Patent ID: 7665146

Claim:
A system for operation upon a mobile communications device for handling a duress situation that is caused by a person, the system comprising: a display on the mobile communications device that is configured to present information; interface logic instructions configured to execute on the mobile communications device and to generate a first interface on the display to receive user input; security logic instructions configured to execute on the mobile communications device and to lock the mobile communications device responsive to receiving a user request via the first interface to lock the device; and password logic instructions configured to execute on the mobile communications device and to unlock the mobile communications device responsive to receiving a password via the display; wherein the password logic instructions are further configured to perform one or more duress operations responsive to receiving a duress indicator via the first interface; wherein the one or more duress operations protect sensitive data stored on the mobile communications device from being provided to the person; wherein the one or more duress operations is performed without allowing the person causing the duress situation to be aware of said data protection; wherein the interface logic instructions are further configured to generate a second interface on the display to provide user output; wherein the one or more duress operations comprises one of: instructing the second interface to display false information, instructing the second interlace to produce output on the display which causes the mobile communications device to appear broken, instructing a communications interface associated with the mobile communications device to notify a public safety answering point, or instructing the mobile communications device to delete information from a storage device on the mobile communications device after a delay period of time; wherein the one or more duress operations is selected by entering one of a plurality of duress indicators into the mobile communications device.