EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM FOR A PORTABLE DEVICE

• US 20120231757A1
• Filed: 05/17/2012
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sennett, DeWayne Allan, Daly, Brian Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 8,385,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• 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 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• 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 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing alerts to end users of networked enabled portable devices are provided so that the end users are made aware when broadcast emergency alerts are issued. In various embodiments, a portable device is enabled to receive information about an emergency alert broadcast of which the user should be aware, e.g., from the EAS, and to notify the user of the emergency alert. The user can be automatically taken to the emergency alert information by having the portable device automatically tune to the emergency broadcast information, the user can optionally retrieve the emergency information by tuning to the emergency broadcast channel, and/or the user can otherwise be presented with a reference to the emergency data, such as a link to the information.

Claims

1. A communication device, comprising:

a memory that stores computer-executable instructions;

a processor, communicatively coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the computer-executable instructions to at least;

store emergency broadcast information that specifies a broadcast technology supported by the communication device and an emergency broadcast channel associated with the broadcast technology;

retrieve a subset of the emergency broadcast information in response to detection of an emergency indicator bit; and

render a notification, in response to the detection of the emergency indicator bit, that an emergency broadcast is being transmitted, wherein the notification includes the subset of the emergency broadcast information.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to detect the emergency indicator bit on a control channel of a telephony network.

3. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to detect the emergency indicator bit on a data channel.

4. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to detect the emergency indicator bit in a Short Message Service message.

5. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the notification identifies the emergency broadcast channel based on the subset of the emergency broadcast information.

6. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to receive the emergency broadcast over the emergency broadcast channel.

7. The communication device of claim 6, wherein the processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to automatically tune the communication device to the emergency broadcast channel in response to the detection of the emergency indicator bit in accordance with the subset of the emergency broadcast information.

8. The communication device of claim 6, wherein the processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to render a soft key in response to the detection of the emergency indicator bit, and to tune the communication device to the emergency broadcast channel in response to selection of the soft key.

9. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor further facilitates the execution of the computer-executable instructions to update the emergency broadcast information with data from a remote location via over-the-air programming.

10. A method, comprising:

storing, by a communication device including a processor, emergency broadcast information identifying a broadcast technology supported by the communication device and an emergency broadcast channel associated with the broadcast technology;

retrieving, by the communication device, a subset of the emergency broadcast information in response to receiving an emergency indicator bit; and

in response to the receiving the emergency indicator bit, rendering, by the communication device, a notification that emergency information is being broadcast, the notification including the subset of the emergency broadcast information.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving, by the communication device, the emergency indicator bit over a control channel of a telephony network.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving, by the communication device, the emergency indicator bit over a data channel.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving, by the communication device, the emergency indicator bit via a text message.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the rendering includes rendering an identification of the emergency broadcast channel based on the subset of the emergency broadcast information.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising, in response to the receiving the emergency indicator bit, tuning the communication device to the emergency broadcast channel.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the rendering includes rendering a soft key that, in response to activation, tunes the communication device to the emergency broadcast channel.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising updating, by the communication device, the emergency broadcast information using data received via over-the-air programming.

18. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a mobile device including at least one processor to perform operations, the computer-executable instructions comprising instructions for:

storing emergency broadcast information specifying a broadcast technology supported by a mobile device and an emergency broadcast channel associated with the broadcast technology;

in response to receiving an indication that an emergency broadcast is in effect;

requesting a subset of the emergency broadcast information; and

rendering a notification that the emergency broadcast is in effect, the notification including the subset of the emergency broadcast information.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, the computer-executable instructions further comprising instructions for receiving the emergency indicator bit over a control channel of a telephony network.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, the computer-executable instructions further comprising instructions for automatically tuning the mobile device to the emergency broadcast channel in response to receiving the indication that the emergency broadcast is in effect.