Method and apparatus for transmitting notification messages

• US 8,102,245 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: McCarthy, Mary, Noll, Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US11/457,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20080018452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,020 Days
• Field of Search: 340/286.01, 340/500, 340/506, 340/539.1, 34028605-28607, 340502-505, 709/206, 709/229, 713/201, 713/202, 455/404.1, 379/37
• US Class Current: 340/286.05
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/005 Alarm destination chosen according to a hierarchy of available destinations, e.g. if hospital does not answer send to police station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/003 Signalling to neighbouring houses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

A system can have a storage element that stores contact information for one or more messaging devices of one or more parties associated with an end user, a detection element that detects an emergency call initiated by the end user, and a transmission element that transmits a notice associated with the detected emergency call to at least one among the one or more messaging devices. Additional embodiments are provided.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions for causing a computing device to:

detect an emergency broadcast event directed to a targeted Internet Protocol (IP) service subscribed to by an end user;

identify one or more messaging devices of the end user other than those associated with the targeted IP service;

receive from the end user contact information for one or more messaging devices of one or more parties other than the end user;

receive presence information associated with the one or more messaging devices of the one or more parties, the presence information comprising device activity information indicating a probability of contacting the party using the messaging device;

select at least one of the messaging devices according to the presence information;

transmit a notice associated with the emergency broadcast event to at least one among the one or more messaging devices of the end user; and

transmit the notice to at least one of the selected messaging devices of the one or more parties.

2. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein each messaging device comprises one among a wireline and wireless communication device.

3. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for causing the computing device to:

receive presence information associated with the one or more messaging devices of the end user;

select at least one of the messaging devices according to presence information associated therewith; and

transmit the notice to at least one of the messaging devices selected.

4. The storage medium of claim 3, wherein the presence information is received from a presence system monitoring activities of the end user by way of the one or more messaging devices of the end user.

5. The storage medium of claim 3, wherein the presence information is received from the one or more messaging devices of the end user.

6. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for causing the computing device to transmit the notice using a SMS text message.

7. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the targeted IP service comprises one among voice, video and data packet services.

8. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the emergency broadcast event comprises a broadcast message transmitted by an Emergency Alert System (EAS).

9. A system, comprising a controller to:

store contact information for one or more messaging devices of one or more parties associated with an end user;

detect an emergency call initiated by the end user;

receive presence information associated with the one or more parties, the presence information comprising device activity information indicating a probability of contacting the party using the messaging device;

select at least one of the messaging devices of the one or more parties according to the presence information; and

transmit a notice associated with the detected emergency call to the selected messaging devices of the one or more parties.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the emergency call comprises a network origination call directed to a Public Service Access Point (PSAP).

11. The system of claim 9, wherein each messaging device comprises one among a wireline and wireless communication device.

12. The system of claim 9, comprising a presence element for receiving presence information associated with the one or more messaging devices.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the presence information is received from a presence system monitoring activities of the one or more parties.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the presence information is received from the one or more messaging devices.

15. A method, comprising transmitting an emergency notification message to one or more messaging devices of one or more parties associated with an end user in response to:

detecting one among an emergency call initiated by an end user, and an emergency broadcast event directed to an Internet Protocol (IP) service subscribed to by the end user; and

selecting the one or more messaging devices of the one or more parties according to received presence information associated with the one or more parties, the presence information comprising device activity information indicating a likelihood of the messaging device being used by the party.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising transmitting the emergency notification message to the end user when detecting the emergency broadcast event.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein each messaging device comprises one among a wireline and wireless communication device.

18. The method of claim 15, comprising

receiving presence information associated with the one or more messaging devices.

19. The method of claim 15, comprising providing a recording of the emergency call of the end user when the emergency call is detected as being initiated by the end user.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the targeted IP service comprises one among Voice over IP (VoIP), IPTV, and Internet services, wherein the emergency broadcast event comprises a broadcast message transmitted by an Emergency Alert System (EAS), and wherein the emergency call comprises a network origination call directed to a Public Service Access Point (PSAP).