Vehicle Emergency Calling via Paired Mobile Network Backup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicles may struggle to establish communication with emergency providers due to damaged telecommunications hardware, leading to failed connection attempts, which can hinder effective emergency response.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle system detects its inability to connect with emergency providers and transmits a signal to a paired user device via short-range wireless protocol, instructing the user device to initiate the emergency call using its cellular network, while providing incident data for transmission to the emergency provider.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the vehicle uses its onboard communication unit to contact emergency providers, then the system can attempt to establish communication, but the communication may fail due to damaged telecommunications hardware
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mobile user device as an intermediary between the vehicle and the emergency provider. When the vehicle's onboard communication unit fails to establish connectivity, the system redirects the emergency call through the paired mobile user device, which has its own functional cellular network connection. This intermediary approach allows the vehicle to leverage the mobile device's communication capabilities to reach emergency services despite the vehicle's damaged telecommunications hardware.
2Reliability
If the vehicle attempts multiple connection attempts using its communication unit, then it can persist in establishing communication, but it consumes time and may exhaust connection capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the communication unit's connectivity status before initiating the emergency call sequence. By assessing whether the onboard communication unit can successfully establish a connection to emergency providers, the system can pre-determine the need to redirect through a mobile user device, thereby avoiding unnecessary time-consuming connection attempts with a non-functional communication unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms to monitor the outcome of connection attempts by the communication unit. Based on the results of these attempts, the system dynamically adjusts its behavior - if connection fails, it triggers the alternative pathway through the mobile user device. This feedback-driven approach ensures that time is not wasted on futile connection attempts while maintaining persistent effort to establish emergency communication.
3Reliability
If the vehicle leverages the mobile user device's telecommunications network, then it can successfully contact emergency providers despite onboard system failures, but it requires additional components and coordination
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile user device serves multiple functions within the emergency communication system: it acts as a backup communication pathway, provides a functional cellular network connection, and can transmit incident data collected by the vehicle. By leveraging the universal connectivity capabilities of the mobile device, the system achieves reliable emergency contact without requiring dedicated redundant communication infrastructure within the vehicle itself.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, computing systems, and technology for emergency vehicle telecommunications are presented. For example, a computing system may be configured to obtain incident data, via one or more sensors, descriptive of an incident event involving the vehicle. The computing system may be configured to determine, based on the incident data, that an emergency provider is to be contacted. The computing system may be configured to determine that the vehicle is unable to connect with the emergency provider using a communication unit of the vehicle. The computing system may be configured to output, to a mobile user device paired to the vehicle through a short-range wireless protocol, a signal indicating that the mobile user device is to initiate a call to the emergency provider.