Method and system for responding to an emergency situation from a mobile communication device

• US 9,338,277 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2007
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kadavallur, Jyothi C., Eldred, Kevin M., Bishop, Craig G., Gage, Nona E., Heffield, Timothy, Korneluk, Jose E.
• Primary Examiner(s): HTUN, SAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/686,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20080227427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,344 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/404.1, 4554141-4144, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/557, 455/518, 455/519, 455/521, 455/456.1, 455/457, 455/9, 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 340287-309, 379 37- 51, 370/310.2, 370/328, 370/338
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/004 Alarm propagated along alternative communication path or using alternative communication medium according to a hierarchy of available ways to communicate, e.g. if Wi-Fi not available use GSM
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• 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]

Abstract

A method and system for responding to an emergency situation from a mobile communication device (100) is provided. The method includes initiating (306) a call to an emergency services number using a first modem (202) of the mobile communication device. The first modem communicates with a communication system via a first air interface. Further, the method includes detecting (308) the initiating of the call to the emergency services number. Furthermore, the method includes initiating (310) automatically an emergency transmission using a second modem (204) of the mobile communication device in response to detecting the call to the emergency services number. The second modem uses a second air interface for emergency transmission. The emergency transmission is performed concurrently with initiating the call to the emergency services number.

Claims

1. In a mobile communication device having first and second transceivers, a method for initiating more than one concurrent communication from the mobile communication device, the method comprising:

initiating a call to an emergency services number using the first transceiver of the mobile communication device, the first transceiver using a first wireless air interface;

detecting the initiating of the call to the emergency services number; and

in response to detecting the call to the emergency services number, a processor carried in the communication device initiating automatically a transmission to a predetermined list of at least one number other than an emergency services number, the list of at least one number stored on the mobile communication device, the transmission using the second transceiver of the mobile communication device, the second transceiver using a second wireless air interface, and wherein initiating the transmission using the second transceiver is performed concurrently with the call to the emergency services number using the first transceiver.

2. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 1, wherein the first transceiver comprises a cellular transceiver, and where the step of initiating the call using the first transceiver includes controlling the call to be made using the cellular transceiver.

3. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 1, wherein detecting the initiating of the call to an emergency services number includes identifying a partial sequence of an emergency services number being entered on a user input of the mobile communication device.

4. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmission includes one or more of a text message, a voice message and a text telephone (TTY) message.

5. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 1, wherein the first air interface and the second air interface is selected from a group comprising a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) air interface, a Push-to-Talk (PTT) air interface, a Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) air interface and a direct communication air interface.

6. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 1 further comprising terminating the transmission when an acknowledgement message is received at the mobile communication device from the emergency services number.

7. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 1 further comprising manually terminating the transmission.

8. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmission includes transmitting a preconfigured emergency message.

9. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 8, wherein the preconfigured emergency message is selected from the group comprising a voice message, a text message and an icon.

10. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 8 further comprising pre-configuring the predetermined list of users by a user of the mobile communication device.

11. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 8 further comprising disengaging the transmission of the preconfigured emergency message when an acknowledgement message is received by the mobile communication device from one or more users of the predetermined list of users.

12. The method for responding to an emergency situation as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the mobile communication device is within a network coverage area; and

transmitting an emergency beacon over a plurality of frequencies when the mobile communication device is out of the network coverage area.

13. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a first modem carried in the communication device; and

a second modem carried in the communication device,

wherein the first modem being operable to initiate a call to an emergency services number, the call to be made using a first wireless air interface, and the second modem being operable to initiate automatically a transmission to a predetermined list of at least one number other than an emergency services number, the list stored on the communication device, the transmission to be made using a second wireless air interface, the transmission initiated automatically in response to detecting the call to the emergency services number initiated from the mobile communication using the first modem, wherein initiating the transmission is performed concurrently with the call to the emergency services number using the first wireless air interface.

14. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 13 further comprising a memory storing a preconfigured emergency message, wherein the transmission includes transmitting the preconfigured emergency message.

15. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 14, wherein the preconfigured emergency message is selected from a group comprising a voice message, a text message and an icon.

16. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 13, wherein the first air interface and the second air interface is selected from a group comprising a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) air interface, a Push-to-Talk (PTT) air interface, a Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) air interface and a direct communication air interface.

17. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 13 further comprising a satellite positioning receiver configured to determine a location information of the mobile communication device.

18. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 13, wherein the first modem is coupled to a transceiver operable using the first wireless air interface.

19. The mobile communication device as recited in claim 13, wherein the second modem is coupled to a transceiver operable using the second wireless air interface.