Systems and methods for identifying caller locations
View Patent ↗In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method, system and device for determining information about a location of the mobile device. The mobile device is configured to contact a private response call center (PRCC), e.g., by pressing or selecting one or more buttons or a softmenu. A PRCC operator can identify a potential emergency situation and, upon such an identification, initiate a conference call between a PRCC operator, a user of the mobile device, and a public safety answering point (PSAP) operator. The mobile device may transmit location information previously determined before PRCC call and be commanded to gather new location information during the call. The mobile device may also, while on a call with the PRCC, determine and transmit to the PRCC location information.
1. A mobile device configured to maintain a location fix while limiting network data traffic, the mobile device comprising:
a processor;
a location determining function that can operate using a first location determining method that requires network data access, and can operate using a second location determining method that sometimes requires network data access and sometimes does not;
a voice channel for wireless communication;
an input interface for receiving inputs from a user of the mobile device; and
a memory holding instructions that configure the mobile device to, when the instructions are executed by the processor:
obtain a location fix using the first location determining method;
store the location fix in memory;
repeatedly request additional location fixes using the second location determining method, the repeated requests being separated in time by at least a first predetermined interval;
store any location fixes received using the second location determining method in the memory; and
when a predetermined number of requests to determine location using the second location determining method have failed, obtain a new location fix using the first location determining method only if a second predetermined interval has elapsed since the most recent use of the first location determining method.
2. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further configure the mobile device to:
recognize that a user of the mobile device has, using the input interface, initiated a voice call over the voice channel to a receiving party;
during the call, repeatedly request location fixes using the second location determining method.
3. The mobile device of claim 2 , wherein the instructions further configure the mobile device to transmit to the receiving part any location fixes obtained during the call.
4. The mobile device of claim 3 , wherein the location fixes are transmitted to the receiving party using a communication channel separate from the voice channel of the voice call.
5. The mobile device of claim 2 , wherein the location determination requests performed during the call are separated in time by amounts of time less than the first predetermined interval.
6. The mobile device of claim 2 , wherein the location determination requests performed during the call are performed in response to prompts from the receiving party.
7. The mobile device of claim 6 , further comprising a communication channel separate from the voice channel, and wherein the prompts from the receiving party are received via the communication channel.
8. The mobile device of claim 7 , wherein the prompts from the receiving party are received via short message service (SMS) messages.
9. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the first predetermined interval is at least 15 minutes.
10. A method of operating a mobile communications device, the method comprising:
in a first operating state, obtaining a location fix using a location determining function of the mobile device using a first location determining method that requires a network data access;
transitioning to a second operating state;
in the second operating state, periodically requesting additional location fixes using the location determining function in a second location determining method that sometimes requires a network data access and sometimes does not;
recognizing that a user of the mobile device has used in input interface of the mobile device to place a voice call to a private response call center;
in response to the placement of the call, transitioning to a third operating state that comprises a call connected state; and
during the call connected state, repeatedly requesting location fixes using the location determining function using the second location determining method and communicating any location fixes obtained during the call connected state to the private response call center; wherein location fixes are requested more frequently in the call connected state than in the second operating state.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein location fixes obtained during the call connected state are communicated to the private response center using short message service (SMS) messages.
12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising, in the third operating state:
recognizing that a request to determine location using the second location determining method has failed; and
repeating the request specifying a reduced accuracy level as compared with the accuracy level of the failed request.
13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising, in the second operating state:
receiving almanac and ephemeris data in response to a location determination request using the second location determining method; and
storing the almanac and ephemeris data in a memory of the mobile communications device.
14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
storing in a memory each location fix received during the second operating state; and
upon entry to the call connected state, communicating to the private response call center the most recent location fix stored during the second operating state.
15. A method of operating a mobile communications device, the method comprising:
in a first operating state, obtaining a location fix using a location determining function of the mobile device using a first location determining method that requires a network data access;
transitioning to a second operating state;
in the second operating state, periodically requesting additional location fixes using the location determining function in a second location determining method that sometimes requires a network data access and sometimes does not;
recognizing that a user of the mobile device has used in input interface of the mobile device to place a voice call to a private response call center;
in response to the placement of the call, transitioning to a third operating state that comprises a call connected state; and
during the call connected state, repeatedly requesting location fixes using the location determining function using the second location determining method and communicating any location fixes obtained during the call connected state to the private response call center;
wherein the method further comprises, in the second operating state:
recognizing that a predetermined number of the location fix requests using the location determining function in the second location determining method have failed; and
obtaining a new location fix using the first location determining method.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the new location fix is obtained only if a predetermined time interval has elapsed since the most recent use of the first location determining method.