Systems, methods and computer program products for responding to AMBER alerts

• US 20050101286A1
• Filed: 11/06/2003
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: May, Frank P., Macolly, Henry Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,039,387 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/403
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/205 Broadcasting broadcasting in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00

Abstract

An AMBER alert gateway includes a central telephone number that is configured to receive telephone calls from individuals in response to potential sightings related to AMBER alerts. An interactive voice response system is configured to selectively direct telephone calls that are responsive to a selected AMBER alert to a selected authority who is responsible for the selected AMBER alert. Efficient processing of potential sightings thereby may be provided. Related systems, methods and computer program products also are disclosed.

Claims

1. A mobile workforce communication system comprising:

a mobile workforce dispatch system that is configured to dispatch the mobile workforce to perform tasks;

a plurality of wireless terminals that are carried by the mobile workforce and are configured to communicate with the mobile workforce dispatch system to allow the mobile workforce to respond to dispatches;

the mobile workforce dispatch system being further configured to accept an AMBER alert notification and to broadcast a mobile workforce AMBER alert message that comprises a description of an abductee and an identification of a location of an abduction, to the plurality of wireless terminals in response thereto so that the mobile workforce can be apprised of an AMBER alert; and

an AMBER gateway that is configured to receive a telephone call from a member of the mobile workforce in response to a potential sighting related to an AMBER alert and to direct the telephone call to an authority who is responsible for the AMBER alert.

2. A mobile workforce communication system according to claim 1 wherein the AMBER gateway is configured to receive a telephone call at a central telephone number from a member of the mobile workforce in response to a potential sighting related to an AMBER alert.

3. A mobile workforce communication system according to claim 2 wherein the central number is *AMBER for wireless telephone calls.

4. A mobile workforce communication system according to claim 1 wherein the AMBER gateway is configured to direct the telephone call to an authority who is responsible for the AMBER alert based upon a geographic area of the potential sighting.

5. A mobile workforce communication system according to claim 1 wherein the AMBER gateway is configured to direct the telephone call to an authority who is responsible for the AMBER alert by directing the telephone call to an override telephone number for the AMBER alert.

6. A mobile workforce communication system according to claim 1 wherein the AMBER gateway is further configured to disconnect itself from the telephone call from the member of the mobile workforce after directing the telephone call to the authority who is responsible for the AMBER alert.

7. A mobile workforce communication system according to claim 1 wherein the AMBER gateway comprises an interactive voice response system that is configured to receive the telephone call from the member of the mobile workforce in response to the potential sighting related to the AMBER alert and to direct the telephone call to the authority who is responsible for the AMBER alert.

8. A mobile workforce communication system according to claim 1 wherein the mobile workforce AMBER alert message comprises the entire AMBER alert notification.

9. A mobile workforce communication system according to claim 1 wherein the mobile workforce dispatch system is configured to accept an AMBER alert notification that relates to a governmental jurisdiction and is further configured to broadcast a mobile workforce AMBER alert message only to selected ones of the plurality of wireless terminals that are located in the governmental jurisdiction.

10. A mobile workforce system comprising:

a mobile workforce communication system;

a plurality of wireless terminals that are carried by the mobile workforce and are configured to communicate with the mobile workforce communication system;

the mobile workforce communication system being further configured to accept an AMBER alert notification and to broadcast a mobile workforce AMBER alert message that comprises a description of an abductee and an identification of a location of an abduction, to the plurality of wireless terminals in response thereto so that the mobile workforce can be apprised of an AMBER alert; and

an AMBER gateway that is configured to receive a telephone call from a member of the mobile workforce in response to a potential sighting related to an AMBER alert and to direct the telephone call to an authority who is responsible for the AMBER alert.

11. A mobile workforce system according to claim 10 wherein the AMBER gateway is configured to receive a telephone call at a central telephone number from a member of the mobile workforce in response to a potential sighting related to an AMBER alert.

13. A mobile workforce system according to claim 10 wherein the AMBER gateway is configured to direct the telephone call to an authority who is responsible for the AMBER alert based upon a geographic area of the potential sighting.

14. A mobile workforce system according to claim 10 wherein the AMBER gateway is configured to direct the telephone call to an authority who is responsible for the AMBER alert by directing the telephone call to an override telephone number for the AMBER alert.

15. A mobile workforce communication system according to claim 10 wherein the AMBER gateway is further configured to disconnect itself from the telephone call from the member of the mobile workforce after directing the telephone call to the authority who is responsible for the AMBER alert.

16. A mobile workforce communication system according to claim 10 wherein the AMBER gateway comprises an interactive voice response system that is configured to receive the telephone call from the member of the mobile workforce in response to the potential sighting related to the AMBER alert and to direct the telephone call to the authority who is responsible for the AMBER alert.

12. A mobile workforce system according to claim 111 wherein the central number is *AMBER for wireless telephone calls.

17. An AMBER gateway comprising:

a central telephone number that is configured to receive telephone calls from individuals in response to potential sightings related to AMBER alerts; and

an interactive voice response system that is configured to selectively direct telephone calls that are responsive to a selected AMBER alert to a selected authority who is responsible for the selected AMBER alert.

18. An AMBER gateway according to claim 17 wherein the individuals are members of a mobile workforce.

19. An AMBER gateway according to claim 17 wherein the individuals are members of the general public.

20. An AMBER gateway according to claim 17 wherein the central telephone number is *AMBER for wireless telephone calls.

21. An AMBER gateway according to claim 17 wherein the interactive voice response system is configured to selectively direct telephone calls that are responsive to a selected AMBER alert to a selected authority who is responsible for the selected AMBER alert based upon a geographic area of the potential sighting.

22. An AMBER gateway according to claim 17 wherein the interactive voice response system is configured to selectively direct telephone calls that are responsive to a selected AMBER alert to a selected authority who is responsible for the selected AMBER alert by directing the telephone calls to an override telephone number for the selected AMBER alert.

23. An AMBER gateway according to claim 17 wherein the interactive voice response system is further configured to disconnect itself from a telephone call after directing the telephone call to the selected authority who is responsible for the selected AMBER alert.

24. An AMBER gateway according to claim 17 further comprising a listing of telephone numbers for the authorities who are responsible for AMBER alerts.

25. An AMBER gateway according to claim 24 wherein a respective telephone number in the listing is associated with a respective geographic area.

26. An AMBER gateway according to claim 25 wherein a respective geographic area in the listing is also associated with an override telephone number for an AMBER alert in the respective geographic area.

27. A method of processing potential sightings related to AMBER alerts comprising:

receiving telephone calls from individuals in response to potential sightings related to AMBER alerts at a central telephone number; and

selectively directing telephone calls that are responsive to a selected AMBER alert to a selected authority who is responsible for the selected AMBER alert.

28. A method according to claim 27 wherein the individuals are members of a mobile workforce.

29. A method according to claim 27 wherein the individuals are members of the general public.

30. A method according to claim 27 wherein the central telephone number is *AMBER for wireless telephone calls.

31. A method according to claim 27 wherein selectively directing telephone calls comprises selectively directing telephone calls that are responsive to a selected AMBER alert to a selected authority who is responsible for the selected AMBER alert based upon a geographic area of the potential sighting.

32. A method according to claim 27 wherein selectively directing telephone calls comprises selectively directing telephone calls that are responsive to a selected AMBER alert to a selected authority who is responsible for the selected AMBER alert by directing the telephone calls to an override telephone number for the selected AMBER alert.

33. A method according to claim 27 wherein selectively directing is performed automatically by an interactive voice response system.

34. A method according to claim 27 wherein selectively directing comprises:

selectively directing telephone calls that are responsive to a selected AMBER alert to a default telephone number for a selected authority who is responsible for the selected AMBER alert based upon a geographic area of the potential sighting, absent an override telephone number for the selected AMBER alert; and

selectively directing telephone calls that are responsive to a selected AMBER alert to the override telephone number for the selected authority who is responsible for the selected AMBER alert, in response to the override telephone number for the selected AMBER alert.

35. A method according to claim 27 further comprising:

disconnecting the telephone call from the central telephone number after selectively directing the telephone call.

36. A computer program product that is configured to process potential sightings related to AMBER alerts, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer-readable program code comprising:

computer-readable program code that is configured to receive telephone calls from individuals in response to potential sightings related to AMBER alerts at a central telephone number; and

computer-readable program code that is configured to selectively direct telephone calls that are responsive to a selected AMBER alert to a selected authority who is responsible for the selected AMBER alert.

37. A computer program product according to claim 36 wherein the individuals are members of a mobile workforce.

38. A computer program product according to claim 36 wherein the individuals are members of the general public.

39. A computer program product according to claim 36 wherein the central telephone number is *AMBER for wireless telephone calls.

40. A computer program product according to claim 36 wherein the computer-readable program code that is configured to selectively direct telephone calls comprises computer-readable program code that is configured to selectively direct telephone calls that are responsive to a selected AMBER alert to a selected authority who is responsible for the selected AMBER alert based upon a geographic area of the potential sighting.

41. A computer program product according to claim 36 wherein the computer-readable program code that is configured to selectively direct telephone calls comprises computer-readable program code that is configured to selectively direct telephone calls that are responsive to a selected AMBER alert to a selected authority who is responsible for the selected AMBER alert by directing the telephone calls to an override telephone number for the selected AMBER alert.

42. A computer program product according to claim 36 wherein the computer-readable program code that is configured to selectively direct comprises:

computer-readable program code that is configured to selectively direct telephone calls that are responsive to a selected AMBER alert to a default telephone number for a selected authority who is responsible for the selected AMBER alert based upon a geographic area of the potential sighting, absent an override telephone number for the selected AMBER alert; and

computer-readable program code that is configured to selectively direct telephone calls that are responsive to a selected AMBER alert to the override telephone number for the selected authority who is responsible for the selected AMBER alert, in response to the override telephone number for the selected AMBER alert.

43. A computer program product according to claim 36 further comprising:

computer-readable program code that is configured to disconnect the telephone call from the central telephone number in response to the computer-readable program code that is configured to selectively direct telephone calls.