RELAY DEVICE, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM

• US 20150373518A1
• Filed: 01/30/2014
• Published: 12/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Europe (Amsterdam) BV (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Europe Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: DIFRANCESCO, Renaud
• Granted Patent: US 9,888,370 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15592 Adapting at the relay station communication parameters for supporting cooperative relaying, i.e. transmission of the same data via direct - and relayed path cooperative diversity H04B7/024
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/02 Arrangements for relaying broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/59 for emergency or urgency
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/37 via a different channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/88 which are wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• 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

A relay device operable to relay emergency information to a plurality of mobile terminals. The device includes: a receiver configured in use to receive a broadcast signal, the broadcast signal being in a first format and containing the emergency information; a transmitter configured in use to connect to the plurality of mobile terminals using a communication channel; and a processor configured in use to provide the emergency information received in the broadcast signal to the plurality of mobile terminals in a second format using the transmitter, wherein the second format is different to the first format.

Claims

1. A relay device configured to relay emergency information to a plurality of mobile terminals, the device comprising:

a receiver configured in use to receive a broadcast signal, the broadcast signal being in a first format and containing the emergency information;

a transmitter configured in use to connect to the plurality of mobile terminals using a communication channel; and

a processor configured in use to provide the emergency information received in the broadcast signal to the plurality of mobile terminals in a second format using the transmitter, wherein the second format is different to the first format.

2. A relay device according to claim 1, wherein the communication channel is unencrypted.

3. The relay device according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to receive an emergency flag carried in the broadcast signal, whereby in response to the emergency flag, the transmitter is configured to broadcast a predetermined identifier, carried in the broadcast signal, which identifies the relay device to the plurality of mobile terminals.

4. The relay device according to claim 1, wherein the emergency information contains the text of a webpage to be displayed on the plurality of mobile terminals, and the processor is configured to convert the received text into the webpage to be displayed on the plurality of mobile terminals.

5. The relay device according to claim 4, wherein the receiver is configured to receive a feedback flag located in the broadcast signal, whereby in response to the feedback flag, the processor is configured to include a feedback element within the webpage.

6. The relay device according to claim 1, further comprising a network connection operable to connect the relay device to a network, wherein the emergency information contains a unique resource identifier of the webpage to be displayed to the plurality of mobile terminals and the network connection is operable to provide the webpage at the unique resource identifier to the plurality of mobile terminals.

7. A mobile terminal comprising:

a first receiver configured to connect to the relay device of claim 1 over the communication channel and to receive the emergency information in the second format.

8. The mobile terminal of claim 7, further comprising a second receiver operable to connect to a cellular network, wherein prior to connection of the first receiver to the relay device, the second receiver is operable to receive a message over the cellular network, the message being sent using Short Message Service—

Cell Broadcast.

9. A relay device according to claim 1 configured in use to connect to a mobile terminal via WiFi.

10. A method of relaying emergency information to a plurality of mobile terminals, the method comprising:

receiving a broadcast signal, the broadcast signal being in a first format and containing the emergency information;

connecting to the plurality of mobile terminals using a communication channel; and

providing the emergency information received in the broadcast signal to the plurality of mobile terminals in a second format using the transmitter, wherein the second format is different to the first format.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the communication channel is unencrypted.

12. The method according to claim 10, comprising receiving an emergency flag carried in the broadcast signal, whereby in response to the emergency flag, the method comprises broadcasting a predetermined identifier, carried in the broadcast signal, which identifies the relay device to the plurality of mobile terminals.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the emergency information contains the text of a webpage to be displayed on the plurality of mobile terminals, and the method comprises converting the received text into the webpage to be displayed on the plurality of mobile terminals.

14. The method according to claim 13, comprising receiving a feedback flag located in the broadcast signal, whereby in response to the feedback flag, the method comprises including a feedback element within the webpage.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising connecting the relay device to a network, wherein the emergency information contains a unique resource identifier of the webpage to be displayed to the plurality of mobile terminals and providing the webpage at the unique resource identifier to the plurality of mobile terminals.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer program instructions, which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform the method of claim 10.

16-18. -18. (canceled)