Patent ID: 7375629

Claim:
A method for tracking the location of a first class of user and a second class of user, comprising: providing a wireless communication device for the first class of user, the wireless communication device including an antenna system configured to send and receive signals over a wireless physical medium; a radio system configured to manage the antenna system for use with a radio access technology to provide connection to the wireless network; a location identification mechanism for obtaining and providing location information on the wireless communication device; a central processing unit configured to execute instructions stored in a data storage area and access data stored in a data storage area; a panic module executable by the central processing unit, the panic module configured to put the wireless communication device in a quasi-operative mode that appears to be off to the user and to place a communication to a remote operator, and to maintain the connection with the remote operator as long as the remote operator desires; remote operator-control module executable by the central processing unit, the remote operator-control module configured to allow the remote operator to maintain control of the communication with the wireless communication device and to allow the remote operator to remotely control one or more functions of an emergency ringer and audio output level on the wireless communication device; an auto-answer module executable by the central processing unit, the auto-answer module configured to automatically establish a connection with the wireless communication device from an incoming call that is not answered manually; a power-down module executable by the central processing unit, the power-down module configured to cause the handset to appear to power-down upon actuation of a power-down sequence while continuing to maintain a connection between the wireless communication device and the remote operator; determining a location of a first class of user via the location identification mechanism of the wireless communication device; updating a first class of user location database with the location of the first class of user; determining a location of a second class of user; updating a second class of user location database with the location of the second class of user; comparing location of the first class of user with the location of the second class of user; determining whether predetermined criteria related to the location of the first class of user with the location of the second class of user is met; initiating a communication to one or more entities if the predetermined criteria is met.