Method for operating a mobile device and mobile terminal

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for an emergency mode for a mobile device (e.g., a mobile phone) are described. The mobile device may receive an acoustic signal indicating the voice of a person speaking a word and identify the person as an authorized user. The mobile device may determine that the word is related to an emergency situation from a set of predefined emergency situations. In addition, the mobile device may determine that the emergency situation meets a threshold. After determining that the emergency situation has met the threshold, the mobile device may perform one or more tasks (e.g., make a telephone call to emergency services). In some cases, the mobile device may monitor the person's physiological signals and / or collect additional data to increase the confidence level associated with making the determination. In some cases, the mobile device may make full use of or include an artificial intelligence algorithm / engine to help manage the emergency mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to mobile devices, and more particularly to managing emergency modes of mobile devices. Background Art

[0002] Mobile devices (e.g., cellular phones) are widely deployed, assisting users in many aspects of their daily lives. For example, users can store various information about their contacts (e.g., phone numbers of individuals, business entities, and / or public agencies), allowing them to conveniently contact their contacts using the information stored in the mobile device. In some cases, a user may be faced with an emergency situation that requires immediate help from family members, medical personnel, and / or emergency responders (e.g., 911 response teams). However, making an emergency call typically requires several physical inputs, such as unlocking the mobile device, switching to a relevant screen and / or application, touching a keypad, or the like. It would be advantageous for the user if the user could make an emergency call without having to provide such physical inputs to the mobile device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003] Figure 1 An information structure diagram for organizing emergency situations supporting an emergency mode of a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present technology is schematically shown.

[0004] Figure 2 A block diagram is shown including a mobile device supporting emergency mode according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0005] Figure 3 and 4 Detailed description is a flow chart illustrating a method for an emergency mode of a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present technology. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0006] Mobile devices (e.g., cellular phones, mobile phones) provide users with convenient ways in various situations, such as managing personal information, making phone calls, obtaining driving directions guided by a global positioning system (GPS), sharing digital content through a social networking service (SNS), etc. Users of such mobile devices may need to make an emergency call, which generally requires the user to perform several operations on the mobile device. For example, the user may have to unlock the mobile device, activate a related application (e.g., a phone book application that stores a large number of phone numbers, a phone application that displays a keypad when the user remembers a specific number to call), switch to a related screen, and provide physical input thereto (e.g., pressing or touching a keypad on the screen), etc. However, in some cases, the user may not be able to access and / or control the mobile device by hand, such as being physically restricted under threat, being overwhelmed by certain medical conditions, being injured in an accident, etc. It would be beneficial for the user to be able to make an emergency call without having to provide physical input to the mobile device.

[0007] Several embodiments of the present technology can help users of mobile devices make emergency calls through voice activation without using their hands. In addition, the present technology can be used for individuals (e.g., young children, disabled people) who have limited access to mobile devices and find it difficult to make emergency calls. In some embodiments, the mobile device can be configured to receive an acoustic signal (e.g., an acoustic signal and / or a voice as part of a person's biometric identifier) ​​indicating the voice of a person who speaks one or more words (e.g., monitoring the person's voice), and in some cases, the one or more words may not constitute a complete sentence. In this regard, the mobile device can be configured to identify the person as an authorized user of the mobile device based on the received acoustic signal (e.g., voice). The mobile device can determine that the word is related to one of a set of predefined emergency situations stored in the mobile device. In addition, the mobile device can determine whether the emergency situation meets a threshold associated with the emergency situation. When met, this threshold can cause the mobile device to perform a specific task (e.g., make a phone call). The threshold can help reduce the probability of making an erroneous (or otherwise unintentional) emergency call. In addition, the mobile device can be configured to estimate the confidence level when determining that the emergency situation meets the threshold, for example, based on the words spoken by the person.

[0008] In some cases, the mobile device may increase the confidence level by collecting and / or evaluating additional information. For example, the mobile device may monitor signals from a separate wearable device that the person may carry that are related to the person's physiological signs, such as heart rate, sweat rate, muscle tension, and / or piloerection, etc. Additionally or alternatively, the mobile device may collect data such as the geographic location of the mobile device (and / or information about the surrounding area of ​​the location), the current time of the day, or the like. As a result of evaluating additional information related to determining whether the emergency situation meets the threshold, the mobile device may increase the confidence level. In some cases, the mobile device may be configured to recognize and / or utilize contextual information (e.g., the meaning of certain words, the way the words are spoken) to determine that the person (authorized user) is in an emergency situation that authorizes an emergency call.

[0009] The mobile device may then perform certain tasks (e.g., make one or more phone calls) based on making this determination. In this regard, the mobile device may be configured to perform different tasks based on the severity of the emergency. For example, when an emergency requires immediate attention, the mobile device may make a phone call to 911 services to request the dispatch of law enforcement and / or ambulance personnel. In other examples, the mobile device may make phone calls to family members and / or friends (whose phone numbers are stored in the mobile device and designated for use in specific emergency situations) to bring help to the person (e.g., bring specific medications, help the injured, and / or take the injured to the hospital). In yet another example, the mobile device may make phone calls to teachers and / or campus safety hotlines to defuse a bullying situation. In addition, the mobile device may be configured to make such phone calls without providing an indication that a phone call is in progress when providing an indication that the emergency may be exacerbated.

[0010] Figure 1 , a diagram of an information structure supporting an emergency mode of a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present technology is shown in FIG. Such an information structure may be helpful in organizing predefined emergency situations stored in a memory of a mobile device. Figure 2 A block diagram of a mobile device supporting an emergency mode of the mobile device according to an embodiment of the present technology is described. Figure 3 and 4 A flow chart illustrating a method for emergency mode for a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present technology is described.

[0011] Figure 1Schematically illustrates an information structure diagram 100 for organizing emergency situations that support an emergency mode of a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present technology. The information structure can help organize predefined emergency situations stored in a memory of a mobile device. Diagram 100 includes a set of predefined emergency situations 110 stored in a mobile device (e.g., emergency situations 110a to 110c shown for illustrative purposes). Diagram 100 also includes a set of phrases 115, which includes a plurality of subgroups 120 (e.g., subgroups 120a to 120c shown for illustrative purposes), each having one or more phrases of the group. In addition, a contact group 125 is illustrated, which includes a plurality of subgroups 130 (e.g., subgroups 130a to 130c shown for illustrative purposes), each having one or more contacts of the group.

[0012] Although diagram 100 depicts three (3) emergency situations, the present technology is not limited in this regard. For example, in some embodiments, the information structure may include fewer (e.g., two (2) or one (1)) or a greater number (e.g., four (4) or five (5) or even more) emergency situations. Furthermore, the contacts included in the individual subgroups 130 may not be mutually exclusive, e.g., subgroup 130a and subgroup 130b may include common contacts. Thus, the common contact (e.g., a particular family member) may receive a phone call for emergency situation 110a or emergency situation 110b or both.

[0013] The individual emergency situations depicted in diagram 100 (e.g., emergency situation 110a, emergency situation 110b, emergency situation 110c) may represent different emergency situations, which may range from life-threatening emergencies (e.g., armed robbery, domestic violence involving bodily injury) to relatively benign emergencies (e.g., falling down stairs, running out of certain medications, being bullied by a stranger). In some embodiments, an authorized user of a mobile device may pre-define such emergency situations and store them in the mobile device. Furthermore, different emergency situations may be assigned (specified or assigned) different thresholds, which may cause the mobile device to perform a specific task (e.g., make an emergency call) when the threshold is met. Furthermore, determining whether a particular emergency situation meets its assigned specific threshold may be associated with a confidence level.

[0014] In some embodiments, an authorized user may predetermine one or more phrases (e.g., a set of phrases 115) associated with individual emergency situations and store them in a mobile device. Such phrases (or statements) may cover a wide range of expressions, such as "Please don't kill me," "I'll give you all the money, but don't hurt me," "I can tell you where my jewelry and money are," to name a few examples to illustrate various aspects of the present technology. The predetermined phrases may be categorized into a plurality of subgroups (e.g., subgroups 120a to 120c) that each correspond to one of the predefined emergency situations (e.g., emergency situations 110a to 110c). In some embodiments, the mobile device may confirm (e.g., determine, identify, confirm) that one or more words spoken by the authorized user correspond to one of the predetermined phrases to determine that the words are associated with one of the predefined emergency situations. Additionally or alternatively, the mobile device may be configured to utilize contextual information to associate words with emergency situations, such as the meaning of certain words to distinguish between medical emergencies and emergencies associated with domestic violence, the way in which the authorized user speaks specific words to distinguish between desperate, life-threatening emergencies and relatively benign emergencies. In this way, the mobile device may determine that the one or more words spoken by the authorized user are related to one of the predefined emergency situations.

[0015] In some cases, the phrase may include certain groups of words that the mobile device is configured to distinguish between various statements (e.g., "not my children," "my jewelry and money," "don't hurt me"), which may serve as a hidden (or otherwise carrying different and / or confusing meanings) password for the mobile device to initiate an operation to determine whether a person is in an emergency. In some cases, such a phrase may include a collection of harmless words so that the perpetrator may not realize that the words are sophisticated codes recognized by the mobile device. Additionally or alternatively, the phrase may include one or more words in the language native to the authorized user. In this way, the authorized user can speak his / her native language (e.g., first language) in an emergency, rather than the second language in which the mobile device is configured to operate. In addition, the authorized user can hide or otherwise conceal his / her attempt to make an emergency call by speaking in the first language that the third party (e.g., mugger) may not understand when encountering a clear and tangible threat from a third party.

[0016] The contact group 125 included in Figure 100 may include multiple emergency contacts and their phone numbers, such as a 911 dispatch station, a campus safety hotline, one or more family members, friends, health care providers, etc. Based on determining that the emergency situation meets the threshold, the mobile device may use the phone number included in the contact (e.g., emergency services, public authorities) to make a phone call. In some embodiments, the phone call may include information associated with the emergency situation, such as a description of the emergency situation, the geographic location of the mobile device (therefore, the location where the emergency situation occurred), the current time, or the like. In some cases, the phone call may include a message to the recipient of the call requesting that the mobile device not be called back, for example, when such a call back may put the user in danger or escalate the emergency situation. In some instances, the mobile device may notify that the mobile device is making such a phone call, for example to provide affirmation to the user, to provide emotional and / or mental support for the user to endure the emergency situation, etc. In other instances, the mobile device may not provide an indication that it is making a call, for example, to avoid exacerbating the emergency situation by alerting the offender who caused the emergency.

[0017] For example, a mobile device (e.g., a mobile phone) may receive an acoustic signal (e.g., monitoring the person's voice, which may be part of a biometric identifier of the person recognizable by the mobile device) indicative of the voice of a person saying one or more words (e.g., "I can tell you where my jewelry and money are," "Don't hurt me," etc.). The mobile device may then identify the person as an authorized user of the mobile device based on the received acoustic signal. The mobile device may determine, based on the received acoustic signal, that the one or more words are associated with an emergency (e.g., emergency 110b depicted in FIG. 100) from a set of predefined emergency situations (e.g., a set of predefined emergency situations 110) stored in the mobile device. In this regard, determining the one or more words associated with the emergency situation may include determining that the one or more words correspond to a phrase from a set of phrases (e.g., phrase 5 of subgroup 120b). Additionally or alternatively, the mobile device may utilize contextual information associated with the one or more words to determine that one of the emergency situations is associated with the words. Because each individual phrase in the set of phrases 115 is coupled with one of the predefined emergency situations (eg, phrase 5 indicating emergency situation B as depicted in FIG. 100 ), the mobile device can determine that the person is in an emergency situation (eg, emergency situation B).

[0018] Furthermore, in some cases, the mobile device may determine that the emergency situation satisfies a threshold based at least on the one or more words, and then perform one or more tasks that may follow, such as making a phone call to one of the contacts in the subgroup 130b corresponding to the emergency situation 110b. As described herein, such thresholds may help the mobile device avoid erroneously determining an emergency situation and making a call that may be considered frivolous or a prank (e.g., accidentally calling a 911 dispatch station). For example, a threshold may be established based on the amount of word matches between one of the predetermined phrases and one or more words that the person has spoken. In some cases, different thresholds may be assigned (assigned or specified) for different emergency situations.

[0019] Furthermore, determining that an emergency situation meets a threshold may be associated with a confidence level that the mobile device may be configured to estimate. Variations in this confidence level may result from uncertainties that the mobile device may encounter when determining whether an emergency situation meets a threshold. For example, when the mobile device does not find an exact matching word (e.g., even though one or more words monitored by the mobile device are similar to words in one of the predetermined phrases) and / or when the mobile device finds that a person speaks words in a particular order that is different from the sequence of words expected by one of the predetermined phrases, the mobile device may assign a relatively low confidence level when determining that an emergency situation meets a threshold.

[0020] In some embodiments, the mobile device may monitor one or more physiological signals (and / or changes in physiological signals) of the person via a separate device worn by the person (e.g., a smart bracelet wirelessly coupled to the mobile device). Such physiological signals may include heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate and / or depth, piloerection, body temperature, muscle tension, sweating, etc. In some cases, changes in the physiological signals of the person may be accompanied by unnatural speech patterns of the person, such as stuttering, stammering, or screaming due to extreme adversity and / or tension that the person may face. Therefore, the mobile device may be configured to recognize such unnatural speech patterns of the person. In some cases, the mobile device may also increase the confidence level by utilizing one or more physiological signals (and / or changes thereto, or speech patterns) in addition to one or more words that the person has spoken.

[0021] Additionally or alternatively, the mobile device may collect data, such as the geographic location of the mobile device, which may be determined by a GPS coupled to the mobile device, information associated with the geographic location (e.g., a shopping mall corresponding to the geographic location, a parking lot corresponding to the geographic location, lighting conditions based on sunrise and / or sunset times at the geographic location), the current time of day (e.g., mid-afternoon, late at night), or a combination thereof. In some cases, the mobile device may collect additional data associated with the surrounding area of ​​the geographic location, such as including crime rates and / or businesses or the like in the vicinity of the geographic location. As the additional data is utilized in addition to the one or more words that the person has spoken, the mobile device may increase the confidence level.

[0022] In some cases, the mobile device may be configured to recognize and / or utilize contextual information (e.g., the meaning of certain words, the manner in which the words are spoken) to determine that the person (authorized user) is in an emergency situation that authorizes the emergency call. In an embodiment, contextual information may be utilized in addition to the one or more words that the person has spoken to increase the confidence level. In another embodiment, contextual information may be utilized to determine that the one or more words that the person has spoken are related to an emergency situation from predefined emergency situations stored in the mobile device, such as when the one or more words correspond to one phrase from subgroup 120a, and another phrase from subgroup 120b.

[0023] The mobile device may perform one or more tasks, such as making a phone call to one of the contacts in the subgroup 130b corresponding to the emergency situation 110b (e.g., contact 4 depicted in Figure 100) after determining that the emergency situation meets the threshold. In some cases, the mobile device may select a first phone number (e.g., the first phone number of contact 4) to make the phone call over a second phone number (e.g., the second phone number of contact 5) based on various factors, such as past answer history when making emergency calls to the phone number, the geographic location of the contact relative to the current geographic location of the mobile device, a person's pre-determined preferences, or the like. In some cases, the mobile device may make multiple phone calls based on a set of suitable criteria, such as simultaneously making phone calls to two (or more) phone numbers in the subgroup of contacts that are determined to be more relevant than other numbers in the subgroup based on, for example, past history, geographic location, preconfigured preferences, or the like. In some cases, when one or more calls are not answered, the mobile device may repeatedly call the same phone number and / or call different phone numbers in the subgroup.

[0024] In some embodiments, one or more tasks that the mobile device may perform in some cases based on determining that an emergency situation has met a threshold include analyzing additional phrases (or statements) monitored by the mobile device. Such phrases may come from a person (e.g., an authorized user) or a third party (e.g., an intruder) around the mobile device. In some cases, the mobile device may begin recording additional phrases based on determining that an emergency situation has met a threshold.

[0025] In some embodiments, the mobile device may be configured to include or otherwise make full use of an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm and / or AI engine. For example, the AI ​​algorithm / engine may improve the voice activation of the emergency mode of the mobile device, such as determining that a human is an authorized user based on the voice (e.g., an acoustic signal indicating the voice). Additionally or alternatively, the AI ​​algorithm / engine may be used for decision making, such as determining whether one or more words are related to an emergency situation from predefined emergency situations stored in the mobile device, determining whether an emergency situation meets a threshold based on one or more words, improving the confidence level associated with determining that an emergency situation meets a threshold, etc. In addition, the AI ​​algorithm / engine may be used to translate one or more words spoken by a user in a first language (e.g., the user's native language) into a second language that the mobile device is configured to operate in. When one or more words monitored by the mobile device are not clearly clear and / or one or more words fail to provide a sufficiently high confidence level, even when the mobile device utilizes additional data described herein, this AI algorithm and / or engine may increase the probability of determining a relevant emergency situation from a predefined emergency situation.

[0026] In some embodiments, the phrases included in the individual phrase subgroups 120 may not be mutually exclusive, for example, both subgroup 120a and subgroup 120b may include common phrases. Thus, the mobile device may be configured to further optimize its decision-making process, for example, to determine whether a particular word spoken by a person is more related to emergency situation 110a or emergency situation 110b. In this regard, the mobile device may utilize additional information, such as physiological signals of the person, geographic and / or environmental information of the area surrounding the location, contextual information, or a combination thereof. In some cases, in addition to such additional information, an AI algorithm / engine may also be utilized to determine what kind of emergency situation the user may be in. In other embodiments, the mobile device may detect the same phrases in different phrase subgroups 120, for example, during a user's pre-determination of a set of phrases 115, and may prompt the user to provide appropriate distinctions between the phrases (e.g., one of the phrases has an additional word in it) to distinguish similar phrases so that the mobile device can make an accurate determination about what kind of emergency situation the user may be in.

[0027] Figure 2A block diagram 200 is shown of a mobile device 210 that supports an emergency mode according to an embodiment of the present technology. Diagram 200 also includes a person 205 and a wearable device 245 that the person 205 can carry. In addition, the mobile device 210 can be wirelessly coupled to the wearable device 245 (e.g., via a wireless link 246) so that the mobile device 210 can communicate with the wearable device 245 (e.g., via a transceiver 255). The mobile device 210 can be a suitable distance from the person 205 so that when the person 205 speaks one or more words, the mobile device 210 can receive an acoustic signal indicating the voice of the person 205 (e.g., monitor the voice of the person 205). The mobile device 210 includes a memory 215 and a circuit 220, the circuit including a monitoring component 225, an authentication component 230, an emergency component 235. In addition, the mobile device 210 can include a transceiver 255, the transceiver including a transmitter 256 and a receiver 257. In some embodiments, the mobile device 210 may further include an artificial intelligence (AI) component 240 and an emergency button 260. In addition, the mobile device 210 may be coupled with a global positioning system (GPS) 250.

[0028] The memory 215 may be configured to store a set of predefined emergency situations 270, a collection of recorded acoustic signals indicating voices 280 of one or more authorized users of the mobile device 210, a set of phrases 265 predetermined by authorized users of the mobile device, and a contact group 275 (e.g., phone numbers) entered by the authorized users. The set of predefined emergency situations 270 may be a reference Figure 1 Examples of or including aspects of the set of predefined emergency situations 110 described herein. A set of phrases 265 may be referenced to Figure 1 Examples of aspects of the described set of phrases 115 or aspects that include the described set of phrases. The contact group 275 may be a reference Figure 1 Examples of aspects of contact groups 125 are described or include aspects of the contact groups.

[0029] The circuit 220 may be configured to receive an acoustic signal indicative of the voice of the person 205 speaking one or more words (e.g., monitor the voice of the person 205) (e.g., via a monitoring component 225 configured to monitor various acoustic signals (e.g., sounds) around the mobile device 210), and identify the person as one of the authorized users of the mobile device 210 based on the received acoustic signal (e.g., via an authentication component 230 configured to determine that one or more authorized users have access to the mobile device 210). In some embodiments, the circuit 220 may compare the received acoustic signal of the person to a set of recorded acoustic signals indicative of the voice 280 stored in the memory 215 to identify the person as one of the authorized users. In some embodiments, the voice may be part of a biometric identifier of the person 205 that the circuit 220 may use to authenticate the person 205. This biometric identifier may include various biological characteristics of the person 205, such as facial features, fingerprints, palm prints, capillary structures (e.g., in the user's iris), or the like.

[0030] Subsequently, the circuit 220 may determine (e.g., via an emergency component 235 configured to identify a particular emergency situation based on the words spoken by the person 205) that the one or more words are associated with an emergency situation out of a set of predefined emergency situations 270. In some embodiments, the circuit 220 may determine that the one or more words correspond to phrases from a set of phrases 265 stored in the memory 215. In some embodiments, the circuit 220 may utilize context information associated with the one or more words to determine that one of the emergency situations is associated with the words. In addition, the circuit 220 may determine that the emergency situation meets a threshold based on the one or more words, wherein this determination may be associated with a confidence level. After determining that the emergency situation meets the threshold, the circuit 220 may also perform one or more tasks.

[0031] In some embodiments, circuit 220 may be configured to monitor one or more physiological signals (and / or changes thereto) of person 205 via wearable device 245 that the person may be wearing. Wearable device 245 may be configured to monitor one or more physiological signals (and / or changes thereto) and transmit such signals to mobile device 210 (e.g., to receiver 257 of transceiver 255 via wireless link 246). Circuit 220 may also be configured to utilize one or more physiological signals (and / or changes thereto) in addition to one or more words spoken by person 205 to increase the confidence level when determining that an emergency situation meets a threshold.

[0032] Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, circuit 220 may be configured to collect data including the geographic location of mobile device 210 (e.g., via GPS 250), information about the geographic location, the current time, or a combination thereof. Circuit 220 may also utilize data in addition to the one or more words spoken by person 205 to increase the confidence level when determining that the emergency situation meets the threshold.

[0033] In some embodiments, the circuit 220 may be further configured to make a telephone call to emergency services and / or public authorities (e.g., via the transmitter 256 of the transceiver 255), wherein the telephone call includes a description of the emergency, the geographic location of the mobile device 210, the current time, a message requesting that the mobile device 210 not be called back, or a combination thereof. In some cases, making such a call back may exacerbate the emergency. In other cases, the person 205 may not be able to answer the call back to confirm the emergency. In some cases, the description of the emergency may include different messages based on different emergency situations. In addition, the description of the emergency may indicate that the telephone call was generated by the mobile device 210 because the emergency prevented the individual 205 from making the call. Additionally or alternatively, the circuit 220 may be configured to make a telephone call to a phone number from a contact group 275 stored in the memory 215, wherein the phone number is associated with the emergency. In some cases, the circuit 220 may be configured to understand the language native to the person 205.

[0034] In some embodiments, an emergency button 260 (which may be referred to as an emergency button) may be located on a side surface (or back side) of the mobile device 210. The emergency button 260 may be presented in a prominent color (e.g., red). In addition, the emergency button 260 may be configured to be activated by a mechanical switch assembly and / or by a software algorithm. The emergency button 260 may, when activated, make one or more phone calls to a contact (e.g., a telephone number of a contact 261) associated with the emergency button 260, such as an emergency service and / or a public authority, one or more individuals that the user may specify, and the like. When the person 205 continuously presses (and / or touches) the emergency button 260 two or more times, the emergency button may be activated. In some embodiments, the emergency button 260 may be covered under a cover. In this way, the person 205 using the mobile device 210 may avoid making an unintentional emergency call by inadvertently or accidentally activating the emergency button 260.

[0035] In some embodiments, AI component 240 may include an AI algorithm / engine to assist circuit 220 in making certain determinations, such as determining whether one or more words are related to an emergency situation from predefined emergency situations 270 stored in the mobile device, determining whether an emergency situation meets a threshold based on the one or more words, improving a confidence level associated with determining that an emergency situation meets a threshold, etc. In some cases, AI component 240 may improve voice activation of an emergency mode of mobile device 210, such as determining that person 205 is an authorized user based on voice (e.g., acoustic signals indicative of voice). In addition, AI component 240 may assist circuit 220 in translating one or more words spoken by a user in a first language (e.g., the user's native language) into a second language that the mobile device is configured to operate in.

[0036] Figure 3 Flowchart 300 is a flowchart illustrating a method of an emergency mode of a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present technology. Flowchart 300 may be an example of or include aspects of a method that may be performed by a mobile device (e.g., mobile device 210), as described in reference to FIG. Figure 1 and 2 described.

[0037] The method includes receiving an acoustic signal indicating speech of a person speaking one or more words at a mobile device (block 310). According to one aspect of the present technology, the monitoring feature of block 310 can be performed by a mobile device (e.g., mobile device 210) in some cases in conjunction with monitoring component 225, as described in reference to Figure 1 and 2 described.

[0038] The method further includes identifying the person as an authorized user of the mobile device based on the received acoustic signal (block 315). According to one aspect of the present technology, the identification feature of block 315 can be performed by a mobile device (e.g., mobile device 210) in some cases in conjunction with authentication component 230, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 and 2 described.

[0039] The method further includes determining, based on the received acoustic signal, that one or more words are associated with an emergency situation from a set of predefined emergency situations stored in the mobile device (block 320). According to one aspect of the present technology, the determination feature of block 320 can be performed by a mobile device (e.g., mobile device 210) in some cases in conjunction with emergency component 235, as described in reference to Figure 1 and 2 described.

[0040] The method further includes determining that an emergency situation meets a threshold based at least in part on the one or more words, wherein determining that the emergency situation meets the threshold is associated with a confidence level (block 325). According to one aspect of the present technology, the determination feature of block 325 can be performed by a mobile device (e.g., mobile device 210) in some cases in conjunction with circuit 220, such as reference Figure 1 and 2 described.

[0041] The method further includes performing one or more tasks after determining that the emergency situation meets the threshold (block 330). According to one aspect of the present technology, the execution features of block 330 can be performed by a mobile device (e.g., mobile device 210) in some cases in conjunction with circuit 220, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 and 2 described.

[0042] In some embodiments, the method may further include comparing the received acoustic signal indicative of the person's voice with a set of recorded acoustic signals indicative of the voice of one or more authorized users stored in the mobile device, wherein identifying the person is based at least in part on comparing the received acoustic signal of the person with the set of recorded acoustic signals. In some embodiments, determining that the one or more words are associated with the emergency situation includes determining that the one or more words correspond to phrases from a set of phrases that have been predetermined and stored in the mobile device, wherein the set of phrases includes a plurality of subgroups each having the one or more phrases of the set, and wherein each subgroup having the one or more phrases of the set is associated with a predefined emergency situation from among the plurality of predefined emergency situations.

[0043] In some embodiments, the method may further include, after determining that the one or more words are associated with the emergency, monitoring changes in one or more physiological signals of the person via a separate device worn by the person, wherein the separate device is coupled to the mobile device and configured to monitor the one or more physiological signals. In some embodiments, determining that the emergency situation satisfies the threshold includes utilizing changes in the one or more physiological signals in addition to the one or more words, and wherein the confidence level is increased by utilizing changes in the one or more physiological signals.

[0044] In some embodiments, the method may further include, after determining that the one or more words are associated with the emergency, collecting data using the mobile device, the data including a geographic location of the mobile device, information about the geographic location, a current time, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, determining that the emergency situation satisfies the threshold includes utilizing data in addition to the one or more words, and wherein the confidence level is increased by utilizing the data.

[0045] In some embodiments, the one or more tasks include making a telephone call to emergency services and / or a public authority, wherein the telephone call includes a description of the emergency, the geographic location of the mobile device, the current time, a message requesting that the mobile device not be called back, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the one or more tasks include making a telephone call to a phone number from a group of phone numbers stored in the mobile device, wherein the group of phone numbers includes a plurality of subgroups, each of the plurality of subgroups having one or more phone numbers of the group, and wherein each subgroup having the one or more phone numbers of the group is associated with a predefined emergency of the plurality of predefined emergency situations.

[0046] In some embodiments, the one or more tasks are performed without providing an indication that the mobile device performed the one or more tasks. In some embodiments, the method may further include announcing that the one or more tasks have been performed after performing the one or more tasks. In some embodiments, the one or more words include a language native to the person. In some embodiments, determining that the one or more words are related to the emergency situation includes utilizing context information associated with the one or more words.

[0047] Figure 4 400 is a flowchart illustrating a method of an emergency mode of a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present technology. Flowchart 400 may be an example of or include aspects of a method that may be performed by a mobile device (e.g., mobile device 210), as described in reference to FIG. Figure 1 and 2 described.

[0048] The method includes receiving an acoustic signal indicating the speech of a person who speaks one or more words, the person being authorized to use a mobile device (block 410). According to one aspect of the present technology, the monitoring feature of block 410 can be performed by a mobile device (e.g., mobile device 210) in some cases in conjunction with monitoring component 225, as described in reference to Figure 1 and 2 described.

[0049] The method further includes determining that the one or more words indicate an emergency situation based on comparing the one or more words to a series of predetermined phrases stored in the mobile device (block 415). According to one aspect of the present technology, the determination feature of block 415 can be performed by a mobile device (e.g., mobile device 210) in some cases in conjunction with the emergency component 235, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 and 2 described.

[0050] The method further includes making a telephone call to an emergency service and / or a telephone number stored in the mobile device for the emergency situation, wherein the telephone call includes a description of the emergency situation, the geographic location of the mobile device, the current time, a message requesting that the mobile device not be called back, or a combination thereof (block 420). According to one aspect of the present technology, the performing features of block 420 may be performed by a mobile device (e.g., mobile device 210) in certain circumstances in conjunction with circuit 220, as described with reference to FIG. Figure 1 and 2 described.

[0051] It should be noted that the above methods describe possible implementations, and that the operations and steps may be rearranged or otherwise modified, and that other implementations are possible. In addition, two or more embodiments from the methods may be combined.

[0052] The functions described herein may be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. Other examples and implementations are within the scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims. The components implementing the functions may also be physically located at various locations, including being distributed so that parts of the functions are implemented at different physical locations.

[0053] As used herein, "or", as used in a list of items (e.g., a list of items beginning with a phrase such as "at least one of" or "one or more of"), as included in the claims, indicates an inclusive list, so that a list such as at least one of A, B, or C refers to A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). In addition, as used herein, the phrase "based on" should not be understood to refer to a closed set of conditions. For example, an exemplary step described as "based on condition A" may be based on both condition A and condition B without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, as used herein, the phrase "based on" should be interpreted in the same manner as the phrase "based at least in part on."

[0054] It should be understood from the foregoing that specific embodiments of the present invention have been described herein for illustrative purposes, but various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. On the contrary, in the foregoing description, many specific details are discussed to provide a thorough and inspiring description of embodiments of the present invention. However, those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the present disclosure may be practiced without one or more of the specific details. In other cases, well-known structures or operations typically associated with memory systems and devices are not shown or described in detail to avoid confusing other aspects of the technology. In general, it should be understood that various other devices, systems, and methods other than those specific embodiments disclosed herein may be within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for operating a mobile device, comprising: receiving an acoustic signal at the mobile device, the acoustic signal indicative of speech of a person speaking one or more words; identifying the person as an authorized user of the mobile device based on the received acoustic signal; determining, based on the received acoustic signal, that the one or more words are associated with an emergency situation out of a plurality of predefined emergency situations stored in the mobile device; After determining that the one or more words are related to the emergency situation, monitoring changes in one or more physiological signals of the person via a separate device worn by the person, wherein the separate device is coupled to the mobile device and configured to monitor the one or more physiological signals; determining, based on the one or more words and utilizing the change in the one or more physiological signals, that the emergency situation satisfies a threshold, wherein determining that the emergency situation satisfies the threshold is associated with a confidence level, and wherein the confidence level is increased due to utilizing the change in the one or more physiological signals; and After determining that the emergency situation satisfies the threshold, one or more tasks are performed.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein based on the received acoustic signal, identifying the person as an authorized user of the mobile device comprises: The received acoustic signal is compared to a set of recorded acoustic signals, the received acoustic signal being indicative of the voice of the person, the recorded acoustic signals being indicative of the voice of one or more authorized users stored in the mobile device, wherein identifying the person is based on comparing the received acoustic signal of the person to the set of recorded acoustic signals.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the one or more words are related to the emergency situation comprises determining that the one or more words correspond to phrases from a set of phrases that have been predetermined and stored in the mobile device, wherein the set of phrases comprises a plurality of sub-groups, each sub-group having one or more phrases, and Each subset of the one or more phrases is associated with a predefined emergency situation among the plurality of predefined emergency situations.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: After determining that the one or more terms are related to the emergency situation, data is collected using the mobile device, the data including a geographic location of the mobile device, information associated with the geographic location, a current time, or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining that the emergency situation satisfies the threshold comprises utilizing the data in addition to the one or more words and the changes in the one or more physiological signals, and wherein the confidence level is increased as a result of utilizing the data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more tasks comprise making a telephone call to emergency services and / or public authorities, wherein the telephone call includes a description of the emergency, the geographic location of the mobile device, the current time, a message requesting that no return call be made to the mobile device, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more tasks include making a phone call to a phone number from a group of phone numbers stored in the mobile device, Wherein the telephone number group includes a plurality of subgroups, each subgroup having one or more telephone numbers, and wherein each subgroup having the one or more telephone numbers is associated with a predefined emergency situation among the plurality of predefined emergency situations.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more tasks are performed without providing an indication that the mobile device performed the one or more tasks.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the one or more terms are relevant to the emergency situation comprises utilizing contextual information associated with the one or more terms.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more words comprise a native language of the person.

11. A mobile device, comprising: a memory configured to store a plurality of predefined emergency situations, a collection of recorded acoustic signals indicative of voices of one or more authorized users of the mobile device, a set of phrases predetermined by a user of the mobile device, a group of telephone numbers input by the user, or a combination thereof; as well as A circuit configured to: receiving an acoustic signal indicative of human speech uttering one or more words; identifying the person as one of the authorized users of the mobile device based on the received acoustic signal; determining that the one or more terms are associated with an emergency situation from among the plurality of predefined emergency situations; After determining that the one or more words are related to the emergency situation, monitoring changes in one or more physiological signals of the person via a separate device worn by the person, wherein the separate device is coupled to the mobile device and configured to monitor the one or more physiological signals; determining, based on the one or more words and the change in utilizing the one or more physiological signals, that the emergency situation satisfies a threshold, wherein determining that the emergency situation satisfies the threshold is associated with a confidence level, and wherein the confidence level is increased based on the change in utilizing the one or more physiological signals; as well as After determining that the emergency situation satisfies the threshold, one or more tasks are performed.

12. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the circuit is further configured to: It is determined that the one or more words correspond to a phrase from a set of phrases stored in the memory.

13. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the circuit is further configured to: collecting data including a geographic location of the mobile device, information associated with the geographic location, a current time, or a combination thereof; and When it is determined that the emergency situation satisfies the threshold, the data is utilized in addition to the one or more words and the changes in the one or more physiological signals to increase the confidence level.

14. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the circuit is further configured to: placing a telephone call to emergency services and / or public authorities, wherein the telephone call includes a description of the emergency situation, the geographic location of the mobile device, the current time, a message requesting that no return call be made to the mobile device, or a combination thereof; or A telephone call is made to a telephone number from the group of telephone numbers stored in the mobile device, wherein the telephone number is associated with the emergency situation.

15. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the circuit is further configured to: Understand the native language of said person.

16. The mobile device of claim 11, further comprising: A button located on a side surface of the mobile device, wherein the button is configured to place a telephone call to emergency services and / or public authorities when pressed two or more times in succession.

17. A method for operating a mobile device, comprising: receiving an acoustic signal indicative of speech of a person uttering one or more words, the person being authorized to use the mobile device; determining that the one or more words are indicative of an emergency situation based on comparing the one or more words to a series of predetermined phrases stored in the mobile device; After determining that the one or more words are indicative of the emergency situation, monitoring changes in one or more physiological signals of the person via a separate device worn by the person, wherein the separate device is coupled to the mobile device and configured to monitor the one or more physiological signals; determining, based on the one or more words and utilizing the change in the one or more physiological signals, that the emergency situation satisfies a threshold, wherein determining that the emergency situation satisfies the threshold is associated with a confidence level, and wherein the confidence level is increased due to utilizing the change in the one or more physiological signals; as well as A telephone call is made to emergency services and / or a telephone number stored in the mobile device for the emergency situation, wherein the telephone call includes a description of the emergency situation, the geographic location of the mobile device, the current time, a message requesting that no return call be made to the mobile device, or a combination thereof.

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