Outbound SMS notifications to emergency callers

An emergency system for sending outbound messages to emergency callers receives data signals related to emergency calls that have been answered at a public safety answering point (PSAP) and data signals related to emergency calls that have not been answered. A user of the emergency system can select a geographic area, e.g., an area with a high volume of unanswered calls, and configure a message to be sent to the phone numbers associated with unanswered emergency calls within the geographic area.

BACKGROUND

Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) receive emergency calls from the legacy time division multiplexing (TDM)-based Selective Router (SR) network and NG9-1-1 Emergency Services IP Network (ESInet). These calls terminate to 9-1-1 Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) systems or other call handling systems within the PSAPs, and the call handling systems distribute the calls to telecommunicators. CPE systems provide telemetry information for incoming emergency calls, such as various forms of emergency caller location information, call routing actions, Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) events, etc. CPE systems traditionally interface with on-site call taking and computer-aided dispatch (CAD) applications, which operate on servers in the PSAP and connect directly to the CPE system over the local network of the PSAP. After an emergency call has been routed to a particular telecommunicator in the PSAP, the CAD application running on the telecommunicator's workstation displays the call data associated with the emergency call to the telecommunicator.

Traditional on-premise CAD implementations only have access to telemetry information for calls that have been routed to the PSAP and answered by a telecommunicator. Typical CAD workflows typically display call data only after the calls have been assigned to a telecommunicator, which delays the display of information. In addition, typical CAD programs typically only display a call's location to the telecommunicator handling the call. The typical workflows and data availability leave telecommunicators unaware of nearby or unanswered emergency calls, and reduces telecommunicators' overall awareness about emergencies in their regions. The backlog of calls can become large if many individuals are calling about a single, highly-visible emergency.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS OF THE DISCLOSURE

Overview

Typical CAD workflows display call data, such as the locations of emergency callers, after the calls have been routed to a PSAP and assigned to a telecommunicator within the PSAP. In addition, typical CAD programs only display a call's location to the telecommunicator handling the call. This delays the display of information about pending, unanswered calls, and reduces telecommunicators' overall awareness about emergencies in their regions.

In certain situations, a single event can prompt a large number of people to place emergency calls. For example, a car crash on a busy road, a fire in a densely populated building or area, or a mass casualty event can cause a lot of observers to dial 9-1-1 at around the same time. If a large public response results in more emergency calls than the telecommunicators at a PSAP can simultaneously respond to, the PSAP can quickly become backlogged. In many instances, callers do not have unique information to report. Answering duplicative calls about the same emergency can increase call wait times for all callers. This can be problematic if callers with unique information about the emergency (e.g., a person who has been injured or otherwise effected and needs assistance) cannot get through to the PSAP, or for callers about unrelated emergencies in the PSAP's coverage area.

The emergency system and methods described herein enable a telecommunicator to send a message to a group of emergency callers who may be reporting the same event. The emergency system receives data signals describing emergency calls or other emergency reporting signals. For example, the emergency system receives call data signals describing calls routed to a particular PSAP, e.g., by a call routing service. The call data signals may describe calls that have been routed to a particular telecommunicator and/or have been answered by the telecommunicator. In addition to the call data signals, the emergency system receives supplemental data signals. Supplemental data signals may be provided by supplemental location providers, e.g., data signals from mobile device providers that may include a device-derived location and phone numbers. In many cases, the emergency system receives supplemental data signals before a call has been answered by a telecommunicator. For example, if ten people place emergency calls within an area of a given PSAP, and telecommunicators at the PSAP have answered two of the emergency calls while the other eight callers are on hold and have not yet been answered, the emergency system receives call data signals from the PSAP's call handling equipment for the two answered calls, and the emergency system receives supplemental data signals with locations and phone numbers for the eight unanswered calls.

The emergency system enables a telecommunicator to send a message to the callers on hold. A user interface provided by the emergency system includes a map and signal indicators, with the signal indicators placed on the map at the locations of the received data signals. For example, the signal indicators show the locations of answered emergency calls and the locations of unanswered emergency calls. The user interface further includes an option for a user (e.g., a telecommunicator) to select a region of the map, such as a region with a relatively large number of unanswered calls. The user interface enables the user to input a message to send to the phone numbers associated with the unanswered emergency calls, e.g., a request to provide further information via text, instructions to hang up, instructions to stay on the line, or some combination of instructions or other information. The emergency system transmits the message to the relevant phone numbers, e.g., via a short message service (SMS) or text message. The message may stay active for a period of time, so that if the emergency system receives a data signal in the selected geographic area for a new emergency call placed after the message was initially sent, the emergency system can automatically send the message to this new caller.

Sending an automated message to multiple callers within the selected region can help reduce duplicate calls about the same incident, as some of the callers may hang up and be removed from the queue. Furthermore, in some embodiments, callers may respond with further information via text. Texting can make it easier for a calltaker to process information from multiple parties asynchronously. The automated message improves the experience and reduce hold times for emergency callers within the selected region, who do not know that the same emergency had already been reported, as well as for users outside the region, who experience shorter hold times if some users hang up and/or correspond via text rather than remaining on hold.

In one aspect, a system for sending outbound messages includes a data ingestion module, a web server, and a messaging interface. The data ingestion module is to receive a data signal comprising a location and a phone number. The web server is to provide a user interface comprising a map and a signal indicator, the signal indicator positioned on the map at the location of the data signal, and receive a user selection of a geographic region on the map, wherein the location of the data signal is inside the selected geographic region. The messaging interface is to receive the selected geographic region from the web server, the selected geographic region associated with a message; determine that the location of the data signal is inside the selected geographic region; and transmit the message to the phone number associated with the data signal

In another aspect, a method for sending outbound messages from an emergency system includes receiving a data signal comprising a location and a phone number; providing a user interface comprising a map and a signal indicator, the signal indicator positioned on the map at the location of the data signal; receiving a user selection of a geographic region on the map, wherein the location of the data signal is inside the selected geographic region; receiving a message associated with the geographic region; determining that the location of the data signal is inside the selected geographic region; and transmitting the message to the phone number associated with the data signal. In some aspects, the method for providing a location of an emergency caller is embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the present disclosure, in particular aspects of configuring and sending outbound notifications to emergency callers, described herein, may be embodied in various manners—e.g. as a method, a system, a computer program product, or a computer-readable storage medium. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, circuit designs, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.” Functions described in this disclosure may be implemented as an algorithm executed by one or more hardware processing units, e.g. one or more microprocessors, of one or more computers. In various embodiments, different steps and portions of the steps of each of the methods described herein may be performed by different processing units. Furthermore, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable medium(s), preferably non-transitory, having computer-readable program code embodied, e.g., stored, thereon. In various embodiments, such a computer program may, for example, be downloaded (updated) to the existing devices and systems or be stored upon manufacturing of these devices and systems.

In the following detailed description, various aspects of the illustrative implementations may be described using terms commonly employed by those skilled in the art to convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. For example, the term “connected” means a direct electrical or magnetic connection between the things that are connected, without any intermediary devices, while the term “coupled” means either a direct electrical or magnetic connection between the things that are connected, or an indirect connection through one or more passive or active intermediary devices. The term “circuit” means one or more passive and/or active components that are arranged to cooperate with one another to provide a desired function. The terms “substantially,” “close,” “approximately,” “near,” and “about,” generally refer to being within +/−20%, preferably within +/−10%, of a target value based on the context of a particular value as described herein or as known in the art. Similarly, terms indicating orientation of various elements, e.g., “coplanar,” “perpendicular,” “orthogonal,” “parallel,” or any other angle between the elements, generally refer to being within +/−5-20% of a target value based on the context of a particular value as described herein or as known in the art.

The terms such as “over,” “under,” “between,” and “on” as used herein refer to a relative position of one material layer or component with respect to other layers or components. For example, one layer disposed over or under another layer may be directly in contact with the other layer or may have one or more intervening layers. Moreover, one layer disposed between two layers may be directly in contact with one or both of the two layers or may have one or more intervening layers. In contrast, a first layer described to be “on” a second layer refers to a layer that is in direct contact with that second layer. Similarly, unless explicitly stated otherwise, one feature disposed between two features may be in direct contact with the adjacent features or may have one or more intervening layers.

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, showing, by way of illustration, some of the embodiments that may be practiced. In the drawings, same reference numerals refer to the same or analogous elements/materials so that, unless stated otherwise, explanations of an element/material with a given reference numeral provided in context of one of the drawings are applicable to other drawings where elements/materials with the same reference numerals may be illustrated. For convenience, if a collection of drawings designated with different letters are present, e.g.,FIGS.2A-2C, such a collection may be referred to herein without the letters, e.g., as “FIG.2.” The accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Moreover, it will be understood that certain embodiments can include more elements than illustrated in a drawing, certain embodiments can include a subset of the elements illustrated in a drawing, and certain embodiments can incorporate any suitable combination of features from two or more drawings.

In some examples provided herein, interaction may be described in terms of two, three, four, or more electrical components. However, this has been done for purposes of clarity and example only. It should be appreciated that the devices and systems described herein can be consolidated in any suitable manner. Along similar design alternatives, any of the illustrated components, modules, and elements of the accompanying drawings may be combined in various possible configurations, all of which are clearly within the broad scope of the present disclosure. In certain cases, it may be easier to describe one or more of the functionalities of a given set of flows by only referencing a limited number of electrical elements.

The following detailed description presents various descriptions of specific certain embodiments. However, is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In general, the innovations described herein can be embodied in a multitude of different ways, for example, as defined and covered by the claims and/or select examples, and the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense.

Example Emergency Call Data Environment

FIG.1is a system diagram illustrating an environment of a system for handling emergency calls according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The system includes a mobile device110, a cell tower120, a call routing service130, a public safety answering point (PSAP)140, an emergency system150, a mobile device data provider160, and secondary data sources170a-170c. Only one of the mobile device110, cell tower, call routing service130, PSAP140, and mobile device data provider160are shown for simplicity; it should be understood that in a working system environment, there may be more of each of these elements.

The mobile device110may be a cell phone, a smart phone, a tablet, or another device capable of initiating emergency reporting. The mobile device110is a device having a user interface (e.g., a touchscreen, buttons, microphone, speaker, camera, etc.) for interacting with a user and wireless communications circuitry that connects the mobile device110to a mobile network to initiate an emergency communication, e.g., to place an emergency call or send a text message. In this example, the mobile device110connects to a cellular network via the cell tower120. In other examples, the mobile device110may additionally or alternatively connect to an Internet-based network via a wired or wireless connection (e.g., Wi-Fi), or to one or more other types of networks.

The cell tower120is one component of a cellular network that enables wireless communication between mobile devices, and enables communication between wireless devices (e.g., the mobile device110) and other networked communications devices or systems (e.g., the PSAP140). Additional cell towers and other networking equipment are directly or indirectly coupled to the cell tower120for routing calls placed by mobile devices110. When a user of the mobile device110makes an emergency call, such as a 9-1-1 call, the cell tower120, or a network element coupled to the cell tower120, interacts with a call routing service130. The call routing service130may determine an initial location estimate of the mobile device110based on the location of the cell tower120. In some examples, the call routing service130may determine the location of the mobile device110based on alternative or additional information, such as the location of one or more additional cell towers in range of the mobile device110, or a location provided by the mobile device110.

The call routing service130routes the emergency call from the mobile device110to a particular PSAP140based on the initial location estimate. The PSAP140may cover a particular geographic region, e.g., a city, a county, a group of counties, a highway system, a park system, etc. The call routing service130identifies a PSAP (e.g., PSAP140) that covers the location estimate of the mobile device110by comparing the location estimate of the mobile device110to the geographic boundaries associated with a set of PSAPs. The mobile device110communicates with telephony equipment in the selected PSAP140via the cell tower120and additional networking equipment not shown inFIG.1.

The PSAP140is an emergency call handling system. In this example, the PSAP140includes call handling equipment (CHE)142, an emergency data gateway (EDG) device144, and a telecommunicator device146executing an emergency application148. The CHE142receives and handles calls from the telephony network, which includes the cell tower120. The CHE142creates a call event for each received call, such as an emergency call from mobile device110. The CHE142associates call data, such as caller location information, call routing actions, Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) events, and other telemetry data, with the call event. Call data may also include the phone number and contact name of the user of the mobile device110, class of service, mobile service provider, a time stamp, and other information describing the user, mobile device110, network, etc. The CHE142may output call data in one of a variety of data output formats, such as Automatic Location Information (ALI), Call Detail Record (CDR), or National Emergency Number Association (NENA) i3 Logging.

In the example shown inFIG.1, an EDG device144installed at the PSAP140connects to the CHE142. The EDG device144receives the call data from the CHE142and parses and formats the call data into a consistent data format. The EDG device144connects to an emergency system150via a network, such as the Internet, and the EDG device144transmits the formatted call data to the emergency system150via the network. The call data received at the emergency system150from the EDG device144is also referred to as a call data signal. The use of an EDG device144to transfer call data from a CHE142to a cloud-based emergency system150is described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,264,122, incorporated by reference in its entirety. In another example, a central CPE host located outside the PSAP140receives call information for a group of PSAPs and distributes the call information to a selected PSAP, e.g., PSAP140. In this example, a multi-tenant emergency call data relay may capture call data from the central CPE host and transmit the captured call data (e.g., as call data signals) to the emergency system150. The use of the data relay, and the data relay in combination with one or more EDG devices, is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/070,400, incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The PSAP140further includes a telecommunicator device146. In this example, the telecommunicator device146is a computer system operated by a telecommunicator on-site at the PSAP140. In other embodiments, the telecommunicator device146is at a different location from the PSAP140, e.g., at a backup facility, mobile command center, remote worksite, etc. The telecommunicator device146includes the hardware and software needed to display user interfaces, connect to an IP-based network, and detect user input. The telecommunicator device146includes an emergency application148that allows interaction with the emergency system150. In one embodiment, the emergency application148is a browser that allows a telecommunicator to access a web-based CAD service provided by the emergency system150. In another embodiment, the emergency application148is a dedicated application provided by the emergency system150to enable interactions with the emergency system150. The PSAP140may include multiple telecommunicator devices146, each used by a different telecommunicator. Each telecommunicator device has an associated position number.

The emergency system150assists telecommunicators in responding to emergency calls. The emergency system150may be a cloud-based processing system embodied on one or more remote servers. While the emergency system150is shown as being outside the PSAP140, in other embodiments, some or all of the functions performed by the emergency system150and described herein may alternatively be performed by on-site hardware located within a PSAP140. Detailed functionality of the emergency system150is described with respect toFIG.2.

The emergency system150receives the call data signals from the EDG device144, processes the call data signals, and generates user interfaces for display by the emergency application148. While one PSAP140is shown inFIG.1, as noted above, the environment may include many similar PSAPs, and the emergency system150may receive call data signals from many PSAPs, e.g., from EDG devices144installed across many PSAPs. In addition, the emergency system150may receive call data signals from one or more multi-tenant emergency call data relays at one or more central emergency call handling hosts.

The emergency system150also receives supplemental data signals from one or more supplemental data sources. The call data signals and supplemental data signals are referred to jointly as “data signals.” The supplemental data sources are separate from the PSAP140, and in particular, separate from the CHE142and EDG device144which provide the call data signals described above. The supplemental data signals provided by the supplemental data sources include data describing emergencies that reaches the emergency system150through one or more alternate pathways. Example supplemental data sources include the mobile device data provider160and the secondary data sources170a-170cshown inFIG.1. Some or all supplemental data signals may include location information. Some or all supplemental data signals may include contact information, such as a phone number. Some or all supplemental data signals may include alternative or additional data that can be used to correlate the supplemental data signal to an emergency call, such as phone number, name, time stamp, location, etc. Additional and alternative supplemental data that may be included in a supplemental data signal are described below.

The mobile device data provider160provides supplemental data signals related to the mobile device110making an emergency call. The supplemental data signals may include the location of the mobile device110, frequent or saved locations of the mobile device110, identifying information of the mobile device110(e.g., telephone number, customer name), a primary language of the customer and/or mobile device110, medical history information, car crash detection data, a time stamp, and any other information that may be useful to the emergency system150, a telecommunicator, and/or an emergency responder. In some embodiments, the mobile device data provider160automatically transmits the supplemental data signals to the emergency system150in response to an emergency call being placed by the mobile device110. In some embodiments, the mobile device data provider160transmits the supplemental data signals in response to a query from the emergency system150.

The mobile device data provider160may be a web server associated with a mobile device provider. For example, the mobile device data provider160is operated by a mobile phone company that programs the mobile device110to transmit its location to the mobile device data provider160when a user of the mobile device110initiates an emergency communication (e.g., when the user places an emergency call or sends an emergency text message). As another example, a mobile device data provider160is operated by a software provider whose software executes on the mobile device110and accesses the user device's location. In still another example, the mobile device data provider160is implemented by the mobile device itself110, e.g., as a software module of the mobile device110. In this example, the mobile device110is programmed (e.g., by a mobile device provider or software provider) to transmit its location and/or other supplemental data directly to the emergency system150in response to the user initiating an emergency communication. The system environment may include multiple mobile device data providers160associated with different mobile device providers, different mobile networks, and/or different software providers.

During an emergency call, the mobile device data provider160retrieves real-time location information from the mobile device110and transmits the location of the mobile device110to the emergency system150in a supplemental data signal. The mobile device110may determine its location based on, for example, GPS signals, WiFi signals, Bluetooth signals, cell towers, or other signals, or a combination of signals. The device-derived locations included in the supplemental data signals are typically more accurate and precise than the location provided in the call data, e.g., the locations based on cell phone towers used for routing calls. In addition, due to lags in existing call handling infrastructure, the device-derived locations are also typically available to the emergency system150faster than the call data, and faster than the device-derived locations are currently provided to on-site CAD system. Furthermore, the mobile device data provider160can continue to provide updated locations throughout an emergency call as the mobile device110moves location.

In addition to mobile devices, other secondary data sources170may provide location data and/or other data about emergencies to the emergency system150. While the secondary data sources170are illustrated as being in communication with the emergency system150, data from the secondary data sources170may be transmitted from the secondary data sources170to the emergency system150via additional servers or other communications networks and devices, similar to the mobile device locations being passed to the emergency system150by the mobile device data provider160.

Three example types of secondary data sources are illustrated inFIG.1. The first example secondary data source170arepresents a vehicle data source. For example, the secondary data source170aincludes a vehicle communication provider that provides the location of the vehicle and vehicle condition information (e.g., whether a crash was detected) to the emergency system150. A vehicle connected to the vehicle communication provider may alert the vehicle communication provider to an emergency in response to a user action (e.g., a user pressing a button in the vehicle) or automatically (e.g., in response to an automatic crash detection). The vehicle communication provider may send to the emergency system150a supplemental data signal that includes the location of the vehicle, the vehicle condition information, and a phone number associated with the vehicle (e.g., the vehicle owner's cell phone number) or a phone number associated with the vehicle communication provider.

The second example secondary data source170brepresents a panic button data source that provides the location of a user who pressed a panic button to the emergency system150. A panic button provider may provide a supplemental data signal to the emergency system150describing the user (e.g., medical history information) and, if available, the type of emergency (e.g., that the user reported a fall or a home invasion). The supplemental data signal may further include, if available, a location of the user and a phone number associated with the user.

The third example secondary data source170cis a connected security system that may include one or more of a smart doorbell, a camera, a motion sensor, a fire detector, etc. In response to a user-initiated or automatically detected emergency, a home security service that manages the connected security system may provide a supplemental data signal that includes an address where the security system is located, any available real-time video, and other security data (e.g., lock tamper attempts, alarm triggers, etc.) to the emergency system150. The supplemental data signal may further include a phone number associated with the security system (e.g., a homeowner's cell phone number) or a phone number associated with the security system.

The emergency system150may receive additional or alternative supplemental data signals from other types of secondary data sources besides those described above.

The emergency system150aggregates supplemental data signals received from the supplemental data sources160and170and call data signals received from PSAPs, such as the PSAP140. For example, for a given call, the emergency system150receives call data from the EDG device144, including the telephone number of the mobile device110, and a supplemental data signal from the mobile device data provider160that includes a real-time location of the mobile device110. By aggregating data signals from the PSAPs and supplemental data providers, the emergency system150can provide a more complete picture of the emergencies within the jurisdiction of a given PSAP140than prior systems. In some cases, a supplemental data signal regarding a given emergency call may arrive at the emergency system150sooner than the call data signal from a PSAP140. For example, if a call is queued at the PSAP140and has not been assigned to a telecommunicator, the CHE142may not output any call data. In this case, the mobile device data provider160may provide caller information, including the location of the caller and the phone number of the caller, to the emergency system150faster than the CHE142outputs the call data.

Example Emergency System

FIG.2is a block diagram of the emergency system150according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The emergency system150includes a data ingestion module210, a data store220, a signal correlation engine230, a tenant mapping module240, a web server250, and a messaging interface260. In alternative configurations, different and/or additional components may be included in the emergency system150. Additionally, functionality described in conjunction with one or more of the components shown inFIG.2may be distributed among the components in a different manner than described in conjunction withFIG.2in some embodiments.

In one embodiment, the emergency system150is a cloud-based computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system that manages a CAD service that provides information about emergency calls and first responders to telecommunicators and enables telecommunicators to connect to first responders and dispatch first responders to the locations of emergencies. The cloud-based CAD system processes call data signals and supplemental data signals and provides information about an emergency caller to a telecommunicator via the emergency application148. The cloud-based CAD system may also receive information from the emergency application148input by the telecommunicator, e.g., additional information about a caller, selections for responding to the call, information about first responders who were dispatched, etc. In another embodiment, the emergency system150is an emergency call mapping interface that provides data about emergencies in a region (e.g., the jurisdiction of a PSAP140or a region including the jurisdiction) on a real-time map. In still another embodiment, the emergency system150is a call analytics system that performs analysis on received emergency calls based on the call data signals and supplemental data signals. Each of these systems may be configured to receives a selection of emergency callers (e.g., a geographic area including one or more emergency callers) and an outbound message to transmit to the emergency callers, as described below.

The supplemental data ingestion module214receives and processes supplemental data signals provided by one or more supplemental data sources separate from the source of the call data, e.g., the supplemental data sources160and170a-170cshown inFIG.1. At least some of the supplemental data signals may include a location of an emergency and a phone number. The supplemental data ingestion module214may parse supplemental data signals and reformat the parsed supplemental data signal into a common format used by the emergency system150. The supplemental data ingestion module214may determine whether each supplemental data signal is related to a prior supplemental data signal (e.g., an updated location, additional camera footage, etc.) or not, and may associate related supplemental data signals to streamline processing of follow-on data signals. The supplemental data ingestion module214outputs supplemental data signals to the data store220. In some embodiments, the supplemental data ingestion module214also outputs supplemental data signals to one or more processing modules (e.g., one or more of the modules230-250) for real-time processing. While a single supplemental data ingestion module214is shown inFIG.2, in other embodiments, the data ingestion module210may multiple data ingestion modules for different supplemental data sources, e.g., one data ingestion module for each supplemental data source, or one data ingestion module for each particular data format or communication protocol used by one or more supplemental data sources.

The data store220provides storage of the call data signals and supplemental data signals. The data store220may be encrypted. In some embodiments, the emergency system150includes a first data store for short-term storage (e.g., for ongoing emergency calls), and a second, longer-term data store accessed to perform periodic analyses. On some embodiments, the emergency system150includes different data stores for call data and for supplemental data signals. The data store220may include one or more of a Binary Large OBject (BLOB) storage service, data warehouse, key-value database, document database, relational database, or any other type of data storage.

The signal correlation engine230processes call data and supplemental data signals to determine whether a supplemental data signal corresponds to a particular emergency call received at a PSAP, e.g., PSAP140. The signal correlation engine230may access the call data from the data store220, or the signal correlation engine230may receive new call data directly from the call data ingestion module212. Similarly, the signal correlation engine230may access the supplemental data from the data store220, or the signal correlation engine230may receive new supplemental data directly from the supplemental data ingestion module214. The signal correlation engine230may compare a caller identifier (e.g., phone number and/or caller name) in a supplemental data signal to caller identifiers in call data signals related to emergency calls received at one or more PSAPs to determine whether a supplemental data signal corresponds to a particular emergency call. The signal correlation engine230may alternatively or additionally use other data fields to correlate supplemental data to call data, such as time stamps, locations, cell carrier, etc. For example, the signal correlation engine230may determine that if a supplemental data signal is sufficiently close in location (e.g., within the uncertainty radiuses provided by the location sources) and sufficiently close in time (e.g., within 10 seconds) to a call data signal of a given emergency call, the supplemental data signal corresponds to the emergency call. The signal correlation engine230may use various other rules for correlating supplemental data signals to calls. In some embodiments, the rules are user-configurable.

The tenant mapping module240maps supplemental data signals to particular PSAPs for which the supplemental data signals are visible. As used herein, a tenant is a subscriber to the emergency system, such as a PSAP. A tenant may also be a group of PSAPs that are assigned to the same jurisdiction and respond to calls within the jurisdiction (e.g., a state highway patrol may include multiple PSAPs that receive calls across the highway system), or other types of emergency or governmental agencies, e.g., a statewide emergency data agency that collects and analyzes emergency data but does not respond to calls. Each tenant has an associated geographic region and may be responsible for responding to emergency calls within that geographic region. The boundaries of the geographic region are represented as a geofence or a set of geofences (referred to generally as “geofence” or “geofence data”). Geofence data may be stored in the tenant mapping module240, in the data store220, or in another data store. The tenant mapping module240compares the locations of supplemental data signals to geofence data for each PSAP to determine whether the supplemental data signals are relevant to each PSAP. The tenant mapping module240maps a supplemental data signal to a tenant if the location indicated by the supplemental data signal falls within the geofence associated with the tenant. The tenant mapping module240outputs the tenant mappings to the web server250or to data storage accessed by the web server250.

The web server250provides user interfaces to telecommunicators providing emergency response assistance. The web server250may provide multiple user interface (UI) modules corresponding to various UI components, e.g., a map UI252and a messaging UI254. The web server250may provide additional UI modules not specifically shown inFIG.2, such as a call data module, a chat module, a search module, a key questioning module, a resource selection module, etc. It should be understood that various user interface functions described herein as being performed by the web server250or by the user interface may be performed at the web server250(e.g., in a thin client implementation) or at the emergency application148based on data and instructions provided to the telecommunicator device146by the web server250(e.g., in a fat client implementation). The user interface may be user-configurable, and the web server250may select certain data or certain UI modules for display based on user selections.

The map UI252generates a display of a map and one or more signal indicators corresponding to data signals, e.g., call data signals for calls received at the PSAP140, and supplemental data signals mapped to the PSAP140by the tenant mapping module240. Each signal indicator is positioned on the map at the location indicated by the data signal. The signal indicators may have a visual characteristic indicating the status of a call corresponding to the signal indicator. For example, the visual characteristic may indicate whether the data signal corresponds to a call that has been received at the telecommunicator's PSAP, whether the corresponding call has been answered, or whether the corresponding call has been answered at a different PSAP. For a supplemental signal indicator that does not correspond to a call data signal, the visual characteristic of the supplemental signal indicator may indicate whether or not a threshold amount of time has elapsed since the call supplemental signal was received without a corresponding call being answered. The map UI252may provide additional signal data via the user interfaces, e.g., pop-up windows or other displays. Example user interfaces provided by the map UI252are shown inFIGS.4-6,8, and9.

The messaging UI254provides UI features that a user can use to configure and send an outbound message to phone numbers associated with a selected set of data signals, e.g., to phone numbers associated with data signals having locations in a particular geographic region. The messaging UI254or the map UI252may provide an option for a user to select a geographic region on the map. For example, the user can draw a polygon (e.g., a circle or rectangle) over a particular portion of the map that includes data signals that may be related to the same emergency or event. The messaging UI254provides additional options for a user to write and configure the message sent to phone numbers of the data signals within the selected geographic region. The messaging UI254may include one UI, or a set of UIs, displayed to a user configuring an automated message, and an additional UI or set of UIs displayed to other users, e.g., other telecommunicators in a PSAP, providing information about an automated message configured by another user. Example user interfaces provided by the messaging UI254are shown inFIGS.6,7, and9.

The messaging interface260manages messages configured via users using the messaging UI254. The messaging interface260receives the selected geographic region, the outbound message, and any other message configuration options from the web server250, e.g., based on selections by a user in the messaging UI254. The messaging interface260identifies phone numbers to transmit the outbound message to, and transmits the messages, e.g., via SMS. In the example shown inFIG.2, the messaging interface260includes an outbound message manager262and an SMS interface264. The messaging interface260may provide features not specifically shown inFIG.2, such as an inbound message manager that receives inbound text messages from a mobile device user (e.g., a text response to an automated outbound message) and provides the received text messages to the web server250for display.

The outbound message manager262receives the outbound message, selected geographic region, and message configuration options selected by the user. The outbound message manager262also retrieves data describing data signals from the data store220. The outbound message manager262compares data signals in the data store220to the selected geographic region and other configuration options and identifies phone numbers to transmit the outbound message to. For example, the outbound message manager262identifies any data signals with locations within the geographic region.

The outbound message manager262may apply one or more filters to the identified data signals with locations within the geographic region, so that the outbound message manager262does not select the filtered data signals to send the outbound message to. The outbound message manager262may filter the data signals to remove data signals that correspond to answered calls, e.g., the outbound message manager262does not select supplemental data signals that were correlated to call data signals by the signal correlation engine230. The outbound message manager262may also filter data signals to remove signals that may not correspond to active emergency calls. For example, the outbound message manager262may filter data signals received more than a threshold time ago, e.g., more than one minute or five minutes ago; in some embodiments, the threshold time may vary based on the data source, e.g., how often the data source sends updated supplemental data to the emergency system150. The outbound message manager262may filter data signals based on the data included in the data signal, e.g., filtering data signals that do not have an associated phone number. As another example, the outbound message manager262filters data signals based on the supplemental data source or type, e.g., the outbound message manager262may filter signals from some or all of the supplemental data sources170, which do not correspond to emergency calls.

The outbound message manager262may continue to monitor the data store220for newly received data signals that are within the geographic region, and determine whether to send an outbound message to newly received data signals. The messaging UI254may enable a user to select an active time period for an automated message, e.g., transmit the automated message to data signals received in the next 10 minutes, or transmit the automated message to calls received while a particular incident in the geographic region is active. To determine whether to transmit the outbound message to the phone number of the new data signal, the outbound message manager262may determine whether a new data signal is related to a previously-received data signal (e.g., if the messaging interface260has already sent an outbound message to the phone number in the new the data signal), and if not, apply the filters described above.

The SMS interface264transmits messages to the phone numbers associated with the signals identified by the outbound message manager262. In this example, the outbound message is an SMS message, also referred to as a text message, transmitted over a cellular network or the Internet to the phone number associated with the data signal. The outbound message may be sent using other protocols, such as Internet Protocol (IP) based messaging protocols associated with phone numbers (e.g., iMessage or WhatsApp), or messaging systems associated with other contact information (e.g., email). In other embodiments, the outbound message may be an audio message played to a caller while the caller is on hold. In some embodiments, the outbound message may be sent in multiple formats, e.g., text and audio. The messaging interface260may include any suitable interface or interfaces instead of or in addition to the SMS interface264based on the selected messaging protocol(s) and format(s).

In some embodiments, the messaging interface260includes an interface to a third-party service that can provide notifications to its users. For example, the messaging interface260may include an integration to a traffic app (e.g., Waze) to alert its users about a known traffic incident, an integration to a social media provider to alert its users about a known incident (e.g., a known mass casualty incident), or an integration to a mass notification provider to alert its users about a known incident. In some embodiments, the messaging interface260may filter messages provided to third party integrations, e.g., only providing traffic-related incident information to a traffic app.

Process for Sending Outbound Messages to Emergency Callers

FIG.3is a flow diagram illustrating a process for sending outbound messages to emergency callers according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The emergency system150(e.g., the map UI252) receives a geographic area for an outbound message. For example, a telecommunicator using the emergency application148draws a polygon on the map UI252, and the web server250returns data describing the boundaries of the polygon to the messaging interface260.FIGS.4and5, discussed below, show example interfaces in which a user selects the geographic area.

The emergency system150(e.g., the messaging UI254) receives320an outbound message entered by a user. For example, a telecommunicator may type an outbound message into a text box in the messaging UI254. In some embodiments, the messaging UI254provides selectable message segments that a user can select to generate an outbound message more efficiently.FIGS.6and7, discussed below, show example interfaces in which a user enters an outbound message.

The emergency system150(e.g., the messaging UI254) receives330message settings. For example, a telecommunicator selects a time period for which the message should be sent to new callers in the geographic area. As another example, the telecommunicator may select a set of data signals or data signal sources for the emergency system150to send the outbound message to. For example, if an incident in the geographic area is a car crash, the telecommunicator may choose to send the outbound message to phone numbers associated with vehicle data sources (e.g., vehicle data source170c); alternatively, if an incident in the geographic area is a fire, the telecommunicator may choose not to send the outbound message to phone numbers associated with vehicle data sources.FIG.7, discussed below, shows an example interface in which a user enters a message setting.

The emergency system150(e.g., the messaging interface260) transmits340messages to signals (e.g., phone numbers associated with data signals) within the geographic area. The messaging interface260retrieves data describing data signals335from the data store220. The messaging interface260identifies a portion of the data signals with locations inside the geographic area. As described with respect toFIG.2, the outbound message manager262may further apply one or more filters to the data signals with locations inside the geographic area, e.g., so that the messaging interface260transmits the outbound message to phone numbers associated with unanswered calls, but does not transmit the outbound message to phone numbers associated with calls that have been answered by a telecommunicator.

The emergency system150(e.g., the messaging interface260) continues to determine350whether any newly received data signals335are in the geographic area. For example, the data ingestion module210may push any new data signals or a subset of the data signals (e.g., supplemental data signals) to the outbound message manager262, or the outbound message manager262may retrieve new data signals on a periodic basis (e.g., every second, or every five seconds). The outbound message manager262may apply any of the filtering described with respect toFIG.2, including filtering phone numbers that have previously been sent the outbound message.

If the emergency system150detects a new signal to transmit a message to (e.g., a new data signal in the geographic area that is not filtered out by the outbound message manager262), the emergency system (e.g., the SMS interface264) transmits360the outbound message to the new signal (e.g., phone numbers associated with data signals) in a similar manner that the messaging interface260transmits the initial outbound messages.

The emergency system150determines370whether a notification duration has elapsed, e.g., a notification duration configured by a telecommunicator. As noted above, the notification duration may be a time period, or it may be tied to a particular event in the emergency system150, such as closing of a particular incident. If the notification duration has not elapsed, the process returns to decision350, determining whether any new signals in the geographic area have been received. If the notification duration has elapsed, the process ends.

Example User Interfaces

FIG.4is a user interface displaying data signals on a map according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The user interface includes a map410with various streets and place names. An answered call signal indicator420is positioned on the map410at the location indicated by a call data signal. Multiple unanswered signal indicators425are positioned on the map410at the locations indicated by supplemental data signals, e.g., locations of unanswered emergency calls provided by the mobile device data provider160. The unanswered signal indicators425may have a particular color or shading indicating that they are supplemental data signal not presently associated with a received call. In addition, in this example, the signal indicators425have an alarm icon that indicates that their corresponding data signal were received at least a threshold amount of time ago, e.g., that the callers have been on hold without their call being answered for this duration of time.

The user interface has additional interface components that may be used by the telecommunicator. In this example, the map includes a set of map options430that can be selected to adjust the display of the map410, e.g., options to change the zoom level, options to change the region shown, options to change the type of data that is shown on the map410, etc. The user interface also includes a search bar440that can accept search terms from a telecommunicator to search for data related to current or completed calls stored on the emergency system150. The user interface further includes a list of My Calls450, which are calls currently being handled by the telecommunicator. In this case, the My Calls list450includes the call corresponding to the answered call signal indicator420.

One of the options430is a message polygon option460, which allows a user to select a geographic area for sending an outbound message. If the user selects the message polygon option460, the map UI252may provide a UI feature for the user to draw a polygon directly on the map410.

FIG.5is a user interface showing a user selection of a geographic region on the map, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. A user has drawn the message polygon510around the unanswered signal indicators425and in the area around the answered call420. In this example, the message polygon510is a circle, but other shapes, e.g., a rectangle, a square, a hexagon, etc., may be used. In some embodiments, after the user selects the message polygon option460, the map UI252displays selectable polygon options for different polygon shapes, and the user can select a particular shape. In some embodiments, the map UI252may provide a freeform option, so that a user can create a freeform shape, or select a set of points on the map410to form a polygon.

FIG.6is a user interface showing a user interface module for sending a text message to phone numbers of data signals inside the selected geographic region, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The messaging UI254may provide the outbound SMS notification window610overlaid over the map410after the user creates the polygon510. The outbound SMS notification window610includes a message history620, showing the outbound message entered by the user, along with a text box630where the user can type the message or type a follow-on message, a send button640that the user can select to send the message, and a cancel button650that user can select to cancel the outbound SMS notification. The outbound SMS notification window610further includes an expand option660that a user can select to view more outbound notification options.

FIG.7is a user interface700for configuring an outbound message to emergency callers, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The messaging UI254may display the user interface700in response to a user selecting the expand option660, or in response to the user drawing the polygon510. The user interface700may be overlaid over the map410(e.g., a larger portion of the map than is overlaid by the outbound SMS notification window610), or the web server250may display the user interface700in lieu of the map410or in a separate window.

The user interface700includes a duration selection panel710which the user may use to select a duration for the message to be sent to new data signals. Below the duration selection panel710is a message entry box720in which the user can type the outbound message. Alternatively, the user may select pre-written message building blocks730below the message entry box720; if the user selects a message building block730, the text of the building block is entered into the message entry box720. In some embodiments, the messaging UI254selects one or more message building blocks to include based on the incident. For example, if the incident within message polygon510is a fire, a message building block referring to a fire may be included. In some embodiments, certain details are added into the message building blocks automatically. For example, the messaging UI254may pull the incident type and incident address from an incident record created by the emergency system and add this to the message “9-1-1 is aware of [incident type] at [address]”; e.g., the message building block may say “9-1-1 is aware of the fire at 123 River Road.”

The user interface700further includes an option740to activate the outbound message after the user has finished creating the outbound message and selected the duration710and any other settings that may be included in the user interface700. Below the activate option740is a cancel notification option750that the user can select to cancel the outbound message. The user interface700further includes a reduce option760that the user can select to reduce the user interface700, e.g., to return to the outbound SMS notification window610.

FIG.8is a user interface showing the map after the outbound message has been configured, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The message polygon510and the unanswered signal indicators425are shaded, indicating that the message has been sent to unanswered data signals within the geographic region bounded by the message polygon510. The user interface further includes an information option810that the user can select to view more details about the outbound message. The user interface shown inFIG.8may be displayed to a different user than the user who configured the outbound message. For example, if a PSAP has multiple telecommunicators working simultaneously on different telecommunicator devices146, each of the telecommunicators' respective emergency applications148provides about an outbound message set up by one of their colleagues (or that they themselves configured).

FIG.9is a user interface showing a detail window for the outbound message, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The detail window910is displayed near the message polygon510in response to a user selecting the information option810. The detail window910includes various details about the outbound message, including which user initiated the outbound message, when the message was created, when the notification duration ends, and how many outbound messages have been sent. In other examples, more or different information may be displayed, such as information describing responses to the outbound message. The detail window910further includes an option920that a user may select to cancel the outbound message. In some embodiments, any user within the PSAP may be able to cancel the outbound message. The detail window910also includes an option930that the user may select to view more information about the outbound message, e.g., the text of the outbound message, message histories with callers who have responded to the message, etc.

Other Implementation Notes, Variations, and Applications

It should be appreciated that the electrical circuits of the accompanying drawings and its teachings are readily scalable and can accommodate a large number of components, as well as more complicated/sophisticated arrangements and configurations. Accordingly, the examples provided should not limit the scope or inhibit the broad teachings of the electrical circuits as potentially applied to a myriad of other architectures.

Numerous other changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications may be ascertained to one skilled in the art and it is intended that the present disclosure encompass all such changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications as falling within the scope of the appended claims. Note that all optional features of any of the devices and systems described herein may also be implemented with respect to the methods or processes described herein and specifics in the examples may be used anywhere in one or more embodiments.