Configuration of alert messages for emergency alert system broadcast

• US 8,027,659 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility 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): Bost; Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wyche; Myron
• Application Number:
  US11/829,466
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/406, 455/412, 455/415, 455/435.1, 455/456.1, 455/457, 455/463, 455/531
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• 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 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

An Emergency Alert System (EAS) alert message can be provided based on a configuration established by a subscriber of a mobile device as well as a characteristic of the mobile device. The subscriber can interact with an interface provided by the network provider to establish the configuration. Additionally, the mobile device can provide the characteristic such as the location of the mobile device to the network provider. The network provider can use the configuration established by the subscriber and/or the characteristic of the mobile device to determine which alert message to provide to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of establishing a configuration that indicates the type of alert messages to be received by a mobile device generated by an emergency notification system the method comprising:

receiving a credential of the mobile device and authenticating based on the credential to permit access;

displaying a current configuration of alert messages to be received from the emergency notification system, if any, the mobile device is configured to receive corresponding to the received credential;

receiving an updated configuration, wherein the updated configuration modifies the current configuration and indicates at least one alert message the mobile device is configured to receive from the emergency notification system; and

storing the updated configuration.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the current configuration and updated configuration include at least one elected message type indicating the type of alert messages the mobile device is configured to receive from the emergency notification system.

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

synchronizing the updated configuration with the mobile device; and

providing, via wireless broadcast, the broadcasted alert message to the mobile device, wherein the mobile device determines whether the broadcasted alert message corresponds to the elected message type the mobile device is configured to receive.

3. A method for sending an emergency alert to a mobile device configured to receive at least one elected message type from an emergency alert system comprising:

receiving a broadcasted alert message from the emergency alert system;

determining whether the broadcasted alert message corresponds to the at least one elected message type the mobile device is configured to receive; and

providing, via wireless broadcast, the broadcasted alert message to the mobile device if the broadcasted alert message corresponds to the at least one elected message type the mobile device is configured to receive.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the broadcast alert message comprises an Emergency Alert System alert message.

5. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the broadcasted alert message includes a broadcast alert message type.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the broadcast message type and the elected message type includes at least one of the following:

weather, child abduction, government issued, geophysical, meteorological, general emergency and public safety, law enforcement, military, homeland and local/private security, rescue and recovery, fire suppression and rescue, medical and public health, pollution, environmental conditions, public and private transportation, utility, telecommunication, other non-transport infrastructure, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear or Explosive (CBRNE) threat or attack, and system test.

7. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein determining whether the received alert message corresponds to the alert messages the mobile device is configured to receive based on an updated configuration from the mobile device comprises comparing the broadcast alert message type with the elected message type the device is configured to receive.

9. A system for determining alert messages to be received by a mobile device generated by an emergency alert system, the system comprising at least one processor configured to:

receive a characteristic from the mobile device wherein the characteristic indicates a feature of the mobile device;

select at least one alert message based on the received characteristic;

provide, via wireless broadcast, the selected alert message to the mobile device;

receive a configuration from the mobile device, wherein the configuration indicates one or more alert messages the mobile device is configured to receive; and

store the configuration.

10. The system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the at least one alert message comprises an Emergency Alert System alert message.

11. The system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the at least one alert message comprises a message type that includes at least one of the following:

weather, child abduction, government issued, geophysical, meteorological, general emergency and public safety, law enforcement, military, homeland and local/private security, rescue and recovery, fire suppression and rescue, medical and public health, pollution, environmental conditions, public and private transportation, utility, telecommunication, other non-transport infrastructure, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear or Explosive (CBRNE) threat or attack, and system test.

12. The system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the characteristic includes at least one of the following:

location of the mobile device, date, and time.

13. The system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to select the at least one alert message based on the received characteristic and the received configuration.

14. The system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the system comprises:

an alert messages module configured to store the broadcasted alert message;

a configuration module configured to store a configuration, wherein the configuration indicates one or more alert messages the mobile device is adapted to receive;

in operative communication with an alert messages processor component;

a characteristic module adapted to store the characteristic received from the mobile device; and

an alert messages processor component in operative communication with the alert messages module, the configuration module, and the characteristic module, wherein the alert message processor component selects the at least one alert message based on the received characteristic stored in the characteristic module and the configuration stored in the configuration module.

15. A mobile device for determining alert messages to render to a subscriber, the mobile device configured to:

establish a configuration, wherein the configuration indicates one or more alert messages the mobile device is configured to receive from an emergency alert system;

receive a broadcasted alert message from a network provider of the mobile device;

determine whether to render the broadcasted alert message received from the network provider based on the established configuration; and

render the broadcasted alert message if the broadcasted alert message corresponds to the one or more alert message the mobile device is configured to receive based on the configuration.

16. The mobile device in accordance with claim 15, the mobile device further configured to establish a communication session with a network provider of the mobile device.

17. The mobile device in accordance with claim 15, wherein the mobile device is configured to determine whether to render the broadcasted alert message system by comparing the broadcast message type with the alert message types in the configuration.

18. The mobile device in accordance with claim 15, wherein the mobile device further comprises one or more characteristics stored therein.

19. The mobile device in accordance with claim 15, wherein the mobile device is configured to determine whether to render the broadcasted alert message based on the configuration and the characteristics.

20. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the mobile device comprises:

a processor configured to receive the configuration and the broadcasted alert message;

wherein the processor determines whether to render the broadcasted alert message received from the network based on the configuration; and

a user interface in operative communication with the processor, wherein the user interface renders the broadcasted alert message if the broadcasted alert message corresponds to the one or more alert message the mobile device is configured to receive based on the configuration.