US Patent 7519351 Emergency mode operation in a wireless communication network

A wireless communication network 20 operates in an emergency mode 22. In one example, network components enter an emergency mode 24. In another example, mobile stations enter an emergency mode 26. Various disclosed emergency mode features such as having a dedicated emergency channel, using dedicated emergency devices, using mobile stations as repeaters, providing alive user indications and utilizing beacon signals can be combined in different ways to facilitate search and rescue operations, for example.