System, method and device for delivering notifications via a communications network

• US 20090181639A1
• Filed: 01/11/2008
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Richard H. Glanton
• Original Assignee: Richard H. Glanton
• Inventors: Glanton, Richard H.
• Application Number:
  US12/008,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20090181639A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• 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 cellular communications device having operational characteristics set by a device user, the device including device executable code for: detecting at least one communication indicative of at least one broadcast emergency alert system-type signal; and effecting a predetermined user perceptible response by the cellular device responsively to the detecting; wherein, the predetermined user perceptible response is exclusively indicative of emergency alert system-type notifications being broadcast independent of the operational characteristics set by the user.

Claims

1. A method for disseminating information indicative of an emergency alert system-type notification using a cellular communications system having a plurality of cellular communication areas, comprising:

providing a plurality of cellular communications devices being operable with the cellular communications system;

receiving, by the cellular communications system, at least one broadcast emergency alert system-type signal including information indicative of an affected characteristic;

identifying at least one of the cellular communication devices corresponding to the affected characteristic indicated by the received emergency alert system-type signal; and

,

transmitting, by the cellular communications system, at least one cellular notification to ones of the cellular communication devices identified as having the affected characteristic;

wherein;

each of the provided cellular communication devices has a substantially same predetermined user perceptible response to receiving the at least one cellular notification, and

the predetermined user perceptible response of each of the provided cellular communications devices is substantially the same as that of another plurality of cellular communications devices being operable with at least one other cellular communications system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined user perceptible response is exclusively indicative of an emergency alert.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one broadcast emergency alert system-type signal further includes information indicative of an affected characteristic comprising an event type;

the cellular notification includes information indicative of the event type indicated by the received emergency alert system-type signal; and

the predetermined user perceptible response of each of the provided plurality of cellular communication devices comprises presenting information indicative of the event type information included in the cellular notification.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined user perceptible response is independent of at least two of:

manufacturer, model, cellular communications system and user set options.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined user perceptible response is independent of manufacturer, model, cellular communications system and user set options.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising adapting the cellular communications devices to have the predetermined user perceptible response independent of user set options.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined user perceptible response comprises a predetermined audible alert.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the audible alert comprises a pulsed tone.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined user perceptible response comprises a predetermined pulsed vibration.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined user perceptible response comprises a predetermined visual indicator.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one broadcast emergency alert system-type signal further includes information indicative of an affected characteristic comprising a particular geographic area, and wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting, by the cellular communications system, at least one cellular notification to ones of the cellular communication devices in the particular geographic area.

12. A cellular communications device having operational characteristics set by a device user, the device comprising device executable code for:

detecting at least one communication indicative of at least one broadcast emergency alert system-type signal; and

effecting a predetermined user perceptible response by the cellular device responsively to the detecting;

wherein, the predetermined user perceptible response is exclusively indicative of emergency alert system-type notifications being broadcast, independent of the operational characteristics set by the user.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the predetermined user perceptible response is independent of at least two of:

manufacturer, model, cellular communications system and user set options.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the predetermined user perceptible response is independent of manufacturer, model, cellular communications system and user set options.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the predetermined user perceptible response comprises a predetermined audible alert.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the audible alert comprises a pulsed tone.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein the predetermined user perceptible response comprises a predetermined pulsed vibration.

18. The device of claim 12, wherein the predetermined user perceptible response comprises a predetermined visual indicator.

19. A system for disseminating information indicative of an emergency notification over at least two cellular systems each having a plurality of cellular communication areas, comprising:

a plurality of mobile communications devices being operable with at least two of the at least two cellular systems;

a receiver for receiving at least one broadcast emergency alert including information indicative of an affected at least one of the cellular communication areas;

a parser that identifies at least one of the cellular communication devices associated with the at least one affected cellular communication area; and

,

a transmitter that transmits, via a current one of the at least two cellular systems in which the identified at least one cellular communication device is resident, a cellular notification in accordance with the at least one broadcast emergency alert for receipt by the identified at least one cellular communication device;

a receiver that receives the cellular notification, and that effectuates an standard response by the at least one cellular communication device to the cellular notification, irrespective of which of the at least one cellular device receives the cellular notification and irrespective of which of the at least two cellular systems is the current one of the at least two cellular systems.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the association of the at least one cellular device with the at least one cellular communications area comprises a residence of the at least one cellular device within the at least one communications area.