Methods and apparatus for use in processing disconnected emergency calls and other communications involving mobile communication devices and the remote monitoring thereof

• US 7,933,581 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Weigle, Ingo W., Naqvi, Noushad, Wijayanathan, Maiyuran
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US11/760,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20080305763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/450, 455/418, 455/567, 455/458, 379/45
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72421 with automatic activation of emergency service functions, e.g. upon sensing an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/06 Lines and connections with preferential service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• 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 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for use in processing disconnected emergency calls and other communications involving mobile communication devices, as well as the remote monitoring of such mobile communication devices, are disclosed. In one illustrative example, an emergency call with a public safety answering point entity is established by a mobile communication device via a wireless communication network. If the emergency call is disconnected, the mobile device monitors to receive an incoming call message for a continued emergency call from the public safety answering point entity. In response to receiving such incoming call message, the mobile device refrains from producing an audible alert and automatically answers the continued emergency call from the public safety answering point entity without detecting any manual answer signal via its user interface. In one specific approach, the mobile device answers the call automatically if the incoming call message is received within a time period following the disconnection and a data indication of the incoming call message indicates that the message is for the continued emergency call or automatic answering. Otherwise, if the incoming call message is received outside of the time period following the disconnection, or if the data indication fails to indicate that the incoming call message is for the continued emergency call or the automatic answering, the mobile device refrains from automatically answering the call associated with the incoming call message.

Claims

1. A method in a mobile communication device configured to operate using a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

establishing an emergency call with a public safety answering point entity via the wireless communication network;

monitoring to receive, at the mobile communication device via the wireless communication network, an incoming call message for an emergency call back within a period of time after disconnection of the emergency call, the incoming call message including data fields having data indications therein, the data indications indicating whether the incoming call message is for emergency call back and automatic answering; and

wherein if the data indications in the data fields indicate that the incoming call message is for emergency call back and automatic answering, then causing the emergency call back from the public safety answering point entity to be answered automatically by the mobile communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the data indications in the data fields indicate that the incoming call message is for emergency call or automatic answering, then refraining from producing an audible alert at the mobile communication device for alerting of the emergency call back.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing a mobile identifier which identifies the mobile communication device to be transmitted via the wireless communication network for an emergency call for receipt by the public safety answering point entity; and

wherein the act of receiving the incoming call message comprises receiving an incoming call message addressed to the mobile identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after an out-of-coverage condition with the wireless communication network which caused an emergency call involving the mobile communication device to be disconnected, identifying an in-coverage condition with the wireless communication network;

causing a message to be transmitted to the wireless communication network based on identifying the in-coverage condition; and

monitoring to receive the incoming call message for the emergency call back after causing the message to be transmitted to the wireless communication network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network is operative in accordance with Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) standards and the method further comprises:

if the data indications in the data fields indicate that the incoming call message is for the emergency call back and the automatic answering, then refraining from performing a DR (ALERT) process and a U7 CALL RECEIVED process in the GSM standards when answering the emergency call back.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein if the data indications in the data fields indicate that the incoming call message is not for emergency call or automatic answering, then refraining from automatically answering the incoming call.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a user interface of the mobile communication device comprises a plurality of keys, a speaker, and a microphone, and wherein the act of causing the emergency call back to be answered automatically by the mobile communication device comprises the further acts of enabling the speaker to produce audible signals from the public safety answering point entity and enabling the microphone to receive audible signals at the mobile communication device.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile communication device comprises a memory including a programmable data indication in one or more data fields for setting one of an audible alert answer mode and a silent answer mode for incoming calls to the mobile communication device, and wherein the act of refraining from producing the audible alert at the mobile communication device for alerting of the emergency call back is performed when the programmable data indication indicates that the audible alert answer mode is enabled.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after the emergency call back is answered automatically, causing positioning information of the mobile communication device to be sent to the public safety answering point entity.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device has a handset talk mode and a speakerphone talk mode, and the method comprises the further act of:

if the data indications in the data fields indicate that the incoming call message is for emergency call back or automatic answering, then enabling the speakerphone talk mode of the mobile communication device without detecting a manual speakerphone activation signal via the user interface.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is embodied in a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium and computer instructions stored in the computer readable medium, the computer instructions being executable by one or more processors for performing the method.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the emergency call back from the public safety answering point entity to be answered automatically by the mobile communication device is performed without detecting a manual answer signal via a user interface of the mobile communication device.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of monitoring to receive the incoming message for the emergency call back is performed after an emergency call involving the mobile communication device is disconnected.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing an emergency call to be established with a public safety answering point entity via a wireless communication network; and

wherein the act of monitoring to receive the incoming message for the emergency call back is performed after the emergency call is disconnected.

12. A mobile communication device configured to operate using a wireless communication network, the mobile communication device comprising:

a wireless transceiver which is configured for communications via the wireless communication network;

one or more processors coupled to the wireless transceiver;

a user interface coupled to the one or more processors;

the one or more processors being operative to;

establish an emergency call with a public safety answering point entity via the wireless communication network;

monitor to receive, via the wireless transceiver, an incoming call message for an emergency call back within a period of time after disconnection of the emergency call, the incoming call message including data fields having data indications therein, the data indications indicating whether the incoming call message is for emergency call back and automatic answering; and

wherein if the data indications in the data fields indicate that the incoming call message is for emergency call back and automatic answering, then cause the emergency call back from the public safety answering point entity to be answered automatically by the mobile communication device.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

if the data indications in the data fields indicate that the incoming call message is for emergency call back and automatic answering, then refrain from producing an audible alert at the mobile communication device for alerting of the emergency call back.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

after an out-of-coverage condition with the wireless communication network which caused an emergency call involving the mobile communication device to be disconnected, identify an in-coverage condition with the wireless communication network via the wireless transceiver;

cause a message to be transmitted via the wireless transceiver based on identifying the in-coverage condition; and

monitor to receive the incoming call message for the emergency call back after causing the message to be transmitted to the wireless communication network.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the wireless communication network is operative in accordance with Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) standards and the one or more processors are further operative to:

if the data indications in the data fields indicate that the incoming call message is for the emergency call back and the automatic answering, then refrain from performing a DR (ALERT) process and a U7 CALL RECEIVED process in the GSM standards when answering the emergency call back.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

wherein if the data indications in the data fields indicate that the incoming call message is not for emergency call back and automatic answering, then refrain from automatically answering the incoming call by the mobile communication device.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

after the emergency call back is answered automatically, cause positioning information of the mobile communication device to be sent to the public safety answering point entity.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the mobile communication device has a handset talk mode and a speakerphone talk mode, and the one or more processors are further operative to:

if the data indications in the data fields indicate that the incoming call message is for emergency call back and automatic answering, then enable the speakerphone talk mode of the mobile communication device without detecting a manual speakerphone activation signal via the user interface.

28. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to cause the emergency call back from the public safety answering point entity to be answered automatically by the mobile communication device without detecting a manual answer signal via the user interface.

29. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to monitor to receive the incoming message for the emergency call back after an emergency call involving the mobile communication device is disconnected.

30. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

cause an emergency call to be established with a public safety answering point entity via a wireless communication network; and

monitor to receive the incoming message for the emergency call back after the emergency call is disconnected.

19. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a wireless communication network;

one or more mobile communication devices which operate in the wireless communication network;

each mobile communication device being configured to;

establish an emergency call with a public safety answering point entity via the wireless communication network;

monitor to receive, via the wireless communication network, an incoming call message for an emergency call back within a period of time after disconnection of the emergency call, the incoming call message including data fields having data indications therein, the data indications indicating whether the incoming call message is for emergency call back and automatic answering; and

wherein if the data indications in the data fields indicate that the incoming call message is for emergency call back and automatic answering, then cause the emergency call back from the public safety answering point entity to be answered automatically by the mobile communication device.

20. The wireless communication system of claim 19, wherein each mobile communication device is further configured to:

if the data indications in the data fields indicate that the incoming call message is for emergency call back and automatic answering, then refrain from producing an audible alert at the mobile communication device for alerting of the emergency call back.

21. The wireless communication system of claim 19, wherein each mobile communication device is further configured to:

identify an in-coverage condition with the wireless communication network after an out-of-coverage condition with the wireless communication network which caused an emergency call involving the mobile communication device to be disconnected;

cause a message to be transmitted to the wireless communication network based on identifying the in-coverage condition; and

monitoring to receive the incoming call message for the emergency call back after causing the message to be transmitted to the wireless communication network.

22. The wireless communication system of claim 19, wherein each mobile communication device is further configured to:

wherein if the data indications in the data fields indicate that the incoming call message is not for emergency call back or automatic answering, then refrain from automatically answering the incoming call by the mobile communication device.

23. The wireless communication system of claim 19, wherein each mobile communication device is further configured to:

after the emergency call back is answered automatically, cause positioning information of the mobile communication device to be sent to the public safety answering point entity.

24. The wireless communication system of claim 19, wherein each mobile communication device has a handset talk mode and a speakerphone talk mode, and wherein each mobile communication device is further configured to:

if the data indications in the data fields indicate that the incoming call message is for emergency call back and automatic answering, then enable the speakerphone talk mode of the mobile communication device without detecting a manual speakerphone activation signal via the user interface.