Proxy Device Location for Emergency Call Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing emergency call systems, such as E911, face limitations in accurately determining the location of mobile devices due to reliance on GPS and cell-ID methods, which can be unreliable in areas with satellite signal blockages or poor accuracy in remote regions.
Innovation Solution
The system determines the location of a mobile device by identifying nearby wireless devices such as beacons, routers, or Bluetooth devices, using their locations to approximate the mobile device's position and share this information with emergency services.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS-based positioning is used to determine mobile device location, then location accuracy is improved, but the system becomes unreliable when satellite signals are blocked by trees, buildings, or terrain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses nearby wireless devices (beacons, routers, Bluetooth devices) as intermediary objects to determine the location of the mobile device. Instead of relying directly on GPS satellites, the system detects wireless signals from intermediate devices whose locations are known, thereby resolving the contradiction between GPS accuracy and reliability in signal-blocked environments.
2Reliability
If cell-ID positioning is used to determine mobile device location, then the system remains operational in remote areas, but the location accuracy becomes so poor as to be unhelpful
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces nearby wireless devices as intermediary reference points between the mobile device and the location determination system. By detecting these intermediate devices and using their known locations, the system achieves better accuracy than cell-ID methods while maintaining the operational reliability in remote areas where GPS is unavailable.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for determining the location of a mobile device that has placed an emergency communication includes determining that an emergency communication has been made by a mobile device having a wireless radio and receiving, from the mobile device, an identifier of a first device detected by the wireless radio. If the first device is not fixed, the method includes sending a first location request to the first device to determine a first location of the first device. The method also includes determining a location of the mobile device based upon the first location and providing the mobile device location to a recipient of the emergency communication.