Description:Title of the Invention

“A Multi-Network Emergency Communication System and Method Utilizing Integrated Long-Range Wireless Transceivers and Unified Network Management in Mobile Devices”

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to the technical field of wireless communication systems and network resilience infrastructure. More particularly, the invention relates to mobile communication devices capable of supporting emergency and disaster-resilient communication frameworks by integrating long-range wireless communication protocols such as LoRa (Long Range) transceivers within standard smartphones or handheld devices.

This invention specifically addresses technical challenges associated with the loss of conventional telecommunication infrastructure during disaster situations and introduces a novel system and method for integrating LoRa radios and unified multi-protocol network management stacks into mainstream mobile devices.

The invention has particular applicability in domains including, but not limited to, public safety communication, emergency medical services, rural telemedicine, disaster recovery operations, smart city IoT sensor networks, military field communication, industrial automation in remote areas, and any situation requiring resilient ad-hoc mesh networks without reliance on conventional infrastructure.

The invention further anticipates future technological trends such as 6G networks, AI-driven communication protocols, edge computing, smart wearables integration, and quantum-safe communication, ensuring scalability, interoperability, and future adaptability in a global multi-network ecosystem.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Modern telecommunication systems heavily rely on infrastructure-based networks including cellular (LTE/5G), broadband Wi-Fi, and satellite services for public and private communication. While these systems offer high-bandwidth connectivity under normal conditions, they remain vulnerable during natural disasters, large-scale power outages, or sabotage.

In events such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, or terrorist attacks, cellular towers and Wi-Fi access points are frequently incapacitated or overloaded. The resulting communication blackout impedes emergency response efforts and community safety measures.

Existing solutions, such as satellite phones and two-way radios, while operationally viable, suffer from limitations like restricted bandwidth, higher costs, bulkiness, and limited availability within consumer-grade devices.

LoRa (Long Range) technology, a low-power, long-distance wireless protocol operating within unlicensed ISM bands, has emerged as a promising candidate for disaster-resilient communication due to its capacity for device-to-device (D2D) communication over tens of kilometers, minimal power requirements, and superior penetration through physical obstacles.

However, no contemporary commercial smartphones natively support LoRa integration within their native communication modules. Past research initiatives and commercial prototypes involve attaching external LoRa hardware via USB or Bluetooth, which lack seamless hardware-software integration, increase device bulk, and introduce user-dependency for network configuration.

From an Indian context, challenges such as vast rural territories, diverse terrains, frequent monsoon-induced floods, and inadequate disaster communication infrastructure make scalable, integrated emergency communication systems critically important for safeguarding public welfare.

Similarly, in global contexts — from hurricane-prone coastal cities to conflict zones — the absence of portable, infrastructure-independent emergency communication solutions remains a pressing concern.

No prior art effectively discloses or enables a system where standard mobile devices dynamically transition between multiple radio protocols (including LoRa, LTE, Wi-Fi, satellite) through an integrated unified software protocol stack operating below the user application layer while maintaining internal coexistence of multiple antenna systems without RF interference.

The present invention addresses these shortcomings by introducing a fully integrated multi-network emergency communication device, method, and system for mobile devices with on-board LoRa transceivers, dedicated antennas, custom MAC and mesh routing protocols, and a unified network management layer that automatically detects network outages and seamlessly establishes resilient ad-hoc networks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a multi-network emergency communication system and method implemented within a mobile communication device, such as a smartphone, that integrates a long-range wireless transceiver (LoRa) directly onto its main printed circuit board (PCB) alongside existing cellular (LTE/5G), Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth radios.

The invention addresses the persistent problem of communication failures during disasters by enabling smartphones to seamlessly switch to ad-hoc, infrastructure-less networks through a unified cross-technology protocol stack operating within the device’s operating system (OS). This software continuously monitors the status of all available networks and triggers a fallback to long-range, peer-to-peer (P2P) communication when conventional networks become unavailable.

In a preferred embodiment, the system incorporates a LoRa transceiver (for example, Semtech SX1262) with a compact, internal LoRa antenna embedded within the device housing, carefully positioned and impedance-matched to avoid interference with existing Wi-Fi, cellular, and Bluetooth antenna systems.

The invention includes a custom medium access control (MAC) protocol and a dynamic multi-hop mesh routing algorithm for the LoRa communication layer. When in Emergency Mode, devices periodically broadcast beacon packets to detect nearby peers, dynamically construct neighbor tables, and forward messages hop-by-hop to devices with backhaul connectivity via satellite, Wi-Fi, or cellular where available.

Additionally, the invention facilitates real-time integration with external LoRa-enabled Internet of Things (IoT) sensor nodes, including wearable health monitors, environmental sensors, and location beacons. Smartphones equipped with the invention’s hardware and software can receive sensor data, aggregate it locally, and disseminate critical situational information across the mesh network or back to emergency command centers when possible.

The invention further comprises a unified user interface (UI) within an emergency application layer that displays communication status (e.g., “LoRa Mesh Active — 5 Peers”), available routes, and real-time sensor data summaries while minimizing user intervention. The UI also features a manual override option, enabling users to activate Emergency Mode proactively. Upon activation, visual indicators such as “Emergency Mesh Active” are shown, providing clarity and reducing user uncertainty.

The integrated system provides operational resilience by enabling devices to autonomously transition between available communication channels based on link quality assessments and predefined priority rules (e.g., cellular > Wi-Fi > LoRa > satellite). As used herein, ‘Emergency Mode’ refers to a fallback operational state automatically or manually triggered when conventional network infrastructure (e.g., cellular or Wi-Fi) is unavailable or degraded, during which the device activates its long-range LoRa transceiver to initiate direct peer-to-peer mesh communication.

The invention contemplates multiple alternative embodiments including: support for different regional LoRa bands (433 MHz, 868 MHz, 915 MHz), tunable or multi-band internal antennas, modular radio designs for future networks (6G, private LTE, unlicensed 5G), and integration with secure, AI-based emergency communication analytics and edge computing architectures.

By embedding LoRa hardware and software protocols within mainstream mobile devices and integrating them with a seamless cross-network management protocol, the invention ensures persistent, infrastructure-independent communication capabilities, critical for public safety, healthcare, disaster relief, and industrial IoT systems in India and globally.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

System Architecture and Hardware Integration

The present invention is implemented within a mobile communication device — including but not limited to smartphones, tablets, rugged handhelds, or wearables — comprising a main processor, a system-on-chip (SoC) communication module, and associated wireless transceivers for cellular (LTE/5G), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and LoRa communication.

In a preferred embodiment, the smartphone includes a LoRa transceiver module such as the Semtech SX1262, directly mounted onto its main printed circuit board (PCB). This LoRa module is electrically connected to the application processor via a high-speed peripheral interface such as Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) or Inter-Integrated Circuit (I²C), ensuring low-latency control and data exchange.

The LoRa transceiver operates in the ISM band of 865–867 MHz in India (or other regional ISM bands internationally), and is configured with adaptive transmission parameters, including spreading factor (SF), bandwidth (BW), and coding rate (CR), allowing optimization for distance, power, and network congestion. The LoRa module is configurable for operation in region-specific ISM bands, including 865–867 MHz (India), 868 MHz (Europe), 915 MHz (USA), and 920 MHz (Japan), complying with regional regulatory standards.

An internal LoRa antenna is embedded within the device housing, implemented either as a compact chip antenna or a planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA). The antenna is impedance-matched to 50 ohms using an onboard matching network comprising inductors and capacitors.

The LoRa antenna is carefully positioned within the housing, typically along the sidewalls or back cover recess of the smartphone, to minimize coupling and interference with existing antennas for LTE/5G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.

The RF layout incorporates filtering components such as band-pass filters, ferrite beads, and RF shielding structures to suppress spurious emissions and isolate the LoRa circuitry from other radios. Coupling effects are further reduced by physically separating antenna feed points and incorporating orthogonal alignment strategies within the device enclosure.

RF simulations using 3D electromagnetic solvers are employed during device design to validate antenna isolation (isolation > 20 dB preferred between LoRa and other radios) and ensure compliance with regulatory standards for electromagnetic interference (EMI) and specific absorption rate (SAR).

Power management is achieved through dynamic voltage scaling and sleep modes. Under normal operation, the LoRa transceiver remains powered down to conserve battery life and is activated only during Emergency Mode or when manually enabled by authorized public safety applications.

Unified Cross-Technology Protocol Stack

The invention implements a unified cross-technology protocol stack within the smartphone’s operating system, comprising software modules that continuously monitor the status of all available network interfaces.

The protocol stack interfaces directly with the drivers of the cellular modem, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chipsets, the LoRa transceiver, and optionally a satellite modem. It collects network health metrics including received signal strength indicator (RSSI), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), data throughput, link latency, and packet error rates (PER).

An interface selection logic module prioritizes network usage based on predefined policies. For example, under normal circumstances, traffic is routed over LTE/5G or Wi-Fi networks. If network degradation or outage is detected, the system automatically transitions to Emergency Mode.

Emergency Mode triggers activation of the LoRa transceiver and satellite modem (if present). The protocol stack encapsulates voice, text, and sensor data traffic into LoRa packets using a custom medium access control (MAC) protocol optimized for device-to-device mesh networking.

The stack further implements a routing algorithm for multi-hop communication, dynamically constructing routing tables based on beacon signals received from nearby LoRa-enabled devices. The stack supports Quality of Service (QoS) by classifying traffic into priority tiers. High-priority messages, such as life-threatening health alerts or disaster notifications, are given transmission precedence over routine data. Buffer management ensures delay-tolerant packets are queued when bandwidth is constrained.

Control messages, including beacons and route updates, are transmitted periodically, with adaptive interval management to balance mesh stability and battery conservation.

The software stack offers modular extensibility, enabling future integration of additional radio protocols such as 5G New Radio-Unlicensed (NR-U), Wi-Fi HaLow (802.11ah), or private LTE/5G networks used by emergency services.

Custom LoRa MAC Layer and Mesh Routing

The invention deploys a custom LoRa MAC protocol on the smartphone’s processor, operating independently of LoRaWAN standards and supporting direct device-to-device communication without a central gateway.

Each LoRa-enabled device periodically transmits beacon packets containing its device ID, signal quality, battery status, and optional status indicators (e.g., emergency service priority flag).

Neighboring devices listen for beacons and update their neighbor tables, containing metadata such as unique device IDs, last received signal strength, and hop counts to known gateway devices (with backhaul connectivity).

The routing layer employs a lightweight distance-vector or link-state protocol adapted for constrained LoRa links, optionally implementing controlled flooding techniques for reliability in sparse topologies.

Data packets include hop limit counters to prevent infinite loops and acknowledgment (ACK) mechanisms for high-priority messages. Retransmission policies are adaptive based on link conditions and message urgency.

The mesh network topology dynamically reconfigures in response to node movement, link quality fluctuations, or battery conservation policies, ensuring continuous route availability for emergency traffic.

Sensor Data Integration

The smartphone’s integrated LoRa receiver continuously monitors for data packets transmitted by external LoRa-based IoT sensor nodes.

Sensor data packets follow a predefined format, containing metadata such as device type, sensor reading, timestamp, and priority level.

Upon reception, the device parses sensor data and determines the optimal routing strategy. If high-bandwidth backhaul (Wi-Fi, LTE, satellite) is available, data is forwarded directly to remote servers or command centers.

In the absence of backhaul, sensor data is aggregated locally and propagated over the LoRa mesh, prioritized by message type. Life-critical health alerts (e.g., cardiac arrhythmia detected by wearable monitors) receive highest priority.

The smartphone presents an emergency dashboard UI summarizing aggregated sensor metrics, for instance: “Area Report: 6 devices reporting air quality: AQI 170, 3 wearables reporting elevated heart rate.”

Devices also support offline map storage and GPS-based message tagging. In mesh-only operation, this allows emergency responders to view geotagged messages from users, improving situational awareness and rescue coordination even without cloud connectivity.

Operational Scenarios (Use Cases)

Urban Disaster Scenario: During a metropolitan earthquake, cellular and broadband networks fail. Smartphones equipped with the invention activate LoRa, form a mesh, and relay voice messages and safety alerts to command centers via the mesh and surviving satellite uplinks.

Rural Flood Relief: In flood-hit rural India, rescue teams use smartphones with the invention to communicate across submerged areas lacking infrastructure, with wearable health sensors monitoring pulse and temperature for stranded civilians.

Industrial Automation: In remote mining operations, devices maintain an LoRa mesh to coordinate machinery and safety alerts underground when Wi-Fi or cellular signals are obstructed.

Military Field Communication: Soldiers in terrain with no infrastructure use smartphones running the invention to exchange encrypted messages via LoRa mesh, with data prioritized based on tactical importance.

Smart Cities: Environmental sensors in urban areas monitor air and water quality, communicating with smartphones operating as emergency gateways during citywide network outages.

Arctic Exploration: Communication between remote expedition devices where satellites are intermittent.

Offshore Energy Platforms: Mesh network across oil rigs in deep-sea installations without LTE coverage.

Wildfire Response Teams: Real-time sensor relay and crew tracking in mountainous forest terrain.

Autonomous Drone Convoys: UAVs communicating via LoRa mesh to relay aerial sensor data back to a central mobile command.

Campus-Scale Emergency Networks: Universities deploying smartphone-based emergency mesh after natural disasters, where conventional infrastructure is down.

Voice Over LoRa in Rural Settings: In remote or rural regions where voice coverage is absent, users can record short voice messages that are encoded using low-bitrate vocoders. These messages are broken into packets, transmitted over the LoRa mesh, and reassembled at the recipient's end or gateway node.

Alternative Embodiments

The invention contemplates devices with tunable multi-band LoRa antennas to support multiple regional frequency bands (e.g., 433 MHz, 868 MHz, 915 MHz).

Antennas may be fabricated on flexible printed circuits, embedded into rear covers, or integrated into structural components of the smartphone housing.

Future embodiments include system-on-chip (SoC) or system-in-package (SiP) integrations wherein LoRa, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular modems share a single RF frontend and digital baseband processor.

The cross-technology protocol stack may incorporate AI-driven analytics to predict network outages based on signal trends and proactively switch to resilient modes.

Integration with blockchain-based decentralized emergency networks is anticipated, allowing cryptographically verifiable message relays across ad-hoc mesh networks.

The system supports interoperability with next-generation 6G networks, AI-powered edge computing platforms, and quantum-safe cryptographic protocols.

RF Coexistence Manager:
"A software-based interference prediction module coordinates timing and frequency usage among radios to reduce cross-talk and optimize coexistence."

System-on-Chip (SoC) Integration: In an alternative embodiment, all major wireless transceivers including LoRa, LTE, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth are implemented within a single system-on-chip (SoC) or system-in-package (SiP). This design allows the transceivers to share a unified RF frontend and digital baseband engine, reducing component footprint, power consumption, and RF interference while simplifying PCB layout.

Token-Based Node Authentication:
"Each device issues time-limited cryptographic tokens to newly joined mesh participants to ensure network integrity and prevent unauthorized relaying."

Sensor Fusion Engine:
"The device includes a sensor fusion logic engine to evaluate aggregated IoT data and compute a real-time Emergency Severity Index (ESI) displayed to users and command centers."

External Module Compatibility: In another embodiment, the LoRa functionality is enabled using an external USB or Bluetooth-attached LoRa module for devices not natively equipped with integrated LoRa hardware. The software stack remains unchanged, enabling backward compatibility and field retrofitting without requiring internal hardware modification. In an additional embodiment, the system supports secure over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates distributed over the LoRa mesh or satellite fallback links. Update packages are cryptographically signed and verified before execution, ensuring trusted maintenance even during network outages.

Figures and Illustrations

Figure 1: Depicts the smartphone’s hardware architecture, showing positions of the LoRa transceiver, integrated LoRa antenna, cellular/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth radios, power management circuitry, and processor connections.

Figure 2: Illustrates the software architecture including the cross-technology protocol stack, LoRa MAC layer, mesh routing algorithm, interface management, and user interface components.

Figure 3: Demonstrates an emergency scenario where smartphones form a multi-hop LoRa mesh network relaying messages and sensor data to a command center via surviving backhaul links.

Figure 4: Shows a procedural flowchart of the emergency communication method, detailing network monitoring, outage detection, LoRa activation, beacon discovery, mesh formation, and data forwarding operations.

Scope of the Invention

The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments explicitly described herein. The invention covers various modifications, equivalents, alternative configurations, and extensions that a person skilled in the art would understand based on the detailed teachings provided. The system architecture and communication protocol stack may be implemented in various hardware-software combinations, including but not limited to smartphones, tablets, rugged field devices, smart wearables, vehicular systems, and UAVs.

Furthermore, the invention contemplates any integration of long-range wireless transceivers (e.g., LoRa, Sigfox, NB-IoT) into commercial or industrial mobile platforms where unified fallback logic, autonomous mesh formation, and IoT sensor interfacing are desirable.

Claims are interpreted in light of the entire disclosure, including alternate embodiments and technical equivalents.

Glossary of Abbreviations:

LoRa: Long Range

MAC: Medium Access Control

SoC: System-on-Chip

QoS: Quality of Service

OTA: Over-the-Air

AI: Artificial Intelligence

UI: User Interface

RSSI: Received Signal Strength Indicator

SF: Spreading Factor

BW: Bandwidth

CR: Coding Rate

LEGAL AND TECHNICAL ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

The present invention complies with the requirements laid down under the Indian Patents Act, 1970 and offers a number of legal, technical, and industrial advantages, as detailed below:

Novelty (Section 2(1)(j))
The invention introduces a mobile communication system that natively integrates a long-range LoRa transceiver into a smartphone's printed circuit board (PCB), enabling dynamic fallback to mesh-based emergency communication. No prior art discloses such seamless integration of LoRa within conventional mobile devices for disaster-resilient communication.

Inventive Step (Section 2(1)(ja))
The combination of a unified network monitoring system, custom MAC layer for LoRa mesh routing, AI-driven network fallback prediction, and integrated sensor fusion for real-time situational awareness goes beyond existing technologies and is not obvious to a person skilled in the art.

Industrial Applicability (Section 2(1)(ac))
The invention is readily applicable across various industries including emergency communication services, public health and safety, rural telemedicine, industrial automation, military field operations, and smart city infrastructure.

Disaster Resilience and Public Welfare
The system is particularly suited to India’s needs—addressing vast rural regions, flood-prone zones, and earthquake-prone urban areas—offering resilient emergency communication solutions aligned with NDMA guidelines and national emergency infrastructure goals.

Technical Advancement
This invention integrates long-range radio hardware and advanced network management logic within commercial smartphones, representing a significant technological leap that enables mesh networking without dependence on fixed infrastructure.

Future Adaptability and Scalability
The design supports integration with upcoming communication technologies such as 6G, Wi-Fi HaLow, NR-U, and blockchain-secured networks. This ensures longevity and interoperability in a rapidly evolving telecom landscape.

Compliance with Global Patent Standards
The specification is drafted in accordance with the patentability standards of the Indian Patent Office, as well as global jurisdictions including the USPTO, EPO, and WIPO under the PCT framework, supporting both Indian and international filing strategies. The invention introduces independent custom MAC protocols and mesh logic outside the scope of proprietary LoRaWAN protocols, enabling freedom to operate. While using standard LoRa chipsets (e.g., SX1262), the system does not infringe on vendor-specific firmware or cloud implementations.

The software stack described in the present invention offers a technical solution to the problem of resilient communication, thereby demonstrating a technical effect. The invention satisfies the requirements under Section 3(k) of the Indian Patents Act by enhancing mobile device functionality. Globally, it complies with eligibility standards set by the USPTO and EPO for software-related inventions.

, Claims:WE CLAIM

CLAIM 1 – INDEPENDENT DEVICE CLAIM

1. A mobile communication device comprising:
a processor and memory;
a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a cellular transceiver, Wi-Fi transceiver, Bluetooth transceiver, and an integrated LoRa transceiver;
an internal LoRa antenna tuned to a regional ISM band and electromagnetically isolated from other radios;
a software stack within the operating system, comprising:

a cross-technology protocol manager configured to monitor network health metrics and automatically activate a fallback Emergency Mode;

a custom LoRa medium access control (MAC) protocol supporting beaconing, neighbor table generation, battery-aware routing, and Quality-of-Service (QoS) prioritization;

a mesh routing engine configured for multi-hop peer-to-peer communication via LoRa; and
configured to support secure onboarding of peer nodes using cryptographic tokens and aggregates sensor data for emergency interface display.

CLAIM 2 – Dependent: Link selection and AI prediction

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the protocol manager dynamically prioritizes network use in the order of cellular, Wi-Fi, LoRa, and satellite, and includes AI-based prediction to preemptively switch networks based on degradation trends.

CLAIM 3 – Dependent: Hardware optimization and SoC

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the LoRa transceiver is implemented as part of a system-on-chip (SoC) or system-in-package (SiP) architecture, and the antenna achieves at least 20 dB isolation using impedance-matched discrete components.

CLAIM 4 – Dependent: Secure OTA updates and GPS tagging

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising secure over-the-air firmware update capability using cryptographically signed packets, and location-tagging of emergency messages using offline GPS and map modules.

CLAIM 5 – Dependent: Voice-over-LoRa + sensor fusion

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the software stack encodes and transmits compressed voice messages over LoRa using a packetized vocoder, and includes a sensor fusion engine for real-time Emergency Severity Index (ESI) display.

CLAIM 6 – Dependent: Blockchain integration and external sensor compatibility

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the mesh network supports blockchain-based decentralized relays for message authentication and receives data from external LoRa-based IoT sensors including environmental and biometric devices.

CLAIM 7 – INDEPENDENT METHOD CLAIM (Merged)

7. A method for infrastructure-independent emergency communication, comprising:
monitoring link quality metrics of cellular, Wi-Fi, LoRa, and satellite interfaces;
detecting network degradation or outage;
activating Emergency Mode and enabling the LoRa transceiver;
broadcasting beacons and receiving neighboring device beacons;
constructing a multi-hop routing table;
prioritizing and forwarding sensor, text, and voice data over available links based on QoS and energy-aware metrics.

CLAIM 8 – Dependent: Manual override and network reconfiguration

8. The method of claim 7, wherein Emergency Mode may also be activated manually by a user interface, and the mesh topology dynamically reconfigures based on node mobility, battery levels, and environmental conditions.

CLAIM 9 – Dependent: OTA and predictive fallback

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising performing secure OTA firmware updates over LoRa or satellite, and triggering network fallback using AI-based trend prediction.

CLAIM 10 – Optional Apparatus-Use Hybrid

10. A communication system comprising multiple devices as claimed in claim 1, forming a LoRa-based ad-hoc mesh network integrated with external IoT sensors, wherein the devices enable cryptographically verifiable, infrastructure-independent emergency communication during natural disasters, military operations, or industrial failures.

CLAIM 10 – Overscope Claim

​​11. A mobile communication device, system, and method for infrastructure-independent emergency communication, substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein said device integrates a long-range wireless transceiver and a unified fallback protocol stack enabling mesh-based peer-to-peer communication, multi-network routing, secure onboarding, and prioritized sensor data relaying during infrastructure outages.