Emergency Call Termination Confirmation and Follow-Up Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Emergency calls made inadvertently on mobile devices often result in unnecessary resource allocation by public safety answering points (PSAPs) due to premature hang-ups or failure to verify the emergency status, leading to potential waste of resources and missed emergencies.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an Emergency Communication Handler in mobile devices that requests confirmation for call termination, delays termination until recipient confirmation, and automatically handles subsequent incoming calls to ensure proper communication and resource allocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the device allows easy termination of emergency calls, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to premature hang-ups and false alarms
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a confirmation feedback mechanism where terminating an emergency call triggers a prompt requesting user confirmation. This feedback loop ensures that accidental terminations are prevented while still allowing intentional ones, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Before the call is actually terminated, the system performs a preliminary action by displaying a confirmation prompt to the user. This preliminary check prevents premature hang-ups by verifying the user's intent to terminate the emergency call, thereby improving reliability without significantly complicating the termination process.
2Productivity
If the device automatically terminates emergency calls, then productivity is improved, but loss of information worsens due to missed verification of emergency status
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback by notifying the PSAP when a user attempts to terminate an emergency call. This notification allows the PSAP to verify whether the termination is intentional or accidental, preventing loss of information about the emergency status while still allowing efficient call handling through automated notification.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary mechanism by involving the PSAP in the termination verification process. When a user attempts to hang up, the system communicates with the PSAP to confirm whether the emergency has been resolved, thereby preventing information loss while maintaining productivity through automated intermediary verification.
3Reliability
If the device delays emergency call termination, then reliability is improved, but loss of time worsens due to extended call duration
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by implementing a lightweight confirmation mechanism that only intervenes in emergency call terminations, not all calls. The confirmation prompt and PSAP notification are partial delays that ensure reliability without excessively extending call duration in all cases, only when necessary for emergency calls.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses self-service by allowing the user to quickly confirm termination through a simple prompt, and by having the PSAP automatically verify status without requiring extensive manual intervention. This minimizes the time delay while maintaining reliability through automated self-verification processes.
4Reliability
If the device blocks subsequent incoming calls after emergency call termination, then reliability is improved, but adaptability deteriorates due to missed important calls
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamics by making the call blocking feature conditional and time-limited rather than permanent. The device dynamically adjusts its call handling behavior based on whether an emergency call was recently terminated and how long ago it occurred, allowing flexibility to adapt to different situations while maintaining emergency call integrity when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by proactively offering the call blocking feature only when an emergency call has just been terminated, rather than permanently blocking all subsequent calls. This preliminary, conditional approach maintains reliability for emergency situations while preserving adaptability for normal call reception after the emergency context is resolved.
Data Source
AI summary
There are disclosed techniques for handling emergency calls in an electronic device, such as a mobile telephone. For example, in one embodiment, upon receipt of a request at the user-interface of the device to terminate an emergency call, the device first requests confirmation that the call should be terminated. In another embodiment, once the emergency call is terminated, if an incoming call request is subsequently received within a predetermined period of time, the device establishes a voice connection with the incoming caller regardless of whether the device is instructed to establish the voice connection. In another embodiment, once the emergency call is terminated, the device remains operable to receive a subsequent incoming call regardless of whether the device is instructed otherwise.