Network directed cell broadcasts for emergency alert system

• US 10,165,430 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2016
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Ming, Shen, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Jack K
• Application Number:
  US15/380,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20170099596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 34053911
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing alerts to end users of networked enabled portable devices are provided so that the end users are made aware when broadcast emergency alerts are issued. The systems and methods provide a way for a portable device to receive information about an emergency alert broadcast of which the user should be aware, e.g., from the EAS, and to notify the user of the emergency alert. A flag provides an indication the EAS should be on and the systems and method override the settings made by a user to a portable device to enable EAS reception. The user may then be automatically taken to the emergency alert information by having the portable device automatically tune to the emergency broadcast information, or the user may optionally retrieve the emergency information by tuning to the emergency broadcast channel, or the user may otherwise be presented with a reference to the emergency data (e.g., a link to the information).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

disabling, by a device, broadcast channel monitoring associated with broadcast channels;

with the broadcast channel monitoring disabled, monitoring, by the device, a control channel of the device, wherein the control channel is configured to receive signaling information from a base station of a network to which the device is connected;

receiving, at the device, via the control channel, an indication that an alert is being broadcast on a first broadcast channel of the broadcast channels;

in response to the indication, enabling the broadcast channel monitoring;

tuning to the first broadcast channel; and

receiving, via the first broadcast channel, an emergency alert broadcast.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising after a predefined period of time following receipt of the emergency alert broadcast, disabling the broadcast channel monitoring.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein an indicator bit on the control channel indicates whether the emergency alert broadcast is being broadcast.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the control channel comprises a frequency correction channel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the control channel comprises a synchronization channel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the control channel comprises at least one of a paging channel or an access grant channel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the control channel comprises a random access channel.

8. A device comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions that cause the processor executing the instructions to effectuate operations comprising;

disabling broadcast channel monitoring associated with broadcast channels;

with the broadcast channel monitoring disabled, monitoring a control channel of the device, wherein the control channel is configured to receive signaling information from a base station of a network to which the device is connected;

receiving, via the control channel, an indication that an alert is being broadcast on a first broadcast channel of the broadcast channels;

in response to the indication, enabling the broadcast channel monitoring;

tuning to the first broadcast channel; and

receiving, via the first broadcast channel, the alert.

9. The device of claim 8, the operations further comprising, after a predefined period of time following receipt of the alert, disabling the broadcast channel monitoring.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein an indicator bit on the control channel indicates whether the alert is no longer being broadcast.

11. The device of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

receiving an instruction to disable channel monitoring,

wherein disabling the broadcast channel monitoring is responsive to the instruction.

12. The device of claim 8, the operations further comprising rendering information indicated by the alert.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the rendering comprises at least one of a visual rendering or an auditory rendering.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the rendering comprises a mechanical rendering.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that cause a processor of a device executing the instructions to effectuate operations comprising:

disabling broadcast channel monitoring on the device, the broadcast channel monitoring associated with broadcast channels;

monitoring a control channel of the device, wherein the control channel is configured to receive signaling information from a base station of a network to which the device is connected;

receiving via the control channel, an indication that an alert is being broadcast on a first broadcast channel of the broadcast channels;

in response to the indication, enabling the broadcast channel monitoring;

tuning to the first broadcast channel; and

receiving, via the first broadcast channel, an emergency alert broadcast.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising, after a predefined period of time following receipt of the emergency alert broadcast, disabling the broadcast channel monitoring.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising receiving a value of an indicator bit via the control channel, wherein the value indicates whether the emergency alert broadcast is no longer being broadcast.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising rendering, on the device, information associated with the emergency alert broadcast.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the control channel comprises an access grant channel.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the control channel comprises a paging channel.