Emergency phone with single button activation

Abstract

An emergency-use-only cellular phone provides for contacting and establishing full-duplex voice communication with emergency personnel at either a public emergency response service or a private roadside assistance service. The phone automatically places a cellular call to the public emergency response service with a single press of a first activation button, and to the private roadside assistance service with a single press of a second activation button. When either activation button is pressed, the following functions are initiated: (1) electrical power from a power supply is provided to a cellular transmitter and receiver, (2) the cellular receiver is activated to search for an available channel from among A or B cellular system channels, (3) an emergency telephone number corresponding to the selected service is accessed from memory, and (4) the cellular transmitter is activated to establish communication with the selected emergency response service. Since all of these functions are initiated by pressing one button, communication with the selected emergency response service may be established simply and speedily, even under stressful conditions. The phone may include a modular GPS receiver unit for providing location information to the public emergency response service or a private roadside assistance service.

1 . A method for operating a communication apparatus comprising: 
 pressing a button accessible through a housing;    activating a cellular transceiver in response to the pressing of the button, the cellular transceiver allowing an operator of the apparatus to maintain a voice conversation with a response center using a speaker and a microphone which communicate with the cellular transceiver; and    providing a signal indicative of the location of the communications apparatus to the response center.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the location signal is generated by a location detection circuit in the housing, the location detection circuit comprising a Global Positioning Satellite system receiver.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the location signal is generated by a location detection circuit in the housing, the location detection circuit comprising a cellular location system.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein a secondary contact number associated with the response center is called when the communication apparatus is unable to establish a call using a primary contact number.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the communications device further comprises an interface port electrically connected to a microprocessor and accessible through the housing, wherein the microprocessor is operable to exchange signals with an external device via the interface port.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the communications device further comprises an emergency button in the housing, the emergency button operable to call a 911 center.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the communications device further comprises a microprocessor for controlling the communication apparatus based on execution of a set of operational instructions, wherein the single button when pressed causes activation of the microprocessor to begin executing the set of operational instructions.  
   
   
       8 . A method comprising: 
 receiving a cellular signal from a communications device at a response center as a result of a user pressing a button on the communication device;    maintaining a voice conversation between the response center and the user of the communication device using a speaker and a microphone in the communications device; and    receiving at the response center a location signal from the communications device indicative of the location of the communications apparatus.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the location signal is generated by a location detection circuit in the housing, the location detection circuit comprising a Global Positioning Satellite system receiver.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the location signal is generated by a location detection circuit in the housing, the location detection circuit comprising a cellular location system.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the cellular signal from the communications device is received at the response center using a secondary contact number associated with the response center is called when the communication apparatus is unable to establish a call using a primary contact number.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the communications device further comprises an interface port electrically connected to a microprocessor and accessible through the housing, wherein the microprocessor is operable to exchange signals with an external device via the interface port.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the communications device further comprises a microprocessor for controlling the communication apparatus based on execution of a set of operational instructions, wherein the button when pressed causes activation of the microprocessor to begin executing the set of operational instructions.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 8  where the response center is a private response center.  
   
   
       15 . A method comprising: 
 initiating an emergency signal at a communications device, the emergency signal initiated by a user of the communications device pressing a button on the communications device, the pressing of the button causing the activation of a cellular transceiver operable to send the emergency signal;    receiving at a private response center the emergency signal from the communications device;    establishing two way voice communications between the private response center and the communication device in response to the emergency signal from the communications device; and    sending location information from the communications device to the private response center identifying the location of the communications device.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the button, when pressed, calls a primary contact number associated with the private response center.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein a secondary contact number is called when the communication apparatus is unable to establish communication with the private response center using the primary contact number.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the location information is determined using a Global Positioning Satellite system receiver in the communications device.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the location information is determined using a cellular location system.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the communications device further comprises an emergency button in the housing, the emergency button operable to call a 911 center.