Emergency calls on a wireless communication device during a device reboot

• US 8,270,962 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2009
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Mauer, Brian D., Sankaranaraynan, Pallavur, Schlesener, Matthew C., Paczkowski, Lyle Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Marisol
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hong, Dung
• Application Number:
  US12/582,080
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/521, 455/418, 455/550.1, 709201-202, 718/1, 718/102, 718/104
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services

Abstract

What is disclosed is a wireless communication device comprising a processing system and a user interface system. The processing system identifies a software update that requires a reboot of the wireless communication device. In response, the processing system determines a geographic location of the wireless communication device, initiates a user interface for emergency calls during the reboot of the wireless communication device, and reboots the wireless communication device. The user interface system presents the user interface for emergency calls during the reboot of the wireless communication device.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

identifying a software update for software of the wireless communication device requiring a reboot of the wireless communication device, and in response, determining a geographic location of the wireless communication device;

providing a user interface for emergency calls on the wireless communication device;

applying the software update to the software using a first processor of the wireless communication device; and

rebooting the wireless communication device on the first processor of the wireless communication device, wherein the user interface for emergency calls is provided using a second processor of the wireless communication device while the software update is applied and during the reboot.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein rebooting the wireless communication device comprises rebooting the wireless communication device after the software update has been applied.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein

a multi-core processor of the wireless communication device comprises the first processor and the second processor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the software comprises operating system software of the wireless communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to an emergency call placed through the user interface for emergency calls, transferring the geographic location to an emergency service provider and placing the emergency call to the emergency service provider.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to an emergency call placed through the user interface for emergency calls, determining an updated geographic location of the wireless communication device, providing the updated geographic location to an emergency service provider, and placing the emergency call to the emergency service provider.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring for a trigger condition to reboot the wireless communication device; and

upon occurrence of the trigger condition, rebooting the wireless communication device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein monitoring for the trigger condition comprises monitoring a proximity sensor of the wireless communication device to determine when the wireless communication device is not in proximity to a human body.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein monitoring for the trigger condition comprises monitoring for when the wireless communication device is charging.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein monitoring for the trigger condition comprises monitoring an accelerometer system of the wireless communication device to determine when the wireless communication device is not in motion.

11. A wireless communication device comprising:

a processing system configured to identify a software update that requires a reboot of the wireless communication device, and in response, determine a geographic location of the wireless communication device, initiate a user interface for emergency calls during the reboot of the wireless communication device, apply the software update to software of the wireless communication device using a first processor, and reboot the wireless communication device by rebooting the software on the first processor; and

a user interface system configured to present the user interface for emergency calls using a second processor while the software update is applied and during the reboot of the wireless communication device.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 11, comprising:

the processing system configured to reboot the wireless communication device after the software update has been applied.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein a multi-core processor of the processing system comprises the first processor and the second processor.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the software update comprises an update for operating system software of the wireless communication device.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 11, further comprising:

a transceiver; and

in response to an emergency call placed through the user interface for emergency calls, the transceiver configured to transfer the geographic location to an emergency service provider and place the emergency call to the emergency service provider.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 11, comprising:

in response to an emergency call placed through the user interface for emergency calls, the processing system configured to determine an updated geographic location of the wireless communication device; and

further comprising;

a transceiver configured to provide the updated geographic location to an emergency service provider and place the emergency call to the emergency service provider.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 11, comprising:

the processing system configured to monitor for a trigger condition to reboot the wireless communication device; and

upon occurrence of the trigger condition, the processing system configured to reboot the wireless communication device.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 17, wherein the processing system is configured to monitor a proximity sensor of the wireless communication device to determine when the wireless communication device is not in proximity to a human body.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 17, wherein the processing system is configured to monitor for when the wireless communication device is charging.

20. The wireless communication device of claim 17, wherein the processing system is configured to monitor an accelerometer system of the wireless communication device to determine when the wireless communication device is not in motion.