Wireless Phone apparatus having an emergency beacon and method for activation thereof

• US 20040203843A1
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: CSI Wireless Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CSI Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Najafi, Hamid
• Application Number:
  US10/099,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20040203843A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A wireless phone includes a SMS engine, communicatively coupled to a wireless transceiver, capable to receive, from a source, a first SMS text message having a first beacon activation command via the transceiver; and a beacon engine, communicatively coupled to the SMS engine and to the transceiver, capable to transmit a beacon via the transceiver upon receipt of the first SMS text message having a beacon activation command.

Claims

1. A method to be performed in a wireless phone, comprising:

receiving, from a source, a first message having a first beacon activation command; and

activating a beacon per the command.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising embedding location information into the beacon.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a message having location information to the source.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a warning message of pending beacon activation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first beacon activation command includes beacon parameters.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving a second message having a second beacon activation command, the second beacon activation command having different parameters than the first beacon activation command.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the beacon parameters include beacon power, beacon cadence, beacon duration.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein activating uses default beacon parameters if the beacon activation command does not include parameters.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining to enter a power save mode; and

if it is determined to enter the power save mode then turning off a receiver in the wireless phone, and activating the beacon per power save beacon parameters.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message includes a SMS text message.

11. A wireless phone, comprising:

means for receiving, from a source, a first message having a first beacon activation command; and

means for activating a beacon per the command.

12. A computer-readable medium for storing instructions to cause a wireless phone to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, from a source, a first message having a first beacon activation command; and

activating a beacon per the command.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, the method further comprising embedding location information into the beacon.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, the method further comprising sending a message having location information to the source.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, the method further comprising displaying a warning message of pending beacon activation.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first beacon activation command includes beacon parameters.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, the method further comprising receiving a second message having a second beacon activation command, the second beacon activation command having different parameters than the first beacon activation command.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the beacon parameters include beacon power, beacon cadence, beacon duration.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the activating uses default beacon parameters if the beacon activation command does not include parameters.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, the method further comprising:

determining to enter a power save mode; and

if it is determined to enter the power save mode then turning off a receiver in the wireless phone, and activating the beacon per power save beacon parameters.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first message includes a SMS text message.

22. A wireless phone, comprising:

a communications engine, communicatively coupled to a wireless transceiver, capable to receive, from a source, a first message having a first beacon activation command via the transceiver; and

a beacon engine, communicatively coupled to the communications engine and to the transceiver, capable to transmit a beacon via the transceiver upon receipt of the first message having a beacon activation command.

23. The phone of claim 22, further comprising a location determining device communicatively coupled to the beacon engine, and wherein the beacon engine is further capable to embed location information into the beacon.

24. The phone of claim 22, further comprising a location determining device communicatively coupled to the beacon engine, and wherein the beacon engine is further capable to send a mess age having location information to the source.

25. The phone of claim 22, further comprising an interface engine, communicatively coupled to the communications engine, capable to display a warning message of pending beacon activation.

26. The phone of claim 22, wherein the first beacon activation command includes beacon parameters and wherein the beacon engine transmits the beacon according to the beacon parameters.

27. The phone of claim 26, wherein the communications engine is further capable to receive a second message having a second beacon activation command, the second beacon activation command having different parameters than the first beacon activation command, and wherein the beacon engine is further capable to transmit the beacon according to the beacon parameters of the second beacon activation command.

28. The phone of claim 27, wherein the beacon parameters include beacon power, beacon cadence, beacon duration.

29. The phone of claim 22, wherein the beacon engine uses default beacon parameters if the beacon activation command does not include parameters.

30. The phone of claim 22, wherein the beacon engine is further cable to:

determine to enter a power save mode; and

if it is determined to enter the power save mode then to turn off a receiver in the transceiver, and transmit the beacon per power save beacon parameters.

31. The phone of claim 22, wherein the first message includes a SMS text message.