Emergency message menu

• US 8,428,548 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2008
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ray, Amar Nath, Greene, Lynne T., Coppage, Carl M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Chuong A
• Application Number:
  US12/257,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20100003952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/466, 455/403
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• 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 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0296 switching to a backup power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless communications device and method for generating and communicating an emergency text message, includes in response to receiving a request to communicate an emergency text message, accessing stored personal data for use in generating content of the emergency text message. A determination may be made as to whether current location coordinates are available. The emergency text message may be populated with the accessed stored personal data and current location coordinates, if available. The populated emergency text message may be communicated over a communications network to a public safety answering point.

Claims

1. A method for sending an emergency text message, said method comprising:

receiving a request for an emergency message menu by a user for selection of an emergency event type;

displaying an emergency message menu with a list of selectable emergency event types;

in response to receiving a selected emergency event type, displaying at least one sub-menu associated with the selected emergency event type;

collecting selected sub-menu selections;

selecting an emergency text message template that includes text message fields, at least one of the text message fields indicative of the selected emergency event type and each of the collected sub-menu selections;

displaying the emergency text message template including the text message fields with the at least one of the text message fields displaying the selected emergency event type and each of the collected sub-menu selections; and

sending the emergency text message over a communications network to a public safety answering point.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a stored emergency network address; and

wherein sending the emergency text message includes sending the emergency text message to the emergency network address for determination of an appropriate public safety answering point to distribute the emergency text message.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the emergency text message is preformatted and personal data and current location coordinates, when available, are inserted in preformatted data fields.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

if current location coordinates are not currently locally available, requesting current location coordinates from the communications network; and

populating the emergency text message with the current location coordinates if received from the communications network.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending an abbreviated dialing code in addition to the text message to the communications network.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, in response to an emergency message request, skipping displaying an emergency message menu and sending a default emergency text message to the public safety answering point.

7. A wireless communications device, comprising:

a memory storing personal data of a user;

an input/output (I/O) unit configured to communicate with a communications network;

a user interface; and

a processing unit in communication with said memory, I/O unit, and user interface, and configured to;

receive a request for an emergency message menu by a user for selection of an emergency event type;

display an emergency message menu with a list of selectable emergency event types;

in response to receiving a selected emergency event type, display at least one sub-menu associated with the selected emergency event type;

collect selected sub-menu selections;

generate an emergency text message template that includes text message fields, at least one of the text message fields indicative of the selected emergency event type and each of the collected sub-menu selections; and

display the emergency text message template including the text message fields with the at least one of the text message fields displaying the selected emergency event type and each of the collected sub-menu selections; and

send the emergency text message.

8. The wireless communications device according to claim 7, wherein said processing unit is further configured to:

access a stored emergency network address to which the emergency text message is to be sent; and

send the emergency text message to the emergency network address for determination of an appropriate public safety answering point to distribute the emergency text message.

9. The wireless communications device according to claim 8, wherein said processing unit is further configured to access a stored emergency network address;

and wherein the emergency text message is preformatted and personal data and current location coordinates, when useful, are positioned in preformatted data fields.

10. The wireless communications device according to claim 9, wherein said processing unit is further configured to:

if current location coordinates are not currently locally available, request current location coordinates from the communications network; and

populate the emergency text message with the current location coordinates if received from the communications network.

11. The wireless communications device according to claim 7, wherein said processing unit is further configured to send an abbreviated dialing code.

12. The wireless communications device according to claim 7, wherein said processing unit is further configured to, in response to an emergency message request, skip displaying an emergency message menu and send a default emergency text message to a public safety answering point.

13. A wireless communications device, comprising:

an emergency message manager module configured to store a template of an emergency text message;

a menu manager module configured to store and display menu item selections, the menu item selections identifying different emergency event types, said menu manager module being further configured to accept a selection of an emergency event type;

a sub-menu manager module configured to store and display sub-menu item selections, the sub-menu item selections being associated with menu item selections and identifying emergency event types, said sub-menu manager module being further configured to accept a selection of sub-menu items; and

an emergency message generator module configured to use the template of the emergency text message, generate an emergency text message, and display the emergency text message template including text message fields with at least one of the text message fields displaying the selected emergency event type and each of the selected sub-menu items.

14. The wireless communications device according to claim 13, wherein the sub-menu manager module is further configured to group items based on emergency event type.

15. The wireless communications device according to claim 13, further comprising an emergency message transmit module.

16. The wireless communications device according to claim 13, further comprising a GPS coordinate data collector module.