CLOSE PROXIMITY ALERT MESSAGING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20100210290A1
• Filed: 02/13/2009
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bosch Security Systems Incorporated (Robert Bosch GmbH), Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Bosch Security Systems Incorporated (Robert Bosch GmbH), Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Riley, James W., Markham, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,359,048 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

An alert broadcast method includes wirelessly transmitting a first message from a first cellular communication device to a central transceiver. The first message has a characteristic identifying the first message as an alert message. A location of the first cellular communication device is determined. A plurality of second cellular communication devices that are within a proximity of the first cellular communication device are identified. A second message is transmitted from the central transceiver to the second cellular communication devices. The second message is dependent upon the first message.

Claims

1. An alert broadcast method, comprising the steps of:

wirelessly transmitting a first message from a first cellular communication device to a central transceiver, the first message having a characteristic identifying the first message as an alert message;

determining a location of the first cellular communication device;

identifying a plurality of second cellular communication devices that are within a proximity of the first cellular communication device; and

transmitting a second message from the central transceiver to the second cellular communication devices, the second message being dependent upon the first message.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of using the first cellular communication device to dial a phone number to thereby connect the first cellular communication device to the central transceiver.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the phone number is dedicated to alert messages.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second message is a facsimile of the first message.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein a first subset of the second cellular communication devices are within a first cellular network, and a second subset of the second cellular communication devices are within a second cellular network.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the first cellular communication device is within the first cellular network, the central transceiver comprising a first central transceiver, the second cellular network including a second central transceiver, the second central transceiver relaying the second message from the first central transceiver to the second cellular communication devices within the second cellular network.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of sending location information related to the first cellular communication device from the first network to the second network.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the identifying step is performed in the second network for the second cellular communication devices that are within the second network.

9. An alert broadcast method, comprising the steps of:

using a first cellular communication device to dial a phone number to thereby connect the first cellular communication device to a central transceiver;

wirelessly transmitting a first message from the first cellular communication device to the central transceiver;

determining geographic coordinates of the first cellular communication device;

identifying a plurality of second cellular communication devices that are within a predetermined distance of the first cellular communication device; and

transmitting a second message from the central transceiver to the second cellular communication devices, the second message being dependent upon the first message.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first message has a characteristic identifying the first message as an alert message.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the phone number is dedicated to alert messages.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the second message is a facsimile of the first message.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein a first subset of the second cellular communication devices are within a first cellular network, and a second subset of the second cellular communication devices are within a second cellular network.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the first cellular communication device is within the first cellular network, the central transceiver comprising a first central transceiver, the second cellular network including a second central transceiver, the second central transceiver relaying the second message from the first central transceiver to the second cellular communication devices within the second cellular network.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of sending the geographic coordinates of the first cellular communication device from the first network to the second network.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the identifying step is performed in the second network for the second cellular communication devices that are within the second network.

17. An alert broadcast method, comprising the steps of:

wirelessly broadcasting an alert message from a first Bluetooth-based device, the alert message being broadcast with a Bluetooth broadcast protocol dedicated to alert messages, a user of the first Bluetooth-based device causing the alert message to be broadcast in response to the user sensing a danger;

using at least one second Bluetooth-based device to receive the alert message; and

converting the alert message to at least one of sound and visible text on the at least one second Bluetooth-based device such that a user of the second Bluetooth-based device is alerted by the converted alert message to the danger.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the danger is within a broadcast range of the first Bluetooth-based device.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the user of the first Bluetooth-based device causes the alert message to be broadcast with the Bluetooth broadcast protocol dedicated to alert messages by actuating a switch on the first Bluetooth-based device.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the second Bluetooth-based device, when in a mode in which the user of the second Bluetooth-based device is not notified of incoming non-alert messages, notifies the user of the second Bluetooth-based device of incoming alert messages.