Universal Access to eCall System

Abstract

eCall is a car system which automatically calls for help in case of a car accident. The system sends a minimum set of data containing information about the occurrence, such as the geographic location and the vehicle identification. Simultaneously, a 112-voice connection is established. Therefore, the operator at the Public-Safety Answering Point (PSAP) is able to hear what is happening in the vehicle and actually communicate with the occupant(s). However if the occupant(s)’s are deaf or has earing impairments he will not be able to describe the situation using the voice channel established. This paper proposes a solution for this problem extending the SOSPhone concept, developed for enabling universal access to emergency services. A prototype of an application integrated with the eCall that enables the communication with deaf people or earing impaired people is presented. The solution makes use of touch interfaces, embedding the emergency protocols in the user's device, gathering information with an iconographic interface.