EMERGENCY ALERT INITIATION VIA A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20090247114A1
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Daly, Brian Devin, Sennett, DeWayne Allan
• Granted Patent: US 8,275,347 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.100
• 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 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• 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

Systems, methods and computer readable media are disclosed for initiating an emergency alert system alert from a mobile device. In addition to the general system, methods and computer readable medium for such initiating of an emergency alert system alert from a mobile device the process may further implement receiving multiple such emergency alert system alert initiation messages and combining them to determine a more accurate location area of the emergency.

Claims

1. A method for broadcasting a message across a mobile network, wherein the mobile network comprises at least one broadcast tower, from a remote device comprising:

receiving a first message indicative of a message to be broadcast, wherein said first message comprises a payload and at least one credential;

rejecting the first message if validating each credential fails; and

sending a second message comprising the payload and an indication that the message should be broadcast to at least one broadcast tower.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message further comprises a first location and a first range, and sending the second message to at least one broadcast tower further comprises:

sending the second message to each broadcast tower within the first range of the first location.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a third message indicative of a message to be broadcast, wherein said third message comprises a second payload and at least one second credential and the range and location of said third message overlaps the range and location of said first message;

rejecting the third message if validating each credential fails; and

sending a fourth message comprising the second payload and an indication that the message should be broadcast to at least one broadcast tower, wherein said broadcast tower did not receive the first message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message further comprises a text message, a voice message, an instant message, and a multi-media message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote device comprises a personal data assistant, a cellular telephone, a computer, and a land-mobile radio.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is received from an electronic sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the third message comprises an emergency alert system message.

17. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

instructions for receiving a second message indicative of a message to be broadcast, wherein said second message comprises a second payload and at least one second credential and the range and location of said second message overlaps the range and location of said first message;

instructions for rejecting the second message if validating each credential fails; and

instructions for sending the payload of the second message to each broadcast tower that the payload of the first message was not sent to.

8. A system for broadcasting a message across a mobile network, wherein the mobile network comprises at least one broadcast tower, from a remote device comprising:

circuitry configured to receive a first message indicative of a message to be broadcast, wherein said first message comprises a payload and at least one credential;

circuitry configured to reject the first message if validating each credential fails; and

circuitry configured to send a second message comprising the payload and an indication that the message should be broadcast to at least one broadcast tower.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first message further comprises a first location and a first range, and the circuitry configured to send a second message comprising an EAS alert message and an indication that the message should be broadcast to at least one broadcast tower further comprises:

circuitry configured to send the second message to each broadcast tower within the first range of the first location.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

circuitry configured to receive a third message indicative of a message to be broadcast, wherein said third message comprises a second payload and at least one second credential and the range and location of said third message overlaps the range and location of said first message;

circuitry configured to reject the third message if validating each credential fails; and

circuitry configured to send the second payload to each broadcast tower that the payload of the first message was not sent to.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein a message comprises a time and a type of emergency, further comprising:

circuitry configured to store the time and a corresponding type of emergency of a message;

circuitry configured to compare the time and type of emergency of the third message against each stored time and corresponding type of emergency; and

circuitry configured to send the payload of the third message to each broadcast tower that the payload of the first message was not sent to if the time of the third message is within a given time period of the time of a stored time and the type of emergency of the third message is the same as the type of emergency that corresponds to that stored time.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the third message comprises an emergency alert system message.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the first message is received from an electronic sensor.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the remote device comprises a personal data assistant, a cellular telephone, a computer, and a land-mobile radio.

15. A computer readable storage medium including computer readable instructions for broadcasting a message across a mobile network, wherein the mobile network comprises at least one broadcast tower, the computer readable storage medium comprising:

instructions for receiving a first message indicative of a message to be broadcast, wherein said first message comprises a payload and at least one credential;

instructions for rejecting the first message if validating each credential fails; and

instructions for sending the payload to at least one broadcast tower.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first message further comprises a first location and a first range, and the instructions for sending the payload to at least one broadcast tower further comprise:

instructions sending the payload to each broadcast tower within the first range of the first location.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the third message comprises an emergency alert system message.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first message is received from an electronic sensor.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the remote device comprises a personal data assistant, a cellular telephone, a computer, and a land-mobile radio.