Silent invocation of emergency broadcasting mobile device

• US 9,819,784 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2016
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Peter, Arockiarajesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Zewdu, Meless
• Application Number:
  US15/144,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20170318146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72421 with automatic activation of emergency service functions, e.g. upon sensing an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72424 with manual activation of emergency-service functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724631 by limiting the access to the user interface, e.g. locking a touch-screen or a keypad
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• 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]

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for discreetly broadcasting emergency communications to emergency contacts from a mobile computing device. To accomplish the foregoing, a shutdown command is received on a mobile computing device to initiate a shutdown process. In accordance with the shutdown process, the mobile computing device monitors for a preconfigured passcode, picture, or combination of inputs to authorize the actual shutdown of the mobile computing device. Based on determining that the received passcode, picture, or combination of inputs is different than their preconfigured counterparts, a pseudo-shutdown mode is enabled, emulating an actual shutdown of the mobile computing device. The emergency broadcast mode of the mobile computing device is also started when the pseudo-shutdown mode enabled, to discreetly alert emergency contacts with emergency mode data generated by the mobile computing device.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer storage medium storing computer-useable instructions that, when used by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:

receiving, on a mobile computing device, a shutdown command to initiate a shutdown process of the mobile computing device;

monitoring for a preconfigured combination of hard-key inputs that, upon a detection thereof, advances the shutdown process;

enabling while monitoring for the preconfigured combination of the hard-key inputs, invoking a pseudo-shutdown mode of the mobile computing device based on either a detection of a different combination of hard-key inputs, or a failure to detect the preconfigured combination of the hard-key inputs within a period of time; and

starting an emergency broadcast mode of the mobile computing device based on the pseudo-shutdown mode having been invoked, wherein at least one silent emergency communication is discreetly initiated by the mobile computing device upon the start of the emergency broadcast mode.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein visual output components and audio output components of the mobile computing device are disabled based on the invocation of the pseudo-shutdown mode.

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one silent emergency communication includes:

a discreet electronic message to at least one emergency electronic contact address, the discreet electronic message including at least a determined current physical location of the mobile computing device.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one silent emergency communication includes a discreet telephone call to a local emergency service provider.

5. The medium of claim 4, wherein when in the emergency broadcast mode, the mobile computing device is configured to:

determine an interruption in telephone service; and

reinitiate the discreet telephone call to the local emergency service provider in response to the determined interruption in the telephone service.

6. The medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one silent emergency communication includes:

a network communication, by the mobile computing device and to a remote server device, discreetly indicating at least a determined current physical location of the mobile computing device.

7. The medium of claim 6, wherein

the network communication includes at least one of voice data discreetly obtained via a microphone of the mobile computing device and image data discreetly obtained via a camera of the mobile computing device.

8. The medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

after the pseudo-shutdown mode has been invoked, disabling the emergency broadcast mode in response to another detection of the preconfigured combination of the hard-key inputs.

9. A computer-implemented method for discreetly sending distress communications from a mobile computing device, the method comprising:

receiving, by the mobile computing device, a shutdown command to initiate a shutdown process of the mobile computing device;

providing for display, by the mobile computing device, a passcode interface to receive a preconfigured passcode that advances the shutdown process;

invoking, by the mobile computing device, a pseudo-shutdown mode of the mobile computing device based on a receipt of one of a different passcode or a failure to receive the preconfigured passcode within a period of time; and

starting, by the mobile computing device, an emergency broadcast mode based on the pseudo-shutdown mode having been invoked, wherein at least one silent emergency communication is discreetly initiated by the mobile computing device when in the emergency broadcast mode.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the preconfigured passcode is required to advance the shutdown process of the mobile computing device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the passcode interface is provided for display in response to receiving the shutdown command.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein visual output components and audio output components of the mobile computing device are disabled based on the invocation of the pseudo-shutdown mode.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one silent emergency communication includes:

a discreetly-generated electronic message addressed to at least one emergency electronic contact address, the discreetly-generated electronic message indicating a determined current physical location of the mobile computing device.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one silent emergency communication includes a discreet telephone call to a local emergency service provider.

15. The method of claim 9,

wherein the at least one silent emergency communication includes a network communication, from the mobile computing device to a remote server device, discreetly indicating a determined current physical location of the mobile computing device.

16. The method of claim 15, the network communication including

at least one of voice data obtained via a microphone of the mobile computing device and image data obtained via a camera of the mobile computing device.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by the mobile computing device, a power-up command to provide for display the passcode interface; and

disabling, by the mobile computing device after receiving the power-up command, the emergency broadcast mode in response to another receipt of the preconfigured passcode.

18. A mobile computing device for discreetly sending distress communications, the mobile computing device comprising:

an emergency broadcast configuration component to preconfigure a combination of key inputs that, when detected by the mobile computing device during a shutdown process of the mobile computing device, advances the shutdown process;

an emergency broadcasting component to initiate at least one silent emergency communication in response to a start of an emergency broadcast mode, wherein the emergency broadcast mode is started based on a pseudo-shutdown mode having been invoked;

a pseudo-shutdown blackout component to disable, based on the pseudo-shutdown mode having been invoked, visual output components and audio output components of the mobile computing device, wherein the pseudo-shutdown mode is invoked during the shutdown process based on one of a detection of a different combination of key inputs or a failure to detect the preconfigured combination of the key inputs;

an emergency broadcast trigger detection component to monitor key inputs detected during the shutdown process; and

an emergency broadcast controller component to start the emergency broadcast mode based at least in part on the emergency broadcast trigger detection component having failed to detect the preconfigured combination of key inputs during the shutdown process, and further in part on the pseudo-shutdown blackout component having disabled the visual and audio output components of the system.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one silent emergency communication includes at least one of a discreet telephone call and a discreet electronic message.

20. The system of claim 18, the emergency broadcast configuration component to preconfigure the combination of key inputs during an initial setup process of the system.