Patent ID: 7580697

Claim:
A multimedia system mounted in a vehicle, comprising: at least one multimedia device; a first cellular telephony transceiver that includes a short range non-cellular wireless receiver; an emergency call device, comprising a sensor that detects a collision of the vehicle and provides a sensor output signal; a short range non-cellular wireless transmitter that receives the sensor output signal and transmits a collision signal to the first cellular transceiver over a non-cellular wireless channel when the sensor output signal indicates a collision of the vehicle; a second cellular telephony transceiver; and a battery that provides power to the sensor, the short range non-cellular wireless transmitter and the second cellular telephony transceiver, where when the first cellular telephony transceiver receives the collision signal it transmits an emergency event signal to a device external to the multimedia system, and where when the second cellular telephony receiver receives the collision signal it transmits the emergency event signal to the external device in the event the first cellular telephony transceiver is unable to transmit the emergency event signal.