Mobile terminal for transmitting emergency message and method thereof

• US 20050197112A1
• Filed: 03/02/2005
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Yang, Sung-Chul, Choi, Hwan-Seog
• Application Number:
  US11/070,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20050197112A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages

Abstract

A mobile terminal includes a memory unit for storing a phonebook including at least one telephone number and registering emergency (SOS) phrases and SOS message recipients; a display unit for displaying a picture for SOS message transmission; an audio unit for converting voice data into an audio signal through a speaker and converting an audio signal received through a microphone into voice data; and a controller for constructing an SOS message using the SOS phrases when the SOS message transmission is required and transmitting the SOS message to predetermined telephone numbers registered in the phonebook when there do not exist the SOS message recipients registered in the memory unit.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a memory unit for storing a phonebook comprised of at least one telephone number and registering emergency (SOS) phrases and SOS message recipients;

a display unit for displaying a picture for SOS message transmission;

an audio unit for converting voice data into an audio signal through a speaker and converting an audio signal received through a microphone into voice data; and

a controller for constructing an SOS message using the SOS phrases when the SOS message is required, and transmitting the SOS message to a predetermined telephone number.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the SOS message comprises position information of the mobile terminal.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the controller constructs the SOS message further including information on the SOS message recipients and an identification code of the SOS message.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the SOS message recipients are registered by a user of the mobile terminal or preset to specific public offices.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein if an incoming call is received from any one of the SOS message recipients, the controller connects the incoming call without an incoming call notice, and

if the incoming call is received from an unexpected person who is not an SOS message recipient, the controller rejects the incoming call without the incoming call notice.

6. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein if a call is connected with any one of the SOS message recipients, the controller controls the audio unit to stop outputting an audio signal through the speaker.

7. The mobile terminal of claim 6, wherein the controller controls the audio unit to stop outputting an audio signal through the speaker in a state of a closed folder and output the audio signal at the minimum volume level through the speaker in a state of an open folder.

29. The mobile terminal of claim 1 wherein the predetermined telephone number is registered in the phonebook the SOS message recipients do not exist in the memory unit.

8. A method of transmitting an emergency (SOS) message in a mobile terminal comprising the steps of:

constructing the SOS message using SOS phrases when a user demands SOS message transmission; and

transmitting the SOS message to pre-registered SOS message recipients, and if there are no pre-registered SOS message recipients, transmitting the SOS message to predetermined telephone numbers registered in a phonebook.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the SOS message further comprises position information of the mobile terminal and an identification code of the SOS message.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

setting at least one SOS message recipient to which the SOS message is transmitted;

setting the SOS phrases; and

,

setting a number of times the SOS message is repeatedly transmitted.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising registration of the SOS message recipients by searching for pre-stored telephone numbers and registering a specific phone number selected by the user.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising registration of the SOS message recipients by registering a specific phone number directly edited by the user.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising registration of the SOS phrases by searching for pre-stored SOS phrases and registering specific SOS phrases selected by the user.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising registration of the SOS phrases by registering specific SOS phrases directly edited by the user.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

automatically connecting an incoming call without an incoming call notice when the incoming call is received from any one of the SOS message recipients; and

rejecting an incoming call without the incoming call notice when the incoming call is received from an unexpected person who is not an SOS message recipient.

16. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display unit for displaying an emergency (SOS) message received from an SOS message sender;

an audio unit connected with a speaker and a microphone, for converting voice data into an audio signal through the speaker, and converting an audio signal received through the microphone into voice data; and

a controller for controlling the audio unit to block audio signals input through the microphone when a phone call with the SOS message sender is demanded.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein the controller determines whether a received message is the SOS message, and if the SOS message is received, the controller informs an SOS message reception.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the controller informs the SOS message recipient by a bell sound at maximum volume.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 17, wherein the SOS message reception informing method is a method of outputting an SOS message reception notice sound regardless of whether a mute mode is set in the mobile terminal.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 18, wherein the SOS message reception informing method is a method of outputting an SOS message reception notice sound regardless of whether a mute mode is set in the mobile terminal.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein the SOS message comprises an SOS message identification code, SOS phrases, position information of the SOS message sender, and a phone number of the SOS message sender.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 21, wherein the controller determines whether the received message is the SOS message based on whether the SOS message identification code is included in the received message.

23. A method of receiving an emergency (SOS) message in a mobile terminal comprising the steps of:

receiving the SOS message from an SOS message sender;

determining whether a phone call with the SOS message sender is demanded; and

if the phone call with the SOS message sender is demanded, blocking audio signals input through a microphone.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the SOS message comprises an SOS message identification code, SOS phrases, position information of the SOS message sender, and a phone number of the SOS message sender.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of, if a message is received, determining whether the received message is the SOS message based on whether the SOS message identification code is included in the received message.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of, if the SOS message is received, informing a user of the SOS message reception and displaying the received SOS message.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the user is informed by a bell sound.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the user is informed by an SOS message reception notice sound regardless of whether a mute mode is set in the mobile terminal.