Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to electronic communications and, more particularly, relates to methods and systems for emergency auto-notification, such as for notifying a contact regarding an emergency situation involving a user when the user is unable to communicate.
Related Art
Emergency situations are too common. Emergency situations can result from accidents, crimes, natural disasters, diseases, and the like. In some instances, an emergency situation can cause a person to require help, such as medical care. Sometimes, the person requiring help is unable to communicate. For example, the person requiring help can be unconscious and in serious need of medical care. Such emergency situations can be life threatening. An immediate and appropriate response can be necessary to save the life of the person who needs help.
Important information, such as the condition, needs, and/or location of the person requiring help, can be unknown those who need this information in order to respond to the emergency. Such others can be capable of providing help, if they have this information. For example, police officers and other emergency responding personnel need to know the location of the person requiring help and need to know the nature of the emergency. As a further example, emergency medical personnel, such as emergency medical technicians (EMT's) and emergency room physicians, need information regarding the person's medical condition, such as the person's vital signs, as soon as possible.
For example, a person with diabetes can be in a diabetic coma and in the emergency room of a hospital. The condition and location of the person who is in the diabetic coma can be unknown to others who can help if they have this information. Such others can help, for example, by providing important information (such as the fact that the person has diabetes and/or needs insulin) to attending medical personnel.
The person in the diabetic coma can be incapable of communicating the emergency to others. The person can be incapable of communicating important information (such as the fact that the person is diabetic and/or needs insulin) regarding the emergency to attending medical personnel. Thus, the attending medical personnel must take time to determine the person's condition. If there is not enough time, the person's condition can worsen, possibly to the point of being life threatening.
Other people, including those who are not able to help, may need to know of the emergency. For example, if the person will not be able to attend a meeting or will not be able to join in an activity with others, then there may be a need for the others to be aware that the person cannot attend the meeting or join in.