Mobile phone Amber Alert notification system and method

• US 7,228,121 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2003
• Issued: 06/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kennedy, Peter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Deane, Jr.; William J.
• Application Number:
  US10/604,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20040266389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/412.2, 455/414.1, 455/414.3, 455/521
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0202 Child monitoring systems using a transmitter-receiver system carried by the parent and the child
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• 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

Abstract

A text messaging based alert notification and feedback method based on the Amber Alert system used in child abduction situations is disclosed herein. A mobile subscriber receives a public service text message that was broadcast to a large number of mobile subscribers. Law enforcement working in coordination with one or more cellular carriers compose and send out the public service text message containing facts about an exigent circumstance such as a child abduction. If a subscriber possesses information and wishes to reply to the public service text message, his mobile phone automatically generates a reply message to the public service text message. The reply message contains, at a minimum, a header portion that includes a time/date stamp, an identification stamp (e.g., mobile phone number), and if possible a location stamp. The reply message also allows for the inclusion of a data portion. The data portion includes the option of attaching additional text and an audio or video attachment to the reply message. Once the reply message is fully composed it is automatically returned to the sender of the public service text message.

Claims

1. A text messaging based alert notification and feedback method comprising:

in a mobile phone;

receiving a public service text message that was broadcast to a large number of mobile subscribers;

automatically generating a reply message to said public service text message wherein said reply message contains a header portion and a data portion; and

automatically sending said reply message to the sender of the public service text message.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the header portion of the reply message includes a date/time stamp identifying the time when the reply message was sent.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the header portion of the reply message includes the mobile phone number of the mobile phone sending the reply message.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the header portion of the reply message includes a location stamp identifying the location where the reply message was sent.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the data portion of the reply message includes an option of attaching additional text to the reply message.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the data portion of the reply message includes an option of attaching a video attachment to the reply message.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the data portion of the reply message includes an option of attaching an audio attachment to the reply message.

8. A text messaging based alert notification and feedback system comprising:

in a mobile phone;

means for receiving a public service text message that was broadcast to a large number of mobile subscribers;

means for automatically generating a reply message to said public service text message wherein said reply message contains a header portion and a data portion; and

means for automatically sending said reply message to the sender of the public service text message.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the header portion of the reply message includes a date/time stamp identifying the time when the reply message was sent.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the header portion of the reply message includes the mobile phone number of the mobile phone sending the reply message.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the header portion of the reply message includes a location stamp identifying the location where the reply message was sent.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the data portion of the reply message includes an option of attaching additional text to the reply message.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the data portion of the reply message includes an option of attaching a video attachment to the reply message.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the data portion of the reply message includes an option of attaching an audio attachment to the reply message.