Apparatus and method for utilizing an emergency button of a communication device accessory

• US 20040203570A1
• Filed: 11/27/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Berger, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US10/306,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20040203570A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72424 with manual activation of emergency-service functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

An apparatus and method for placing a call to an emergency response center is provided. The apparatus comprises a communication device (100) and an accessory (102, 104) located remote from the communication device. The communication device (100) is configured to establish a wireless connection with the emergency response center via a cellular interface (324) in response to receiving an emergency signal. The accessory (102, 104) has an emergency button (118, 128, 130) and configured to send the emergency signal to the communication device (100) via an air interface (218, 316) when the emergency button is activated. The communication device (100) or the accessory (102, 104) receives, via the air interface (218, 316), the emergency signal indicating that the emergency button (118, 128, 130) of the accessory (102, 104) has been activated. The communication device (100) then establishes, via the cellular interface (324), a wireless connection with the emergency response center in response to receiving the emergency signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for placing a call to an emergency response center comprising:

a communication device configured to establish a wireless connection with the emergency response center via a first interface in response to receiving an emergency signal; and

an accessory located remote from the communication device, the accessory having an emergency button and configured to send the emergency signal to the communication device via a second interface when the emergency button is activated.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the first interface includes a transceiver circuit configured to communicate wirelessly with the emergency response center; and

the communication device includes a memory circuit configured to store a phone number associated with the emergency response center, and a processor configured to instruct the transceiver to contact the emergency response center at the phone number in response to receiving the emergency signal from the accessory.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second interface includes a wired connection coupled to the communication device and the accessory, the wired connection being configured to transfer the emergency signal from the accessory to the communication device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second interface includes air interfaces at the communication device and the accessory, the air interfaces being configured to transfer the emergency signal from the accessory to the communication device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the communication device has an emergency mode initiated by the emergency signal and a non-emergency mode at all other times; and

the accessory is capable of providing voice information to the communication device during the emergency mode and the non-emergency mode.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the emergency button is one of a push-to-activate button, a break-to-activate button, and a multi-button combination.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the accessory includes an audio input configured to send audio signals to the communication device and an audio output configured to receive audio signals from the communication device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the accessory includes a headset support configured to support the accessory on a user'"'"'s head.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the accessory includes an earpiece support configured to support an audio output adjacent to a user'"'"'s ear and a mouthpiece support configure to support an audio input adjacent to a user'"'"'s mouth, the audio output configured to emit audio information received from the communication device and the audio input configured to collect audio information to be sent to the communication device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication device is a cellular phone and the accessory is a headset.

11. A method for placing a call to an emergency response center from an accessory via a communication device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, via a first interface, an activation signal indicating that an emergency switch of the accessory has been activated; and

establishing, via a second interface, a wireless connection with the emergency response center in response to receiving the activation signal.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving information for dialing an emergency number associated with the emergency response center.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining whether the communication device is in a call.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising detecting whether the emergency switch is still activated.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the establishing step includes terminating the call and dialing an emergency number associated with the emergency response center if the emergency switch is still activated.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the establishing step includes remaining in the call if the emergency switch becomes inactive.