METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REQUESTING HELP BY USER OF COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20080001733A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pinder, Ellis A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,573,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.18
• 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: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications

Abstract

A method (300) for requesting help by a user of a communication device (102) is disclosed. The method includes initiating (304) an emergency call by the user and successively attempting (306) to transmit a distress message to a communication system from a plurality of communication systems based on a predefined priority sequence. The predefined sequence includes a list of the communication systems (104, 106, 108, 110, and 112) arranged according to a pre-assigned priority wherein a satellite based system (112) is preferably assigned the lowest priority. Once one of the systems acknowledges the distress message, the user is notified. The method includes automatically accessing the satellite-based distress system (312), when attempts to detect the other communication systems based on the predefined sequence have failed.

Claims

1. A method for requesting help by a user of a communication device, the method comprising:

initiating an emergency call by the user of the communication device;

successively attempting at the communication device, to transmit a distress message to a communication system from a plurality of communication systems based on a predefined sequence, wherein the predefined sequence comprises a list of the plurality of communication systems arranged according to a priority; and

automatically sending the distress message to a satellite-based distress system when attempts to detect the communication system of the plurality of communication systems based on the predefined sequence have failed.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the priority is assigned based on cost incurred in providing help to the user.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining coordinates of the communication device, the coordinates being determined to locate the user of the communication device.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication system is detected for one of a predefined time limit and a predefined retry limit.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication system includes at least one of:

a primary trunking system, an alternate trunking system, a cellular system, a data system, a mutual-aid frequency system, a family radio service (FRS) system, a general mobile radio service (GMRS) system, along with the satellite-based distress system.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the distress message comprises at least one of an identification of the communication device, an identification of the user of the communication device, coordinates of the communication device, status of emergency, and a contact frequency.

7. A method for requesting help by a user of a communication device, the method comprising:

prioritizing a plurality of communication systems based on a predefined criteria including prioritizing a satellite based distress system as lowest priority;

automatically and progressively attempting to detect one of the communication systems based on priority;

sending a distress message to the detected communication system; and

sending the distress message to the satellite-based distress system when the other communication systems are not detected.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 further comprising determining coordinates of the communication device, the coordinates being determined to locate the user of the communication device.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the predefined criteria is based on at least one of:

time required to receive help and cost incurred to receive help.

10. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the communication system is detected for at least one of a predefined time limit and a predefined retry limit.

11. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the plurality of communication systems comprises at least one of:

a primary trunking system, an alternate trunking system, a cellular system, a data system, a mutual-aid frequency system, a family radio service (FRS) system, and a general mobile radio service (GMRS) system, along with the satellite-based distress system.

12. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the distress message comprises at least one of an identification of the communication device, an identification of the user of the communication device, coordinates of the communication device, status of emergency, and a contact frequency.

13. A communication device comprising:

an identity key capable of storing an identification of at least one of the communication device and a user of the communication device;

a memory capable of storing a predefined sequence of a plurality of communication systems, wherein the predefined sequence comprises a list of the plurality of communication systems arranged according to a priority assigned to each of the plurality of communication systems; and

a transceiver capable of successively attempting to detect a communication system of the plurality of communication systems based on the predefined sequence, the transceiver accessing a satellite-based distress system when attempts to detect the communication system of the plurality of communication systems based on the predefined sequence have failed.

14. The communication device as recited in claim 13, wherein the communication device comprises a location detector capable of determining coordinates of the communication device.

15. The communication device as recited in claim 13 further comprising an interface capable of receiving an input entered by the user to initiate an emergency call.

16. The communication device as recited in claim 13 further comprising a processor for tracking a predefined retry limit for detection of the communication system.

17. The communication device as recited in claim 16, wherein the processor further tracks a predefined time limit for detection of the communication system.

18. The communication device as recited in claim 13, wherein the identity key is detachable from the communication device.

19. The communication device as recited in claim 13, wherein the communication device is a two-way radio.