Emergency alert system channel assignment

• US 8,180,318 B1
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Daly, Brian Kevin, Sennett, DeWayne Allan, Silverman, Alexander E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Nghi
• Application Number:
  US11/841,121
• Time in Patent Office: 1,730 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/435.1, 455/456.1, 370/328, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25758 between a central unit and a single remote unit by means of an optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A mobile device automatically is configured to the emergency alert system (EAS) channel utilized by the cellular site from which the mobile device registers with a network. In an example configuration, an EAS server provides a mobile switching center (MSC) configuration information regarding the emergency alert channels to be used for the cellular sites supported by the MSC. When the mobile device registers via a cellular site supported by the MSC, the designated channel to be used for EAS messages is sent to the mobile device as part of the registration process. The mobile device assigns an internal channel to the designated channel. In another example configuration, the mobile device is preconfigured with a table listing all possible EAS channels, and the MSC provides, during the registration process, a pointer to the appropriate portion of the table.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of a location of a mobile device;

receiving, from the mobile device, an indication of a plurality of available designated channels;

responsive to receiving the indication of the plurality of available designated channels, selecting from the plurality of available designated channels a designated channel associated with the received indication of location; and

providing, to the mobile device, an indication of the selected designated channel for allowing configuration of the mobile device to communicate via the designated channel.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the indication of the selected designated channel comprises a pointer to a table comprising a plurality of potential designated channels.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the indication of location comprises an indication of a cellular site.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated channel comprises an emergency alert system channel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated channel comprises a channel dedicated for a specific purpose.

6. A method comprising:

registering a mobile device with a network, wherein registration comprises;

identifying a location from which the mobile device is registering;

providing, by the mobile device, an indication of a plurality of available designated channels for use by the mobile device;

responsive to providing the indication of the plurality of available designated channels, receiving, by the mobile device, an indication of a selected designated channel associated with the identified location, the selected designated channel being selected from the plurality of available designated channels; and

configuring the mobile device to communicate via the selected designated channel.

7. The method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the indication of the selected designated channel comprises a pointer to a table comprising the plurality of available designated channels.

8. The method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the selected designated channel comprises an emergency alert system channel.

9. The method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the selected designated channel comprises a channel dedicated for a specific purpose.

10. The method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the indicated location comprises an indication of a cellular site.

11. A mobile device comprising:

an input/output portion configured to;

provide registration information for initiating a registration process, wherein the registration process comprises identifying a location of the mobile device; and

provide, by the mobile device, an indication of a plurality of available designated channels for use by the mobile device;

responsive to providing the indication of the plurality of available designated channels, receive, by the mobile device, an indication of a selected designated channel associated with the identified location, the selected designated channel being selected from the plurality of available designated channels; and

a processing portion configure to configure the mobile device to communicate via the selected designated channel.

12. The mobile device in accordance with claim 11, wherein the indication of the selected designated channel comprises a pointer to a table comprising the plurality of potential designated channels.

13. The mobile device in accordance with claim 12, further comprising a memory portion for storing the table.

14. The mobile device in accordance with claim 11, wherein the selected designated channel comprises an emergency alert system channel.

15. The mobile device in accordance with claim 11, wherein the selected designated channel comprises a channel dedicated for a specific purpose.

16. The mobile device in accordance with claim 11, wherein the location comprises a cellular site.