Alert broadcasting to unconfigured communications devices

• US 20160255487A1
• Filed: 05/09/2016
• Published: 09/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genasys, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kenneth E. Grigg
• Inventors: Abu-Hakima, Suhayya, Grigg, Kenneth E., Guevremont, Vince, Piskorz, Oskar, McFarland, Connie, Christie, Colin
• Granted Patent: US 10,278,049 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1845 broadcast or multicast in a specific location, e.g. geocast protocols for adapting network applications to user terminal location H04L67/52; services specially adapted for wireless communication networks making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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 80/12 Application layer protocols, e.g. WAP [Wireless Application Protocol]

Abstract

Methods and systems for communicating alert messages to target communications devices in a target physical location are disclosed. The target devices may not be preconfigured to be discovered or to receive the alert message. Network sources are queried to identify accessible logical locations, which are associated with physical locations in a database. The logical locations include an intelligent network source which, having received the alert message, detects nearby devices in the target physical location. The system prepares and communicates the alert message to the target device. The intelligent network source may be configured to prepare and communicate the alert message without any intermediate system step of formulating a list of recipients. Auto-discovery and message delivery methods employ protocol packet injection, network and access point spoofing, and Bluetooth signaling. Auto-discovery and unconfigured delivery methods can be used to reveal the presence of devices in an area.

Claims

1. A method performed by a processor and associated computer memory of an alert broadcasting system for preparing and broadcasting an alert message to a plurality of communications device upon receiving notification of an event from an external system, the associated computer memory comprising one or more databases and the method comprising the following steps:

monitoring for notification of an event from the external system configured to report said notification;

storing in the computer memory a specification for each of a plurality of logical locations in association with respective specification of a physical location, one or more said logical locations comprising an intelligent wireless network source accessible to said communications devices at least one of which is a wireless communications device;

preparing the alert message based on the notification of the event;

in response to receiving said notification of an event, referencing the computer memory for location and/or distribution list information associated with the event and using said location and/or distribution information to identify the communications devices;

subsequently retrieving from the computer memory the specification of said one or more logical locations based on the referenced location and/or distribution list information;

wherein identifying the communications devices comprises detecting at the intelligent wireless network source via said retrieved logical locations said wireless communications device wherein said detecting comprises receiving at the intelligent wireless network source a network connection request originating from the wireless communications device and establishing a connection to the wireless communications device at the intelligent wireless network source; and

, communicating the alert message to the communications devices.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the intelligent network source comprises a respective wireless access point (WAP) comprising a corresponding local area network (LAN) WAP or cellular WAP.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the detecting at the intelligent wireless network source the wireless communications device in the physical location comprises, before receiving at the intelligent wireless network source the network connection request originating from the wireless communications device, listening passively at the intelligent wireless network source for network connection requests.

4. The method according to claim 9, wherein the intelligent wireless network source comprises an intelligent wireless access point (WAP), and wherein establishing the connection with the wireless communications device at the intelligent WAP comprises:

creating at the intelligent WAP a temporary isolated network corresponding to the network connection request; and

communicating from the intelligent WAP to the wireless communications device a network connection offering based on the temporary isolated network.