Selective audio visual element public warning

• US 10,692,361 B1
• Filed: 02/27/2019
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2019
• 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: Daly, Brian, White, Peter Bedell, Stewart, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Barakat, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US16/287,786
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/00 Alarms responsive to two or more different undesired or abnormal conditions, e.g. burglary and fire, abnormal temperature and abnormal rate of flow
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/10 responsive to calamitous events, e.g. tornados or earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/00 Alarm systems in which the alarm condition is signalled from a central station to a plurality of substations
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

Internet of thing (IoT) endpoints may be enabled to serve as a limited or wide-area public warning device.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising;

obtaining an indication of an emergency, the indication of the emergency is for a first location and a second location;

determining a respective configuration of each device of a first plurality of internet of things (IoT) devices at the first location and a respective configuration of each device of a second plurality of IoT devices at the second location, wherein the respective configuration of each device of the first plurality of IoT devices and the second plurality of IoT devices comprises an audio configuration or a visual configuration for each device of the first plurality of IoT devices at the first location, wherein the first plurality of IoT devices comprise different types of IoT devices;

determining a type of emergency; and

sending a message with an emergency alert to the first plurality of IoT devices and the second plurality of IoT devices, wherein the message comprises instructions to coordinate audio or visual indicators associated with the emergency alert, based on the type of emergency, in a first way among the first plurality of IoT devices and in a second way among the second plurality of IoT devices, wherein the first way and the second way are different.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the respective configuration of the first plurality of IoT devices further comprises a memory configuration for each device of the first plurality of IoT devices at the first location.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determining of the type of emergency is based on meteorological information.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions to coordinate the audio indicators or the visual indicators comprise a directional pattern.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determining of the type of emergency is based on seismic information.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of IoT devices comprise a light.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a server.

8. A method comprising:

obtaining an indication of an emergency, the indication of the emergency is for a first location and a second location;

determining a respective configuration of each device of a first plurality of internet of things (IoT) devices at the first location and a respective configuration of each device of a second plurality of IoT devices at the second location, wherein the respective configuration of each device of the first plurality of IoT devices and the second plurality of IoT devices comprises an audio configuration or a visual configuration for each device of the first plurality of IoT devices at the first location, wherein the first plurality of IoT devices comprise different types of IoT devices;

determining a type of emergency; and

sending a message with an emergency alert to the first plurality of IoT devices and the second plurality of IoT devices, wherein the message comprises instructions to coordinate audio or visual indicators associated with the emergency alert, based on the type of emergency, in a first way among the first plurality of IoT devices and in a second way among the second plurality of IoT devices, wherein the first way and the second way are different.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the respective configuration of the first plurality of IoT devices further comprises a memory configuration for each device of the first plurality of IoT devices at the first location.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining of the type of emergency is based on meteorological information.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the instructions to coordinate the audio indicators or the visual indicators comprise a directional pattern to a safe location or a directional pattern to a direction of danger.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining of the type of emergency is based on seismic information.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the first plurality of IoT devices comprise a light.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the first plurality of IoT devices comprise a sensor.

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

obtaining an indication of an emergency, the indication of the emergency is for a first location and a second location;

determining a respective configuration of each device of a first plurality of internet of things (IoT) devices at the first location and a respective configuration of each device of a second plurality of IoT devices at the second location, wherein the respective configuration of each device of the first plurality of IoT devices and the second plurality of IoT devices comprises an audio configuration or a visual configuration for each device of the first plurality of IoT devices at the first location, wherein the first plurality of IoT devices comprise different types of IoT devices;

determining a type of emergency; and

sending a message with an emergency alert to the first plurality of IoT devices and the second plurality of IoT devices, wherein the message comprises instructions to coordinate audio or visual indicators associated with the emergency alert, based on the type of emergency, in a first way among the first plurality of IoT devices and in a second way among the second plurality of IoT devices, wherein the first way and the second way are different.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the respective configuration of the first plurality of IoT devices further comprises a memory configuration for each device of the first plurality of IoT devices at the first location.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the determining of the type of emergency is based on meteorological information.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions to coordinate the audio indicators or the visual indicators comprise a directional pattern to a designated exit.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the determining of the type of emergency is based on seismic information.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first plurality of IoT devices comprise a motion sensor.