Alert broadcasting to a plurality of diverse communications devices
First Claim
1. A system for communicating a message to a plurality of recipients, each recipient being associated with a respective communications device, each device being a respective one of a plurality of device types, each device having a respective address, the system comprising a processor and a memory containing instructions executable by the processor to provide:
- a dispatch module for receiving the alert message, message subscriber data, and recipient identification criteria, the message subscriber data identifying ones of the recipients and their associated communications devices and addresses, wherein the dispatch module is for compiling a list of the recipients based in part on the message subscriber data, and wherein the dispatch module is for communicating with a communications node accessible to the system for receiving from the communications node an identification of ones of the communications devices accessible via that communications node based on the recipient identification criteria, wherein the recipient identification criteria specify a logical or physical proximity of the devices to the communications node or a specified location, wherein the dispatch module is further for compiling the list of the recipients based in part on the identification received from the communications node, wherein the communications node is a network access point which is wired or wireless, and at least one of the communications devices accessible via that communications node is different from the communications devices identified in the message subscriber data;
a delivery module for receiving from the dispatch module the message and the list of the recipients, the delivery module being further for receiving the device addresses based on the list of the recipients, the delivery module being further for communicating the message to the devices, the delivery module having for each device type a corresponding delivery sub-module for communicating the message to the devices of that device type; and
a database for receiving and storing the message, the list of the recipients, an identifier for each recipient, the device types, and the device addresses.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for the broadcast of alert messages to selected groups of recipients and their communications devices of a plurality of different types and communicating through a plurality of different communications means. Recipient profiles or characteristics are received variously from databases, directories, and communications nodes accessible by the system. These sources are queried for the identification of selectable groups which are then presented to a dispatcher for choosing the recipients. The alert message is then provided to delivery means which employ a plurality of included means each of which is particularly configured to communicate the alert message to a corresponding target device type. A response handler module then receives responses from the target devices for later reporting.
85 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A system for communicating a message to a plurality of recipients, each recipient being associated with a respective communications device, each device being a respective one of a plurality of device types, each device having a respective address, the system comprising a processor and a memory containing instructions executable by the processor to provide:
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a dispatch module for receiving the alert message, message subscriber data, and recipient identification criteria, the message subscriber data identifying ones of the recipients and their associated communications devices and addresses, wherein the dispatch module is for compiling a list of the recipients based in part on the message subscriber data, and wherein the dispatch module is for communicating with a communications node accessible to the system for receiving from the communications node an identification of ones of the communications devices accessible via that communications node based on the recipient identification criteria, wherein the recipient identification criteria specify a logical or physical proximity of the devices to the communications node or a specified location, wherein the dispatch module is further for compiling the list of the recipients based in part on the identification received from the communications node, wherein the communications node is a network access point which is wired or wireless, and at least one of the communications devices accessible via that communications node is different from the communications devices identified in the message subscriber data; a delivery module for receiving from the dispatch module the message and the list of the recipients, the delivery module being further for receiving the device addresses based on the list of the recipients, the delivery module being further for communicating the message to the devices, the delivery module having for each device type a corresponding delivery sub-module for communicating the message to the devices of that device type; and a database for receiving and storing the message, the list of the recipients, an identifier for each recipient, the device types, and the device addresses. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21)
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19. A system for communicating an alert message to a plurality of recipients, each recipient being associated with a respective communications device, each device being a respective one of a plurality of device types, each device having a respective address, the system comprising a processor and a memory containing instructions executable by the processor to provide:
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dispatch means for receiving the alert message, message subscriber data, and recipient identification criteria, the message subscriber data identifying ones of the recipients and their associated communications devices and addresses, wherein the dispatch means is for compiling the list of the recipients based in part on the message subscriber data, and wherein the dispatch means is for communicating with a communications node accessible to the system for receiving from the communications node an identification of ones of the communications devices accessible via that communications node based on the recipient identification criteria, wherein the recipient identification criteria specify a logical or physical proximity of the devices to the communications node or a specified location, wherein the dispatch means is further for compiling the list of the recipients based in part on the identification received from the communications node, wherein the communications node is a network access point which is wired or wireless, and at least one of the communications devices accessible via that communications node is different from the communications devices identified in the message subscriber data; an agent framework operatively connected to the dispatch means, the agent framework operating a plurality of autonomous agents including; a broadcast agent for receiving from the dispatch means the alert message and the list of recipients, the broadcast agent being further for receiving the device addresses; and a content delivery agent for communicating the alert message to the devices, the content delivery agent having a corresponding pooled agent for each device type for communicating the alert message to the devices of that device type; and a database for receiving and storing the alert message, the list of the recipients, the device types, and the device addresses. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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22. A method of communicating a message to plurality of recipients, each recipient being associated with a respective communications device, each device being a respective one of a plurality of device types, each device having a respective address, the method comprising:
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receiving the alert message and message subscriber data, the message subscriber data identifying ones of the recipients and their associated communications devices and addresses; communicating with a communications node for receiving from the communications node an identification of ones of the communications devices accessible via that communications node based on recipient identification criteria specifying a logical or physical proximity of the devices to the communications node or a specified location, wherein the communications node is a network access point which is wired or wireless, and at least one of the communications devices accessible via that communications node is different from the communications devices identified in the message subscriber data; compiling a list of the recipients based on the message subscriber data and the identification received from the communications node; receiving the device addresses based on the list of the recipients; communicating the message to the communications devices; and storing the message, the list of the recipients, and the device addresses in a database. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification