Emergency Locator System

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing distributed notification of an emergency event are disclosed. A system according to the invention can include a remote device that is communicatively coupled to a base station. The remote device can include an activation device, a GPS signal receiver, a remote device controller, and a location signal transmitter. The GPS signal receiver is adapted to receive global positioning signals from each of a plurality of global positioning satellites. The transmitter is adapted to transmit location signals to the base station. The base station can include a contact profile data store, a location signal receiver, a base station controller, and a notification signal transmitter. The location signal receiver is adapted to receive location signals from the remote device. The notification signal transmitter is adapted to transmit notification signals to each of a plurality of contacts, which can include an emergency service.

1 . One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for: 
 testing contact data associated with a plurality of contacts, to validate that the contact data for each is valid, the testing comprising initiating a test call to each of the contacts;    processing an emergency notification message from a remote device, wherein the emergency notification message comprises a location signal that represents a current location of a remote device;    determining from a contact profile data store a plurality of contacts for notification of the emergency notification, wherein the contact profile data store contains a contact profile that is associated with the remote device and includes respective contact data relating to each of the plurality of contacts; and    communicating information pertaining to the emergency notification to each of the plurality of contacts and to an emergency service; and    obtaining an updated notification message from the remote device, wherein the updated notification message reflects a current location of the device.    
     
     
         2 . The one or more computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the emergency notification message further comprises event status information about the emergency, and wherein the updated notification message further comprises up-to-date event status information.  
     
     
         3 . The one or more computer-readable media of  claim 2 , wherein the event status information comprises one of (i) an indication that everyone at the location is uninjured, and (ii) an indication that individuals at the location have been injured.  
     
     
         4 . The one or more computer-readable media of  claim 3 , wherein when the event status information an indication that individuals at the location have been injured, the status further including an indication of a hospital to which the injured individuals have been or will be taken.  
     
     
         5 . The one or more computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the contact profile data store further contains a subscriber identifier associated with the remote device.  
     
     
         6 . The one or more computer-readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the contact profile data store further contain a respective contact address and contact type associated with each of the plurality of contacts.  
     
     
         7 . The one or more computer-readable media of  claim 1 , having further computer-executable instructions for providing the updated notification message to each of the plurality of contacts and to the emergency service until a deactivation event occurs.  
     
     
         8 . The one or more computer-readable media of  claim 7 , wherein the deactivation event is an expiration of a predefined timeout period.  
     
     
         9 . The one or more computer-readable media of  claim 7 , wherein the deactivation event is a termination by a user of the remote device.  
     
     
         10 . The one or more computer-readable media of  claim 1 , further including computer-executable instructions for providing a website by which the plurality of contacts can retrieve location information via a network connection.  
     
     
         11 . A method for providing distributed notification, the method comprising: 
 processing an emergency notification message from a remote device, wherein the emergency notification message comprises a location signal that represents a current location of a remote device;    determining from a contact profile data store a plurality of contacts for notification of the emergency notification, wherein the contact profile data store contains a contact profile that is associated with the remote device and includes respective contact data relating to each of the plurality of contacts; and    communicating information pertaining to the emergency notification to each of the plurality of contacts and to an emergency service; and    obtaining an updated notification message from the remote device, wherein the updated notification message reflects a current location of the device.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the emergency notification message further comprises event status information about the emergency, and wherein the updated notification message further comprises up-to-date event status information.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the event status information comprises one of (i) an indication that everyone at the location is uninjured, and (ii) an indication that individuals at the location have been injured.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein when the event status information an indication that individuals at the location have been injured, the status further including an indication of a hospital to which the injured individuals have been or will be taken.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising providing the updated notification message to each of the plurality of contacts and to the emergency service until a deactivation event occurs.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising providing a website by which the plurality of contacts can retrieve location information via a network connection.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising determining the identity of the subscriber associated with the remote device from the contact profile.  
     
     
         18 . A system for providing emergency notification, the system comprising: 
 a signal receiver at a base station for receiving location signals that represent a current location of a receiver;    a contact profile data store that contains a contact profile that is associated with a remote device identifier and includes respective contact data relating to each of a plurality of contacts; and    a signal transmitter at the base station that (i) provides to each of the plurality of contacts and to an emergency service a respective notification message that contains a location of a remote device associated with the remote device identifier; (ii) obtains an updated notification message from the remote device, wherein the updated notification message reflects a current location of the device; (iii) and provides the updated notification message to each of the plurality of contacts and to the emergency service until a deactivation event occurs.    
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the updated notification message is obtained by one of (i) sending an updated location signal at the base station from the remote device and (ii) sending a location request signal to the remote device from the base station.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the deactivation event comprises an expiration of a predefined timeout period or a termination by the subscriber.