Emergency notifications during scheduled silent modes on mobile phones

A mobile phone configured to operate in a normal notification mode and an enhanced silent notification mode, in the normal notification mode, sounds associated with incoming calls from both general contacts and emergency contacts are generated and, in the enhanced silent notification mode, sounds associated with incoming calls from the general contacts are suppressed, but sounds associated with incoming calls from the emergency contacts are generated, the mobile phone comprising:

• means for storing contact information for a plurality of contacts including the general contacts and the emergency contacts, the contact information including an emergency notification setting for incoming calls;
• means for generating sounds;
• means for transitioning the mobile phone between the normal notification mode and the enhanced silent notification mode based upon a schedule;
• means for receiving a user selection of the emergency notification setting for incoming calls on a contact by contact basis;
• and
• at least one processor operably associated with the storing means, the generating means, the transitioning means and the receiving means;
• wherein, the general contacts are the contacts that do not have the emergency notification setting for incoming calls selected by the user;
• wherein, the emergency contacts are the contacts having the emergency notification setting for incoming calls selected by the user;
• wherein, in the normal notification mode, incoming calls from both the general contacts and the emergency contacts cause the generating means to generate sounds;
• and
• wherein, in the enhanced silent notification mode, incoming calls from the general contacts do not cause the generating means to generate sounds, but incoming calls from the emergency contacts cause the generating means to generate sounds.

A mobile phone configured to operate in a normal notification mode and an emergency notification mode, in the normal notification mode, sounds associated with incoming calls from both non-emergency contacts and emergency contacts are generated and, in the emergency notification mode, sounds associated with incoming calls from the non- emergency contacts are suppressed, but sounds associated with incoming calls from the emergency contacts are generated, the mobile phone comprising:

• means for storing contact information for a plurality of contacts including the non- emergency contacts and the emergency contacts, the contact information including an emergency notification setting for incoming calls;
• means for generate sounds;
• means for transitioning the mobile phone between the normal notification mode and the emergency notification mode based upon a schedule;
• means for receiving a user selection of the emergency notification setting for incoming calls on a contact by contact basis;
• and
• at least one processor operably associated with the storing means, the generating means, the transitioning means and the receiving means;
• wherein, the non-emergency contacts are the contacts that do not have the emergency notification setting for incoming calls selected by the user;
• wherein, the emergency contacts are the contacts having the emergency notification setting for incoming calls selected by the user;
• wherein, in the normal notification mode, incoming calls from both the non-emergency contacts and the emergency contacts cause the generating means to generate sounds;
• and
• wherein, in the emergency notification mode, incoming calls from the non-emergency contacts do not cause the generating means to generate sounds, but incoming calls from the emergency contacts cause the generating means to generate sounds.