A method for reporting a user's emergency condition by sending an
emergency help request message in a TCP/IP format to an emergency service
center (ESC). The help request message may be sent over the Internet to
advantageously harness the data transmission resources provided by the
Internet. A support service provider may commercially provide such an
emergency reporting service to a group of subscribers. The service
provider may receive emergency requests from the subscribers and may send
those requests over the Internet to the emergency service center. The
service provider may also convert any non-TCP/IP message received from
the subscriber into a TCP/IP message prior to sending the message to the
ESC. A per-usage fee or a flat subscription fee may be charged by the
service provider to allow users to report emergency conditions over the
Internet. The support service provider thus coordinates the emergency
help on behalf of the user. Internet-based emergency message delivery may
be useful in many situations, for example, when the person in need of
help is mute, disabled or in a situation that prevents the person from
orally requesting emergency help from the ESC.