METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ALERT MESSAGE RECEPTION

• US 20140273910A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ballantyne, Wayne W., Smith, Dwight R., Vogedes, Jerome, Wu, Jian Jun
• Granted Patent: US 9,226,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A method can include communicating with a base station of a cellular network. The method can include establishing a data connection with an alternate network with internet protocol connectivity, where the alternate network is an alternate to cellular networks. The method can include requesting, over the alternate network, public warning system messages based on a cellular public warning system message protocol, where the requested public warning system messages are identified as public warning system messages sent by the base station.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

registering and communicating with a base station of a cellular network;

establishing a data connection with an alternate network with internet protocol connectivity, where the alternate network is an alternate to cellular networks; and

requesting, over the alternate network, public warning system messages based on a cellular public warning system message protocol, where the requested public warning system messages are identified as public warning system messages corresponding to those sent by the base station.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

switching operation of a user equipment from the cellular network to the alternate network by connecting to an access point of the alternate network and disconnecting from a base station of the cellular network.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

retrieving a cell identifier of the base station before switching operation from the base station to an access point of the alternate network; and

retaining the retrieved cell identifier while attached to the alternate network.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein requesting comprises sending a query over the alternate network for public warning system messages that correspond to the base station, where the query includes a cell identifier of the base station.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the query includes a universal resource locator that includes the cell identifier of the base station.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the query includes a query address including a country code, and a network operator code.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the cellular network, a resource identifier for public warning system messages, where the requested public warning system messages are identified using the resource identifier.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating a resource identifier that identifies the base station, where the requested public warning system messages are identified using the resource identifier.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a public warning system message at a user equipment, where the public warning system message is received based on a cellular public warning system message protocol.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein public warning system messages are identified as messages sent by a government entity authorized to issue public warning system messages.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alternate network comprises a wireless local area network.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein requesting comprises sending multiple queries at a frequency based on a public warning system message recency timer.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a public warning system message corresponding to the base station; and

starting a public warning system message retrieval countdown timer in response to receiving the public warning system message,

wherein requesting comprises requesting, over the alternate network, public warning system messages that correspond to the base station at a first interval while the countdown timer is active and requesting, over the alternate network, public warning system messages that correspond to the base station at a second interval while the countdown timer is inactive.

14. The method according to claim 1,

wherein requesting comprises sending a first query after a first time period after switching from the base station to an access point of the alternate network and sending a second query after a second time period after sending the first query, where the second time period is longer than the first time period.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein requesting includes sending public warning system message threshold settings that filter sent public warning system messages.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing cell identifiers of previous serving base stations along with alternate network identifiers corresponding to the cell identifiers of the previous serving base stations.

17. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

powering down after communicating with the base station of the cellular network; and

powering up and connecting to an access point of the alternate network before connecting to a base station of the cellular network, and

wherein requesting comprises requesting, over the alternate network, public warning system messages that correspond to a stored cell identifier of the base station that is indexed with a stored alternate network identifier of the access point.

18. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, over the cellular network, a cellular network public warning system message;

displaying the cellular network public warning system message;

receiving, over the alternate network, an alternate network public warning system message corresponding to the base station; and

displaying the alternate network public warning system message from the alternate network in an identical manner to displaying the cellular network public warning system message.

32. The method according to claim 1, where requesting comprises registering on a web server to receive the public warning system messages as they become available.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a transceiver configured to communicate with a base station of a cellular network; and

an application processor configured to establish a data connection with an alternate network with internet protocol connectivity, using an alternate transceiver, where the alternate network is an alternate to cellular networks, and configured to request, over the alternate network, public warning system messages based on a cellular public warning system message protocol, where the requested public warning system messages are identified as public warning system messages sent by the base station.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the application processor is configured to retrieve a cell identifier of the base station before switching from the base station to an access point of the alternate network, and configured to retain the retrieved cell identifier while attached to the alternate network.

21. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the application processor is configured to request public warning system messages by sending a query over the alternate network for public warning system messages that correspond to the base station, where the query includes a cell identifier of the base station.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the query includes a universal resource locator that includes the cell identifier of the base station.

23. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the query includes a query address including a country code, and a network operator code.

24. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the application processor is configured to receive, from the cellular network, a resource identifier for public warning system messages, where the requested public warning system messages are identified using the resource identifier.

25. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the application processor is configured to generate a resource identifier that identifies the base station, where the requested public warning system messages are identified using the resource identifier.

26. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the application processor is configured to request public warning system messages by sending multiple queries at a frequency based on a public warning system message recency timer.

27. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the application processor is configured to receive a public warning system message corresponding to the base station, configured to start a public warning system message retrieval countdown timer in response to receiving the public warning system message, and configured to request public warning system messages by requesting, over the alternate network, public warning system messages that correspond to the base station at a first interval while the countdown timer is active and by requesting public warning system messages that correspond to the base station at a second interval while the countdown timer is inactive.

28. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the application processor is configured to request public warning system messages by sending a first query after a first time period after switching from the base station to an access point of the alternate network and sending a second query after a second time period after sending the first query, where the second time period is longer than the first time period.

29. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the application processor is configured to request public warning system messages by sending public warning system message threshold settings that filter sent public warning system messages.

30. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the application processor is configured to store cell identifiers of previous serving base stations along with alternate network identifiers corresponding to the cell identifiers of the previous serving base stations.

31. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the application processor is configured to register on a web server to receive the public warning system messages as they become available.