Mobile Device Automatic Emergency Call Handling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current wireless communication networks face challenges in processing disconnected emergency calls and remote monitoring of mobile communication devices, particularly in ensuring accurate location information and seamless communication during emergency situations.

Innovation Solution

A method where a mobile communication device establishes an emergency call with a public safety answering point via a wireless network, and if disconnected, it monitors for an incoming call message to automatically answer continued emergency calls without audible alerts, using data indications to determine if the call is for automatic answering within a specified time frame.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the mobile device uses automatic answering for continued emergency calls, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to monitoring and data indication processing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile device sets into an emergency callback state in advance, where it automatically answers incoming emergency calls without requiring manual user intervention. This preliminary configuration enables reliable continued communication while managing complexity through pre-established protocols

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The device monitors incoming call messages and uses data indications from the network to determine whether to automatically answer. This feedback mechanism ensures reliable emergency call handling while managing device complexity through automated decision-making based on network signals

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If the mobile device monitors for incoming call messages within a time period, then location information accuracy is improved, but time consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocation information accuracyVSAvoidtime consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The device establishes monitoring for incoming call messages within a predetermined time period after disconnection. This preliminary time-bound monitoring ensures location information is captured accurately while limiting time consumption through the predetermined duration constraint

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The mobile device autonomously monitors and processes incoming call messages without requiring external intervention. This self-service capability enables accurate location information retrieval while managing time consumption through automated, time-bound operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If the mobile device refrains from producing audible alerts, then ease of operation is improved for automatic answering, but loss of information increases when manual answer is needed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidloss of information
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The device applies different behaviors based on local conditions: it refrains from producing audible alerts for automatic answering of continued emergency calls, but would normally produce alerts for other incoming calls requiring manual attention. This localized quality control balances ease of operation with information preservation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The device uses data indications from incoming call messages to determine appropriate behavior. This feedback mechanism enables automatic answering without audible alerts for emergency calls while maintaining information awareness through the data indication processing itself

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2544475B1Methods and apparatus for use in processing disconnected emergency calls and other communications involving mobile communication devices and the remote monitoring thereof
Publication Date: 2020.08.05 BLACKBERRY LTD
  • EP2544475B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2544475B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2544475B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Methods and apparatus for use in processing disconnected emergency calls and other communications involving mobile communication devices, as well as the remote monitoring of such mobile communication devices, are disclosed. In one illustrative example, an emergency call with a public safety answering point entity is established by a mobile communication device via a wireless communication network. If the emergency call is disconnected, the mobile device monitors to receive an incoming call message for a continued emergency call from the public safety answering point entity. In response to receiving such incoming call message, the mobile device refrains from producing an audible alert and automatically answers the continued emergency call from the public safety answering point entity without detecting any manual answer signal via its user interface. In one specific approach, the mobile device answers the call automatically if the incoming call message is received within a time period following the disconnection and a data indication of the incoming call message indicates that the message is for the continued emergency call or automatic answering. Otherwise, if the incoming call message is received outside of the time period following the disconnection, or if the data indication fails to indicate that the incoming call message is for the continued emergency call or the automatic answering, the mobile device refrains from automatically answering the call associated with the incoming call message.