Methods, user terminals, computer program products, and components for providing communications in emergency situations

• US 20070173225A1
• Filed: 10/20/2006
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chanyu Holdings LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aaron, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 7,346,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications

Abstract

A method for providing communications services in a network can include adjusting a mode of communication for devices operating in the network based on emergency state information. Related user terminals, computer program products, and components are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for providing mobile communications services in a wireless communications network comprising:

adjusting a mode of communication for devices operating in the network based on emergency state information, wherein the emergency state information indicates availability of the network under emergency conditions associated with the emergency state information.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein the mode of communication further comprises one of a plurality of different codecs to be used for audio and/or video, one of a plurality of different compression modes to be used for audio and/or video, a TCP/IP communication mode, a UDP communication mode, a shortcut based communication mode, a hotkey based communication mode, an abbreviation based communication mode, and/or a communications mode having a predetermined number of messages and/or amount of time allocated for use.

13. A computer program product configured to operate the method according to claim 1.

21. A method according to claim 1 wherein adjusting further comprises:

transmitting emergency mode messages to devices in the network based on the emergency state information to indicating to the devices to activate emergency communication mode.

22. A method according to claim 1 wherein the emergency state information is associated with an amount of permissible bandwidth for the devices.

23. A method according to claim 1 wherein the mode of communication comprises a normal text mode or a normal video mode when the network is not subject to the emergency state information;

and

wherein the mode of communication comprises a limited text mode or a limited video mode when the network is subject to the emergency state information.

24. A method according to claim 1 wherein emergency state information comprises information authenticated from a plurality of information sources.

25. A method according to claim 24 wherein emergency state information further comprises different types of authenticated information accumulated from separate sources.

2-9. -9. (canceled)

11-12. -12. (canceled)

14. A user terminal for use in a wireless communications network comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit/receive communications to a communications network according to an emergency communications mode; and

a processor circuit coupled to the transceiver circuit configured to activate the emergency communications mode responsive to an emergency message received from the network based on emergency state information, wherein the emergency state information indicates availability of the network under emergency conditions associated with the emergency state information.

16. A user terminal according to claim 14 wherein the emergency communications mode further comprises one of a plurality of different codecs to be used for limited audio and/or video mode, one of a plurality of different compression modes to be used for limited audio and/or video mode, a TCP/IP communication mode to be used in limited audio and/or video mode, a UDP communication mode to be used in limited audio and/or video mode, a shortcut based communication mode to be used in limited text mode, a hotkey based communication mode to be used in limited text mode, an abbreviation based communication mode to be used in limited text mode, and/or a communications mode having a predetermined number of messages and/or amount of time allocated for use.

17. A user terminal according to claim 14 wherein the processor is configured to activate the emergency communications mode responsive to a manual input at the user terminal.

26. A method according to claim 14 wherein the mode of communication comprises a normal text mode or a normal video mode when the network is not subject to the emergency state information;

and

wherein the mode of communication comprises a limited text mode or a limited video mode when the network is subject to the emergency state information.

15. (canceled)

18. A component for use in routing and/or switching and/or transporting communications in a wireless communications network, comprising a processor circuit configured to activate emergency communications mode responsive to an emergency message received from the network based on emergency state information, wherein the emergency state information indicates availability of the network under emergency conditions associated with the emergency state information.

20. A component according to claim 18 wherein the emergency communications mode further comprises a TCP/IP communication mode to be used in limited audio and/or video mode, a UDP communication mode to be used in limited audio and/or video mode, and/or a communications mode having a predetermined number of messages and/or amount of time allocated for use.

27. A method according to claim 18 wherein the mode of communication comprises a normal text mode or a normal video mode when the network is not subject to the emergency state information;

and

wherein the mode of communication comprises a limited text mode or a limited video mode when the network is subject to the emergency state information.

19. (canceled)

28. A computer program product for providing mobile communications services in a wireless communications network comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program product comprising:

computer readable program code configured to adjust a mode of communication for devices operating in the network based on emergency state information, wherein the emergency state information indicates availability of the network under emergency conditions associated with the emergency state information.