Phone having emergency call function with securely receiving incoming call

• US 20030216134A1
• Filed: 05/09/2003
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Mutoh, Katsuhiko
• Application Number:
  US10/435,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20030216134A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72421 with automatic activation of emergency service functions, e.g. upon sensing an alarm

Abstract

When a crew of a vehicle runs into a traffic accident or suffers sudden illness, a control circuit of a phone device in the vehicle releases prohibition of outputting an incoming ring in memory to set a ring volume to the maximum. Even if the incoming ring is previously set being prohibited from outputting while the driving, the incoming ring is thereby outputted at the maximum volume from a ringer when an incoming call is received after the emergency occurs.

Claims

1. A phone provided with an emergency call function that calls to an emergency call addressee when an emergency state occurs, comprising:

emergency determining means for determining whether the emergency state occurs;

emergency calling means for calling to the emergency call addressee that is previously appointed when occurring of the emergency state is determined;

first level setting means for setting, to a certain volume level, a ring volume of an incoming ring that is for notifying a user of an incoming call; and

second level setting means for changing to set the ring volume from the certain volume level to a given volume level that is louder than the certain volume level when occurring of the emergency state is determined.

2. A phone provided with an emergency call function according to claim 1, further comprising:

setting receiving means for receiving, from the emergency call addressee, a ring volume manipulation signal that indicates setting manipulation when occurring of the emergency state is determined,

wherein the second setting means changes to set the ring volume from the certain volume level to the given volume level that is louder than the certain volume level, based on the ring volume manipulation signal.

3. A phone provided with an emergency call function according to claim 2, further comprising:

ring volume reception determining means for determining whether the ring volume manipulation signal is received from the emergency call addressee,

wherein, when occurring of the emergency state is determined and the ring volume manipulation signal is determined to be received, the second setting means changes to set the ring volume from the certain volume level to the given volume level that is louder than the certain volume level.

4. A phone provided with an emergency call function according to claim 1, further comprising:

ring prohibiting means for prohibiting output of the incoming ring; and

ring permitting means for permitting release of prohibiting of the output of the incoming ring when the occurring of the emergency state is determined while the output of the incoming ring is prohibited by the ring prohibiting means.

5. A phone provided with an emergency call function according to claim 4, further comprising:

permission receiving means for receiving, from the emergency call addressee, a ring permission signal that indicates permitting the output of the incoming ring when occurring of the emergency state is determined while the output of the incoming ring is prohibited by the ring prohibiting means,

wherein the ring permitting means permits the release of the prohibiting of the output of the incoming ring based on the ring permission signal.

6. A phone provided with an emergency call function according to claim 5, further comprising:

permission reception determining means for determining whether the ring permission signal is received from the emergency call addressee,

wherein the ring permitting means permits the release of the prohibiting of the output of the incoming ring when the emergency state is determined and the ring permission signal is determined to be received.

7. A phone provided with an emergency call function according to claim 1,

wherein the emergency determining means determines that the emergency state occurs in at least one of two cases,

wherein a first case is that a vehicle in which the phone is provided runs into an accident, and

wherein a second case is that an emergency call switch provided in the vehicle is manipulated.

8. A phone provided with an emergency call function according to claim 7,

wherein the first case is determined by detecting a spreading signal of an airbag that is provided in the vehicle.

9. A ring volume setting change method provided in a phone having an emergency call function that calls to an emergency call addressee when an emergency state occurs, comprising steps of:

setting, to a certain volume level, a ring volume of an incoming ring that is for notifying a user of an incoming call;

determining whether the emergency state occurs;

calling to the emergency call addressee that is previously appointed when occurring of the emergency state is determined; and

changing to setting the ring volume from the certain volume level to a given volume level that is louder than the certain volume level when occurring of the emergency state is determined.

10. A ring volume setting change method according to claim 9, further comprising a step of:

receiving, from the emergency call addressee, a ring volume manipulation signal that indicates the given volume level to be set when occurring of the emergency state is determined.

11. A ring volume setting change method according to claim 9, further comprising steps of:

prohibiting the output of the incoming ring before occurrence of the emergency state is determined; and

permitting release of prohibiting of the output of the incoming ring when occurring of the emergency state is determined while the output of the incoming ring is prohibited at least one of two conditions,

wherein a first condition is that a predetermined period elapses from the occurring of the emergency state is determined and a second condition is that a ring permission signal that indicates permitting the outputting of the incoming ring is received from the emergency call addressee.