Emergency alert initiation via a mobile device

• US 8,275,347 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility 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): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lau, Yungsang
• Application Number:
  US12/059,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20090247114A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,639 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/466
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• 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 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• 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 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer readable media are disclosed for initiating an emergency alert system alert from a mobile device. In addition to the general system, methods and computer readable medium for such initiating of an emergency alert system alert from a mobile device the process may further implement receiving multiple such emergency alert system alert initiation messages and combining them to determine a more accurate location area of the emergency.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by equipment at an emergency operations center, a first message indicative of an emergency alert broadcast message to be broadcast, wherein said first message comprises a payload, a first location, a first range, and at least one credential;

rejecting the first message when validating each credential fails; and

when validating each credential is successful, sending, from equipment at the emergency operations center, a second message comprising the payload and an indication that the emergency alert broadcast message should be broadcast to at least one broadcast tower within the first range of the first location;

receiving a third message indicative of a second emergency alert broadcast message to be broadcast, wherein said third message comprises a second payload and at least one second credential and the range and location of said third message overlaps the range and location of said first message;

rejecting the third message if validating each credential fails; and

sending a fourth message comprising the second payload and an indication that the second emergency alert broadcast message should be broadcast to at least one broadcast tower, wherein said broadcast tower did not receive the first message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message further comprises a text message, a voice message, an instant message, and a multi-media message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first message is sent from a mobile device; and

the mobile device comprises at least one of a personal data assistant, a cellular telephone, a computer, or a land-mobile radio.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is received from an electronic sensor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises an emergency alert system message.

6. A system comprising:

circuitry, at an emergency operations center, configured to receive a first message indicative of an emergency alert broadcast message to be broadcast, wherein said first message comprises a payload and at least one credential;

circuitry, at the emergency operations center, configured to reject the first message when validating each credential fails; and

circuitry, at the emergency operations center, configured to send, when validating each credential is successful, a second message comprising the payload and an indication that the emergency alert broadcast message should be broadcast to at least one broadcast tower within the first range of the first location;

circuitry configured to receive a third message indicative of a second emergency alert broadcast message to be broadcast, wherein said third message comprises a second payload and at least one second credential and the range and location of said third message overlaps the range and location of said first message;

circuitry configured to reject the third message if validating each credential fails; and

circuitry configured to send a fourth message comprising the second payload and an indication that the second emergency alert broadcast message should be broadcast to at least one broadcast tower, wherein said broadcast tower did not receive the first message.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein a message comprises a time and a type of emergency, further comprising:

circuitry configured to store the time and a corresponding type of emergency of a message;

circuitry configured to compare the time and type of emergency of the third message against each stored time and corresponding type of emergency; and

circuitry configured to send the payload of the third message to each broadcast tower that the payload of the first message was not sent to if the time of the third message is within a given time period of the time of a stored time and the type of emergency of the third message is the same as the type of emergency that corresponds to that stored time.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the third message comprises an emergency alert system message.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the first message is received from an electronic sensor.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the first message is sent from a mobile device; and

the mobile device comprises at least one of a personal data assistant, a cellular telephone, a computer, or a land-mobile radio.

11. A computer readable storage medium, wherein the computer readable storage medium in not a transient signal, the computer readable storage medium including computer readable instructions comprising:

instructions for receiving, by equipment at an emergency operations center, a first message indicative of an emergency alert broadcast message to be broadcast, wherein said first message comprises a payload and at least one credential;

instructions for rejecting, by equipment at the emergency operations center, the first message when validating each credential fails; and

instructions for sending, by equipment at the emergency operations center, when validating each credential is successful, the payload to at least one broadcast tower within the first range of the first location;

instructions for receiving a third message indicative of a second emergency alert broadcast message to be broadcast, wherein said third message comprises a second payload and at least one second credential and the range and location of said third message overlaps the range and location of said first message;

instructions for rejecting the third message if validating each credential fails; and

instructions for sending a fourth message comprising the second payload and an indication that the second emergency alert broadcast message should be broadcast to at least one broadcast tower, wherein said broadcast tower did not receive the first message.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the emergency alert broadcast message comprises an emergency alert system message.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first message is received from an electronic sensor.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein:

the payload is sent from a mobile device; and

the mobile device comprises a personal data assistant, a cellular telephone, a computer, and a land-mobile radio.