Method of providing location information in an emergency

• US 8,649,759 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2009
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Scott, Sherryl Lee Lorraine, Friedberg, Earl, Bos, Jeffrey Charles, Vymenets, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Chuong A
• Application Number:
  US12/361,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20100190468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,840 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/440, 455/456.3, 455/457, 726/17, 726/16
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27457 Management thereof, e.g. manual editing of data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• 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 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A password-protected wireless communications device can send a map or other location information about the current location of the device to the one or more emergency contacts by utilizing an emergency interface element that bypasses a password prompt. The location information may include an address and route directions to the current location of the device. The location information may also include a map of, and directions to, the closest hospital. The device can also render its own map to show a first responder where the closest emergency contact is located or where the nearest hospital or medical service provider is situated.

Claims

1. A method for a wireless communications device to provide access to emergency contact information, the method comprising:

determining a current location of the wireless communications device;

determining a local language based on the current location; and

displaying an emergency information screen in the local language that presents user designated emergency contacts and a user interface element for communicating with one or more of the user designated emergency contacts, wherein the user designated emergency contacts are dynamically re-prioritized based on proximity to the current location.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising sending current location information to the one or more user designated emergency contacts in response to user input received by the user interface element.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising:

periodically updating the current location information; and

automatically sending updated current location information to the one or more user designated emergency contacts.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the user interface element causes the device to display current location information on a display of the device.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

estimating a travel time between the current location of the device and the location of each of a plurality of user designated emergency contacts; and

prioritizing the plurality of user designated emergency contacts based on travel time to the current location of the device.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising providing a user interface element which when selected causes the device to obtain map data and render a map of the current location of the device.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 further comprising displaying the nearest hospital on the map.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6 further comprising displaying the nearest user designated emergency contact on the map.

9. The method as claimed in claim 6 further comprising displaying all user designated emergency contacts on the map.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user designated emergency contacts are dynamically re-prioritized based also on time of day.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user designated emergency contacts are dynamically re-prioritized based also on stated availability of the user designated emergency contacts.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 comprising displaying a user interface element to change languages.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the displaying of the emergency information screen is in response to selection of a user interface element displayed on a lockout screen of the wireless communications device, and wherein the user designated emergency contacts are accessed while protecting the privacy of all other information stored on the wireless communication device.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising code which when loaded into memory and executed on a processor of a wireless communications device is adapted to cause the device to perform acts of:

determining a current location of the wireless communications device;

determining a local language based on the current location; and

displaying an emergency information screen in the local language that presents user designated emergency contacts and a user interface element for communicating with one or more of the user designated emergency contacts, wherein the user designated emergency contacts are dynamically re-prioritized based on proximity to the current location.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in claim 14 further comprising code for sending current location information to the one or more dynamically re-prioritized user designated emergency contacts.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in claim 14 wherein the code is further adapted to cause the device to render a map showing the location of each of the one or more user designated emergency contacts and of a hospital that is closest to the current location of the device.

17. A wireless communications device comprising:

a processor operatively coupled to a memory for receiving and storing emergency contact information for one or more user designated emergency contacts;

a location-determining subsystem for determining a current location of the device; and

a display operatively coupled to the memory and processor for displaying an emergency information screen in a local language determined by the processor based on the current location, wherein the emergency information screen presents user designated emergency contacts and a user interface element for communicating with one or more of the user designated emergency contacts, wherein the user designated emergency contacts are dynamically re-prioritized based on proximity to the current location.

18. The device as claimed in claim 17 further comprising a user interface element for generating a map of the current location.

19. The device as claimed in claim 17 further comprising a user interface element for generating a map of a location of each of the one or more user designated emergency contacts.

20. The device as claimed in claim 17 further comprising a user interface element for generating a map of a location of a hospital closest to the current location of the device.

21. The device as claimed in claim 17 wherein the location information sent by the device comprises a map showing the current location of the device and a user interface element for obtaining route directions to the current location of the device.

22. The device as claimed in claim 17 wherein the location information sent by the device comprises a map showing the current location of a hospital closest to the current location and a user interface element for obtaining route directions to the hospital.

23. The device as claimed in claim 17 wherein the display displays emergency contact information for the one or more user designated emergency contacts.

24. The device as claimed in claim 17 wherein the display presents a user interface element to change languages.

25. The device as claimed in claim 17 wherein the display displays the emergency information screen in response to selection of a user interface element displayed on a lockout screen of the wireless communications device, and wherein the user designated emergency contacts are accessed while protecting the privacy of all other information stored on the wireless communication device.