Method and system for prolonging emergency calls

• US 20090149153A1
• Filed: 12/05/2007
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Michael M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,270,935 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72424 with manual activation of emergency-service functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/029 reducing the clock frequency of the controller
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that processes a phone call. During operation, the system connects the phone call from a mobile phone and determines whether the phone call is an emergency call. If the phone call is an emergency call, the system activates an emergency mode of the mobile phone to handle the phone call, which prolongs the length of the phone call.

Claims

1. A method for processing a phone call, comprising:

connecting the phone call from a mobile phone;

determining whether the phone call is an emergency call; and

if the phone call is an emergency call, activating an emergency mode of the mobile phone to handle the phone call, wherein the emergency mode prolongs the length of the phone call.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency mode makes the phone call harder to disconnect.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency mode preserves battery power on the mobile phone.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the battery power is preserved by:

disabling non-essential hardware components on the mobile phone;

reducing power to a display screen of the mobile phone;

disabling software applications on the mobile phone;

or

reducing processor speeds on the mobile phone.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency mode enables emergency phrase buttons on the mobile phone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the phone call is determined to be an emergency call based on a phone number associated with the phone call.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the phone number is stored as an emergency number in the mobile phone.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency mode can be selected by a user of the mobile phone.

9. A mobile phone, comprising:

a communication subsystem configured to connect a phone call from the mobile phone, comprising;

an emergency-mode processor configured to;

determine whether the phone call is an emergency call; and

if the phone call is an emergency call, activate an emergency mode of the mobile phone to handle the phone call, wherein the emergency mode prolongs the length of the call.

10. The mobile phone of claim 9, wherein the emergency-mode processor is further configured to make the phone call harder to disconnect.

11. The mobile phone of claim 9, wherein the emergency-mode processor is further configured to preserve battery power on the mobile phone.

12. The mobile phone of claim 11, wherein the battery power is preserved by:

disabling non-essential hardware components on the mobile phone;

reducing power to a display screen of the mobile phone;

disabling software applications on the mobile phone;

or

reducing processor speeds on the mobile phone.

13. The mobile phone of claim 9, wherein the phone call is determined to be an emergency based on a phone number associated with the phone call.

14. The mobile phone of claim 13, further comprising an emergency number list configured to store the phone number as an emergency number.

15. The mobile phone of claim 9, wherein the emergency-mode processor is further configured to enable emergency phrase buttons on the mobile phone.

16. The mobile phone of claim 9, wherein the emergency mode is selected by a user of the mobile phone.

17. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for processing a phone call, the method comprising:

connecting the phone call from a mobile phone;

determining whether the phone call is an emergency call; and

if the phone call is an emergency call, activating an emergency mode of the mobile phone to handle the phone call, wherein the emergency mode prolongs the length of the phone call by preserving battery power on the mobile phone, and wherein the emergency mode makes the phone call harder to disconnect.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the emergency mode preserves battery power on the mobile phone by:

disabling non-essential hardware components on the mobile phone;

reducing power to a display screen of the mobile phone;

disabling software applications on the mobile phone;

or

reducing processor speeds on the mobile phone.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the emergency mode enables emergency phrase buttons on the mobile phone.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the phone call is determined to be an emergency based on a phone number associated with the phone call.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the phone number is stored as an emergency number in the mobile phone.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the emergency mode can be selected by a user of the mobile phone.