Method and apparatus for effectuating a predetermined communications connection
View Patent ↗A handheld computing device includes a housing, a processor supported by the housing, a wireless telephony device coupled to the processor, a display having a graphical user interface coupled to the processor, and a plurality of input keys. The device is programmed to effectuate a predetermined communications connection when a user depresses two or more input keys simultaneously.
1. A mobile computing device, comprising:
a housing;
a processor supported by the housing;
a wireless telephony device coupled to the processor;
a display having a graphical user interface coupled to the processor; and
a plurality of input keys,
wherein the device is programmed to effectuate a predetermined communications connection when a user depresses two or more input keys simultaneously and the device effectuates the predetermined communications connection when the wireless telephony device is powered on and when the wireless telephony device is powered off.
2. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a handheld computing device.
3. A mobile computing device, comprising:
a housing;
a processor supported by the housing;
a wireless telephony device coupled to the processor;
a display having a graphical user interface coupled to the processor; and
a plurality of input keys,
wherein the device is programmed to effectuate a predetermined communications connection when a user depresses two or more input keys simultaneously and the device effectuates the predetermined communications connection when the state of the software operating on the device is in a non-communications mode and when the state of the software operating on the device is in a communications mode.
4. The mobile computing device of claim 3 , wherein the computing device is a handheld computing device.
5. The mobile computing device of claim 3 , wherein the device calls an emergency service by dialing 9-1-1.
6. The mobile computing device of claim 3 , wherein the device calls an emergency service by dialing 1-1-2.
7. The mobile computing device of claim 3 , further comprising:
a plurality of navigation buttons, wherein the device is programmed to effectuate the predetermined communications connection when a combination of the navigation buttons and the input keys is depressed simultaneously.
8. The mobile computing device of claim 3 , wherein the predetermined communications connection is effectuated by dialing a predetermined telephone number.
9. The mobile computing device of claim 3 , wherein the predetermined number is the number for an emergency service.
10. The mobile computing device of claim 3 , wherein the user must depress and hold the two or more input keys for greater than one second to effectuate the predetermined communications connection.
11. The mobile computing device of claim 3 , wherein the user must depress four input keys simultaneously to effectuate the predetermined communications connection.
12. A method of making an emergency request, comprising the steps of:
providing a computing device having wireless communication capability and having two or more user input devices; and
activating two or more user input devices simultaneously, whereby the device effectuates a communications channel to an emergency service,
wherein the device effectuates the communications channel to the emergency service when the state of any software operating on the device is in a non-communications mode and when the state of the software running on the device is in a communications mode.
13. The method of making an emergency request of claim 12 , wherein the computing device is a handheld computing device.
14. The method of making an emergency request of claim 8 , further comprising the step of:
activating the two or more input devices for at least one second.
15. The method of making an emergency request of claim 12 , wherein the user must activate four input devices simultaneously to effectuate the communications channel to the emergency service.
16. The method of making an emergency request of claim 8 , wherein the communications channel is a telephone connection to an emergency service made by dialing 9-1-1.
17. The method of making an emergency request of claim 12 , wherein the communications channel is a telephone connection to an emergency service made by dialing 1-1-2.
18. The method of making an emergency request of claim 12 , further comprising the steps of:
providing a plurality of navigation buttons and user input keys, wherein the device is programmed to effectuate the communications channel when a combination of the navigation buttons and the user input devices are depressed simultaneously.
19. A handheld computer, comprising:
a processor;
a display including a touch screen coupled to the processor;
a plurality of user input keys coupled to the processor;
a wireless telephony device coupled to the processor; and
an operating system running on the processor;
whereby the operating system is configured to call an emergency service when two or more user input keys are pressed simultaneously,
wherein the device is configured to effectuate the communications channel to the emergency service when the state of any software operating on the device is in a non-communications mode, and is further configured to effectuate the communications channel to the emergency service when the state of any software operating on the device is in a communications mode.
20. The handheld computer of claim 19 , wherein the handheld computer does not include a mechanical telephone keypad.
21. The handheld computer of claim 19 , wherein the emergency service is called when four input keys are depressed simultaneously.
22. The handheld computer of claim 21 , wherein the input keys must be depressed simultaneously for at least one second.