Method and apparatus for efficient and deterministic group alerting

• US 10,206,088 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2018
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CRITICAL HOLDINGS, INC.
• Original Assignee: GroupChatter LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Inventors: Dabbs, III, James M., Claise, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhattacharya, Sam
• Application Number:
  US16/114,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20180367976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 169 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041, 455410, 370310, 370349, 370390, 370442, 370445, 3705391
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• 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 84/022 One-way selective calling networks, e.g. wide area paging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for reliable, wireless group messaging or alerting in a system having a database, switch, wireless network, and a plurality of intelligent mobile receivers. A message is broadcast to and received by a selected group of the mobile receivers. The network replies to the sender with detailed information about the individual members in the group. Each of the mobile receivers in the group can acknowledge the group message back to the system such as when the message is received, when the message is read, and a response when sent. The system employs centralized management to provide the sender with response information of the mobile receivers.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting a message from a network client to a plurality of recipients in a wireless communication network, said plurality of recipients sharing a common group identifier, said method comprising:

receiving a communication from the network client, the communication including a request for transmission of the message to recipients associated with the common group identifier;

transmitting a communication to the network client, the communication comprising group information identifying;

(a) a count of those recipients having the common group identifier, or (b) recipient identifiers of those recipients having the common group identifier;

transmitting the message to those recipients having the common group identifier via the wireless network;

receiving acknowledgment responses from respective ones of the recipients having the common group identifier via the wireless network in response to each respective recipient'"'"'s receipt of the message, the acknowledgement responses each comprising recipient identifying information and an indication of successful receipt of the message;

storing, for those recipients having the common group identifier, the respective recipient identifying information for each respective recipient and a corresponding message alert status indicator indicating at least one of (a) receipt of the message by the respective recipient, or (b) that the message has been sent, but not received by the respective recipient; and

providing indications of respective ones of said acknowledgment responses to the network client.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein respective ones of the indications of said acknowledgment responses are provided to the network client responsively to respective notifications that the message has been received by respective recipients.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein respective ones of the indications of said acknowledgment responses are provided to the network client responsively to respective notifications that the message has been displayed by respective recipients.