Alert warning method

• US 8,013,733 B1
• Filed: 02/12/2010
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced C Omputer And Communications, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Advanced C Omputer And Communications, Inc.
• Inventors: Vallaire, Darren M
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Phung
• Application Number:
  US12/705,233
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.13, 340/601, 340/825.69, 340/506, 702/3, 455/414.3, 455/505
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/00 Alarm systems in which the alarm condition is signalled from a central station to a plurality of substations
• 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 4/90 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

An emergency alert system and method are disclosed. The invention employs an emergency alert message, which directs end users to take some particular action like evacuating an identified geographic area. The invention further employs a geographic area message, which is based on a particular geographic area within which all persons should receive the emergency alert message. The invention utilizes an emergency alert enabled device that receives both the emergency alert message and the geographic area message. The emergency alert enabled device determines whether it is located within the geographic area of concern, and if so, presents the emergency alert message to the end user.

Claims

1. A method of communicating a geographically targeted emergency alert message, comprising:

a) transmitting an emergency alert message and a geographic area message via the Internet, wherein the geographic area message represents a geographic area of concern;

b) receiving the emergency alert message and the geographic area message by an alert device having the capacity to receive messages via the Internet and to fix its physical location using GPS data;

c) comparing the geographic area of concern to the most recent GPS location of the alert device; and

,

d) presenting the emergency alert message if and only if the alert device is located within the geographic area of concern.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the emergency alert message and the geographic area message further comprises receiving both messages via a wireless Internet signal.

3. A method of communicating a geographically targeted emergency alert message, comprising:

a) selecting or creating a primary emergency alert message;

b) creating a geographic area message representative of a geographic area of concern, wherein the geographic area of concern is based, at least in part, on factors taken from the following group;

the nature of the emergency;

the severity of the threat posed by the emergency;

weather conditions;

geographic jurisdiction of the authority issuing the emergency alert message;

population;

evacuation routes; and

, topography,

c) transmitting the primary emergency alert message and geographic area message;

d) receiving the primary emergency alert message and geographic area message by an emergency alert enabled device;

e) processing the geographic area message to determine whether the emergency alert enabled device is located within the geographic area of concern; and

,

f) presenting the primary emergency alert message to a user if and only if the emergency alert enabled device is located within the geographic area of concern.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the geographic area message represents only the parts of the geographic area of concern that lie within the geographic jurisdiction of the authority issuing the primary emergency alert message.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising sending a secondary alert message to a secondary emergency operations center that has jurisdiction over a part of the geographic area of concern that lies outside the geographic jurisdiction of the authority issuing the primary emergency alert message.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the secondary alert message is sent automatically when the geographic area of concern extends beyond the geographic jurisdiction of the authority issuing the primary emergency alert message.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the geographic area of concern is moving.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of defining a movement pattern for the geographic area of concern wherein the geographic area message includes data reflecting the movement of the geographic area of concern.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the movement pattern may be changed in the event actual conditions warrant.

10. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of considering predicted weather conditions for the geographic area of concern.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of processing the geographic area message to determine whether the emergency alert enabled device is located within the geographic area of concern further comprises:

perfoi ling a cursory check of the location of the emergency alert enabled device to determine if the device is located within a large region that includes the geographic area of concern; and

, if the emergency alert enabled device is found to be within the large region that includes the geographic area of concern, a more accurate location check is performed to determine whether the emergency alert enabled device is within the geographic area of concern.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of processing the geographic area message to determine whether the emergency alert enabled device is located within the geographic area of concern further comprises:

a) determining if the emergency alert enabled device is moving; and

,

b) if the emergency alert enabled device is moving, performing a comparison of the emergency alert enabled device'"'"'s current location against stored geographic area messages to determine whether the emergency alert enabled device has moved into an active geographic area of concern or has moved out of a geographic area of concern.

13. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of informing the user when the emergency alert enabled device is no longer within the geographic area of concern.

14. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of informing the user when an emergency situation has ended.

15. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of processing the geographic area message to determine whether the emergency alert enabled device is located within the geographic area of concern further comprises:

a) determining if the emergency alert enabled device is moving; and

,

b) if the emergency alert enabled device is moving, estimating the emergency alert enabled device'"'"'s projected movement with time; and

,

c) presenting the user with warnings if the emergency alert enabled device approaches an active geographic area of concern.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the warnings become more stern if the user continues to approach an active geographic area of concern.

17. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of informing the user if the geographic area of concern is moving toward the location of the emergency alert enabled device.

18. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of directing the user to evacuate the geographic area of concern.

19. A method of communicating a geographically targeted emergency alert message, comprising:

a) selecting or creating an emergency alert message;

b) creating a geographic area message representative of a geographic area of concern;

c) assigning a unique identifier to the emergency alert message, the geographic area message, or both messages;

d) transmitting the emergency alert message and geographic area message;

e) receiving the emergency alert message and geographic area message by an emergency alert enabled device;

f) processing the geographic area message to determine whether the emergency alert enabled device is located within the geographic area of concern; and

,

g) presenting the emergency alert message to a user if and only if the emergency alert enabled device is located within the geographic area of concern.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the unique identifier is a serial number.