METHOD OF INTEGRATING EMERGENCY INFORMATION IN A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20100190467A1
• Filed: 01/28/2009
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Friedberg, Earl, Vymenets, Leonid, Scott, Sherryl Lee Lorraine, Bos, Jeffrey Charles
• Granted Patent: US 8,543,081 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27457 Management thereof, e.g. manual editing of data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

A wireless communications device displays an emergency information screen presenting emergency contact information for one or more emergency contacts. This emergency contact information is automatically integrated from the address book by identifying contacts in the address book that have been designated by the owner of the device as emergency contacts. The device can automatically update the emergency contact information by periodically polling the address book to ascertain whether any changes have been made to the contact information.

Claims

1. A method of integrating emergency information into an emergency information screen displayed on a wireless communications device, the method comprising:

accessing an address book containing a plurality of contacts;

identifying one or more emergency contacts from the plurality of contacts stored in the address book by searching for a predetermined designation associated with each of the emergency contacts; and

displaying emergency contact information for the one or more emergency contacts identified from the address book.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein a first predetermined designation is used to designate a main emergency contact and a second predetermined designation is used to designate an alternate emergency contact.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising:

determining a current location of the device; and

prioritizing the main and alternate emergency contacts in terms of proximity to the current location of the device.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising prompting a user to designate a new contact as an emergency contact when the new contact is added to the address book.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising periodically reconciling emergency contact information in the address book with emergency information being presented on the emergency information screen.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the emergency contact information is presented on a main login screen of the device, the main login screen comprising a password prompt.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the emergency information screen is linked to a user interface element on a main login screen of the device to enable direct access to the emergency information screen by bypassing a password prompt on the main login screen.

8. A computer readable medium comprising code which when loaded into memory and executed on a processor of a wireless communications device is adapted to cause the device to perform acts of:

accessing an address book containing a plurality of contacts;

identifying one or more emergency contacts from the plurality of contacts stored in the address book by searching for a predetermined designation associated with each of the emergency contacts; and

displaying emergency contact information for the one or more emergency contacts from the address book.

9. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 8 wherein the code is further adapted to cause the device to perform acts of:

distinguishing a first predetermined designation used to designate a main emergency contact from a second predetermined designation used to designate an alternate emergency contact; and

prioritizing the main and alternate emergency contacts in terms of proximity to a current location of the device.

10. A wireless communications device comprising:

a processor operatively coupled to a memory for receiving and storing contact information for a plurality of contacts in an address book; and

a display operatively coupled to the memory and processor for displaying emergency contact information on an emergency contact screen for one or more emergency contacts that have been designated as emergency contacts from among the plurality of contacts stored in the address book,

wherein the processor and memory cooperate to transfer the emergency contact information for the one or more emergency contacts from the address book for display on an emergency contact screen.

11. The device as claimed in claim 10 wherein a plurality of emergency contacts are designated as a main contact and one or more alternate contacts using predetermined designations.

12. The device as claimed in claim 11 further comprising a location-determining subsystem for determining a current location of the device to thereby enable the device to prioritize the plurality of emergency contacts in terms of proximity to the current location of the device.

13. The device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the processor and memory are configured to automatically poll the address book to update the contact information for the one or more emergency contacts presented on the emergency information screen.

14. The device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the processor and memory are configured to query the user whether a new contact being added to the address book should be designated as an emergency contact.

15. The device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the emergency information is presented on a main login screen of the device, the main login screen comprising a password prompt.

16. The device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the emergency information screen is linked to a user interface element on a main login screen of the device to enable direct access to the emergency information screen by bypassing a password prompt on the main login screen.