing devices without GPS capabilities face challenges in determining their location during emergency calls, leading to incorrect routing of calls to distant PSAPs, as traditional methods rely on user input or outdated home locations, which are often inaccurate.

Innovation Solution

Utilizing a smartphone with GPS capabilities registered under the same account to determine and share its location with a mobile computing device lacking GPS, through direct queries or third-party applications, ensuring accurate and timely location data transmission to the telephony service provider.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a mobile computing device without GPS capabilities is used to place an emergency call, then the device can be used for telephony purposes, but the location data cannot be accurately determined

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetelephony capabilityVSAvoidlocation data accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a smartphone with GPS capabilities as an intermediary device that acts as a location proxy for the non-GPS mobile computing device. The smartphone obtains location data through its GPS unit and communicates this location information to the telephony service provider, enabling accurate location tracking for emergency calls placed from devices that lack GPS functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If traditional location determination methods are used for mobile computing devices, then the system remains simple, but the location data is outdated or inaccurate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem simplicityVSAvoidlocation data accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The smartphone automatically performs location determination using its GPS unit without requiring manual user input. The device self-updates its location information and communicates this data to the telephony service provider, eliminating the need for users to manually enter or confirm location information while ensuring accurate and current location data is available for emergency calls.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If user-provided home location is used for routing emergency calls, then the routing process is simple, but the location may be distant from the caller's current position

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverouting simplicityVSAvoidemergency response time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously determines and updates the location of the mobile computing device through the smartphone's GPS unit before an emergency call is placed. This preliminary location determination ensures that when an emergency call occurs, the most current and accurate location data is immediately available for routing to the appropriate PSAP, eliminating delays associated with obtaining location information during the emergency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20250374010A1Systems and methods for obtaining location data for mobile computing devices

Publication Date: 2025.12.04 VONAGE BUSINESS INC

AI summary

A telephony software application on a first mobile computing device requests information about the present location of the first mobile computing device from a remote server. The remote server obtains information about the present location of a second mobile computing device that is located proximate to the first mobile computing device from the second mobile computing device. The remote server then provides the obtained location data to the first mobile computing device. This process may repeat at periodic time intervals.