Patent ID: 8548421

Claim:
A wireless communications device comprising: a display screen; an electronics system configured to provide communications over a communications network; a primary battery configured to power the electronics during a power-on mode; a secondary battery configured to power the electronics in response to an emergency signal being received while said electronics are in a power-off mode; wherein the electronics system: establishes a voltage threshold of the primary battery to ensure that the wireless communications device, at the voltage threshold, has sufficient power for an emergency communication; establishes an offsetted power threshold that is a multiplier of the voltage threshold; displays, on the display, a battery power meter that indicates both the voltage threshold and the offsetted power threshold; generates a pre-established emergency message in response to the emergency signal, wherein the pre-established emergency message is directed to an emergency service provider associated with the emergency signal, and wherein the secondary battery powers only a portion of the display screen while said electronics are in power-off mode, with a second portion of the display screen remaining unpowered, such that the display screen is only partially powered to allow the display screen to retain some functionality while conserving power of the secondary battery.