Method for Informing Multiple Mobile Terminals of an Emergency Event

• US 20080261554A1
• Filed: 12/23/2004
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Keller, Ralf, Lohmar, Thorsten, Hundscheidt, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 8,792,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/001 Signalling to an emergency team, e.g. firemen
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• 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 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method, devices, a system, and computer programs for informing multiple mobile terminals (UE10-90) of an emergency event are disclosed. The method comprises the steps of receiving (S300) emergency information associated with the emergency event, establishing (S400) an emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer for a delivery of an emergency service associated with the received emergency information, the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer being associated with an emergency priority indicator indicating a higher priority for the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer compared to further communication being not associated with the emergency priority indicator, and delivering (S600) the emergency service via the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer to the multiple mobile terminals (UE10-90).

Claims

1-30. -30. (canceled)

31. Method for informing multiple mobile terminals of an emergency event, the method comprising the steps of

receiving emergency information associated with the emergency event;

establishing an emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer for a delivery of an emergency service associated with the received emergency information, the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer being associated with an emergency priority indicator indicating a higher priority for the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer compared to further communication being not associated with the emergency priority indicator; and

delivering the emergency service via the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer to the multiple mobile terminals.

32. The method according to claim 31, further comprising the step of authenticating an entity from which the emergency information is received and/or an entity requesting the emergency service delivery.

33. The method according to claim 31 or 32, further comprising the steps of selecting the emergency priority indicator from a group of emergency priority indicators each indicating an emergency priority level and associating the selected emergency priority indicator as the emergency priority indicator with the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer.

34. The method according to claim 31 or 32, further comprising the steps of:

analyzing the emergency priority indicator by at least one component of a communication network for the delivering of the emergency service and, as a result of the analysis; and

prioritizing the delivery of the emergency service via the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer over the further communication being not associated with the emergency priority indicator.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the prioritization comprises at least one process from a group consisting of:

interrupting, stopping, and/or decreasing a transmission power and/or a processing power associated with the further communication;

activating and/or increasing a transmission power and/or a processing power associated with the emergency service delivery via the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer; and

changing a scheduling of one or more messages associated with the emergency service delivery compared to a scheduling of one or more messages associated with the further communication such that the one or more messages associated with the emergency service delivery are processed and/or sent at an earlier time compared to the one or more messages associated with the further communication.

36. The method according to claim 31 or 32, wherein the emergency priority indicator is a Quality of Service class allocatable for emergency service delivery.

37. The method according to claim 31 or 32, wherein a Temporary Mobile Group Identity allocatable for emergency service delivery comprises the emergency priority indicator.

38. The method according to claim 31 or 32, further comprising the step of setting of at least one of the multiple mobile terminals to an emergency alert mode for a clearly human-recognizable perception of the delivered emergency service.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein an emergency alert mode activation indicator is sent to the at least one mobile terminal for an activation of the setting to the emergency alert mode.

40. The method according to claim 31 or 32, wherein an emergency alert mode setting instruction is sent to the at least one mobile terminal for instructing the at least one mobile terminal for the setting (S500) to the emergency alert mode.

41. The method according to claim 31 or 32, wherein the emergency priority indicator and the emergency alert mode activation indicator are one indicator.

42. The method according to claim 31 or 32, further comprising the step of allocating the multiple mobile terminals to a group of mobile terminals and to deliver the emergency service to the group via the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer.

43. The method according to claim 31 or 32, wherein the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer is a bearer of a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service.

44. A service center suitable for informing multiple mobile terminals of an emergency event, the service center comprising:

a receiving unit,

a processing unit, and

a transmission unit,

wherein the receiving unit is adapted to receive emergency information associated with the emergency event, the processing unit is adapted to initiate an establishing of an emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer for a delivery of an emergency service associated with the received emergency information, the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer being associated with an emergency priority indicator indicating a higher priority for the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer compared to further communication being not associated with the emergency priority indicator, and the transmission unit is adapted to send the emergency service via the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer to the multiple mobile terminals.

45. The service center according to claim 44, wherein the processing unit is adapted to associate the emergency priority indicator to the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer.

46. The service center according to claim 44 or 45, wherein the processing unit (PUSC) is adapted to perform an authentication of an entity from which the emergency information is received and/or an entity requesting the emergency service delivery.

47. The service center according to claim 44 or 45, wherein the processing unit is adapted to select the emergency priority indicator from a group of emergency priority indicators each indicating an emergency priority level and to associate the selected emergency priority indicator as the emergency priority indicator with the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer.

48. The service center according to claim 44 or 45, wherein the processing unit is adapted to initiate a setting of at least one of the multiple mobile terminals to an emergency alert mode for a clearly human-recognizable perception of the delivered emergency service.

49. The service center according to claim 44 or 45, wherein the mobile terminals are allocated to a group of mobile terminals and the processing unit is adapted to initiate the delivery of the emergency service to the group via the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer.

50. A network component for routing an emergency service associated with emergency information in a communication network, the network component comprising:

a receiving unit;

a processing unit; and

a transmission unit;

wherein the receiving unit is adapted to receive the emergency service via an emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer being associated with an emergency priority indicator indicating a higher priority for the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer compared to further communication being not associated with the emergency priority indicator, the processing unit is adapted to analyze the emergency priority indicator and, as a result of the analysis, to perform a prioritization of the emergency service, and the transmission unit is adapted to send the emergency service via the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer according to the prioritization.

51. The network component according to claim 50, wherein the processing unit is adapted to perform the prioritization comprising at least one process from the group consisting of:

interrupting, stopping, and/or decreasing a transmission power of the transmission unit and/or a processing power of the processing unit associated with the further communication;

activating and/or increasing a transmission power of the transmission unit and/or a processing power of the processing unit associated with the emergency service delivery via the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer; and

changing a scheduling of one or more messages associated with the emergency service delivery compared to a scheduling of one or more messages associated with the further communication such that the one or more messages associated with the emergency service delivery are processed by the processing unit and/or sent by the transmission unit at an earlier time compared to the one or more messages associated with the further communication.

52. A mobile terminal comprising at least:

a receiving unit;

a processing unit; and

an output unit;

wherein the receiving unit is adapted to receive an emergency service associated with emergency information via an emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer being indicated by an emergency priority indicator of being of a higher priority compared to further communication being not associated with the emergency priority indicator, to receive information for a setting of the output unit to an emergency alert mode for a clearly human-recognizable perception of the emergency service, the processing unit is adapted to set the output unit to the emergency alert mode according to the received information for setting and to process the received emergency service to be output by the output unit according to the emergency alert mode, and the output unit is adapted to output the emergency service according to the emergency alert mode.

53. The mobile terminal according to claim 52, wherein the received information for setting the output unit to the emergency alert mode comprises an emergency alert mode activation indicator, the mobile terminal further comprising a storage unit wherein one or more emergency alert mode settings are stored, the processing unit is adapted to retrieve the one or more emergency alert mode settings as indicated by the emergency alert mode activation indicator from the storage unit, and to set the output unit to the emergency alert mode according to the retrieved one or more emergency alert mode settings.

54. The mobile terminal according to claim 52 or 53, wherein the received information for setting the output unit to the emergency alert mode comprises one or more emergency alert mode settings and the processing unit is adapted to set the output unit to the emergency alert mode according to the received one or more emergency alert mode settings.

55. The mobile terminal according to claim 52 or 53, wherein the emergency priority indicator and the emergency alert mode activation indicator are one indicator.

56. A system for informing multiple mobile terminals of an emergency event, the system comprising:

a service center having a receiving unit, a processing unit, and a transmission unit, wherein the receiving unit is adapted to receive emergency information associated with the emergency event, the processing unit is adapted to initiate an establishing of an emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer for a delivery of an emergency service associated with the received emergency information, the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer being associated with an emergency priority indicator indicating a higher priority for the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer compared to further communication being not associated with the emergency priority indicator, and the transmission unit is adapted to send the emergency service via the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer to the multiple mobile terminals.

one or more network components having a receiving unit, a processing unit, and a transmission unit wherein the receiving unit is adapted to receive the emergency service via an emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer being associated with an emergency priority indicator indicating a higher priority for the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer compared to further communication being not associated with the emergency priority indicator, the processing unit is adapted to analyze the emergency priority indicator and, as a result of the analysis, to perform a prioritization of the emergency service, and the transmission unit is adapted to send the emergency service via the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer according to the prioritization; and

multiple mobile terminals adapted to receive the emergency service via the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer.

57. The system according to claims 56 wherein the multiple mobile terminals further comprise a receiving unit, a processing unit and an output unit wherein the receiving unit is adapted to receive an emergency service associated with emergency information via an emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer being indicated by an emergency priority indicator of being of a higher priority compared to further communication being not associated with the emergency priority indicator, to receive information for a setting of the output unit to an emergency alert mode for a clearly human-recognizable perception of the emergency service, the processing unit is adapted to set the output unit to the emergency alert mode according to the received information for setting and to process the received emergency service to be output by the output unit according to the emergency alert mode, and the output unit is adapted to output the emergency service according to the emergency alert mode.

58. A computer program executable by a computer processor and adapted to perform steps of, with respect to a service center:

receiving emergency information associated with the emergency event;

establishing an emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer for a delivery of an emergency service associated with the received emergency information, the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer being associated with an emergency priority indicator indicating a higher priority for the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer compared to further communication being not associated with the emergency priority indicator; and

delivering the emergency service via the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer to the multiple mobile terminals.

59. A computer program executable by a computer processor and adapted to perform steps of, with respect to a network component:

receiving emergency information associated with the emergency event;

establishing an emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer for a delivery of an emergency service associated with the received emergency information, the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer being associated with an emergency priority indicator indicating a higher priority for the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer compared to further communication being not associated with the emergency priority indicator; and

delivering the emergency service via the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer to the multiple mobile terminals.

60. A computer program executable by a computer processor and adapted to perform steps of, with respect to a mobile terminal:

receiving emergency information associated with the emergency event;

establishing an emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer for a delivery of an emergency service associated with the received emergency information, the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer being associated with an emergency priority indicator indicating a higher priority for the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer compared to further communication being not associated with the emergency priority indicator; and

delivering the emergency service via the emergency multimedia capable distribution bearer to the multiple mobile terminals.