MULTI-BUTTON EMERGENCY MESSAGE GENERATION

• US 20100003948A1
• Filed: 10/24/2008
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ray, Amar Nath, Coppage, Carl M., Greene, Lynne T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,626,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 wireless communications device and method for generating and communicating an emergency text message includes, in response to receiving a request initiated from one of a plurality of emergency message buttons configured to initiate communication of respective emergency messages related to different emergency categories, generating an emergency message related to the respective emergency category. The generated emergency message may be then be communicated over a communications network.

Claims

1. A method for generating an emergency message, said method comprising:

in response to receiving a request initiated from one of a plurality of emergency message buttons configured to initiate communication of respective emergency messages related to different emergency categories, generating an emergency message related to the respective emergency category; and

communicating the generated emergency message over a communications network.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the emergency message buttons include at least two of fire, police, medical, and general.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein:

in response to receiving a request for a medical emergency, retrieving medical record information of a user; and

wherein generating the emergency message includes including the medical record information in the emergency message.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the emergency message includes generating an indication of the emergency category within the message.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving a request from one of a plurality of emergency message buttons includes receiving a request from the emergency message button for generating a fire emergency text message.

6. The method according to claim 1, further including accessing personal data relevant to the respective emergency category for use in generating the emergency message related to the respective emergency category.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein accessing the personal data includes accessing a name and home address, if available.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising accessing a stored emergency network address.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein communicating the emergency message includes communicating the emergency message to an appropriate emergency network address, wherein the appropriate emergency network address is different for each of the selected emergency message button.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving a request initiated from one of a plurality of emergency message buttons configured to initiate an emergency message includes receiving a request initiated from one of a plurality of soft-buttons.

11. A wireless communications device, comprising:

a memory storing personal data of a user;

an input/output (I/O) unit configured to communicate with a communications network;

a user interface;

a plurality of emergency message buttons; and

a processing unit in communication with said memory, I/O unit, user interface and emergency message buttons, and configured to;

in response to receiving a request initiated from one of said plurality of emergency message buttons configured to initiate communication of respective emergency messages related to different emergency categories;

generate an emergency message related to the respective emergency category; and

communicate the generated emergency message over a communications network via said I/O unit.

12. The wireless communications device according to claim 11, wherein said plurality of emergency message buttons include at least two of fire, police, medical, and general.

13. The wireless communications device according to claim 12, wherein said processing unit is further configured to:

in response to receiving a request for a medical emergency, retrieve medical record information from said memory of a user; and

include the medical record information in the emergency message in generating the emergency message.

14. The wireless communications device according to claim 11, wherein the processing unit, in generating the emergency message, is further configured to generate an indication of the emergency category within the message.

15. The wireless communications device according to claim 11, wherein the processing unit, in receiving a request from one of a plurality of emergency message buttons, is further configured to receive a request from the emergency message button for generating a fire emergency text message.

16. The wireless communications device according to claim 15, further configured to access personal data relevant to the respective emergency category for use in generating the emergency message related to the respective emergency category.

17. The wireless communications device according to claim 16, further configured to access a name and home address, if available.

18. The wireless communications device according to claim 11, wherein the wireless communications device is further configured to access a stored emergency network address.

19. The wireless communications device according to claim 18, wherein said processor is further configured to communicate the emergency message to an appropriate emergency network address, wherein the appropriate emergency network address is different for each of the selected emergency message buttons.

20. The wireless communications device according to claim 11, wherein said processor, in receiving a request initiated from one of a plurality of emergency message buttons configured to initiate an emergency message request, is further configured to receive a request initiated from one of a plurality of soft-buttons.