Emergency ringing facility for mobile phones

• US 7,606,561 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2006
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Matsuo, Kotaro, Mathew, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan; Huy Q
• Application Number:
  US11/380,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20070254633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.2, 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455/414.3, 455/422.1, 379/207.11, 379/208.01, 379/204.01
• US Class Current: 455/412.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/665 by checking the validity of a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/053 remote terminal provisioning, e.g. of applets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42187 Lines and connections with preferential service

Abstract

Systems and methods for an emergency ringing facility able to remotely override a silent mode of a wireless communication device are disclosed. The systems comprise profile-management applications residing on wireless devices and allowing one user of a wireless device to override a silent mode of a remote wireless device. The profile management application executed on the wireless device queries whether the silent mode of the remote wireless device can be overridden, and if so, communicates with a profile-management application executed on the remote device and overrides the silent mode of that device. In an alternative embodiment, a silent mode of a wireless device can be overridden by a profile management server. A profile-management application is executed on a profile-management server communicating with a profile-management application executed on a wireless device and requests the overriding of the silent mode of a remote wireless device.

Claims

1. A profile management system comprising:

a first handset configured to receive a voice call and receive a data call;

a second handset configured to initialize the voice call to the first handset via a first network, initialize the data call to the first handset via a second network, identify a lack of response from the first handset to the voice call, determine that the first handset is in a silent mode, and request an override code for the first handset;

a data storage area configured to store a phonebook comprising at least one unique identifier and an override code for the first handset; and

a communication server configured to receive a request from the second handset to override a silent mode of the first handset, to acquire the override code from the data storage area and send the override code to override the silent mode of the first handset, the data storage area associated with the communication server, wherein the request for the override code is made via the second network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second handset comprises a communication module configured to establish the data call with the first handset via a wireless communication network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second handset further comprises a profile management module configured to obtain from the communication server an override code for the first handset and send the override code to the first handset via the network to override the silent mode of the first handset.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second device further comprises an authentication module configured to verify whether the silent mode of the first handset can be overridden.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first handset further comprises a control module configured to turn on and off the ringer of the first handset.

6. A computer implemented method for overriding a silent mode of a remote wireless communication device communicatively coupled with another wireless communication device via a wireless communications link, the method comprising:

initiating a voice call to a remote wireless communication device, wherein the voice call is made via a voice network;

identifying a lack of response from the remote wireless communication device;

determining that the remote wireless communication device is in a silent mode;

requesting an override code for the remote wireless communication device from a communication server, wherein the request for the override code is made via a data network;

storing a phonebook comprising at least one unique identifier and an override code for the remote wireless communication device in a data storage area associated with the communication server;

obtaining an override code for the remote wireless communication device; and

sending via the data network the override code to the remote wireless communication device to instruct the remote wireless communication device to exit the silent mode.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining step comprises sending a message to the remote wireless communication device and receiving a response from the remote wireless communication device indicating the silent mode of the remote wireless communication device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the message sending step comprises sending a Short Message Service (“

SMS”

) message to the remote wireless communication device, and wherein the response receiving step comprises receiving a SMS response from the remote wireless communication device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the message sending step comprises sending an Internet Protocol (“

IP”

) message to the remote wireless communication device, and wherein the response receiving step comprises receiving an IP response from the remote wireless communication device.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining step comprises sending a message to a communication server and receiving a response indicating the silent mode of the remote wireless communication device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the message sending step comprises sending a SMS message to the communication server, and wherein the response receiving step comprises receiving a SMS response from the communication server.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the message sending step comprises sending an IP message to the communication server, and wherein the response receiving step comprises receiving an IP response from the communication server.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the obtaining of the override code for the remote wireless communication device comprises querying a phonebook database stored on the remote wireless communication device.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the obtaining of the override code for the remote wireless communication device further comprises:

requesting the override code from the communication server, and

receiving the override code from the communication server.

15. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving a confirmation that the silent mode of the remote wireless communication device was overridden.