Vehicle Emergency Call Unit with Periodic Location Retransmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current emergency call systems, such as eCall, often provide insufficient or imprecise location information, leading to delayed or impossible rescue operations, especially when additional details are required by emergency services.
Innovation Solution
An emergency call unit for vehicles that includes a position detection unit, a control unit for generating a locating signal, and a transmitter unit for repeated transmission of the signal using various communication standards like WLAN, WiMax, Bluetooth, or cellular radio, ensuring redundancy and increased chances of information receipt by emergency services.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single eCall transmission is used, then the system complexity is low, but the location information reliability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic retransmission of location information through eCalls at defined intervals (e.g., every 30 seconds) and upon triggering events (e.g., vehicle movement). This periodic action ensures that rescue services receive updated location data without requiring continuous transmission, thereby improving reliability while maintaining reasonable system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-calculating and storing multiple potential location data sets, and by proactively transmitting location information before rescue services actually need it. This allows the system to be ready with accurate location data when rescue operations begin, improving reliability without adding complex real-time processing requirements.
2Measurement precision
If location information is transmitted continuously, then the location accuracy is high, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous transmission, the system uses periodic eCalls at optimized intervals (e.g., every 30 seconds) combined with event-triggered transmissions (when the vehicle moves or an accident is detected). This approach maintains high location accuracy by providing frequent updates only when necessary, significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission frequency is made dynamic rather than static - the system adjusts eCall intervals and triggers based on vehicle state (moving vs. stationary), battery level, and rescue service requirements. This dynamic approach ensures high location accuracy when needed while conserving energy during stable conditions.
3Reliability
If multiple transmission units are used, then the information receipt probability increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent leverages existing multi-functional components in the vehicle, particularly the radio key (RFID transceiver) and eCall module, to perform multiple functions including location transmission, vehicle identification, and emergency communication. By making these existing components multi-functional rather than adding dedicated separate units, the system increases information receipt probability while minimizing additional device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the location transmission function with existing vehicle communication infrastructure (eCall module, radio key, telematics units). Instead of using separate dedicated transmitters, the patent combines multiple communication protocols and existing hardware resources to achieve redundant transmission paths, improving reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
4Measurement precision
If detailed location information is transmitted, then the measurement precision is high, but the data transmission time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The location information is segmented into essential elements (latitude, longitude, altitude, timestamp) and transmitted efficiently through standardized eCall protocols. Critical position data is prioritized and transmitted first, allowing rescue services to locate the vehicle quickly while still receiving complete detailed information subsequently if needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes transmission parameters including data format, precision level, and transmission protocol based on the situation. In emergency situations, highly precise coordinates are transmitted immediately; in routine monitoring, less detailed location data suffices. This parameter adaptation maintains high measurement precision when needed while minimizing transmission time overall.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an emergency call unit for a vehicle, which in addition to a detection unit, a position capturing unit and a control unit also comprises a transmission unit for the multiple transmission of a positioning signal to a rescue worker. To this end, the positioning signal may correspond to the position of the vehicle, and the transmission of the positioning signal is triggered by a trigger event. The trigger event can be, for example, an inquiry by a rescue worker or the detection of an accident.