METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR RESPONDING TO AN EMERGENCY SITUATION FROM A MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20080227427A1
• Filed: 03/15/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: GAGE, NONA E., KORNELUK, JOSE E., HEFFIELD, TIMOTHY, BISHOP, CRAIG G., KADAVALLUR, JYOTHI C., ELDRED, KEVIN M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,338,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/403
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/004 Alarm propagated along alternative communication path or using alternative communication medium according to a hierarchy of available ways to communicate, e.g. if Wi-Fi not available use GSM
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A method and system for responding to an emergency situation from a mobile communication device (100) is provided. The method includes initiating (306) a call to an emergency services number using a first modem (202) of the mobile communication device. The first modem communicates with a communication system via a first air interface. Further, the method includes detecting (308) the initiating of the call to the emergency services number. Furthermore, the method includes initiating (310) automatically an emergency transmission using a second modem (204) of the mobile communication device in response to detecting the call to the emergency services number. The second modem uses a second air interface for emergency transmission. The emergency transmission is performed concurrently with initiating the call to the emergency services number.

Claims

1. A method for responding to an emergency situation from a mobile communication device, the method comprising:

initiating a call to an emergency services number using a first modem of the mobile communication device, the first modem for communicating with a communication system using a first air interface;

detecting the initiating of the call to the emergency services number; and

in response to detecting the call to the emergency services number, initiating automatically an emergency transmission using a second modem of the mobile communication device, the second modem for communicating using a second air interface, and wherein initiating the emergency transmission using the second modem is performed concurrently with initiating the call to the emergency services number using the first modem.

2. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 1, wherein initiating the call using the first modem comprises using a Code Division Multiple Access air interface.

3. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 1, wherein initiating the emergency transmission using the second modem comprises broadcasting an emergency beacon via a direct communication mode.

4. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 3, wherein broadcasting the emergency beacon comprises transmitting a location data indicating an approximate location of the mobile communication device.

5. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 4, further comprising deriving the location data from a satellite positioning receiver of the mobile communication device.

6. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 4, further comprising deriving the location data from a last-used base station position of a base station used by the first modem over the first air interface.

7. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 3, wherein broadcasting the emergency beacon further comprises transmitting the emergency beacon at a plurality of modulations.

8. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 1, wherein detecting the initiating of the call to an emergency services number using the first modem is performed by identifying a partial sequence of an emergency services number being entered by a user of the mobile communication device

9. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 3, wherein the emergency beacon comprises one or more of a text message, a voice message and a text telephone (TTY) message.

10. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 1, wherein the first air interface and the second air interface is selected from a group comprising a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) air interface, a Push-to-Talk (PTT) air interface, a Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) air interface and a direct communication air interface.

11. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 1 further comprising terminating the emergency transmission when an acknowledgement message is received at the mobile communication device from the emergency services number.

12. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 1 further comprising terminating the emergency transmission manually by a user operating the mobile communication device.

13. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 1 further comprising transmitting a preconfigured emergency message to a predetermined list of users.

14. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 13, wherein the preconfigured emergency message is selected from the group comprising a voice message, a text message and an icon.

15. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 13 further comprising pre-configuring the predetermined list of users by a user of the mobile communication device.

16. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 13 further comprising disengaging the transmission of the preconfigured emergency message when an acknowledgement message is received by the mobile communication device from one or more users of the predetermined list of users.

17. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the mobile communication device is within a network coverage area; and

transmitting an emergency beacon over a plurality of frequencies when the mobile communication device is out of the network coverage area.

18. A mobile communication device for responding to an emergency situation comprising:

a first modem configured to initiate a call to an emergency services number using a first air interface; and

a second modem configured to initiate automatically an emergency transmission using a second air interface, in response to detecting the call to the emergency services number, wherein initiating the emergency transmission is performed concurrently with initiating the call to the emergency services number using the first modem.

19. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 18 further comprising a memory module for storing a preconfigured emergency message.

20. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 19, wherein the preconfigured emergency message is selected from a group comprising a voice message, a text message and an icon.

21. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 18, wherein the first air interface and the second air interface is selected from a group comprising a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) air interface, a Push-to-Talk (PTT) air interface, a Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) air interface and a direct communication air interface.

22. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 18 further comprising a satellite positioning receiver configured to determine a location information of the mobile communication device.

23. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 18, wherein the first modem further comprises a transceiver for initiating a call to an emergency services number.

24. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 18, wherein the second modem further comprises a transceiver for initiating the emergency transmission using the second air interface.