Method and system of managing emergency alarms in a wireless communications system

• US 20070201391A1
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Wiatrowski, David G., Belmonte, John P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,805,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72424 with manual activation of emergency-service functions
• 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

Abstract

A system for managing emergency alarm messages in a wireless communications system is disclosed. A first subscriber is assigned an emergency alarm responder role to send an acknowledgement message and present information from a received emergency alarm message to a user of the first subscriber, when the first subscriber receives the emergency alarm message. A second subscriber is assigned an emergency alarm monitor role to present information from the received emergency alarm message to a user of the second subscriber.

Claims

1. A system for managing emergency alarm messages in a wireless communications system comprising a plurality of subscribers, the system comprising:

a first subscriber wherein the first subscriber is assigned an emergency alarm responder role wherein the first subscriber in response to a received emergency alarm message a) sends an acknowledgement message and b) presents information from the received emergency alarm message to a user of the first subscriber; and

a second subscriber wherein the second subscriber is assigned an emergency alarm monitor role wherein the second subscriber in response to a received emergency alarm message presents information from the received emergency alarm message to a user of the second subscriber.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the emergency alarm message comprises at least one of a sequence number, a source address, a responder level, a retry number, and a group address.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein a third subscriber sends the received emergency alarm message further comprising a sequence number and wherein the sequence number is not cleared upon a power cycle of the third subscriber.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless communications system does not comprise supporting equipment.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the information is presented if the received emergency alarm message is not a duplicate.

6. A method of managing emergency alarm messages in a wireless communications system comprising a plurality of subscribers, the method comprising the steps of:

at a first subscriber assigned an emergency responder role;

receiving an emergency alarm message from a second subscriber in the wireless communications system; and

sending an acknowledgement message to the second subscriber.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of sending further comprises waiting a random launch time before sending an acknowledgment.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising presenting information to a user of the first subscriber relating to the received emergency alarm message.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the information comprises at least one of source address of the emergency alarm message, a sequence number, an EM responder level, a group address, and a retry number.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein information is presented if the received EM message is not a duplicate.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the information is at least one of a) displayed to a user of the first subscriber and b) audibly indicated to a user of the first subscriber.

12. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

at a third subscriber assigned an emergency alarm monitor;

receiving an emergency alarm message from a second subscriber in the wireless communications system;

not sending an acknowledgement message to the second subscriber; and

presenting information to a user of the first subscriber relating to the received emergency alarm message.

13. A method of managing emergency alarm messages in a wireless communications system comprising a plurality of subscribers, the method comprising the steps of:

at a first subscriber in the wireless communications system;

sending an emergency alarm message to each of the other subscribers in the wireless communications system; and

receiving an acknowledgement message from a second subscriber of the each of the other subscribers wherein the second subscriber is assigned an emergency alarm responder role.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the emergency alarm message indicates a sequence number so that each of the other subscribers may identify duplicate emergency alarm messages.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the first subscriber does not clear a sequence number upon a power cycle.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising resending an emergency alarm message wherein the emergency alarm message indicates an emergency responder level for a subscriber of the each of the other subscribers, if an acknowledgement message is not received.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of resending is performed a number of times for each emergency responder level wherein a retry number is specified in the emergency alarm message.

18. A method of managing emergency alarm messages in a wireless communications system comprising a plurality of subscribers, the method comprising the steps of:

at a first subscriber assigned an emergency monitor role;

receiving an emergency alarm message from a second subscriber in the wireless communications system wherein the wireless communications system is without supporting equipment; and

presenting information to a user of the first subscriber relating to the received emergency alarm message, if the received emergency alarm message is not a duplicate.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the information is at least one of a) displayed to a user of the first subscriber and b) audibly indicated to a user of the first subscriber.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein an audible indicator is stopped when the user clears the received emergency alarm message from a display of the first subscriber.