Determination of EAS delivery

• US 8,010,164 B1
• Filed: 09/15/2006
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sennett, DeWayne Allan, Daly, Brian Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Pérez-Gutiérrez; Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIRK, LAMEKA J
• Application Number:
  US11/532,323
• Time in Patent Office: 1,810 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041-4042, 455/466, 4554141-4143, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency 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 4/14 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]

Abstract

Various options for determining the delivery mechanism to be used for the distribution of emergency alerts, such as Emergency Alert System (EAS) messages, include determining if broadcast technologies are supported. If broadcast technology is supported, alerts are provided in accordance therewith. If broadcast technology is not supported, alert messages are provided, via the Short Message Service (SMS), to geographic locations in which subscribers are located. In accordance with another option, if broadcast technology is not supported, SMS based alert messages are routed to subscribers via a Mobile Switching Center (MSC).

Claims

1. A method for delivering an indication of an alert, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of an alert for a geographic alert area;

determining, via an emergency alert server, cellular sites configured to provide cellular coverage for the alert area;

determining, via the emergency alert server and a cell mapping server, geographic areas within the alert area without cellular coverage;

determining, of the cellular sites configured to provide cellular coverage for the alert area, cellular sites configured to support broadcast technology;

determining broadcast sites configured to provide coverage for the alert area;

determining, of the cellular sites configured to provide cellular coverage for the alert area, cellular sites incapable of supporting broadcast technology;

broadcasting an indication of the alert via the broadcast sites configured to provide coverage for the alert area;

broadcasting an indication of the alert, via a first set of cellular sites configured to;

provide cellular coverage for the alert area; and

supporting a broadcast technology; and

providing a short message service (SMS) based indication of the alert via a second set of cellular sites;

configured to provide cellular coverage for the alert area; and

incapable of supporting broadcast technology.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, for each cellular site of the second set of cellular sites, the method further comprising:

determining if any cellular site of the second set of cellular sites is associated with a registered SMS subscriber wanting to receive an SMS based alert message; and

providing an SMS based alert message indicative of the alert, to each cellular site of the second set of cellular sites that is associated with a registered SMS subscriber wanting to receive an SMS based alert message.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, further comprising:

comparing a list of the cellular sites of the second set of cellular sites with a list of cellular sites that are associated with registered SMS subscribers wanting to receive an SMS based alert message; and

for each match resulting from the comparison, providing to each cellular site correspond to a match, an SMS based alert message indicative of the alert.

4. A method in accordance with claim 2, further comprising maintaining a current location of a registered subscriber.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the indication of the alert comprises at least one of a statically defined geographic area of the alert or a dynamically defined geographic area of the alert.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the indication of the alert comprises at least one of a subscriber ID, a mobile subscriber directory number, and an indication of the geographic area in which the subscriber registered.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the indication of the geographic area in which the subscriber registered comprises an indication of a cell site with which the subscriber registered.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

determining mobile switching centers (MSCs) capable of facilitating cellular coverage for the second set of cellular sites;

determining a cell ID for each determined MSC;

determining, for each determined cell ID, currently registered subscribers in a respective cell ID; and

providing, to each determined currently registered subscriber, an SMS based alert message indicative of the alert.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein at least one of the currently registered subscribers is a roaming subscriber.

10. A method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising, for each determined MSC, searching a database of registered subscribers to determine currently registered subscribers in a respective cell ID.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10, wherein a visitor location register comprises the database.

12. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising broadcasting the indication of the alert in accordance with at least one of:

a cell broadcast, a multimedia broadcast\multicast service, video broadcast, a digital video broadcast.

13. A system for delivering an indication of an alert, the system comprising:

an input/output portion configured to;

receive an indication of an alert for a geographic alert area;

broadcast an indication of the alert, via a first set of cellular sites configured to;

provide cellular coverage for the alert area; and

supporting a broadcast technology;

broadcast an indication of the alert via broadcast sites configured to provide coverage for the alert area;

provide a short message service (SMS) based indication of the alert via a second set of cellular sites;

configured to provide cellular coverage for the alert area; and

incapable of supporting broadcast technology; and

a processor portion configured to;

determine, via an emergency alert server, cellular sites configured to provide cellular coverage for the alert area;

determine, via the emergency alert server and a cell mapping server, geographic areas within the alert area without cellular coverage;

determine, of the cellular sites configured to provide cellular coverage for the alert area, cellular sites configured to support broadcast technology;

determine, of the cellular sites configured to provide cellular coverage for the alert area, cellular sites incapable of supporting broadcast technology; and

determine broadcast sites configured to provide coverage for the alert area.

14. A system in accordance with claim 13, for each cellular site of the second set of cellular sites:

the processor portion further configured to;

determine if any cellular site of the second set of cellular sites is associated with a registered SMS subscriber wanting to receive an SMS based alert message; and

the input/output portion further configured to;

provide an SMS based alert message indicative of the alert, to each cellular site of the second set of cellular sites that is associated with a registered SMS subscriber wanting to receive an SMS based alert message.

15. A system in accordance with claim 14:

the processor portion further configured to;

compare a list of the cellular sites of the second set of cellular sites with a list of cellular sites that are associated with registered SMS subscribers wanting to receive an SMS based alert message; and

the input/output portion further configured to;

for each match resulting from the comparison, provide to each cellular site correspond to a match, an SMS based alert message indicative of the alert.

16. A system in accordance with claim 14, the processor portion further configured to maintain a current location of a registered subscriber.

17. A system in accordance with claim 13, wherein the indication of the alert comprises at lease one of a statically defined geographic area of the alert or a dynamically defined geographic area of the alert.

18. A system in accordance with claim 13, wherein the indication of the alert comprises at least one of a subscriber ID, a mobile subscriber directory number, and an indication of the geographic area in which the subscriber registered.

19. A system in accordance with claim 13:

the processor portion further configured to;

determine mobile switching centers (MSCs) capable of facilitating cellular coverage for the second set of cellular sites;

determine a cell ID for each determined MSC;

determine, for each determined cell ID, currently registered subscribers in a respective cell ID; and

the input/output portion further configured to;

provide, to each determined currently registered subscriber, an SMS based alert message indicative of the alert.

20. A system in accordance with claim 19, wherein at least one of the currently registered subscribers is a roaming subscriber.