System and method for reporting an emergency situation

• US 6,839,552 B1
• Filed: 12/26/2000
• Issued: 01/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Martin, Dannie E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, Brandon J.
• Application Number:
  US09/746,648
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/414.1, 455418-420, 455/456.3, 455/566, 455/404, 455/414, 455456-457, 455/421, 455/408, 455/411, 455/521, 455/566.1, 455/404.2, 379/37
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

The present invention is a system and method for reporting an emergency situation to a called party a using a wireless device. The wireless device comprises a keyboard and a microprocessor. In one embodiment, when a specific keystroke sequence is entered using the keyboard, the wireless device performs the following tasks: (1) disabling one or more components of the wireless device; (2) establishing a wireless communication session with the called party; (3) communicating with a location system to generate location information pinpointing the location of the wireless device; and (5) providing the location information to the called party. In other embodiments, the wire device performs additional tasks, including: (6) capturing content during the wireless communication; (7) communicating with the location system to generate subsequent location information; and (8) providing one or more of the subsequent location information and the content to the called party. The called party may then use the location information and the content to perform one or more actions, including providing help to the user of the wireless device.

Claims

1. A wireless device for reporting an emergency situation to a called party, the wireless device comprising:

a microprocessor;

a keyboard in communication with the microprocessor;

a display in communication with the microprocessor; and

a location system in communication with the microprocessor,

wherein when a keystroke sequence is received by the keyboard, the microprocessor disables the display, mutes incoming audio signals, and establishes a wireless communication session with the called party; and

wherein when the wireless communication session is established, the location system generates location information and provides the location information to the called party.

2. The wireless device of claim 1, further comprising a memory, wherein the memory comprises the relationship between the keystroke sequence and the called party.

3. The wireless device of claim 2, wherein the memory comprises a user profile.

4. The wireless device of claim 3, wherein the user profile is transmitted to the called party during the wireless communication session.

5. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the called party provides the location information to a third party.

6. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the keystroke sequence comprises one of pressing a plurality of keys in seriatim, pressing one key one or more times, and pressing a first key while holding down a second key.

7. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the called party has exclusive control over the wireless communication session.

8. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the location system generates subsequent location information, and wherein the subsequent location information is provided to the called party during the wireless communication session.

9. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is selected from the group of a wireless telephone, a pager, a handheld computer, and a personal digital assistant.

10. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the location system is a GPS receiver.

11. A system for reporting an emergency situation to a called party, the system comprising:

a wireless device in a wireless network, wherein the wireless device comprises a microprocessor, a keyboard, and a display; and

a location system, wherein the location system is in communication with the wireless device,

wherein when a keystroke sequence is received by the keyboard, the microprocessor disables the display, mutes incoming audio signals, and establishes a wireless communication session with the called party; and

wherein when the wireless communication session is established, the location system generates location information pinpointing a location of the wireless device and provides the location information to the called party.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the location system is provisioned at one or more of the wireless device, the wireless network, and the called party.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the called party has exclusive control over the wireless communication session.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the location system generates subsequent location information during the wireless communication session, and wherein the subsequent location information is provided to the called party.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the called party uses the location information to perform an action.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the wireless device further comprises a sensing device, wherein the sensing device captures content during the wireless communication session, and wherein the content is provided to the called party.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the content comprises a sound.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the content comprises one or more of an image, a temperature, and a pressure.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the action comprises using the content to respond to the emergency situation.

20. The system of claim 11, further comprising a signal detector to activate the sensing device.

21. A wireless device for reporting an emergency situation to a called party, the wireless device comprising:

a microprocessor;

a keyboard in communication with the microprocessor;

a signal detector in communication with the microprocessor; and

a location system in communication with the microprocessor,

wherein when a keystroke sequence is received by the keyboard, the microprocessor deactivates a display of the wireless device, mutes incoming audio signals, and activates the signal detector;

wherein when the signal detector senses a stimulus, the microprocessor establishes a wireless communication session with the called party;

wherein when the wireless communication session is established, the location system generates location information pinpointing a location of the wireless device; and

wherein the wireless device transmits the location information to the called party.

22. The wireless device of claim 21, wherein the stimulus comprises a sound.

23. The wireless device of claim 21, wherein the stimulus comprises one or more of an image, a temperature, and a pressure.

24. The wireless device of claim 21, wherein the signal detector comprises a microphone.

25. The wireless device of claim 21, wherein the signal detector comprises one or more of a camera, a thermometer, and a barometer.

26. The wireless device of claim 21, further comprising a sensing device in communication with the microprocessor.

27. The wireless device of claim 26, wherein the sensing device comprises a microphone.

28. The wireless device of claim 26, wherein the sensing device comprises one or more of a camera, a thermometer, and a barometer.

29. The wireless device of claim 26, wherein the sensing device captures content surrounding the wireless device during the wireless communication session.

30. The wireless device of claim 29, wherein the content comprises a sound.

31. The wireless device of claim 29, wherein the content comprises one or more of an image, a temperature, and a pressure.

32. The wireless device of claim 29, wherein the content is transmitted to the called party during the wireless communication session.

33. The wireless device of claim 26, wherein the signal detector and the sensing device are one integrated component.

34. The wireless device of claim 21, wherein the called party has exclusive control over the wireless communication session.

35. A method for reporting an emergency situation to a called party, the method comprising:

creating a relationship between a keystroke sequence and the called party;

storing the relationship in a memory of a wireless device;

receiving the keystroke sequence through a keyboard of the wireless device;

deactivating a display of the wireless device;

establishing a wireless communication session with the called party;

muting incoming audio signals of the wireless device;

generating location information pinpointing a location of the wireless device; and

providing the location information to the called party during the wireless communication session.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the wireless device is selected from the group of a wireless telephone, a pager, a handheld computer, and a personal digital assistant.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the called party has exclusive control over the wireless communication session.

38. The method of claim 35, further comprising the step of maintaining the wireless communication session.

39. The method of claim 35, further comprising the step of using the location information to locate the wireless device.

40. The method of claim 35, further comprising the step of generating subsequent location information, wherein the subsequent location information is provided to the called party.

41. The method of claim 35, wherein the keystroke sequence comprises one of pressing a plurality of keys in seriatim, pressing one key one or more times, and pressing a first key while holding down a second key.

42. The method of claim 35, further comprising the step of storing a user profile in the memory.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising the step of transmitting the user profile to the called party during the wireless communication session.

44. The method of claim 42, further comprising the step of using the user profile to perform the action.

45. A method for reporting an emergency situation to a called party, the method comprising:

creating a relationship between a keystroke sequence and the called party;

storing the relationship in a memory of a wireless device;

receiving the keystroke sequence through a keyboard of the wireless device;

suspending a display of the wireless device when the keystroke sequence is received;

receiving a stimulus through a signal detector of the wireless device;

establishing a wireless communication session with the called party when the stimulus is received;

muting incoming audio signals of the wireless device;

generating location information pinpointing a location of the wireless device; and

providing the location information to the called party.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the signal detector comprises a microphone.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the stimulus comprises a sound.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein the signal detector comprises one or more of a camera, a thermometer, and a barometer.

49. The method of claim 45, wherein the stimulus comprises one or more of an image, a temperature, and a pressure.

50. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of capturing content using a sensing device of the wireless device during the wireless communication session.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the sensing device comprises a microphone.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein the sensing device comprises one or more a camera, a thermometer, and a barometer.

53. The method of claim 50, wherein the content comprises a sound.

54. The method of claim 50, wherein the content comprises one or more of an image, a temperature, and a pressure.

55. The method of claim 50, wherein the content is transmitted to the called party during the wireless communication session.

56. The method of claim 50, wherein the signal detector and the sensing device are one integrated component.

57. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of generating subsequent location information, wherein the subsequent location information is provided to the called party.

58. The method of claim 45, wherein the called party has exclusive control over the wireless communication session.