Emergency Relay Mesh Network for Out-of-Range Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile communications devices often fail to communicate during emergencies in areas out of range from the communications network, limiting the ability to seek help in situations like accidents in rural or remote locations.
Innovation Solution
Devices can form a mesh network for direct device-to-device communication to corroborate emergency events, generating and transmitting a report message even when not connected to the main network, using other devices within range to relay the message until it reaches a network-covered area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If devices use traditional cellular network communication, then communication reliability is maintained, but coverage area is limited to network range
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces relay devices as intermediaries that can receive emergency messages from out-of-range devices and forward them to the cellular network. These relay devices act as mediators between the isolated emergency situation and the network, enabling communication without requiring direct network connection from the originating device.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication system is segmented into multiple functional components: emergency message generation devices, relay devices, and network-connected devices. This segmentation allows the system to operate in parts even when full network coverage is unavailable, with each segment performing its specific function independently.
2Area of stationary object
If devices form mesh network for direct communication, then coverage area is increased, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex mesh network formation and relay functionality from individual devices and implements it as a standardized protocol that devices can participate in without complex configuration. The complexity is centralized in the protocol design rather than distributed across individual device implementations.
Solution Approach 2:
The relay device functionality is designed to be universal, allowing any mobile device to serve as a relay node. This multi-functionality approach simplifies device requirements by using general-purpose devices rather than specialized infrastructure, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining coverage expansion.
3Reliability
If out-of-range devices wait for network coverage, then communication reliability is maintained, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by having devices continuously monitor for emergency conditions and pre-position relay capabilities. When an emergency is detected, the mesh network can immediately begin operation without waiting for network coverage to become available, significantly reducing response time.
Solution Approach 2:
The relay network enables continuous communication action to persist even when network coverage is unavailable. Instead of stopping communication until coverage is restored, the system maintains continuous relay operations through the mesh network, ensuring timely emergency notification.
Data Source
AI summary
A report message may be transmitted with collaborated information related to the occurrence of an emergency event. A plurality of devices, such as mobile communications devices, that are out of range of a communications network can communicate via direct communication, such as device-to-device communication, to corroborate characteristics that are indicative of an occurrence of an emergency event. Information related to the occurrence may be collaborated amongst the plurality of devices. A transmitting device, which may be one of the plurality of devices that corroborates characteristics or collaborates information, may generate and transmit the report message comprising the collaborated information. A receiving device may provide the message over a communications network, or the report message may continue to be handed off between devices capable of direct communication, the message eventually reaching a device that is within range of the communications network.