Location-Based Emergency Information

• US 20090005068A1
• Filed: 01/03/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Christie, Gregory N., Forstall, Scott, Chaudhri, Imran A., Borchers, Robert E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,275,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/053 remote terminal provisioning, e.g. of applets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/15 Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for location-based emergency information. A current geographic location of a device is determined. One or more first contact information items based on the determined geographic location are received at the device. The first contact information items include one or more contact information items associated with emergency services.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a current geographic location of a device; and

receiving one or more first contact information items based on the determined geographic location, the first contact information items comprising one or more contact information items associated with emergency services; and

associating at least one of the first contact information items with a user interface object in a user interface of the device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the first contact information items in a memory of the device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information items associated with emergency services comprise one or more emergency phone numbers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more emergency phone numbers comprise a respective emergency phone number for each of a plurality of emergency services.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more emergency phone numbers comprise a unified emergency phone number for a plurality of emergency services.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first contact information items further comprise one or more selected from the group consisting of:

one or more contact information items associated with consular services, one or more contact information items associated with governmental services, and one or more contact information items associated with public utilities.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed upon a powering on of the device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed upon activation of a radio transmitter of the device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed in accordance with a schedule.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed in response to input selecting a user interface object associated with an emergency phone number.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed upon user request.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a current geographic location of the device comprises determining the current geographic location of the device using a satellite navigation system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein storing in the device the first contact information items comprises storing the first contact information items in a data structure associated with an address book application.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the data structure comprises one or more second contact information items based on a geographic location different from the determined geographic location, the second contact information items comprising items different from the first contact information items; and

storing the first contact information items in the data structure comprises removing the second contact information items from the data structure and inserting the first contact information items into the data structure.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of first contact information items comprises a phone number;

the method further comprising;

receiving a user input selecting the user interface object; and

dialing the phone number.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein associating at least one of the first contact information items with a user interface object in a user interface of the device comprises:

if the first contact information items include a unified emergency phone number associated with a plurality of emergency services;

associating the unified emergency phone number with a user interface object in the user interface; and

if the first contact information items include a respective emergency phone number for each of the plurality of emergency services;

associating each of the respective emergency phone numbers with a respective user interface object in the user interface.

17. A method comprising, at a device operable as a phone:

receiving user input dialing an emergency phone number;

determining a current geographic location of the device;

determining whether the dialed emergency phone number is proper for the determined geographic location;

if the dialed emergency phone number is determined to be improper for the determined geographic location;

retrieving a replacement emergency phone number based on the determined geographic location; and

dialing the replacement emergency phone number.

18. A portable device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable medium storing instructions for execution by the one or more processors, the instructions comprising instructions to;

determine a current geographic location of the device; and

receive one or more first contact information items based on the determined geographic location, the first contact information items comprising one or more contact information items associated with emergency services; and

associate at least one of the first contact information items with a user interface object in a user interface of the device.

19. A computer program product, encoded on a tangible program carrier, operable to cause a portable device to perform operations comprising:

determining a current geographic location of the device; and

receiving at the device one or more first contact information items based on the determined geographic location, the first contact information items comprising one or more contact information items associated with emergency services; and

associating at least one of the first contact information items with a user interface object in a user interface of the device.

20. A method, comprising:

determining a current geographic location of a device; and

determining information related to one or more localized services based on the current geographic location.