System and method for performing an abbreviated power-up sequence on a wireless communications device

• US 8,521,121 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2008
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• 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, Coppage, Carl M., Greene, Lynn T., Morrill, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): VIANA DI PRISCO, GERMAN
• Application Number:
  US12/257,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20100004035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 system and method for powering-up a wireless communications device may include (i) powering-up the wireless communications device using a standard power-up sequence in response to a request for a standard power-up sequence by a user, and (ii) powering-up the wireless communications device using an abbreviated power-up sequence in response to a request for an emergency message to be communicated by the user.

Claims

1. A wireless communications device, comprising:

electronics components;

a power-on button;

an emergency message button;

a standard power-up sequence module that, in response to a user activating a power-on button while the wireless communications device is in a power-off mode, causes the wireless communications device to perform a standard power-up sequence to turn on said electronics components; and

an abbreviated power-up sequence module that, in response to the user activating an emergency message button while the wireless communications device is in a power-off mode, causes the wireless communications device to perform an abbreviated power-up sequence to turn on at least a portion of said electronics components while not turning on a display screen of the wireless communications device; and

one or more emergency message modules that, as part of the abbreviated power-sequence, provide to the user a list of a plurality of selectable emergency messages for a user to select an emergency message from among multiple forms of messages, the multiple forms of messages comprising one or more text messages, one or more recorded voice messages, and one or more email messages, receive an emergency message selection from the user of one of the plurality of selectable emergency messages, generate the selected emergency message to be transmitted to a public safety answering point (“

PSAP”

), communicate the emergency message to the PSAP, receive a confirmation receipt from the PSAP that the emergency message was received by the PSAP; and

, in response to receiving the confirmation, provide a visual indicator indicating to the user that the emergency message has been received by the PSAP, the visual indicator comprising illumination of an illumination device other than the display screen.

2. The wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said abbreviated power-up sequence module turns on electronic components of the wireless communications device faster than said standard power-up sequence module.

3. The wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said abbreviated power-up sequence module turns on fewer electronic components of the wireless communications device than said standard power-up sequence module.

4. The wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said abbreviated power-up sequence module causes the wireless communications device to communicate with a communications network faster than said standard power-up sequence module.

5. The wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said emergency message button is a hard-button independent of a power-on button.

6. The wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said emergency message button is a hard-button that shares a hard-button with another function.

7. The wireless communications device according to claim 6, wherein said emergency message button shares a hard-button with a power-on function.

8. The wireless communications device according to claim 1, further comprising an identify emergency message request module that identifies when the user activates said emergency message using a pre-determined sequence.

9. A method for powering-up a wireless communications device, the wireless device comprising a standard power-up sequence module, which causes the wireless communication device to perform a standard power-up sequence to turn on electronic components in the wireless device in respect to a user activating a power-on button and an abbreviated power-up sequence module that causes the wireless communications device to perform an abbreviated power-up sequence to turn on a portion of said electronics in response to a user activating an emergency message button, said method comprising:

powering-up the wireless communications device using the abbreviated power-up sequence in response to the user activating the emergency message button, while not turning on a display screen of the wireless communications device;

providing to the user a list of a plurality of selectable emergency messages for a user to select an emergency message from among multiple forms of messages, the multiple forms of messages comprising one or more text messages, one or more recorded voice messages, and one or more email messages

receiving an emergency message selection from the user of one of the plurality of selectable emergency messages;

generating the selected emergency message to be transmitted to a public safety answering point (“

PSAP”

) in response to the user activating the emergency message button;

communicating the emergency message to the PSAP in response to the user activating the emergency message button; and

receiving a confirmation receipt from the PSAP that the emergency message was received by the PSAP;

in response to receiving the confirmation, providing a visual indicator indicating to the user that the emergency message has been received by the PSAP, the visual indicator comprising illumination of an illumination device other than the display screen.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein powering-up the wireless communications device using the abbreviated power-up sequence powers up the wireless communications device faster than using the standard power-up sequence.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein powering-up the wireless communications device using the abbreviated power-up sequence powers up fewer electronics in the wireless communications device than using the standard power-up sequence.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein powering-up the wireless communications device using the abbreviated power-up sequence causes the wireless communications device to communicate with a communications network faster than using the standard power-up sequence.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the emergency message button is a hard-button.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising determining that the user activated the hard-button using a pre-determined sequence.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein determining that the user activated the hard-button using a pre-determined sequence three times within one second.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the emergency message button comprises the illumination device.