SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING CONTACTS IN EMERGENCY SITUATION

• US 20110028118A1
• Filed: 08/03/2009
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Thomas, Christopher Harvey
• Granted Patent: US 8,385,879 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27467 Methods of retrieving data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications

Abstract

A system, a method, and a computer readable storage medium are disclosed for providing emergent contacts by a mobile computing device to a user when such contacts are likely to be desirable by the user. The emergent contacts are selected by the user and can be optionally assigned quick keys on a key pad of the mobile computing device. After an emergent phone call was made using the mobile computing device, the emergent contacts are retrieved and displayed for user selection. When an emergent contact is selected, a phone call to the selected contact is initiated by the mobile computing device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing pre-designated contacts, comprising:

selecting one or more contacts stored in a mobile phone as pre-designated contacts;

detecting an emergency phone call made using the mobile phone;

retrieving the pre-designated contacts responsive to termination of the emergency phone call;

providing for display the retrieved pre-designated contacts; and

initiating a phone call to one of the displayed pre-designated contacts responsive to selection of said pre-designated contact.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieved pre-designated contacts are displayed on a dialog box until the dialog box is affirmatively dismissed or the phone call to said pre-designated contact is initiated.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-designated contacts comprises three contacts, the three contacts assigned to quick keys ‘

I’

, ‘

C’

, and ‘

E’

in a keypad of the mobile phone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of said pre-designated contact is automated selection in response to termination of the emergency phone call.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically transmitting pre-populated messages to the pre-designated contacts responsive to termination of the emergency phone call.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency phone call is a 9-1-1 call.

7. A computer-implemented method for providing pre-designated contacts, comprising:

detecting, by a mobile computing device, an event configured to trigger retrieval of pre-designated contacts;

retrieving the pre-designated contacts responsive to detection of the event;

displaying the retrieved pre-designated contacts; and

initiating a communication to one of the displayed pre-designated contacts responsive to selection of said pre-designated contact.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the event comprises a phone call made by the mobile computing device to an emergency number, the emergency number being determined based on a geographic location of the mobile computing device and an international emergency number list comprising emergency numbers and associated geographic locations.

9. The method of 7, wherein the event comprises an acceleration of the mobile computing device exceeding a predetermined threshold value.

10. The method of 7, further comprising:

automatically transmitting messages containing information about the event to the pre-designated contacts responsive to detection of the event.

11. The method of 7, wherein the retrieved pre-designated contacts are displayed on a dialog box until the dialog box is affirmatively dismissed or the communication to said pre-designated contact is initiated.

12. A mobile computing device for providing pre-designated contacts, comprising:

a computer processor for executing computer program instructions;

a computer-readable storage medium having executable computer program instructions tangibly embodied thereon, the executable computer program instructions comprising instructions for;

an emergency situation determination module configured for detecting an event configured to trigger retrieval of pre-designated contacts,

an emergent contact display module configured for retrieving the pre-designated contacts responsive to detection of the event and displaying the retrieved pre-designated contacts, and

a communication module configured for initiating a communication to one of the displayed pre-designated contacts responsive to selection of said pre-designated contact.

13. The mobile computing device of claim 12, wherein the event comprises a phone call made by the mobile computing device to an emergency number, the emergency number being determined based on a geographic location of the mobile computing device and an international emergency number list comprising emergency numbers and associated geographic locations.

14. The mobile computing device of claim 12, wherein the event comprises an acceleration of the mobile computing device exceeding a predetermined threshold value.

15. The mobile computing device of claim 12, wherein the communication module is further configured for automatically transmitting messages containing information about the event to the pre-designated contacts responsive to detection of the event.

16. The mobile computing device of claim 12, wherein the retrieved pre-designated contacts are displayed on a dialog box until the dialog box is affirmatively dismissed or the communication to said pre-designated contact is initiated.

17. A computer readable medium configured to store instructions, the instructions when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

detecting an event configured to trigger retrieval of pre-designated contacts;

retrieving the pre-designated contacts responsive to detection of the event;

displaying the retrieved pre-designated contacts; and

initiating a communication to one of the displayed pre-designated contacts responsive to selection of said pre-designated contact.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the event comprises a phone call made by the mobile computing device to an emergency number, the emergency number being determined based on a geographic location of the mobile computing device and an international emergency number list comprising emergency numbers and associated geographic locations.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the event comprises an acceleration of the mobile computing device exceeding a predetermined threshold value.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions that cause the processor to:

automatically transmitting messages containing information about the event to the pre-designated contacts responsive to detection of the event.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the retrieved pre-designated contacts are displayed on a dialog box until the dialog box is affirmatively dismissed or the communication to said pre-designated contact is initiated.