Emergency notification system for a portable device

• US 8,204,525 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2010
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless 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): Prez-Gutirrez, Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): AREVALO, JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US12/903,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20110028121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/404.2, 455/456.3, 455/412.1, 455/179.1, 455/152.1, 455/150.1, 455/404.1, 370/532
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• 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

Systems and methods for providing alerts to end users of networked enabled portable devices are provided so that the end users are made aware when broadcast emergency alerts are issued. In various embodiments, a portable device is enabled to receive information about an emergency alert broadcast of which the user should be aware, e.g., from the EAS, and to notify the user of the emergency alert. The user can be automatically taken to the emergency alert information by having the portable device automatically tune to the emergency broadcast information, the user can optionally retrieve the emergency information by tuning to the emergency broadcast channel, and/or the user can otherwise be presented with a reference to the emergency data, such as a link to the information.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

storing emergency broadcast information on a portable device, including storing at least one broadcast technology that is supported by the portable device and at least one emergency broadcast channel associated with the at least one broadcast technology;

updating the emergency broadcast information with data from a network-based emergency broadcast information data store via over-the-air programming;

receiving an emergency alert indicator bit on a control channel of a telephony network with which the portable device communicates, the emergency alert indicator bit indicative of an occurrence of an emergency broadcast at the portable device;

determining a relevance of the emergency broadcast; and

in response to determining that the emergency broadcast is relevant as a function of the relevance;

rendering a notification via the portable device of the occurrence of the emergency broadcast, the notification including the at least a subset of the emergency broadcast information; and

automatically tuning the portable device to an emergency broadcast channel identified by the emergency broadcast information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the emergency alert indicator bit comprises receiving a text message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendering the notification comprises rendering the notification via visible feedback.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising rendering the emergency broadcast via the portable device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendering the notification comprises rendering the notification via auditory feedback.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendering the notification comprises rendering the notification via mechanical feedback.

7. A portable device comprising:

a storage component configured to store emergency broadcast information comprising broadcast technologies that are supported by the portable device and emergency broadcast channels respectively associated with the broadcast technologies, and to update the emergency broadcast information with data from a remote location via over-the-air programming;

a telephony processor configured to receive an emergency indicator bit indicative of an occurrence of an emergency broadcast on a control channel of a wireless network, and to determine a relevance of the emergency broadcast in response to receipt of the emergency indicator bit;

an interface configured to render a notification of the occurrence of the emergency broadcast in response to a determination by the telephony processor that the emergency broadcast is relevant based on the relevance, the notification incorporating a subset of the emergency broadcast information; and

a broadcast processor configured to automatically tune to the emergency broadcast in response to the determination by the telephony processor that the emergency broadcast is relevant.

8. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the interface is configured to render the notification via a display on the portable device.

9. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the storage component is configured to store a record of the occurrence of the emergency broadcast.

10. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the interface is configured to render the notification via one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on the portable device.

11. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the interface is configured to render the notification via auditory feedback.

12. The portable device of claim 7, wherein the interface is configured to render the notification via mechanical feedback.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a computer system to perform operations, including:

storing emergency broadcast information on a network-enabled portable device, including storing broadcast technologies supported by the portable device and emergency broadcast channels associated with the respective broadcast technologies;

updating the emergency broadcast information with data received via over-the-air programming;

receiving information indicative of an occurrence of an emergency broadcast at the portable device via a wireless network including receiving the information as an indicator bit on a control channel of the wireless network;

determining a relevance of the emergency broadcast; and

in response to the relevance indicating that the emergency broadcast is relevant;

providing a notification via the portable device of the occurrence of the emergency broadcast, the notification including a subset of the emergency broadcast information; and

tuning the portable device to an emergency broadcast channel indicated by the emergency broadcast information in response to the receiving the information.