Mobile alerting network

• US 8,301,112 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2009
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Traffic Network, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Global Alert Network Incorporated
• Inventors: Morrison, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehrpour, Melody
• Application Number:
  US12/402,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20090233575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.6, 455/406, 701/201, 701/213, 701/209, 701/211, 701/217, 701/202, 701/117, 701/36, 340/593.13, 340/995.19, 340/909, 340/905, 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 342/357.06, 342/342.12, 342/357.12, 375/150, 370/318
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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

A Mobile Alert Network service includes identifying an Alert Area related to an Event Location, identifying a group of subscribers in the Alert Area, and broadcasting an Alert Message to the identified subscribers in a push-to-talk-equivalent environment. The Alert Messages can alert the subscribers about the cause of the alert, offer message related choices, and offer event related choices, such as promotion information or offers. The MAN Service may include an Alert Information Service, a Subscriber Selector, and a Broadcast Module to generate an Alert Message. The event related choices may be generated based on campaigns by Ad-insertion Agents. A Wrapper Framework can be downloaded to manage Alert Messages, a mailbox, and to update on board applications. An on-board logger can provide a detailed account of the operations of the handset and its user. A Sensor Array can be used to determine the location of users, based on the self-identification information, broadcast by the cell phones.

Claims

1. A mobile alert system comprising:

a mobile device; and

an alert message manager running on the mobile device and configured to;

receive an alert message broadcast by a mobile alert system in response to alert information, wherein the alert message includes one or more alert-information-related choices; and

extract a alert-information-related choice from the one or more alert-information-related choices in the alert message; and

a user-interface integrated with the mobile device, the user-interface configured to present the alert message and the alert-information-related choice.

2. The mobile alert system of claim 1 wherein the alert message manager is configured to receive the alert message via one of:

a short message (SMS), an email, a message according to a wireless application protocol, a text message, a push-to-talk message and a phone message.

3. The mobile alert system of claim 1, wherein the alert message manager is configured to:

receive the alert message into a short message (SMS) queue; and

identify the alert message in the SMS queue as a priority message.

4. The mobile alert system of claim 3, wherein the alert message manager is configured to extract the priority message from the SMS queue;

and

wherein the user-interface is configured to present the priority message with a priority higher than an other communication transaction on the mobile communication device.

5. The mobile alert system of claim 1, wherein the presenting the alert-information-related choice comprises:

presenting an option to replay the alert message.

6. The mobile alert system of claim 1, wherein the presenting the alert formation-related choice comprises:

presenting a choice to present the alert message in one of;

an audio format;

an audio format utilizing an audio message pr;

stored on the mobile communication device; and

a format requiring a single-step hand-operation by a user of the mobile communication device.

8. The mobile alert system of claim 1, wherein the presenting the alert-information-related choice comprises one of:

presenting an offer in a text format;

presenting a hot key configured to connect a user of the mobile communication device to a commercial vendor;

presenting a bar code;

presenting a coupon;

presenting a link to download content according to an wireless access protocol; and

presenting a link to download content according to an internet-related protocol.

9. The mobile alert system of claim 1, wherein the alert information is one of:

an information based on a location of a user of a mobile communication device; and

an information based on a service the user of a mobile communication device registered for.

10. The mobile alert system of claim 1, comprising:

a mailbox manager, configured to manage an alert message mailbox, wherein

the alert message manager is configured to store the alert message in the alert message mailbox.

11. The mobile alert system of claim 10, wherein:

the alert message mailbox comprises more than one mailboxes;

the mailboxes have associated priorities; and

the mailbox manager is configured to present the stored message according to the priority of the mailbox the alert message is stored in.

12. The mobile alert system of claim 1, wherein the alert message manager is configured to manage an alert message broadcast by a mobile alert system by:

receiving the alert message and presenting the alert message irrespective of a user of the mobile communication device being a subscriber for the mobile alert system.

13. The mobile alert system of claim 1, comprising:

an application manager running on the mobile device, configured to download an application to the mobile communication device from an application provider.

14. The mobile alert system of claim 13, wherein the application manager is configured:

to recognize a version requirement of an application associated with an alert message;

to recognize a version information of an application on the mobile communication device; and

to download and to install the required version of the application to the mobile communication device when the version information of the application on the mobile communication device is different from the version requirement of the application associated with an alert message.

15. The mobile alert system of claim 13, comprising:

a remote sensor unit running on the mobile device, configured to communicate with a central server to perform at least one of;

to sense a state or version of an application on the mobile communication device; and

to sense a state of a hardware on the mobile communication device.

16. The mobile alert system of claim 1, comprising:

subscription manager running on the mobile device, configured to manage a subscription to a mobile alert service.

17. The mobile alert system of claim 15, wherein the subscription manager is configured:

to register a subscription by a user of the mobile alert system to a mobile service; and

to renew the subscription to the mobile service when the renewal is required.

18. The mobile alert system of claim 1, comprising:

a data storage unit communicatively coupled to the mobile device, configured to store messages and promotions.

19. The mobile alert system of claim 1, comprising:

a personalizer running on the mobile device, configured to enable a user of the mobile communication device to install a personal configuration of applications on the mobile communication device.

20. The mobile alert system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is one of a:

cell phone, a mobile computer, a mobile computational device with a mobile phone adapter, a personal digital assistant, a geo positioning device.

21. The mobile alert system of claim 1, wherein the alert information comprises information related to at least one of:

a traffic event, a sport event, an entertainment event, a commercial event, an educational event, an emergency event, a financial, sports, news, and entertainment information.

7. The mobile alert system of claim , wherein presenting the alert information-related choice comprises:

presenting a hot key on a cell phone to activate the presentation of alert message in an audio format.

22. A method comprising:

receiving an alert message broadcast by a mobile alert system in relation to an alert information;

extracting an alert component from the alert message;

extracting a alert-information-related choice from the alert message associated with the alert information; and

presenting the alert component and the alert-information-related choice to a user.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the receiving the alert message comprises:

receiving the alert message into a short message (SMS) queue; and

identifying the alert message in the SMS queue as a priority message.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the presenting the alert message comprises:

extracting the priority message from the SMS queue; and

presenting the priority message with a priority higher than an other communication transaction on the mobile communication device.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the presenting the alert-information-related choice comprises:

presenting an option to replay the alert message.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the presenting the alert-information-related choice comprises:

presenting a choice to present the alert component of the alert message in one of;

an audio format;

an audio format utilizing an audio message prestored on the mobile communication device; and

a format requiring a single-step hand-operation by a user of the mobile communication device.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the presenting the alert-information-related choice comprises one of:

presenting an offer in a text format;

presenting a hot key configured to connect a user of the mobile communication device to a commercial vendor;

presenting a bar code;

presenting a coupon; and

presenting a link to download content according to an internet-related protocol.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the alert information is one of:

an information based on a location of a user of a mobile communication device; and

an information based on a service the user of the mobile communication device registered for.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the receiving the alert message comprises:

storing the alert message in one of a set of alert mailboxes, the alert mailbox having a priority.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the presenting the alert message comprises:

presenting the stored message according to the priority of the alert mailbox the alert message is stored in.

31. The method of claim 22, comprising:

recognizing a version requirement of an application associated with an alert message;

recognizing a version information of an application on the mobile communication device; and

downloading and installing the required version of the application to the mobile communication device when the version information of the application on the mobile communication device is different from the version requirement of the application associated with an alert message.

32. The method of claim 22, comprising:

communicating with a central server to sense a state or version of an application on the mobile communication device.

33. The method of claim 22, comprising:

registering a subscription by a user of the mobile alert system to a mobile service; and

renewing the subscription to the mobile service when the renewal is required.

34. A mobile device comprising:

a wireless communication interface;

a user-interface; and

an alert message manager, the alert message manager configured to,

receive a multi-part message, via a wireless communication interface, the multi-part message containing a first part and a second part, the first part including an alert message and the second part defining an alert-related choice;

extract from the multi-part message the first part and the second part;

present, via the user-interface, the alert message included in the first part of the multi-part message;

present, via the user-interface, the alert-related choice defined in the second part of the multi-part message;

receive user input, via the user-interface, in response to the alert-related choice; and

initiate an action on the mobile device in response to receiving the user input.