This disclosure is directed to generating and sending an emergency notification short message service (SMS) message to one or more registered contacts of a user when the user's user equipment (UE) is used to call enhanced 911 (E911). The E911 call may be placed either as a voice over long term evolution (VoLTE) or as a voice over WiFi (VoWiFi) call. The emergency contacts may be previously designated by the user, and saved to a profile associated with the user. When the user calls E911, a gateway mobile location center (GMLC) system may cooperate with one or more other components of a mobile communications network to route the E911 call to a nearby public safety answering point (PSAP) based at least in part on location information of the UE from which the E911 call was placed. This same location information may be provided in the emergency notification SMS message.

Networkable digital life jackets and associated methods are disclosed. An example life jacket includes a state manager and a swarm manager. The state manager is configured to selectively operate the life jacket in one of multiple operational states of the life jacket based on data obtained from one or more sensors of the life jacket. The swarm manager is configured to form a swarm network including the life jacket and one or more other life jackets.

The disclosure is directed toward a communication system having a mobile device using a gesture-based user interface. The mobile device may include a user interface that is configured to accept gesture-based commands from a user and relay important information to a responder server during emergency situations.

A system and method for autonomous distress tracking of an aircraft. An automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast transceiver is configured to transmit an automatic distress transmission. A system controller comprises a distress identifier that is configured to determine when the aircraft is in a distress condition. The system controller is configured to control the automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast transceiver to transmit the automatic distress transmission in response to a determination that the aircraft is in the distress condition. The automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast transceiver and the system controller are contained within a housing attached to the aircraft on an outside of the aircraft.

An autonomous distress tracking system for an aircraft is described. The system can include a transponder configured to transmit radio frequency (RF) emissions and an RF detector unit configured to detect the RF emissions. The system can further include an alert system that is in communication with the RF detector unit and be configured to activate a distress radio beacon if no RF emissions are detected within a predetermined period of time.

A method and system for federating location of a point of emergency across a plurality of networks is disclosed. The method includes receiving, by a Location Service Orchestrator (LSO), an emergency alert from a User Equipment (UE), wherein the UE is communicatively coupled with a first network from the plurality of networks. The method further includes determining, by the LSO, a location of the UE based on the received emergency alert. The method includes refining, by the LSO, the determined location based on a network initiated location determination mechanism of the first network, when the accuracy of determined location of the UE is below a pre-defined threshold for locational accuracy. The method further includes federating, by the LSO, the refined location of the UE across the plurality of networks.

Example vehicle communication management systems and methods are described. In one implementation, a communication management system determines whether a vehicle can communicate with an external system. If the vehicle is unable to communicate with the external system, the communication management system identifies a neighboring device that can communicate with the external system and communicates vehicle information to the neighboring device. The communication management system also requests the neighboring device to communicate the information, and other details from the neighboring device's perspective, to the external system.

An autonomous distress tracking system for an aircraft is described. The system can include a transponder configured to transmit radio frequency (RF) emissions and an RF detector unit configured to detect the RF emissions. The system can further include an alert system that is in communication with the RF detector unit and be configured to activate a distress radio beacon if no RF emissions are detected within a predetermined period of time.

This disclosure is directed to generating and sending an emergency notification short message service (SMS) message to one or more registered contacts of a user when the user's user equipment (UE) is used to call enhanced 911 (E911). The E911 call may be placed either as a voice over long term evolution (VoLTE) or as a voice over WiFi (VoWiFi) call. The emergency contacts may be previously designated by the user, and saved to a profile associated with the user. When the user calls E911, a gateway mobile location center (GMLC) system may cooperate with one or more other components of a mobile communications network to route the E911 call to a nearby public safety answering point (PSAP) based at least in part on location information of the UE from which the E911 call was placed. This same location information may be provided in the emergency notification SMS message.

An autonomous distress tracking system for an aircraft is described. The system can include a transponder configured to transmit radio frequency (RF) emissions and an RF detector unit configured to detect the RF emissions. The system can further include an alert system that is in communication with the RF detector unit and be configured to activate a distress radio beacon if no RF emissions are detected within a predetermined period of time.