Method and system for providing a warning alert

• US 6,509,833 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2001
• Issued: 01/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Information And Communication Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Tate, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US09/861,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20020171552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539, 340/7.2, 340/7.21, 340/7.46, 340/7.48, 340/531, 340/502, 340/601, 379/69, 379/51, 379/88.23, 379/355, 379/67, 379/76, 379/77, 379/85, 379/88, 379/89, 379/201, 379/265, 379/266, 379/267
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location

Abstract

A method and a system for providing a warning alert to subscribers of a telecommunication system is disclosed. In one aspect, the warning system includes a central switch and a remote switch, each switch coupled to a different plurality of subscribers to be contacted by the emergency notification provider that issues the emergency warning alert. In another aspect, the warning system contains a ringing tones database having different ringing tones corresponding to different emergency conditions, where an appropriate ringing tone is select by the telecommunication system and routed to the subscribers depending on the type emergency for which the emergency notification provider is providing the warning. In another aspect, a method of distributing a warning alert is disclosed in which a warning alert is selected from a number of warning alerts corresponding to a number of different emergency conditions, the telecommunication system receives the warning alert, selects a set of subscribers to which the warning alert is to be distributed, selects a ringing tone appropriate to the warning alert type and routes the ringing tone to the selected subscribers. In another aspect, the above method is disclosed that further includes a method for billing an appropriate government agency or local municipality for the emergency notification service.

Claims

1. A telecommunication-based warning distribution system comprising:

a central switch having a controller and a subscriber database, said subscriber database including information regarding a plurality of subscribers and subscriber characteristic data associated with each subscriber, said central switch coupled to a first plurality of communications devices associated with said plurality of subscribers;

a remote switch coupled to said central switch, said remote switch coupled to a second plurality of communications devices associated with said second plurality of subscribers; and

an emergency notification provider coupled to either of said central switch and said remote switch, said emergency notification provider generating a warning alert for subscribers having a particular subscriber characteristic and transmitting said warning alert to said central switch, said controller selecting a set of subscribers from said subscriber database that match said particular subscriber characteristic and routing said warning alert to said communication devices of said set of selected subscribers;

wherein said subscriber characteristic is an actual, GPS-determined geographic location of said communication devices.

2. A telecommunication-based warning distribution system comprising:

a central switch having a controller and a subscriber database, said subscriber database including information regarding a plurality of subscribers and subscriber characteristic data associated with each subscriber, said central switch coupled to a first plurality of communications devices associated with said plurality of subscribers;

a remote switch coupled to said central switch, said remote switch coupled to a second plurality of communications devices associated with said second plurality of subscribers;

an emergency notification provider coupled to either of said central switch and said remote switch, said emergency notification provider generating a warning alert for subscribers having a particular subscriber characteristic and transmitting said warning alert to said central switch, said controller selecting a set of subscribers from said subscriber database that match said particular subscriber characteristic and routing said warning alert to said communication devices of said set of selected subscribers; and

a base station coupled to a third plurality of mobile communication devices associated with said plurality of subscribers, said controller selecting at least one subscriber from said third plurality of subscribers as matching said particular subscriber characteristic and routing said warning alert to said third plurality of mobile communication devices of said selected subscribers.

4. The telecommunications-based warning system of claim 2 wherein said subscriber characteristic is a particular geographic area and said warning alert is routed to at least one of said third plurality of subscribers having a mobile communications device not generally associated with said particular geographical area.

3. A method of distributing a warning using a telecommunication-based system comprising:

selecting a warning alert from a plurality of warning alerts corresponding to a plurality of emergency conditions, said warning alert including warning type data and subscriber characteristic data;

receiving at a switch said selected warning alert, said switch including;

a controller,

a subscriber database including information regarding a plurality of subscribers and subscriber characteristic data associated with each subscriber,

and a tone database containing a plurality of ringing tones for use with a plurality of communication devices associated with said subscribers;

selecting with said controller a set of subscribers from said subscriber database according to said subscriber characteristic data;

selecting a ringing tone from said tone database corresponding to said warning alert type data; and

routing said selected ringing tone warning alert to said selected subscribers;

wherein said subscriber characteristic is an actual, GPS-determined geographic location of said communication devices.

5. A method of distributing a warning using a telecommunication-based system comprising:

selecting a warning alert from a plurality of warning alerts corresponding to a plurality of emergency conditions, said warning alert including warning type data and subscriber characteristic data;

receiving at a switch said selected warning alert, said switch including;

a controller,

a subscriber database including information regarding a plurality of subscribers and subscriber characteristic data associated with each subscriber,

and a tone database containing a plurality of ringing tones for use with a plurality of communication devices associated with said subscribers;

selecting with said controller a set of subscribers from said subscriber database according to said subscriber characteristic data, said controller selecting at least one subscriber from a third plurality of mobile communication devices coupled to a base station and associated with said plurality of subscribers said third plurality of subscribers as matching said particular subscriber characteristic and routing said warning alert to said third plurality of mobile communication devices of said selected subscribers;

selecting a ringing tone from said tone database corresponding to said warning alert type data; and

routing said selected ringing tone warning alert to said selected subscribers.

6. The method of providing a warning alert of claim 5 wherein said subscriber characteristic is a particular geographic area and said warning alert is routed to at least one of said third plurality of subscribers having a mobile communications device not generally associated with said particular geographical area.