METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS

• US 20150147995A1
• Filed: 11/27/2013
• Published: 05/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Bontu, Chandra Sekhar, Periyalwar, Shalini Suresh, Womack, James Earl, Cai, Zhijun
• Granted Patent: US 9,654,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/10 responsive to calamitous events, e.g. tornados or earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/001 Signalling to an emergency team, e.g. firemen
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A method at a mobile device, including receiving, at the mobile device, an emergency alert message from a base station; determining a response is required for the emergency alert message; and sending the response to the base station.

Claims

1. A method at a mobile device comprising:

receiving, at the mobile device, an emergency alert message from a base station;

determining a response is required for the emergency alert message; and

sending the response to the base station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining checks whether a response flag within the emergency alert message indicates the response is required.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining further comprises checking whether event conditions in the emergency alert message are satisfied.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the event conditions include a location area, and wherein the event conditions are satisfied if the mobile device is within the location area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the response includes a location of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting a user prior to the sending the response.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting an emergency beacon from the mobile device if no user interaction is detected after a threshold number of prompts.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the emergency beacon is a narrow band signal on a subcarrier.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the signal tone modulates a unique identifier for the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the mobile device further shuts down all functionality apart from the functionality required for the emergency beacon.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency alert message includes a mapping for an identifier of the mobile device and an uplink resource to use for the response.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifier is a cell radio network temporary identifier for connected mobile devices.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifier is a shortened system architecture evolution temporary mobile station identifier (S-TMSI) for an idle mode mobile device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the response includes an identifier for the mobile device.

15. A mobile device comprising a processor, wherein the mobile device is configured to:

receive an emergency alert message from a base station;

determine a response is required for the emergency alert message; and

send the response to the base station.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the mobile device is configured to determine by checking whether a response flag within the emergency alert message indicates the response is required.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the mobile device is further configured to determine by checking whether event conditions in the emergency alert message are satisfied.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the event conditions include a location area, and wherein the event conditions are satisfied if the mobile device is within the location area.

19. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the response includes a location of the mobile device.

20. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the mobile device is further configured to prompt a user prior to the sending the response.

21. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the mobile device is further configured to transmit an emergency beacon if no user interaction is detected after a threshold number of prompts.

22. The mobile device of claim 21, wherein the emergency beacon is a narrow band signal on a subcarrier.

23. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein the signal tone modulates a unique identifier for the mobile device.

24. The mobile device of claim 21, wherein the mobile device is further configured to shut down all functionality apart from the functionality required for the emergency beacon.

25. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the emergency alert message includes a mapping for an identifier of the mobile device and an uplink resource to use for the response.

26. The mobile device of claim 25, wherein the identifier is a cell radio network temporary identifier for connected mobile devices.

27. The mobile device of claim 25, wherein the identifier is a shortened system architecture evolution temporary mobile station identifier (S-TMSI) for an idle mode mobile device.

28. The mobile device of claim 27, wherein the response includes an identifier for the mobile device.