Vehicle Telematics Emergency Call Routing via Central Facility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicles may be unable to connect with a local public safety access point (PSAP) due to lack of contact information or legal restrictions, hindering emergency assistance in various locations worldwide.
Innovation Solution
A method where a central facility determines the vehicle's location and, if unable to transfer the call to a nearby PSAP, sends a computer-readable command to the vehicle telematics unit to end the current call and initiate an emergency call through a local cell tower, routing it to the appropriate PSAP.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the telematics subscription service attempts to transfer the wireless call to a local PSAP, then emergency services can be provided locally, but contact information for the PSAP may not be available or legal restrictions may prevent the transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The central facility acts as an intermediary between the vehicle telematics unit and the PSAP. It receives the initial call, determines the vehicle location, identifies the appropriate local PSAP, and facilitates the call transfer. This intermediary approach allows the system to overcome the lack of direct contact information storage in the vehicle while still achieving reliable connection to local emergency services.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the telematics subscription service stores PSAP contact information for all possible locations, then emergency calls can be routed locally anywhere in the world, but the system complexity and data requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The solution moves the PSAP contact information storage from the vehicle telematics unit (one-dimensional local storage) to the central facility (two-dimensional centralized database). This dimensional shift allows global coverage without increasing vehicle complexity, as the centralized system can access and provide PSAP information for any location on demand.
Solution Approach 2:
The central facility serves multiple functions: it handles routine telematics service requests, determines vehicle locations, identifies appropriate PSAPs, and manages emergency call transfers. This multi-functional approach allows a single centralized system to provide global emergency service coverage without requiring each vehicle to have specialized capabilities for every possible location.
3Ease of operation
If the vehicle places an emergency call through the telematics subscription service, then the call can be processed centrally, but the call cannot be directly transferred to the local PSAP due to lack of contact information
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback loop where the central facility receives the emergency call, determines the vehicle location, identifies the appropriate PSAP, and then initiates the call transfer. This feedback mechanism ensures that even though the initial call is placed through the centralized service, the system can dynamically respond with the correct local PSAP connection, maintaining both ease of operation and connection reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of connecting a vehicle telematics unit with a public safety access point (PSAP) includes wirelessly calling a central facility using the vehicle telematics unit that generates a reason to contact the PSAP; determining a reason to contact the PSAP during the wireless call; and receiving a computer-readable command at the vehicle telematics unit from the central facility that directs the vehicle telematics unit to end the wireless call and locally place an emergency call.