Uniform emergency interconnect access in a multi-modal device

• US 8,285,244 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2006
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Girard, Joann K., Pichette, Robert H., Yang, WenJiong
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): STERNBANE, LAURENCE J
• Application Number:
  US11/535,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20080076382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,205 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404, 455/456.1, 455/521, 379/37, 379/209.01, 379/45, 715/864
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

A wireless communication device (102) includes a processor (406) and a wireless network interface (404, 407), communicatively coupled with the processor (406), for determining the presence of a network providing wireless communication service. The device (102) also includes a memory (408) for storing a plurality of emergency service connection profiles. One of the profiles is selected based on the network determined to be present. The selected profile is then presented via a user interface (302) to a user of the wireless communication device (102) as a single emergency call model that is uniform among the profiles.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device including means for accessing emergency services, the device comprising:

a processor;

a memory, communicatively coupled with the processor, for storing a plurality of emergency service connection profiles, wherein each emergency service connection profile indicates at least one wireless communication capability supported by a network associated therewith at least during an emergency service connection;

a wireless network interface, communicatively coupled with the processor, for determining the presence of a network providing wireless communication service;

an emergency service selector, communicatively coupled with the processor, for selecting one of the emergency service connection profiles based on the network determined to be present; and

a user interface, communicatively coupled to the processor, for presenting a representation of any of the plurality of emergency service connection profiles via the user interface to a user of the device as a single emergency call model that is uniform among the profiles, the user interface also comprising input means for receiving, from a user, a destination calling number; and

a comparator, communicatively coupled with the user interface and the processor, for comparing a received destination calling number with at least one number stored in the memory for determining if the received destination calling number matches a number stored in the memory and defined as an emergency contact number associated with one of the plurality of emergency service connection profiles;

wherein the processor is configured with software to present a representation of the matching one of the plurality of emergency service connection profiles to the user via the user interface while contemporaneously the emergency service selector follows the selected one of the plurality of emergency service connection profiles to obtain an emergency service connection based on the network determined to be present; and

wherein the matching one of the plurality of emergency service connection profiles is different from the selected one of the emergency service connection profiles.

2. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of modems, each corresponding to a different wireless network type, wherein each one of the profiles comprises a selection of an operation of one of the plurality of modems.

3. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein:

each profile within the plurality of profiles corresponds to a different one of a plurality of network types.

4. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an interface adapted for accepting inputs, wherein the inputs are used to define one or more of the profiles.

5. The wireless communication device according to claim 4, wherein:

the defined profiles are defined for at least one of a text-based emergency service and a packet-based emergency service.

6. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of profiles defines at least one of:

an incoming call handling procedure;

a redial procedure;

a destination number call upgrade procedure; and

a location determining procedure.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein presenting a representation of any of the plurality of emergency service connection profiles via the user interface to a user of the wireless communication device as a single emergency call model that is uniform among the profiles further comprises:

determining that the network determined to be present fails to provide at least one wireless communication capability that is provided by at least one other network as indicated by the plurality of emergency service connection profiles; and

providing the at least one wireless communication capability to the user on the network determined to be present.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein in response to receiving a destination calling number matching a particular Enhanced 911 emergency service connection profile, the processor presents a representation of the particular Enhanced 911 emergency service connection profile via the user interface while the emergency service selector contemporaneously selecting another one of the plurality of emergency service connection profiles, different than the particular Enhanced 911 emergency service connection profile, based on the network determined to be present.

7. A method in a wireless communication device for accessing emergency services, the method comprising:

receiving from a user, via a user interface, a destination calling number;

comparing the received destination calling number with at least one number stored in memory;

determining if the received destination calling number matches a number stored in the memory and defined as an emergency contact number associated with one of a plurality of emergency service connection profiles;

determining, a presence of a network providing wireless communication service;

selecting, based on the network determined to be present, one of the plurality of emergency service connection profiles, wherein each emergency service connection profile indicates at least one wireless communication capability supported by a network associated therewith at least during an emergency service connection;

sending a request for emergency service connection to the network determined to be present; and

presenting a representation of the matching one of the plurality of emergency service connection profiles to the user via the user interface while contemporaneously following the selected one of the plurality of emergency service connection profiles to obtain an emergency service connection based on the network determined to be present; and

wherein the matching one of the plurality of emergency service connection profiles is different from the selected one of the emergency service connection profiles.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

determining a type of the network service determined to be present; and

selecting the emergency service connection profile based on the type of network service determined to be present.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the determining a presence of a network comprises:

selecting from an ordered list of possible networks present, a first network to search for;

searching for a presence of the first network; and

searching for, in response to not finding the presence of the first network, a second network from the ordered list.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the selected emergency services connection profile comprises at least one of:

an instruction to block incoming calls;

an instruction to redial failed call attempts; and

an instruction to classify an input number as an emergency service request.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein:

each of the profiles comprises a selection of an operation of one of a plurality of modems and each of the plurality of modems corresponds to a different wireless network type.

12. The wireless communication device according to claim 7, further comprising:

accepting a user input; and

using the user input to define one or more of the plurality of profiles.

20. The method of claim 7, wherein in response to receiving a destination calling number matching a particular Enhanced 911 emergency service connection profile, presenting a representation of the particular Enhanced 911 emergency service connection profile via the user interface while contemporaneously selecting and following another one of the plurality of emergency service connection profiles, different than the particular Enhanced 911 emergency service connection profile, based on the network determined to be present.

13. A computer program product for wirelessly accessing emergency services, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory, tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit in a wireless communication device and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising:

receiving from a user, via a user interface, a destination calling number;

comparing the received destination calling number with at least one number stored in memory;

determining if the received destination calling number matches a number stored in the memory and defined as an emergency contact number associated with one of a plurality of emergency service connection profiles;

determining a presence of a network providing wireless communication service;

selecting, based on the network determined to be present, one of a the plurality of emergency service connection profiles, wherein each emergency service connection profile indicates at least one wireless communication capability supported by a network associated therewith at least during an emergency service connection;

sending a request for emergency service connection to the network determined to be present; and

presenting a representation of the matching one of the plurality of emergency service connection profiles to the user via the user interface while contemporaneously following the selected one of the plurality of emergency service connection profiles to obtain an emergency service connection based on the network determined to be present; and

wherein the matching one of the plurality of emergency service connection profiles is different from the selected one of the emergency service connection profiles.

14. The computer program product according to claim 13, the method further comprising:

determining a type of the network service determined to be present; and

selecting the emergency service connection profile based on the type of network service determined to be present.

15. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the determining a presence of a network service comprises:

selecting from an ordered list of possible networks present, a first network to search for;

searching for a presence of the first network; and

searching for, in response to not finding the presence of the first network, a second network from the ordered list.

16. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the profile comprises at least one of:

an instruction to block incoming calls;

an instruction to redial failed call attempts;

an instruction to classify an input number as an emergency service request.

17. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein:

each of the profiles comprises a selection of an operation of one of a plurality of modems and each of the plurality of modems corresponds to a different wireless network type.