EMERGENCY MESSAGE BUTTON AND METHOD ON A WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE FOR COMMUNICATING AN EMERGENCY MESSAGE TO A PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERING POINT (PSAP)

• US 20100003951A1
• 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, Morrill, Robert J., Coppage, Carl M., Greene, Lynn T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,538,370 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 including a housing, a user interface configured to enable a user to type text messages for communication over a communications network, an emergency message button selectable by a user, and a processing unit in communication with the user interface and emergency message button. The processing unit may be configured to generate and send an emergency message to a public safety answering point in response to a user selecting the emergency message button.

Claims

1. A wireless communications device, comprising:

a housing;

a user interface disposed on said housing configured to enable a user to type text messages for communication over a communications network;

an emergency message button selectable by a user; and

a processing unit in communication with said user interface and emergency message button, and configured to generate and send an emergency message to a public safety answering point in response to a user selecting said emergency message button.

2. The wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said emergency message button is a hard-button disposed on said housing.

3. The wireless communications device according to claim 2, wherein said emergency message button is recessed with respect to a surface of said housing.

4. The wireless communications device according to claim 1, further comprising an electronic display, wherein said emergency message button is a soft-button displayed on said electronic display.

5. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein said processing unit is configured to identify a predetermined sequence of activations by the user to indicate an intentional emergency request.

6. The wireless communications device according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined sequence is three activations within one second of time.

7. The wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said emergency message button also functions as a power on/off button.

8. The wireless communications device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one illumination device, wherein said processing unit is further configured to set said at least one illumination device into an emergency mode.

9. The wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said processing unit is further configured to generate and send an emergency message to a public safety answering point in response to a user selecting said emergency message button and another button substantially simultaneously.

10. The wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said emergency message button has a first threshold force for activation that is higher than a second threshold force for activation of buttons of said user interface.

11. A method for enabling a user to send an emergency message from a wireless communications device, said method comprising:

providing an emergency message button on the wireless communications device; and

in response to a user selecting the emergency message button, causing an emergency message to be generated and sent to a public safety answering point.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein providing an emergency message button includes providing a hard-button.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein providing the hard-button includes providing a recessed hard-button.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein providing an emergency message button includes providing a soft-button displayed on the wireless communications device.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising identifying user selection of the emergency message button by identifying a predetermined sequence of activations by the user to indicate an intentional emergency request.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined sequence is three activations within one second of time.

17. The method according to claim 11, further comprising providing an emergency message button includes enabling a power on/off button to additionally function as an emergency notification button.

18. The method according to claim 11, further comprising, in response to the user selecting the emergency message button, setting at least one illumination device into an emergency mode.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein causing an emergency message to be generated is in response to the user selecting the emergency message button and another button substantially simultaneously.

20. The method according to claim 11, further comprising turning on and off at least one illumination device in response to the emergency message being sent to notify the user that the emergency text message was sent.