SMS communication during emergencies

Abstract

Systems and methods provide, to emergency operators at an emergency call center, the ability to communicate through textual messages with wireless mobile devices from which emergency voice calls have been placed. By virtue of such textual communication, callers using wireless mobile devices can receive emergency instructions and/or provide information about their current location.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system configured to provide, to emergency operators, communication through textual messages, the system comprising:
 one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising:
 a call reception module configured to receive incoming emergency voice calls being placed to an emergency call center through an emergency communications network from wireless mobile devices, the incoming emergency voice calls including a first voice call placed from a first wireless mobile device; 
 an outgoing message module configured to generate outgoing textual messages for transmission to wireless mobile devices from which incoming emergency voice calls are received such that a first outgoing textual message is generated for transmission to the first wireless mobile device based on the first voice call; 
 a transmission module configured to transmit the outgoing textual messages to the appropriate wireless mobile devices through a second communications network that is different than the emergency communications network such that the first outgoing textual message is transmitted to the first wireless mobile device through the second communications network; 
 a presentation module configured to present incoming emergency voice calls to emergency operators through a user interface, wherein the user interface includes a set of user-selectable options, and wherein the presentation module is further configured to receive user input from emergency operators to select one or more of the set of user-selectable options; and 
 a web-hosting module configured to host web resources configured to:
 (i) query wireless mobile devices for location information; and 
 (ii) share, responsive to receipt of location information, received location information with the presentation module; 
 
 
 wherein the first outgoing textual message includes a uniform resource locator (URL) link to the web resources; and 
 wherein the presentation module is further configured to present shared queried location information to emergency operators through the user interface. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the set of user-selectable options correspond to different information requests associated with the incoming emergency calls such that the first voice call is associated with a first information request, and wherein the first information request is included in the first outgoing textual message. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first informational request includes emergency instructions. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first outgoing textual message includes a link to emergency instructions. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the outgoing textual messages include one or both of short message service (SMS) messages and/or multimedia messaging service (MMS) messages. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the transmission module is further configured to receive textual messages from wireless mobile devices through the second communications network. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the presentation module is further configured to present received textual messages through the user interface. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the web resources is configured to query wireless mobile devices for location information through an application programming interface (API) function that accesses one or both of global positioning system (GPS) information and/or geolocation information. 
     
     
       9. A computer-implemented method for providing, to emergency operators, communication through textual messages, the method being performed by one or more processorsconfigured to execute computer program modules, the method comprising:
 receiving incoming emergency voice calls being placed to an emergency call center through an emergency communications network from wireless mobile devices, the incoming emergency voice calls including a first voice call from a first wireless mobile device; 
 generating outgoing textual messages for transmission to wireless mobile devices from which incoming emergency voice calls are received such that a first outgoing textual message is generated for transmission to the first wireless mobile device based on the first voice call; 
 transmitting the outgoing textual messages to the appropriate wireless mobile devices through a second communications network that is different than the emergency communications network such that the first outgoing textual message is transmitted to the first wireless mobile device through the second communications network, wherein the first outgoing textual message includes a link to web resources; 
 presenting incoming emergency voice calls to emergency operators through a user interface, wherein the user interface includes a set of user-selectable options; 
 receiving user input from emergency operators to select one or more of the set of user-selectable options; querying, through the web resources, wireless mobile devices for location information; 
 sharing, responsive to receipt of location information, received location information with the presentation module user interface; 
 and presenting shared queried location information to emergency operators through the user interface. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the set of user-selectable options correspond to different informational requests associated with the incoming emergency calls such that the first voice call is associated with a first informational request, and wherein the first informational request is included in the first outgoing textual message. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first informational request includes emergency instructions. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first outgoing textual message includes a link to emergency instructions. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the outgoing textual messages include one or both of short message service (SMS) messages and/or multimedia messaging service (MMS) messages. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 9 , wherein querying wireless mobile devices for location information includes accessing, through an application programming interface (API) function, one or both of global positioning system (GPS) information and/or geolocation information. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 receiving textual messages from wireless mobile devices through the second communications network. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 present received textual messages through the user interface. 
 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface includes a first interface element and a second interface element, and the presentation module is configured to display the set of user-selectable options via the first interface element and to display another set of user-selectable options via the second interface element, and wherein the another set of user selectable options displayed via the second interface element changes depending on selection made to the set of user-selectable options.  
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the set of user-selectable options includes a set of different types of emergencies.  
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 18 , wherein the another set of user-selectable options includes a set of informational requests that changes depending on the selection made to the set of user-selectable options.  
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 19 , wherein the first outgoing textual message includes an informational request selected among the set of informational requests displayed via the second interface element.  
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first outgoing textual message is transmitted to the first wireless mobile device in response to a determination that the first voice call is abandoned.  
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 21 , wherein the first outgoing textual message is automatically transmitted to the first wireless mobile device in response to the determination that the first voice call is abandoned.  
     
     
       23. The system of  claim 21 , wherein the first outgoing textual message includes a link, a button, or a selectable option that allows a caller to re-establish communication with the emergency call center.  
     
     
       24. The system of  claim 21 , wherein the first outgoing textual message includes a link, a button, or a selectable option that allows a caller to confirm that the abandoned first voice call may be ignored.  
     
     
       25. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the presentation module is further configured to present, with respect to the first voice call, historical emergency information that is associated with one or more previous emergency voice calls.  
     
     
       26. The system of  claim 25 , wherein the one or more previous emergency voice calls are related to the first voice call in view of at least one of a calling device, a caller, or a calling location.  
     
     
       27. The system of  claim 25 , wherein the presentation module is further configured to present information from one or more emergency responders to at least one of the one or more previous emergency voice calls and the first voice call.