Wi-Fi communication of wireless emergency alerts

• US 10,375,758 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2017
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Musgrove, Charles, Sennett, DeWayne, Daly, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Khirodhar, Maharishi V
• Application Number:
  US15/434,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20180235015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A device includes a first network connection for connecting to a wireless local area network, a processor communicatively coupled to the first network connection, and a display communicatively coupled to the processor. The device includes memory storing instructions that cause the processor to effectuate operations. The operations include receiving, via the first network connection, a WEA message comprising an alert and an indication of a geographic area associated with the alert and causing the display to render an alert indication based at least on the WEA message.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at an access point of a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless emergency alert (WEA) message, the WEA message comprising an alert and an indication of a geographic area in which the alert is to be communicated;

comparing, by the access point, an access point location of the access point to the geographic area;

based on the comparing, confirming that the access point location is within the geographic area;

relaying the alert by the access point to a plurality of devices connected with the WLAN via the access point;

receiving a second WEA message comprising an indication of a second geographic area;

determining that the access point location is outside of the second geographic area; and

based on the determining that the access point location is outside of the second geographic area, communicating an indication of the access point location to an alert system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein relaying the alert further comprises relaying the indication of the geographic area.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein relaying the alert causes a first device of the plurality of devices to confirm that a device location of the first device is within the geographic area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein relaying the alert comprises using an IEEE 802.11 protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the WEA message at the access point comprises receiving the WEA message via the WLAN.

6. A wireless local area network (WLAN) access point comprising:

a network connection for connecting to an Internet;

a processor communicatively coupled to the network connection;

a plurality of device connections for connecting a plurality of devices to the Internet, the plurality of device connections communicatively coupled to the processor; and

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

receiving, via the network connection, a message and an indication of a geographic area in which the message is to be communicated, wherein the message comprises a first wireless emergency alert (WEA) message;

determining that a location of the WLAN access point is located within the geographic area;

communicating an indication of the message to a plurality of devices via the plurality of device connections;

receiving from an alert system a second WEA message comprising an indication of a second geographic area;

determining that the location of the WLAN access point is outside of the second geographic area; and

based on the determining that the location of the WLAN access point is outside of the second geographic area, communicating an indication of the location of the WLAN access point to the alert system.

7. The WLAN access point of claim 6, wherein the plurality of device connections comprise a plurality of access antennas.

8. The WLAN access point of claim 6, wherein communicating the indication of the message further comprises communicating an indication of the geographic area.

9. The WLAN access point of claim 6, wherein communicating the indication of the message comprises causing the plurality of devices to display the indication of the message.

10. The WLAN access point of claim 6, wherein receiving the message at the access point comprises receiving the first WEA message from an emergency alert server associated with a cellular network provider.

11. A computer readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions that when executed by a computing device cause said computing device to effectuate operations comprising:

receiving, via the network connection, a message and an indication of a geographic area in which the message is to be communicated, wherein the message comprises a first wireless emergency alert (WEA) message;

determining that a location of the WLAN access point is located within the geographic area;

communicating an indication of the message to the plurality of devices via a plurality of device connections;

receiving from an alert system a second WEA message comprising an indication of a second geographic area;

determining that the location of the WLAN access point is outside of the second geographic area; and

based on the determining that the location of the WLAN access point is outside of the second geographic area, communicating an indication of the location of the WLAN access point to the alert system.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the plurality of device connections comprise a plurality of access antennas.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein communicating the indication of the message further comprises communicating an indication of the geographic area.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein communicating the indication of the message comprises causing the plurality of devices to display the indication of the message.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein receiving the message at the access point comprises receiving the first WEA message from an emergency alert server associated with a cellular network provider.