Apple Files Patent for iPhone 911 Enhancements

Over two years ago, Apple Inc. was thinking about the future of its iPhone, and how it might enhance the handset’s features to provide better emergency calling features, according to a patent just released by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. According to the document filed in Dec. 2007, the iPhone’s features may require additional power by sensors, input/output connections, wireless transceivers and any running software applications. This additional power consumption, “may prevent the user from using one or more features of the mobile phone” when making an emergency call, including just staying connected. Apple’s engineers proposed disabling hardware components or software, reducing power to the display screen and reducing the processor speed to maintain battery life and, therefore, the call duration. The handset might also be able to send canned messages, in case the 911 caller cannot speak for some reason. Download (pdf) the full patent with diagrams here.