System and method for transmitting a warning message via a radio network

• US 8,213,897 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2008
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E*Message Wireless Information Services Deutschland GmbH (Swissphone)
• Original Assignee: E*Message Wireless Information Services Deutschland GmbH (Swissphone)
• Inventors: Hofmann, Carsten
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zewari, Sayed T
• Application Number:
  US12/663,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20100173604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,490 Days
• Field of Search: 4554141- 3, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/521
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/085 using central distribution transmission lines
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/008 with transmission via TV or radio broadcast

Abstract

A system for transmitting a warning message via a radio network has a transmitter (1) and at least one receiver (2). The transmitter (1) has an antenna for transmitting the warning message (14) over the radio network. The warning message (14) transmitted by the transmitter (1) includes parameters (18) of a warning area, a warning reason (15) and warning behavior (16). The receiver has an antenna (3) for receiving the warning message (14) transmitted via the radio network, a decoder (4), a processor (5), a memory (6) in which the location of the receiver (2) by geographic coordinates is stored and a warning output unit (7). In the processor (5) the received warning message (14) is captured and read out by means of a capture algorithm. The warning area is determined from the parameters (18) of the warning message (14) by using a zone algorithm. An analysis logarithm verifies whether the location stored in the receiver (2) is within the warning area, and if this is the case, a warning signal is generated and outputted by the warning output unit (7). The invention also comprises a receiver (2) for receiving a warning message (14) as well as a method for reception in a receiver (2) and a method for transmitting a warning message (14) in a radio network having a transmitter (1) and a receiver (2).

Claims

1. System for transmitting a warning message via a radio network having at least one transmitter and at least one receiver, wherein

the transmitter comprises:

an antenna for transmitting the warning message over the radio network, wherein the warning message includes a first part that includes the type of a warning area and a second part that includes parameters of the warning area, and

the receiver comprises;

an antenna for receiving the warning message,

a decoder,

a processor,

a memory in which the location of the receiver is stored, and a warning output unit,

wherein the received warning message is captured in the processor by means of a capture algorithm and is read out, and an analysis algorithm automatically calculates whether the location stored in the receiver is within the individual warning area, and if this is the case, a warning signal is generated and output by the warning output unit.

2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the warning area is calculated from the parameters by means of a zone algorithm.

3. System according to claim 1, wherein the warning area is an individual warning zone and the parameters comprise the geographic coordinates of a center of the individual warning zone, a code for the shape of the individual warning zone, a dimension, and/or a scale.

4. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the warning message transmitted includes a warning reason and/or warning behavior.

5. System according to claim 3, characterized in that the dimension of the individual warning zone is the diameter of a circular warning region or the edge length of a square warning region, the dimension preferably being weighted with the scale.

6. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the parameters comprise a second dimension when the shape of the warning zone is an ellipse or a rectangle, the dimensions corresponding to the axes of the elliptical warning area or to the edge of the rectangle.

7. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmitter comprises a processor in which the parameters of the warning message are defined by an allocation algorithm, such that the parameters of an individual warning zone are generated by

a) defining a center of the warning zone,

b) defining the shape of the warning zone as an elliptical shape or a rectangular shape,

c) defining a dimension of the warning zone and

d) defining a second dimension of the warning zone.

8. Receiver for receiving a warning message, which is transmitted via a radio network, in particular as a component of a system according to claim 1, having a decoder, a processor and a memory, in which the location of the receiver is stored, and having a warning output unit, characterized in that

the warning message is captured by means of a capture algorithm, and parameters of an individual warning zone are readout of the warning message,

the individual warning zone is optionally determined from the parameters by means of a zone algorithm,

an analysis algorithm verifies whether the location stored in the receiver is within the individual warning zone and

if this is the case, a warning signal is generated and

the warning signal is outputted by means of the warning output unit.

9. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the receiver is individually configurable for its location, and the configuration is performed manually by the user on the basis of predetermined configuration data or automatically by means of a configuration algorithm in the processor, the configuration data being received via the radio network.

10. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the receiver comprises a memory in which warning reasons in coded form and warning behavior in coded form are stored.

11. System according to claim 3, characterized in that the receiver comprises an analysis unit, in which it is recognized by means of an analysis algorithm whether the location stored in geographic coordinates in the memory of the receiver is within the transmitted individual warning zone, the warning zone is described by the parameters, the geographic coordinates of the center, the transmitted dimensions taking into account the scale, and the shape of the warning zone.

12. System according to claim 11, characterized in that by means of an analysis algorithm, the difference between the stored location and the transmitted center of the individual warning zone is calculated, verifying whether the difference is less than half of the dimension of the warning area transmitted with the warning message, taking into account the scale, and if this is the case, determining, whether the location of the receiver is within the warning zone.

19. System according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to determine a checksum of the warning message;

compare the checksum to a checksum transmitted with the warning message; and

discard the warning message if the checksum of the warning message and the checksum transmitted with the warning message do not match.

20. System according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is configurable for association with an installation address.

21. System according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is configurable for association with geographic coordinates and a warning region.

13. Method for receiving a warning message in a receiver of a radio network, the radio network having a transmitter and a receiver,

the receiver including a processor, a decoder, a warning output unit and a memory in which the location of the receiver is stored, comprising:

receiving a warning message including parameters of a warning area;

determining the warning area from the parameters; and

analyzing, using said processor, whether the location of the receiver stored in the memory is in the warning area and if this is the case, outputting a signal using said warning output unit,

wherein said warning message includes a first part and a second part and the type of the warning area is indicated in said first part.

14. Method according to claim 13, wherein determining the warning area form the parameters further comprises:

determining whether the warning area is a defined warning region or an individual warning zone, and

if the warning area is a warning region, determining the warning region from the second part of the warning message, and

if the warning area is an individual warning zone, determining the warning zone from the parameters.

18. Method according to claim 13, comprising:

determining a checksum of the warning message; and

comparing the checksum to a checksum transmitted with the warning message.

15. Method for transmitting a warning message in a radio network having a transmitter and a receiver, characterized by the following steps:

generating a warning message by means of a generation algorithm, the warning message comprising a first part that includes the type of a warning area and a second part that includes parameters of the warning area,

transmitting the warning message from the transmitter over an existing radio network to the receiver.

16. Method according to claim 15, wherein the warning area type is a warning region.

17. Method according to claim 16, wherein the second part comprises two warning regions.