ATX proposes new approach for In-vehicle eCall to Emergency Responders

ATX Group unveiled a proposal to help accelerate deployment of the European Commission’s initiative to enable vehicles to automatically notify local emergency responders in the event of a crash and pinpoint the location of the emergency from anywhere within the continent.

ATX’s proposed self-dispatching approach to managing location-enabled emergency calls (eCalls) from vehicles, whether activated by a motorist depressing an in-vehicle emergency button or by in-vehicle equipment automatically dialling upon airbag deployment, combines the two approaches to eCall deployment recognized by the European Commission.

ATX proposes using one approach, which relies upon a telematics or Third-Party Service Provider (TPSP) to move the voice call from the car to the TPSP via SMS technology and in-vehicle satellite positioning technology. The calls would then be screened by specially trained TPSP call takers fluent in the native language of the motorist, to identify and re-prioritize non-emergencies. Confirmed emergencies would then be relayed to the 1-1-2 emergency number relevant to the area of the crash with the minimum set of data specified by the Commission via an automated voice in the native language of the 1-1-2 call takers.

The focus of the Commission’s second approach entails directing the call into local 1-1-2 response centres. Based on the scope of the eCall data received, the automated messages could also convey additional crash severity information as well as the access code to a Web portal with the associated data.

The self-dispatch approach offers a significant advantage to vehicle manufacturers because it provides a thin client approach. Complexity is moved from the in-vehicle head unit to the telematic service provider’s servers, thereby ensuring that updated software or algorithms do not leave legacy vehicles with incompatible systems. Automobile manufacturers also maintain greater control on the routing of call and data and receive value in retaining eCall statistics.

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