Location determination warning

• US 20070135090A1
• Filed: 12/08/2005
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Wilson, Randall, Martin, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US11/297,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20070135090A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.200
• 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 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for warning telephone and wireless customers of a localized emergency condition such as a tornado. The agency responsible for such notification sends a message to an emergency transmission unit. This unit will then cause a warning to be sent to all cellular stations in a plurality of cells defined by the notification message. A similar warning can be sent to land-based stations in the geographic area defined by these cells. Advantageously, the telephone and wireless customers of the affected area can be warned quickly.

Claims

1. Apparatus for warning telecommunications users in an identified area of an emergency condition, comprising:

an emergency transmission unit for accepting commands to send emergency messages to telecommunications stations in a specified geographic area; and

means, responsive to signals from said emergency transmission unit, for transmitting emergency messages to all telecommunications stations located in the specified area.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a database for storing mobile cell sites of a plurality of mobile stations;

wherein said specified area comprises a plurality of mobile telecommunications cell sites and wherein mobile stations located in said area are found in said database.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein mobile switching centers access said database in order to identify mobile stations currently registered in said cell sites.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said telecommunications stations are land line telecommunications stations served from central offices.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said emergency transmission unit identifies central offices serving said geographic area.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said central offices comprise data for identifying land-based telecommunications stations within said geographic area and wherein said central offices pass said emergency messages to said identified telecommunications stations.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said emergency transmission unit identifies telephone stations found in said geographic area.

8. A method for warning telecommunications users in an identified area of an emergency condition, comprising the steps of:

in an emergency transmission unit, receiving commands to send emergency messages to telecommunications stations in a specified geographic area and generating signals for requesting transmission of emergency messages; and

responsive to receipt of said signals from said emergency transmission unit, transmitting emergency messages to ail telecommunications stations located in the specified area.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

storing mobile cell sites of a plurality of mobile stations in a database; and

finding mobile stations located in said area are in said database;

wherein said specified area comprises a plurality of mobile telecommunications cell sites.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

mobile switching centers accessing said database in order to identify mobile stations currently registered in said cell sites.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said telecommunications stations are land line telecommunications stations served from central offices.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

said emergency transmission unit identifying central offices serving said geographic area.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said central offices comprise data for identifying land-based telecommunications stations within said geographic area, further comprising the step of:

said central offices passing said emergency messages to said identified telecommunications stations.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

said emergency transmission unit identifying land-based telephone stations found in said geographic area.