How TeCall works
TeCall Alerts use the data sent from eCall to forward fast, enhanced and reliable incident alerts.
TeCall Alerts are created from the data that eCall sends when it is activated.
This eCall data is available today, but in the current processes it can take several minutes for this data to reach the Road Authorities, if it reaches them at all.
As a Road Authorities you have an increasingly important role to perform in the emergency response. As soon as an incident occurs on a road, other drivers must be warned to avoid further collisions. Drivers further away need to be warned so they can avoid congestion, and the you may need to provide additional on-road resources to help manage, recover and restore the road to normal operation.
To do this effectively, you cannot always wait for the emergency services to notify you, and you need to know about incidents on the roads as soon as they happen. TeCall Alerts will do this for you.
How eCall works today
This diagram shows how eCall typically works today.
When eCall activates, a voice call is made to the 112 service (or 999 in the UK). When the call is answered, the data (the MSD, or Minimum Set of Data) is sent to the 112 operator.
The 112 operator will then transfer the call to the Emergency Services (e.g. the Police, Gendarme, Gards) and the eCall data may be sent on with the call. Each country will have their own arrangements for managing this data transfer.
The Emergency Service may then contact the Road Authority to request a response. The Road Authority will need to protect the scene by setting signs and signals to inform approaching drivers, provide assistance, and arrange recovery. It can take several minutes for the Road Authority to be notified and sometimes much longer, leading to delays in protecting the scene, informing drivers, and arranging recovery.
How TeCall works
TeCall does not change the existing eCall processes.
Instead TeCall takes a copy of the eCall MSD as soon as it arrives at the 112 operator, and sends the MSD to the VESOS TeCall Alerts platform. The TeCall platform processes the data and forwards on TeCall Alerts directly to the Road Authority systems. This happens within seconds of the MSD arriving at 112, saving minutes over today’s eCall processes.
Only reliable and relevant TeCall Alerts are sent on, so the Road Authority can act upon them with confidence.
TeCall Alerts also notifies the Road Authority even if the Emergency Service does not, for example when the driver does not want an emergency service to help.
How TeCall Alerts are made
The TeCall platform receives the MSDs from the 112 service.
eCall MSDs that are likely to be false alarms are detected by algorithms and deleted. The algorithms will be tuned for each client.
eCall MSDs that are not on the Road Authority’s road network are also deleted.
Finally, the remaining MSDs are enhanced to turn the MSD data into information that operators can understand and act upon.
Latitude and longitude is turned into a location description, including nearest reference points. The Vehicle Identification Number is turned into a vehicle description. The MSD is profiled and operational risks are identified.
The TeCall Alert is then sent to the Road Authority systems where is can be presented to the operators for action.
TeCall Alerts can also be sent to others in the Emergency Responder Community.