RECEIVING AN EMERGENCY ALERT MESSAGE VIA A BROADCAST DATA CHANNEL

• US 20130281047A1
• Filed: 04/24/2012
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Daly, Brian K., Sennett, DeWayne A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,173,070 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/59 for emergency or urgency
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/71 Wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/02 Broadcasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• 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

A mobile device may be configured with multiple receivers (e.g., a cellular receiver, a broadcast receiver such as FM, AM, DTV, a satellite receiver, a NWR receiver, etc.). Upon receipt of an emergency alert message via at least one of the receivers, the mobile device, via an application installed on the mobile device, may extract the emergency alert message from a data channel of the broadcast. The mobile device, via the application, may process the extracted emergency alert message to determine if the emergency alert message is to be rendered via the device. And, if the emergency alert message is to be rendered, the mobile device, via the application, may format the extracted emergency alert message to conform to a standard format (e.g., Commercial Mobile Alert System, CMAS, format).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a broadcast via a first receiver of a communications device;

extracting information from a data channel of the received broadcast;

determining that the extracted information comprises emergency information related to an emergency alert message;

determining if the emergency information is to be rendered via the communications device;

when it is determined that the emergency information is not to be rendered via the communications device, monitoring the first receiver;

when it is determined that the emergency information is to be rendered via the communications device;

formatting the emergency information in accordance with a predetermined format; and

rendering the formatted emergency information via the communications device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the communications device comprises a plurality of receivers; and

formatting the emergency information in accordance with the predetermined format provides consistent rendering of emergency information extracted from broadcasts received via the plurality of receivers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined format comprises a commercial mobile alert system format.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

extracting information from a content channel of the received broadcast; and

processing the extracted information from the content channel.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if a second receiver of the communication device is receiving a broadcast comprising emergency alert information.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

when it is determined that a second receiver of the communication device is receiving a broadcast comprising emergency alert information;

selecting one of the first receiver or the second receiver for rendering emergency information extracted from the broadcast received via the selected receiver.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

when it is determined that a second receiver of the communication device is receiving a broadcast comprising emergency alert information;

correlating emergency information extracted from the broadcast received via the first receiver and the broadcast received via the second receiver.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

when it is determined that a second receiver of the communication device is receiving a broadcast comprising emergency alert information;

aggregating emergency information extracted from the broadcast received via the first receiver and the broadcast received via the second receiver.

9. A mobile device comprising:

memory having executable instructions stored thereon; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, the processor configured to execute the executable instruction to perform operations comprising;

receiving a broadcast via a first receiver of the communications device;

extracting information from a data channel of the received broadcast;

determining that the extracted information comprises emergency information related to an emergency alert message;

determining if the emergency information is to be rendered via the communications device;

when it is determined that the emergency information is not to be rendered via the communications device, monitoring the first receiver;

when it is determined that the emergency information is to be rendered via the communications device, formatting the emergency information in accordance with a predetermined format.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein:

the communications device comprises a plurality of receivers; and

formatting the emergency information in accordance with the predetermined format provides consistent rendering of emergency information extracted from broadcasts received via the plurality of receivers.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the predetermined format comprises a commercial mobile alert system format.

12. The device of claim 9, further comprising:

extracting information from a content channel of the received broadcast; and

processing the extracted information from the content channel.

13. The device of claim 9, further comprising determining if a second receiver of the communication device is receiving a broadcast comprising emergency alert information.

14. The device of claim 13, further comprising:

when it is determined that a second receiver of the communication device is receiving a broadcast comprising emergency alert information;

selecting one of the first receiver or the second receiver for rendering emergency information extracted from the broadcast received via the selected receiver.

15. The device of claim 13, further comprising:

when it is determined that a second receiver of the communication device is receiving a broadcast comprising emergency alert information;

correlating emergency information extracted from the broadcast received via the first receiver and the broadcast received via the second receiver.

16. The device of claim 13, further comprising:

when it is determined that a second receiver of the communication device is receiving a broadcast comprising emergency alert information;

aggregating emergency information extracted from the broadcast received via the first receiver and the broadcast received via the second receiver.

17. A tangible computer-readable storage medium having executable instructions stored thereon, the executable instructions, when executed, perform operations comprising:

receiving a broadcast via a first receiver of a communications device;

extracting first information from a content channel of the received broadcast;

processing the extracted first information from the content channel;

extracting second information from a data channel of the received broadcast;

determining that the extracted second information comprises emergency information related to an emergency alert message;

determining if the emergency information is to be rendered via the communications device;

when it is determined that the emergency information is not to be rendered via the communications device, monitoring the first receiver; and

when it is determined that the emergency information is to be rendered via the communications device, formatting the emergency information in accordance with a predetermined format.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein:

the communications device comprises a plurality of receivers; and

formatting the emergency information in accordance with the predetermined format provides consistent rendering of emergency information extracted from broadcasts received via the plurality of receivers.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the predetermined format comprises a commercial mobile alert system format.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising:

determining if a second receiver of the communication device is receiving a broadcast comprising emergency alert information; and

when it is determined that a second receiver of the communication device is receiving a broadcast comprising emergency alert information performing at least one of;

selecting one of the first receiver or the second receiver for rendering emergency information extracted from the broadcast received via the selected receiver;

correlating emergency information extracted from the broadcast received via the first receiver and the broadcast received via the second receiver;

or

aggregating emergency information extracted from the broadcast received via the first receiver and the broadcast received via the second receiver.