EMERGENCY MOBILE NOTIFICATION HANDLING

• US 20130109340A1
• Filed: 11/01/2011
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Best Buy Health Incorporated (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GreatCall Incorporated (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Williams, Dean, Merritt, Pat
• Granted Patent: US 8,768,291 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• 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 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

Systems and methods for handling emergency notification messages such as Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) alerts. In one example use, a mobile communications device receives a text-based message, determines that the message is an emergency alert message, and forwards at least some of the content of the message to a computer system. The computer system derives, from the content of the text-based message, data or signals that render at least some of the content of the text-based electronic message into an audio format, and transmits the data or signals to the remote communications device, which then audibly plays the message. Such a system may enable additional persons to receive emergency notifications who otherwise may not receive them, for example, persons with visual impairments, or persons using communications devices that are unable to display text.

Claims

1. A method of handling a text-based message by a communications device, the method comprising:

receiving, by the communications device, a text-based message originating from an emergency alert gateway;

detecting, by the communications device, that the text-based message is an emergency notification message;

forwarding, by the communications device, at least some of the content of the text-based message over an electronic communication link to a computer system that is remote from the location of the communications device;

receiving, by the communications device from the computer system via the electronic communication link, a transmission comprising data or signals that render at least some of the content of the text-based message in an audio format; and

audibly playing, by the communications device, a rendition of at least some of the content of the text-based message, using the data or signals received from the computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein forwarding at least some of the content of the text-based message over the communication link to the computer system comprises forwarding at least some of the content of the text-based message over the electronic communication link to a private response center.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ascertaining, by the communications device, the geographical location of the communications device; and

transmitting an indication of the geographical location of the communications device to the computer system in conjunction with forwarding at least some of the content of the text-based message to the computer system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the text-based message is a short message service (SMS) message or a cell broadcast message.

5. A communications device, comprising:

a transceiver;

a microprocessor; and

a computer readable memory, the computer readable memory holding instructions that, when executed by the microprocessor, cause the communications device to;

receive a text-based message originating from an emergency alert gateway;

detect that the text-based message is an emergency notification message;

forward at least some of the content of the text-based message over an electronic communication link to a computer system that is remote from the location of the communications device;

receive, from the computer system via the electronic communication link, a transmission comprising data or signals that render at least some of the content of the text-based message in an audio format; and

audibly play at least some of the content of the text-based message, using the data or signals received from the computer system.

6. The communications device of claim 5, wherein the communications device is incapable of displaying text.

7. The communications device of claim 5, wherein the instructions, when executed by the microprocessor, further cause the communications device to:

ascertain the geographical location of the communications device; and

transmit an indication of the geographical location of the communications device to the computer system in conjunction with forwarding at least some of the content of the text-based message to the computer system.

8. The communications device of claim 5, wherein the text-based message is a short message service (SMS) message or a cell broadcast message.

9. A method of operating a response center, the method comprising:

receiving a text-based electronic message;

detecting that the text-based electronic message is an emergency alert message originating from an emergency alert gateway;

deriving, from the content of the text-based message, data or signals that render at least some of the content of the text-based electronic message into an audio format; and

transmitting the data or signals to a remote communications device associated with the response center;

wherein the text-based electronic message is received after being forwarded from a particular remote communications device, and wherein transmitting the data or signals to a remote communications device associated with the response center comprises transmitting the data or signals to the particular remote communications device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the text-based electronic message is an emergency notification message that originated as a short message service (SMS) message or a cell broadcast message.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving, from the remote communications device via an electronic communication link, in conjunction with receiving the text-based electronic message, an indication of the geographical location of the communications device.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising identifying one or more remote communications devices other than the particular remote communications device within a geographical area to which the emergency notification message is targeted, and wherein transmitting the data or signals to a remote communications device associated with the response center comprises transmitting the data or signals to the one or more identified remote communications devices.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the identified remote communications devices are identified as being within the geographical area to which the emergency notification message is targeted based on information previously received from the identified remote communications devices.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the data or signals to the remote communications device comprises placing a telephone call to the remote communications device or comprises sending a data file to the remote communications device.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein deriving the data or signals that render at least some of the content of the text-based electronic message into an audio format comprises performing an automated text-to-speech conversion on at least part of the text-based electronic message, or comprises recording a human voice.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein deriving the data or signals that render at least some of the content of the text-based electronic message into an audio format comprises retrieving data or signals stored after a previous conversion of a like or similar text-based message.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein the text-based electronic message is in a first language, and wherein the method further comprises converting at least some of the content of the text-based message into a second language.

20. The method of claim 9, further comprising maintaining in a computerized database a profile containing information relating to a person associated with the remote communications device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the profile indicates that the person prefers to receive messages in a language different than that of the text-based electronic message, and wherein the method further comprises translating at least part of the content of the text-based electronic message into the preferred language.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the profile indicates that the person has a particular medical condition, and wherein the method further comprises prioritizing the transmission to the remote communications device based on the nature of the medical condition.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

prioritizing a transmission of the data or signals to a particular remote communications device based on information contained in either or both of the text-based electronic message and the profile.

24. The method of claim 9, wherein:

receiving a text-based electronic message comprises receiving a first text-based electronic message from a particular remote communications device via a first communication channel and receiving a second text-based message via a second communication channel; and

transmitting the data or signals to the remote communications device associated with the response center comprises transmitting the data or signals to the particular remote communications device via the first communication channel, and also transmitting the data or signals to one or more other remote communications devices from whom no text-based message was received.

11. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

25. A system for operating a response center, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory holding processor instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to;

receive a text-based electronic message, the text-based electronic message being forwarded from a particular remote communications device;

detect that the text-based electronic message is an emergency alert message originating from an emergency alert gateway;

derive, from the content of the text-based message, data or signals that render at least some of the content of the text-based electronic message into an audio format; and

transmit the data or signals to the particular remote communications device associated with the response center.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform an automated text-to-speech conversion on the text-based electronic message to derive the data or signals.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the system to record a human voice to derive the data or signals.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the system to retrieve data or signals previously derived from a same or similar text-based message.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system to maintain in a computerized database a profile containing information relating to a person associated with the remote communications device.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the system receives multiple text-based messages from multiple communications devices and maintains multiple profiles containing information relating to respective persons associated with the multiple communications devices, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the system to prioritize responses to the text-based messages based on information contained in either the text-based messages, the profiles, or both the text-based messages and the profiles.