Automatic wireless utilization of cellular telephone devices

A computer program product comprising:

• one or more computer readable, tangible storage devices associated with a controller and a short-range wireless communicator mounted on a vehicle, the short-range communicator having a peer-to-peer communications capability;
• first program instructions to, responsive to a requirement to transmit an emergency notification message, ping by the short-range wireless communicator a long-range communication device contemporaneously within range of the peer-to-peer communications capability, the long-range communication device having a long-range communication and being physically detached from the vehicle;
• second program instructions to, subsequent to the pinging, receive a response message indicating that user authorization is required;
• third program instructions to, responsive to receipt of the response message, send by the short-range wireless communicator to the long-range communication device a request for authorization message;
• fourth program instructions to, subsequent to a user of the long-range communication device responding in an affirmative manner to the authorization request, receive an authorization message to co-opt the long-range communication device;
• and fifth program instructions to, responsive to the authorization, send an emergency notification message from the short-range wireless communicator through the co-opted long-range communication device to a specified recipient party;
• wherein the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth program instructions are stored on at least one of the one or more computer readable, tangible storage devices.

A system comprising:

• a controller and a short-range wireless communicator mounted on a vehicle, the short-range communicator having a peer-to-peer communications capability, the controller having hardware to perform a logical process;
• a locator portion of the controller which, responsive to a requirement to transmit an emergency notification message, pings a long-range communication device contemporaneously within range of the peer-to-peer communications capability, the long-range communication device having a long-range communication and being physically detached from the vehicle;
• a first receiver portion of the controller which, subsequent to the pinging, receives a response message indicating that user authorization is required;
• an authorization requester portion of the controller which, responsive to receipt of the response message, sends to the long-range communication device a request for authorization message;
• a second receiver portion of the controller which, subsequent to a user of the long-range communication device responding in an affirmative manner to the authorization request, receives an authorization message to co-opt the long-range communication device;
• and
• a message transmitter portion of the controller which, responsive to the authorization, sends an emergency notification message from the short-range wireless communicator through the co-opted long-range communication device to a specified recipient party.