MOBILE INFORMATION TERMINAL

• US 20090221262A1
• Filed: 03/02/2007
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Tsukiyama, Tomoaki, Miwa, Tomoaki, Nakae, Kazuaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,718,235 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.100
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/005 Alarm destination chosen according to a hierarchy of available destinations, e.g. if hospital does not answer send to police station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/181 due to failing power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services

Abstract

To carry out processing to be executed upon occurrence of an emergency, a mobile phone includes a power control portion for supplying driving power, a RAM capable of storing data in the state where the driving power is not supplied from the power control portion, a crime prevention switch for detecting occurrence of an emergency, and a control portion which is driven by the driving power supplied from the power control portion. The control portion stores an emergency flag in an ON state indicating an emergency mode in the RAM in response to detection of the emergency by the crime prevention switch, and carries out emergency processing. When the control portion is activated as the supply of the driving power from the power control portion is started, it carries out the emergency processing if the emergency flag in the ON state is stored in the RAM.

Claims

1. A mobile information terminal comprising:

power control means for supplying driving power;

storage means capable of storing data in the state where the driving power is not supplied from said power control means;

detecting means for detecting occurrence of an emergency; and

control means which is driven as the driving power is supplied from said power control means, said control means including;

mode information storage means for storing mode information indicating an emergency mode in said storage means in response to detection of the occurrence of the emergency by said detecting means,

emergency processing executing means for executing predetermined processing in response to detection of the occurrence of the emergency by said detecting means, and

startup-time processing means for executing said predetermined processing when said control means is activated as the supply of the driving power from said power control means is started and in the case where said mode information indicating the emergency mode is stored in said storage means.

2. The mobile information terminal according to claim 1, wherein said power control means includes:

voltage detecting means for detecting a voltage of a power source, and

emergency activation means for starting supply of the driving power to said control means when said detected voltage exceeds a predetermined threshold value and in the case where said mode information indicating the emergency mode is stored in said storage means.

3. The mobile information terminal according to claim 2, further comprising accepting means for accepting a drive instruction for instructing driving of said control portion, wherein said power supply means includes:

normal activation means for supplying the driving power to said control means when said detected voltage exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and

in the case where said mode information indicating the emergency mode is not stored in said storage means, on the condition that said drive instruction is accepted by said accepting means.

4. The mobile information terminal according to claim 2, wherein said voltage detecting means detects a voltage of a removable battery.

5. The mobile information terminal according to claim 2, wherein said voltage detecting means detects a voltage of an external power source.

6. The mobile information terminal according to claim 1, wherein said control means further includes emergency mode release means for deleting said mode information indicating the emergency mode from said storage means in response to completion of said predetermined processing.

7. The mobile information terminal according to claim 1, wherein said emergency processing executing means includes calling means for calling a predetermined destination.

8. The mobile information terminal according to claim 1, wherein said emergency processing executing means includes:

position detecting means for detecting a current position, and

transmission means for transmitting said detected current position.

9. A mobile information terminal comprising:

detecting means for detecting occurrence of an emergency;

storage means for storing a telephone number in advance;

mode switching means for switching a mode to an emergency mode in response to detection of the occurrence of the emergency by said detecting means;

incoming call detecting means for detecting an incoming call; and

answering means for answering the incoming call detected by said incoming call detecting means in the emergency mode in the case where the incoming call is associated with said telephone number prestored in said storage means.

10. The mobile information terminal according to claim 9, further comprising rejecting means for rejecting the incoming call detected by said incoming call detecting means in the emergency mode in the case where the incoming call is not associated with said telephone number prestored in said storage means.

11. The mobile information terminal according to claim 9, further comprising:

warning sound generating means for generating a warning sound in response to detection of the occurrence of the emergency by said detecting means;

vibration generating means for generating vibration; and

incoming-call answering notification means for activating said vibration generating means when said answering means answers in the emergency mode.

12. The mobile information terminal according to claim 9, wherein said answering means does not answer the incoming call detected by said incoming call detecting means in the case where the incoming call is not associated with said telephone number prestored in said storage means.

13. The mobile information terminal according to claim 9, wherein said answering means does not answer the incoming call detected by said incoming call detecting means in the case where the incoming call requires a video telephone.

14. A mobile information terminal comprising:

detecting means for detecting occurrence of an emergency;

storage means for storing a telephone number in advance;

warning sound generating means for generating a warning sound in response to detection of the occurrence of the emergency by said detecting means;

vibration generating means for generating vibration;

mode switching means for switching a mode to an emergency mode in response to detection of the occurrence of the emergency by said detecting means;

interlock calling means for calling the telephone number prestored in said storage means in the emergency mode; and

outgoing-call answering notification means for activating said vibration generating means in the case where an answer to the call originated by said interlock calling means is detected.

15. The mobile information terminal according to claim 14, wherein

said storage means is capable of storing a plurality of said telephone numbers,

said interlock calling means includes selecting means for selecting said plurality of telephone numbers, and

said selecting means selects a next telephone number in the case where an answer to a call originated to a previously selected telephone number is not detected within a predetermined period of time after the origination of the call.

16. A mobile information terminal comprising:

detecting means for detecting occurrence of an emergency;

storage means for storing a telephone number in advance; and

disconnecting means for disconnecting a call with a device on the other end when the occurrence of the emergency is detected by said detecting means during the call and in the case where the telephone number assigned to said device on the other end is not prestored in said storage means.

17. The mobile information terminal according to claim 16, further comprising:

incoming call detecting means for detecting an incoming call; and

answering means for answering the incoming call detected by said incoming call detecting means in an emergency mode in the case where the incoming call is associated with said telephone number prestored in said storage means.

18. The mobile information terminal according to claim 17, further comprising:

warning sound generating means for generating a warning sound in response to detection of the occurrence of the emergency by said detecting means;

vibration generating means for generating vibration; and

incoming-call answering notification means for activating said vibration generating means when said answering means answers in the emergency mode.

19. The mobile information terminal according to claim 16, further comprising interlock calling means for calling the telephone number prestored in said storage means in response to detection of the occurrence of the emergency by said detecting means.

20. The mobile information terminal according to claim 19, further comprising:

warning sound generating means for generating a warning sound in response to detection of the occurrence of the emergency by said detecting means;

vibration generating means for generating vibration; and

outgoing-call answering notification means for activating said vibration generating means in the case where an answer to the call originated by said interlock calling means is detected in an emergency mode.

21. The mobile information terminal according to claim 19, wherein

said storage means is capable of storing a plurality of said telephone numbers,

said interlock calling means includes selecting means for selecting said plurality of telephone numbers, and

said selecting means selects a next telephone number in the case where an answer to a call originated to a previously selected telephone number is not detected within a predetermined period of time after the origination of the call.

22. A mobile information terminal comprising:

detecting means for detecting occurrence of an emergency;

mode switching means for switching a mode to an emergency mode in response to detection of the occurrence of the emergency by said detecting means;

warning sound generating means for generating a warning sound in response to detection of the occurrence of the emergency by said detecting means; and

sensitivity lowering means for lowering sensitivity of a microphone for use in telephone conversation during at least a part of a telephone conversation in said emergency mode.

23. The mobile information terminal according to claim 22, wherein said sensitivity lowering means lowers the sensitivity of the microphone while said warning sound generating means is generating the warning sound.

24. The mobile information terminal according to claim 22, wherein said warning sound generating means includes:

stop means for temporarily stopping generation of the warning sound, and

step-up output means for increasing a volume in a stepwise manner over time in the case where the temporary stop by said stop means is released while the telephone conversation is continued.

25. The mobile information terminal according to claim 22, further comprising:

storage means for storing a telephone number in advance; and

interlock calling means for calling the telephone number prestored in said storage means in said emergency mode.

26. The mobile information terminal according to claim 25, further comprising reproduction means for reproducing a predetermined message in response to detection of an answer to the call originated by said interlock calling means, wherein

said sensitivity lowering means includes cut-off means for cutting off an output of said microphone during the time when said reproduction means is reproducing the message.

27. The mobile information terminal according to claim 22, further comprising:

storage means for storing a telephone number in advance;

incoming call detecting means for detecting an incoming call; and

answering means for answering the incoming call detected in said emergency mode in the case where said incoming call is associated with the telephone number prestored in said storage means.