Personal emergency message framework

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9654952-B2
Application number	US-201313964607-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2013
Priority date	Aug 12, 2013
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A mobile device determines that a communications tower is unresponsive to non-emergency wireless signals, and receives user input to select a recipient for an emergency message from a group of pre-registered recipients. The mobile device presents a group of pre-configured status indicators and receives user input to select a particular status indicator. The mobile device generates a text-based emergency message based on the selected recipient, the selected status indicator, location information for the mobile device, and a time stamp. The mobile device sends, to a message server that is different than the message recipient, the text-based emergency message. To determine a status of the message originator without requiring a connection between mobile devices, the intended recipient initiates a fetch message request to retrieve the text-based emergency message from the message server.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile device, comprising:
a memory to store instructions; and
a processor configured to execute the instructions in the memory to:
determine that a communications tower is unresponsive to non-emergency wireless signals;
receive user input to select a recipient from a group of pre-registered recipients for an emergency message;
present a group of pre-configured status indicators;
receive user input to select a status indicator from the group of pre-configured status indicators;
generate a text-based emergency message based on the selected recipient, the selected status indicator, location information for the mobile device, and a time stamp;
send, after the determining and to a message server that is different than the message recipient, the text-based emergency message, wherein the text-based emergency message is sent using a dedicated emergency wireless spectrum for the communications tower;
receive user input to select an originator from a group of pre-registered originators of emergency messages;
send, to the message server that is different than the originator, a fetch message request to obtain, from the message server, a different text-based emergency message associated with the originator;
receive, from the message server, the different text-based emergency message; and
present, to a user of the mobile device, a graphical representation of information included in the different text-based emergency message.

2. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute instructions in the memory to:
present a dynamic challenge code that requires a user response before sending the text-based emergency message; and
receive the user response to the dynamic challenge code.

3. The mobile device of claim 2 , wherein the dynamic challenge code includes a dynamic challenge and response interface to determine use by a human operator.

4. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the location information comprises a location of the mobile device when the text-based emergency message is generated and an indication of whether the mobile device is moving.

5. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute instructions in the memory to:
store a personal emergency application that enables the sending the text-based emergency message using the dedicated emergency wireless spectrum.

6. The mobile device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute instructions in the memory to:
register with the message server o activate the personal emergency application.

7. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein, when presenting the graphical representation, the processor is further configured to execute instructions in the memory to:
present a location, from where another mobile device has sent the different text-based emergency message to the message server, in the context of a map of an area surrounding the location.

8. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute instructions in the memory to:
present a dynamic challenge code that requires a user response before sending the fetch message request.

9. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive user input to select a location reporting feature;
generate, based on previously-configured criteria, a text-based tracking message that includes a location of the mobile device and a time of the tracking message; and
send, to the message server, the text-based tracking message.

10. The mobile device of claim 9 , wherein the previously-configured criteria includes one or more of:
a particular time interval for sending the text-based tracking message, or
a particular mobile device condition that triggers sending the text-based tracking message.

11. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a mobile device, a unique identifier for a trusted recipient of text-based emergency messages;
storing, by the mobile device, the unique identifier;
receiving, by the mobile device, user input to select the trusted recipient;
determining, by the mobile device, that a communications tower is unresponsive to non-emergency wireless signals;
presenting, by the mobile device, a group of pre-configured status indicators;
receiving, by the mobile device, user input to select a status indicator from the group of pre-configured status indicators;
generating, by the mobile device, a text-based emergency message based on the selected trusted recipient, the selected status indicator, location information for the mobile device, and a time stamp;
after the determining, sending, by the mobile device and to a message server, the text-based emergency message, wherein the text-based emergency message is sent using a dedicated emergency less spectrum for the communications tower,
receiving user input to select a trusted originator of emergency messages;
sending to the message server, a fetch message request to obtain different text-based emergency message, associated with the trusted originator, from the message server;
receiving, from the message server, the different text-based emergency message; and
presenting, to a user of the mobile device, a graphical representation of information included in the different text-based emergency message.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the trusted recipient includes a mobile device associated with a particular first user, and wherein the trusted originator includes a mobile device associated with a particular second user.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
presenting a dynamic challenge code that requires a user response before sending the text-based emergency message; and
presenting another dynamic challenge code that requires another user response before sending the fetch message request.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the text-based emergency message is stored on the message server for retrieval upon request from the trusted recipient.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the determining that the communications tower is unresponsive includes one or more of:
providing a ping to test non-emergency frequencies associated with the communications tower,
detect a timed out request using the non-emergency frequencies, or
receiving, via a dedicated emergency channel, a notification to indicate a localized emergency.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, including instructions executable by at least one processor, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions for:
determining that a communications tower is unresponsive to non-emergency wireless signals;
receiving user input to select a recipient from a group of pre-registered recipients for an emergency message;
presenting a group of pre-configured status indicators;
receiving user input to select a status indicator from the group of pre-configured status indicators;
generating a text-based emergency message based on the selected recipient, the selected status indicator, location information for a mobile device, and a time stamp;
sending, after the determining and to a message server that is different than the message recipient, the text-based emergency message via a dedicated emergency wireless spectrum for the communications tower,
receiving user input to select an originator from a group of pre-registered originators of emergency messages;
sending to the message server that is different than the originator, a fetch message request to obtain, from the message server, a different text-based emergency message associated wi

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Nasir Azim
• Turner Andre R
• Xiao Hong
• Wang Dongchen

Classifications

• H04M2242/04

  for emergency applications · CPC title

• H04W4/029

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title

• H04M3/00

  Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges · CPC title

• H04W76/50

  for emergency connections · CPC title

• H04L51/00

  User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail · CPC title