METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING EMERGENCY ALERTS IN A COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20100216421A1
• Filed: 02/20/2009
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Hsu, Chih-Ping
• Application Number:
  US12/389,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20100216421A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.100
• 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 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing emergency alerts in a communication network. In an aspect, a method includes transmitting an emergency alert message as part of a broadcast message, transmitting a configuration update indicating that the broadcast message is available, and transmitting a paging message, indicating that the configuration update is available. An apparatus includes broadcast logic configured to transmit an emergency alert message as part of a broadcast message, configuration logic configured to transmit a configuration update indicating that the broadcast message is available, and paging logic configured to transmit a paging message indicating that the configuration update is available. In an aspect, an apparatus includes means for receiving a paging message, indicating that a configuration update is available, means for receiving the configuration update indicating that a broadcast message is available, and means for receiving the broadcast message comprising an emergency alert message.

Claims

1. A method for providing an emergency alert in a communication network, the method comprising:

transmitting an emergency alert message as part of a broadcast message;

transmitting a configuration update indicating that the broadcast message is available for reception; and

transmitting a paging message, wherein the paging message indicates that the configuration update is available for reception.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the configuration update to indicate that the broadcast message is available for reception.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said generating comprises generating at least one of a master information block (MIB) and a system information block (SIB) to indicate that the broadcast message is available for reception.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting the configuration update comprises transmitting the configuration update in one or more transmission frames.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting the paging message comprises transmitting the paging message over a paging channel.

6. An apparatus for providing an emergency alert in a communication network, the apparatus comprising:

broadcast logic configured to transmit an emergency alert message as part of a broadcast message;

configuration logic configured to transmit a configuration update indicating that the broadcast message is available for reception; and

paging logic configured to transmit a paging message, wherein the paging message indicates that the configuration update is available for reception.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said configuration logic is configured to generate the configuration update to indicate that the broadcast message is available for reception.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said configuration logic is configured to generate at least one of a master information block (MIB) and a system information block (SIB) to indicate that the broadcast message is available for reception.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said configuration logic is configured to transmit the configuration update in one or more transmission frames.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said paging logic is configured to transmit the paging message over a paging channel.

11. An apparatus for providing an emergency alert in a communication network, the apparatus comprising:

means for transmitting an emergency alert message as part of a broadcast message;

means for transmitting a configuration update indicating that the broadcast message is available for reception; and

means for transmitting a paging message, wherein the paging message indicates that the configuration update is available for reception.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising means for generating the configuration update to indicate that the broadcast message is available for reception.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said means for generating comprises means for generating at least one of a master information block (MIB) and a system information block (SIB) to indicate that the broadcast message is available for reception.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said means for transmitting the configuration update comprises means for transmitting the configuration update in one or more transmission frames.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said means for transmitting the paging message comprises means for transmitting the paging message over a paging channel.

16. A computer program product for providing an emergency alert in a communication network, the computer program product comprising:

a machine-readable medium encoded with codes executable to;

transmit an emergency alert message as part of a broadcast message;

transmit a configuration update indicating that the broadcast message is available for reception; and

transmit a paging message, wherein the paging message indicates that the configuration update is available for reception.

17. A server providing an emergency alert in a communication network, the server comprising:

an antenna;

broadcast logic coupled to the antenna and configured to transmit an emergency alert message as part of a broadcast message;

configuration logic coupled to the antenna and configured to transmit a configuration update indicating that the broadcast message is available for reception; and

paging logic coupled to the antenna and configured to transmit a paging message, wherein the paging message indicates that the configuration update is available for reception.

18. A method for receiving an emergency alert in a communication network, the method comprising:

receiving a paging message, wherein the paging message indicates that a configuration update is available for reception;

receiving the configuration update, wherein the configuration update indicates that a broadcast message is available for reception; and

receiving the broadcast message comprising an emergency alert message.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said receiving comprises receiving the paging message over a paging channel.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein said receiving the configuration update comprises receiving the configuration update in one or more transmission frames.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said receiving the configuration update comprises decoding at least one of a master information block (MIB) and a system information block (SIB) to determine that the broadcast message is available for reception.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising performing an emergency activity in response to the emergency alert message.

23. An apparatus for receiving an emergency alert in a communication network, the apparatus comprising:

transceiver logic configured to receive a paging message, wherein the paging message indicates that a configuration update is available for reception; and

processing logic configured to receive the configuration update, wherein the configuration update indicates that a broadcast message is available for reception, and to receive the broadcast message comprising an emergency alert message.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said transceiver logic is configured to receive the paging message over a paging channel.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said processing logic is configured to receive the configuration update in one or more transmission frames.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said processing logic is configured to decode at least one of a master information block (MIB) and a system information block (SIB) to determine that the broadcast message is available for reception.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising device resources configured to perform an emergency activity in response to the emergency alert message.

28. An apparatus for receiving an emergency alert in a communication network, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a paging message, wherein the paging message indicates that a configuration update is available for reception;

means for receiving the configuration update, wherein the configuration update indicates that a broadcast message is available for reception; and

means for receiving the broadcast message comprising an emergency alert message.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said means for receiving comprises means for receiving the paging message over a paging channel.

30. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said means for receiving the configuration update comprises means for receiving the configuration update in one or more transmission frames.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said means for receiving the configuration update comprises means for decoding at least one of a master information block (MIB) and a system information block (SIB) to determine that the broadcast message is available for reception.

32. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising means for performing an emergency activity in response to the emergency alert message.

33. A computer program product for receiving an emergency alert in a communication network, the computer program product comprising:

a machine-readable medium encoded with codes executable to;

receive a paging message, wherein the paging message indicates that a configuration update is available for reception;

receive the configuration update, wherein the configuration update indicates that a broadcast message is available for reception; and

receive the broadcast message comprising an emergency alert message.

34. A device receiving an emergency alert in a communication network, the device comprising:

an antenna;

transceiver logic coupled to the antenna and configured to receive a paging message, wherein the paging message indicates that a configuration update is available for reception; and

processing logic configured to receive the configuration update, wherein the configuration update indicates that a broadcast message is available for reception, and to receive the broadcast message comprising an emergency alert message.