Method for geo-targeting wireless emergency alerts

• US 8,478,225 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2008
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Daly, Brian Kevin, Sennett, DeWayne Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): PHUONG, DAI
• Application Number:
  US12/124,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20090325538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,869 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041-4042, 4554121-4143, 4554561-4563
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• 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 4/06 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 4/90 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

Geo-targeting may be used in combination with wireless alert capabilities to provide alerts to a more granulated geographical area. Disclosed herein is a system and method for performing geo-targeting for various alert areas such that emergency messages may be delivered to mobile and static devices of different types in a localized area. In an example embodiment, geo-targeting supports the delivery area for wireless emergency alerts by identifying the cell sites that are in a specified geographic area that have technology capable of delivering wireless emergency alerts. The components of the telecommunications system that support a wireless emergency alert system may be identified and mapped to any geographical area. The method and system of geo-target mapping may provide an efficient and more robust way of determining the telecommunication components to be employed for broadcasting emergency alerts.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of an affected geographic area;

identifying cell sites relevant to the affected geographic area;

determining emergency alert broadcast capabilities of each identified cell site, wherein emergency alert broadcast capabilities of each identified cell site comprise a capability of each identified cell site to handle wireless emergency alerts;

providing an indication of emergency alert broadcast capabilities of the identified cell sites; and

mapping a relationship between the affected geographic area and at least one secondary geographic area that is at least partially within the affected geographic area, wherein the emergency alert broadcast capabilities for the cell sites in the affected geographic area are determined based on the emergency alert broadcast capabilities of the at least one secondary geographic area, wherein a same base station serves the affected geographic area and the at least one secondary geographic area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the indication of the emergency alert broadcast capabilities for the cell sites comprises providing a broadcast technology supported by the cell sites.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing an identity of each of the cell sites relevant to the affected geographic area and the indication of the emergency alert broadcast capabilities for each of the cell sites.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a message to a broadcast network with the emergency alert broadcast capabilities for the affected geographic area.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising broadcasting an emergency alert to the affected geographic area from at least one of the cell sites having emergency alert broadcast capabilities.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the cell site identity (ID) associated with the second geographic area to a broadcasting network for broadcasting an emergency alert within the second geographic area.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by processor.

8. A method comprising:

determining emergency alert broadcast capabilities of a cell site, wherein emergency alert broadcast capabilities of a cell site comprise a capability of a cell site to handle wireless emergency alerts;

compiling indications of the emergency alert broadcast capabilities of the cell site, wherein the cell site is associated with a cell site identity (ID); and

mapping the cell site identity (ID) to a geographic area, wherein the geographic area is a first geographic area that is a subset of a second geographic area, and the second geographic area is mapped to the first geographic area such that the cell site identity (ID) is associated with both the first and second geographic areas, wherein a same base station serves the first geographic area and the second geographic area.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising mapping the emergency alert broadcast capabilities to the geographic area.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving an indication of an emergency event; and

if the emergency event affects the geographic area mapped to the cell site identity (ID), providing the cell site identity (ID).

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing the indication of a broadcast technology supported by the cell site.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing the cell site identity (ID) to a broadcasting network adapted to broadcast emergency alerts.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising compiling an indication of a broadcast technology supported by the cell site and associating the broadcast technology to the cell site identity (ID).

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the geographic area is at least one of a city block, a college campus, a shopping center, a nuclear power plant, a privately-owned building or property, a government building or property, a zip code, a township, a county, a state, a region, a nation, or a location and a range from that location.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the method is performed by a processor.

16. An emergency alert system comprising:

a processor configured to determine emergency alert broadcast capabilities of the cell site, wherein emergency alert broadcast capabilities of the cell site comprise a capability of the cell site to handle wireless emergency alerts; and

a geo-target mapping module configured to map an identity of the cell site to a geographic area, wherein the cell site identity is provided upon a request of the broadcast capabilities within the geographic area, wherein the geographic area is a first geographic area that is a subset of a second geographic area, and the cell site identity is provided for the second geographic area based on the cell site mapped to the first geographic area, wherein a same base station serves the first geographic area and the second geographic area.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a database configure to store the identity of the cell site mapped to the geographic area.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a transmitter that is configured to provide emergency alerts to a broadcasting network, such that the broadcasting network broadcasts the emergency alerts via the cell sites that have emergency alert broadcast capabilities.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the emergency alert broadcast capabilities of the cell site are provided upon a request for the broadcast capabilities within the geographic area.