Alert notification network

• US 8,275,402 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2010
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Talty, Timothy J., MacDonald, Andrew J., Sadekar, Varsha
• Primary Examiner(s): SHARMA, SUJATHA R
• Application Number:
  US12/817,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20100302066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/414.4, 455517-521, 455/412.2, 455/509, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/416, 701/117, 701/118, 701/200, 701/209, 701/210, 340/438, 340/995.16, 340/995.23, 340/425.5
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/20 of receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/23 Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/27 for locating or positioning the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

A network server operable to communicate information over a half-duplex push-to-talk over cellular wireless communication system includes a location manager operable to determine geographic location of a plurality of recipients, an alert notification manager for preparing alert messages based information regarding events and respective geographic locations of the events, and a message delivery notification manager operable to deliver alert messages to the recipients over the half-duplex push-to-talk over cellular wireless communication system based upon the geographic location of each recipient relative to the geographic locations of the events, with the alert messages being delivered to the recipients without completion of calling procedures and incoming call acceptance by the recipients that are required by conventional full-duplex cellular communication systems.

Claims

1. Network server operable to communicate information over a half-duplex push-to-talk over cellular wireless communications system, comprising:

a location manager operable to determine geographic location of a plurality of recipients;

an alert notification manager for preparing alert messages based upon information regarding events and respective geographic locations of the events; and

a message delivery notification manager operable to deliver alert messages to the recipients over the half-duplex push-to-talk over cellular wireless communication system based upon the geographic location of each recipient relative to the geographic locations of the events, with the alert messages being delivered to the recipients without completion of incoming call acceptance by the recipients that are required by conventional full-duplex cellular communication systems;

wherein the network server is operable to;

identify available services compatible with network latencies due to delay times of the push-to-talk over cellular wireless communication system; and

collect appropriate alert messages consistent with the identified services.

2. The network server of claim 1, wherein the location manager is further operable to determine direction of travel of the plurality of recipients, and the message delivery notification manager is further operable to deliver alert messages to the recipients based upon the direction of travel of each recipient relative to the geographic locations of the events.

3. The network of claim 1, wherein the push-to-talk over cellular wireless communication system further includes a wireless carrier core IP network.

4. The network server of claim 3, wherein the wireless carrier core IP network is operably connected to a private intranet service.

5. The network server of claim 3, wherein the wireless carrier core IP network is operably connected to a public internet service.

6. The network server of claim 1, wherein each recipient comprises an on-board vehicular telematics unit.

7. The network server of claim 1, wherein the alert location manager is operable to identify each recipient, and the message delivery notification manager is operable to schedule and format delivery of alert messages consistent with specific communication systems of the identified recipients.

8. The network server of claim 1, wherein the alert notification manager is operable to receive and aggregate alert messages.

9. The network server of claim 1, wherein services compatible with network latencies comprise services able to accept a latency of approximately one second.

10. Wireless network server adapted to collect, aggregate, and communicate vehicle related information to a plurality of vehicular telematics units, comprising:

a vehicle location manager operable to identify a geographic location and direction of travel of each vehicular telematics unit;

an alert notification manager for receiving information related to events and preparing alert messages based upon respective geographic locations of the events; and

,

a message delivery notification manager operable to deliver alert messages to each of the plurality of telematics units over a half-duplex push-to-talk over cellular wireless communication system based upon the geographic location and direction of travel of each of the vehicular telematics units relative to the geographic locations of the events, where the alert messages are delivered to the vehicular telematics units without completion of incoming call acceptance by the vehicular telematics units that are required by conventional full-duplex cellular communication systems;

wherein the wireless network server is operable to;

identify available services compatible with network latencies due to delay times of the push-to-talk over cellular wireless communication system; and

collect appropriate alert messages consistent with the identified services.

11. The wireless network server of claim 10, wherein the alert notification manager is operable to receive and aggregate alert messages.

12. The wireless network server of claim 11, wherein the alert notification manager is further operable to prepare the aggregated alert messages for delivery.

13. The wireless network server of claim 12, wherein the message delivery notification manager is further operable to schedule and format delivery of the alert messages consistent with specific communication systems of the vehicular telematics units.

14. Method for communicating information through a half-duplex push-to-talk over cellular wireless communications system, comprising:

interfacing a network server with a wireless carrier core IP network, the network server operable to;

locate and determine direction of travel of push-to-talk telematics units within a geographic area;

receive alert messages related to events and respective geographic locations of the events;

aggregate the alert messages;

prepare the alert messages for delivery, where the prepared alert messages include the respective geographic locations of the events;

schedule and format the alert messages for delivery to the push-to-talk telematics units over the half-duplex push-to-talk over cellular wireless communication system, based upon the geographic location and direction of travel of each push-to-talk telematics units relative to the geographic locations of the events, where the alert messages are delivered to the push-to-talk telematics units without completion of incoming call acceptance by the push-to-talk telematics units that are required by conventional full-duplex cellular communication systems;

identify available services compatible with network latencies due to delay times of the push-to-talk over cellular wireless communication system; and

collect appropriate alert messages consistent with the identified services.