PROVISION OF AN EMERGENCY ALERT MESSAGE VIA AN INTERNET PROTOCOL MULTIMEDIA BROADCAST

• US 20090286502A1
• Filed: 05/19/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brian Kevin Daly, DeWayne Allan Sennett
• Inventors: Sennett, DeWayne Allan, Daly, Brian Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 8,611,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• 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 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

An emergency alert message in the form of multimedia is distributed via an Internet Protocol multimedia broadcast system utilizing wireless communications networks. In an example embodiment, the IP multimedia broadcast based system includes the Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) and is utilized with Global System for Mobile communications/Universal Mobile Telecommunications System/Long Term Evolution (GSM/UMTS/LTE) networks, the Broadcast and Multicast Services (BCMCS) and is utilized with Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks, or a combination thereof. Multimedia information can include text, maps, graphics, video clips, audio clips, still pictures, and/or images, for example. In an example embodiment, the multimedia emergency alert message is provided along with a link to additional multimedia information related to the emergency alert.

Claims

1. A method for providing a multimedia alert message pertaining to an alert, the method comprising providing the multimedia message via an Internet Protocol cellular broadcast technology.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the multimedia alert message comprises at least one of textual content, graphic content, video content, or audio content.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the multimedia alert message comprises a combination of at least two of textual content, graphic content, video content, or audio content.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising providing the multimedia alert message via a global system for mobile communications/universal mobile telecommunications/long term evolution wireless communications network.

5. The method in accordance with claim 4, further comprising providing the multimedia alert message via a multimedia broadcast multicast service.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising providing the multimedia alert message via a code division multiple access mobile telecommunications wireless communications network.

7. The method in accordance with claim 6, further comprising providing the multimedia alert message via a broadcast and multicast service.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

providing an indication of a location of additional multimedia associated with the alert.

9. The method in accordance with claim 8, wherein:

the indication of the location of the additional multimedia comprises a link to at least one uniform resource locator (URL); and

the additional multimedia is retrievable via the at least one URL.

10. A system for transmitting a multimedia alert message pertaining to an alert, the system comprising a processor configure to transmit the multimedia message via an Internet Protocol cellular broadcast technology.

11. The system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the multimedia alert message comprises at least one of textual content, graphic content, video content, or audio content.

12. The system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the multimedia alert message comprises a combination of at least two of textual content, graphic content, video content, or audio content.

13. The system in accordance with claim 10, the processor further configured to transmit the multimedia alert message via a global system for mobile communications/universal mobile telecommunications/long term evolution wireless communications network.

14. The system in accordance with claim 13, the processor further configured to transmit the multimedia alert message via a multimedia broadcast multicast service.

15. The system in accordance with claim 10, the processor further configured to transmit the multimedia alert message via a code division multiple access mobile telecommunications wireless communications network.

16. The system in accordance with claim 15, the processor further configured to transmit the multimedia alert message via a broadcast and multicast service.

17. The system in accordance with claim 10, the processor further configured to transmit an indication of a location of additional multimedia associated with the alert.

18. The system in accordance with claim 17, wherein:

the indication of the location of the additional multimedia comprises a link to at least one uniform resource locator (URL); and

the additional multimedia is retrievable via the at least one URL.