Mobile alerting network

• US 8,126,480 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2009
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Traffic Network, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Global Alert Network Incorporated
• Inventors: Morrison, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehrpour, Melody
• Application Number:
  US12/566,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20100069093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.6, 455/406, 455/456.3, 455/90, 455/2, 701/201, 701/213, 701/209, 701/211, 701/217, 701/202, 701/117, 701/36, 340/593, 340/13, 340/995.19, 340/909, 340/905, 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 342/357.06, 342/342.12, 375/150
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A Mobile Alert Network service includes identifying an Alert Area related to an Event Location, identifying a group of subscribers in the Alert Area, and broadcasting an Alert Message to the identified subscribers in a push-to-talk-equivalent environment. The Alert Messages can alert the subscribers about the cause of the alert, offer message related choices, and offer event related choices, such as promotion information or offers. The MAN Service may include an Alert Information Service, a Subscriber Selector, and a Broadcast Module to generate an Alert Message. The event related choices may be generated based on campaigns by Promotional Agents. A wrapper can be downloaded to manage Alert Messages, a mailbox, and to update on board applications. An on-board logger can provide a detailed account of the operations of the handset and its user. A Sensor Array can be used to determine the location of users, based on the self-identification information, broadcast by the cell phones.

Claims

1. A Mobile Alerting Network (MAN) central server, including one or more servers, the MAN central server comprising:

an alert information manager, configured to receive alert information from an alert information service and, in response to receiving the alert information, to generate an alert area, the alert area defining a dynamic multi-dimensional area highlighting an event of interest included in the alert information;

a subscriber manager, configured to communicate with a wireless carrier network in the course of an identification of subscribers of a MAN service in the alert area;

a broadcast manager configured to generate a push-to-talk-equivalent alert message based on the event of interest included in the alert information; and

a carrier manager, configured to send the generated push-to-talk-equivalent alert message to the wireless carrier network for transmission to mobile communication devices of the identified subscribers of the MAN service.

2. The MAN central server of claim 1, wherein the alert information comprises information based on a location of the MAN service subscribers.

3. The MAN central server of claim 2, wherein the location based alert information comprises information related to at least one of a traffic event, a sport event, an entertainment event, a commercial event, an educational event and an emergency event.

4. The MAN central server of claim 3, wherein the traffic-event is identified in part based on information or data from at least one of a traffic-camera, a cell phone tower, a roadside sensor, and a traffic helicopter.

5. The MAN central server of claim 1, wherein the alert information is one of a financial, a sport, news, and entertainment information.

6. The MAN central server of claim 1, wherein the identification of the MAN service subscribers is performed by one of the subscriber manager, the wireless carrier, and the combination of the subscriber manager and the wireless carrier.

7. The MAN central server of claim 1, wherein the identification of the MAN service subscribers comprises:

accessing a list of mobile communication devices registered at mobile communication stations in relation to the alert area; and

identifying the MAN service subscribers by cross-referencing the list of the registered devices with a list of devices related to MAN service subscribers.

8. The MAN central server of claim 7, wherein the cross-referencing comprises:

cross-referencing an event zone, related to the alert area, with user zones, selected by MAN service subscribers.

9. The MAN central server of claim 1, wherein the identification of the MAN service subscribers is based on one of a subscriber mobile ID, an International Mobile Equipment Identity number, an IMSI number, a MIN number, and a telephone number of the mobile communication devices.

10. The MAN central server of claim 1, wherein the broadcast manager is configured to generate the alert message comprising:

an information related to the alert information;

an alert message related choice; and

an alert information related choice.

11. The MAN central server of claim 10, wherein

the information related to the alert information is related to a traffic event;

the alert message related choice is a choice to present the alert message in an audio format; and

the alert information related choice is a choice to request a commercial offer related to the alert area.

12. The MAN central server of claim 1, wherein the alert message comprises:

presenting a hot key on a cell phone, the pressing of the hot key being related to requesting a promotional material in relation to the alert area.

13. The MAN central server of claim 12, wherein the pressing of the hot key requests one of:

a multi-media message, an audio message, a video message, a mobile internet based message, a coupon, a bar code, a telephone connection to a vendor and a ticket.

14. The MAN central server of claim 1, comprising:

a promotion agent manager, configured;

to communicate with a promotion agent to receive promotional offers;

to select a promotional offer in relation to the alert area; and

to present the selected promotional offer to the broadcast manager to be offered in the alert message.

15. The MAN central server of claim 1, comprising:

a billing manager, configured to communicate with a billing service in relation to a commercial transaction, requested by a subscriber of the MAN service.

16. The MAN central server of claim 1, wherein the push-to-talk-equivalent alert message comprises one of:

a push-to-talk protocol message; and

a message generated for a mobile communication protocol equivalent to a push-to-talk functionality.

17. The MAN central server of claim 1, wherein the broadcast manager is configured to generate an alert message capable of changing a state of a capability of mobile communication device.

18. The MAN central server of claim 1, wherein one of the alert information manager, the subscriber manager, the broadcast manager and the carrier manager is one of a part of an SMS Aggregator and configured to interact with an SMS Aggregator.

19. The MAN central server of claim 1, wherein a function of one of the alert information manager, the subscriber manager, the broadcast manager and the carrier manager is performed by an SMS Aggregator or in cooperation with an SMS Aggregator.

20. A Mobile Alerting method, the method comprising:

receiving alert information from an alert information service;

generating, based on the alert information, an alert area, the alert area defining a dynamic multi-dimensional area highlighting an event of interest included in the alert information;

generating a push-to-talk-equivalent alert message, comprising;

a message related to the event of interest included in the alert information; and

a promotional offer related to the alert area; and

sending the generated push-to-talk-equivalent alert message to a wireless carrier network for transmission to mobile communication devices in the alert area according to a push-to-talk-equivalent.

21. A Mobile Alerting method of claim 20, the method comprising:

communicating with the wireless carrier network to identify subscribers of the Mobile Alerting service in the alert area; and

sending the generated alert message to the wireless carrier network for transmission to the mobile communication devices of the identified subscribers of the Mobile Alerting service.

22. The Mobile Alerting method of claim 20, wherein the identification of the Mobile Alerting service subscribers is based on one of a subscriber mobile ID, an International Mobile Equipment Identity number, an IMSI number, a MIN number, and telephone number of the mobile communication devices.

23. The Mobile Alerting method of claim 20, wherein the alert information comprises information related to at least one of a traffic event, a sport event, an entertainment event, a commercial event, financial event, an educational event, and an emergency event.

24. The Mobile Alerting method of claim 20, wherein the promotional offer comprises:

a hot key on a cell phone, the pressing of the hot key being capable of requesting a promotional material in relation to the alert area.

25. The Mobile Alerting method of claim 24, wherein the pressing of the hot key requests one of:

a multi-media message, an audio message, a video message, a mobile internet based message, a coupon, a bar code, a telephone connection to a vendor and a ticket.

26. The Mobile Alerting method of claim 20, comprising:

communicating with a promotion agent to receive promotional offers;

selecting a promotional offer in relation to the alert area; and

presenting the selected promotional offer in response to a request by a Mobile Alerting service subscriber.

27. The Mobile Alerting method of claim 20, comprising:

communicating with a billing service in relation to a commercial transaction, requested by a Mobile Alerting service subscriber.