WI-FI COMMUNICATION OF WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS

• US 20190327787A1
• Filed: 06/14/2019
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2017
• 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: Musgrove, Charles, Sennett, DeWayne, Daly, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 11,116,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A device includes a first network connection for connecting to a wireless local area network, a processor communicatively coupled to the first network connection, and a display communicatively coupled to the processor. The device includes memory storing instructions that cause the processor to effectuate operations. The operations include receiving, via the first network connection, a WEA message comprising an alert and an indication of a geographic area associated with the alert and causing the display to render an alert indication based at least on the WEA message.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at an access point of a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless emergency alert (WEA) message, the WEA message comprising an alert and an indication of a geographic area in which the alert is to be communicated;

comparing, by the access point, an access point location of the access point to the geographic area;

based on the comparing, confirming that the access point location is within the geographic area; and

relaying the alert by the access point to a plurality of devices connected the WLAN via the access point.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein relaying the alert further comprises relaying the indication of the geographic area.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein relaying the alert causes a first device of the plurality of devices to confirm that a device location of the first device is within the geographic area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein relaying the alert comprises using an IEEE 802.11 protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the WEA message at the access point comprises receiving the WEA message via the WLAN.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from an alert system, a second WEA message comprising an indication of a second geographic area;

determining, by the access point, that the access point location is outside of the second geographic area; and

communicating, by the access point, an indication of the access point location to the alert system.

7. A device comprising:

a first network connection for connecting to a wireless local area network (WLAN);

a processor communicatively coupled to the first network connection;

a display communicatively coupled to the processor;

memory storing instructions that cause the processor to effectuate operations, the operations comprising;

receiving, via the first network connection, a wireless emergency alert (WEA) message comprising an alert and an indication of a geographic area associated with the alert; and

causing the display to render an alert indication based at least on the WEA message.

8. The device of claim 7, the operations further comprising determining that a location of the device is within the geographic area, wherein causing the display to render the alert indication is responsive to the location being within the geographic area.

9. The device of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

receiving, via the first network connection, a second WEA message comprising a second alert and an indication of a second geographic area, the second geographic area associated with the second alert;

determining that the location of the device is outside of the second geographic area; and

based on the location being outside the second geographic area, not displaying an indication of the second alert.

10. The device of claim 8, further comprising a second network connection for connecting to a cellular network, the operations further comprising:

receiving, via the second network connection, a second WEA message.

11. The device of claim 10, the operations further comprising:

comparing the alert and the second alert;

based on the comparing, determining that the WEA message and the second WEA message both related to a common event,

wherein the alert indication is further based on the second alert.

12. The device of claim 10, the operations further comprising:

comparing the alert and the second alert;

based on the comparing, determining that the alert and the second alert are the same; and

based on the content of the second WEA message being the same as the content of the WEA message, not displaying an alert indication of the second WEA message.

13. The device of claim 10, the operations further comprising:

comparing the WEA message and the second WEA message;

based on the comparing, determining that an event associated with the WEA message differs from an event associated with the second WEA message; and

causing the display to render an alert indication of the second WEA message.

14. A wireless local area network (WLAN) access point comprising:

a network connection for connecting to an Internet;

a processor communicatively coupled to the network connection;

a plurality of device connections for connecting a plurality of devices to the Internet, the plurality of device connections communicatively coupled to the processor; and

memory storing instructions that cause the processor to effectuate operations, the operations comprising;

receiving, via the network connection, a message and an indication of a geographic area in which the message is to be communicated;

determining that a location of the WLAN access point is located within the geographic area; and

communicating an indication of the message to the plurality of devices via the plurality of device connections.

15. The WLAN access point of claim 14, wherein the plurality of device connections comprise a plurality of access antennas.

16. The WLAN access point of claim 14, wherein communicating the indication of the message further comprises communicating an indication of the geographic area.

17. The WLAN access point of claim 14, wherein the message comprises a wireless emergency alert (WEA).

18. The WLAN access point of claim 14, wherein communicating the indication of the message comprises causing the plurality of devices to display the indication of the message.

19. The WLAN access point of claim 14, wherein receiving the message at the access point comprises receiving a WEA message from an emergency alert server associated with a cellular network provider.

20. The WLAN access point of claim 14, the operations further comprising:

receiving, via the first network connection, a second message and an indication of a second geographic area, the second geographic area associated with the second message;

determining that the location is outside of the second geographic area; and

based on the location being outside of the second geographic area, not communicating an indication of the second message.