METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR USE IN COMMUNICATING SHORT MESSAGES OF THE EMERGENCY TYPE FROM MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICES

摘要

Method and apparatus for use by mobile communication devices for communicating short messages of the emergency type via wireless communication networks. A user input request for communicating a short message is received through a user interface of the mobile device. If the user input request is for an emergency message, a second message center address is read from the memory and provided in a message center address field of the short message. The network identifies the second message center address in the message center address field and, in response, causes the short message to be sent to the emergency message center which is local to the network. This way, when the mobile device is visiting a non-home wireless network, the short message is routed to the appropriate local emergency message center.