Mobile alerting network

• US 8,594,707 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2012
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• 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:
  US13/662,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20130072234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 396 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/404.1, 455/411, 4554561-4565, 455/435.1, 455/412.1, 455/404.2, 455/99, 455/457
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• 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 system for providing a mobile application includes a Mobile Subscriber Detection Authorization and Verification System (MSDAVS), to request and receive confidential information from a confidential information owner relating to a user who opted-in to a mobile service application, and to communicate the received confidential information to a mobile application service provider. The MSDAVS can include an opt-in database, to store opt-in or registration data of the opted-in users of the mobile service application and a service policy database. The mobile application service can be a mobile traffic alerting service, the confidential information owner a telephone number database of one of a wireless carrier or a telephone number database operator, and the requested confidential information a list telephone numbers of opted-in users in an alert area, defined by the mobile traffic alerting service.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, on a central server using one or more processors, alert information, the alert information including an alert location and an alert-information-related choice;

selecting, using the one or more processors, a mobile device to receive an alert message based at least in part on the alert location;

generating, using the one or more processors, the alert message including at least a portion of the alert information including the alert-information-related choice; and

sending, over a network using the one or more processors, the alert message to the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting the mobile device includes correlating, using the one or more processors, location information received from the mobile device with the alert location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the correlating the location information received from the mobile device with the alert location includes:

generating, using the one or more processors, an event zone associated with the alert location, and

determining, using the one or more processors, whether the location information received from the mobile device includes a location within the event zone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the alert message includes selecting a hot key as a response to the alert-information-related choice, wherein the hot key is selectable on the mobile device upon receipt of the alert message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the alert message includes associating a promotional offer with the alert-information-related choice.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the associating the promotional offer includes linking one or more contact references related to the promotional offer with the alert-information-related choice, wherein selecting the alert-information-related choice on the mobile device causes the mobile device to activate one of the one or more contact references.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving alert information includes receiving information about one or more of the following types of events:

traffic incident;

weather event;

sporting event;

recreation event; and

an emergency situation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the alert message includes generating:

a first message part including information describing the event;

a second message part including an alert-information-related choice; and

a third message part including an event-information-related choice, wherein the event-information-related choice is selected based at least in part on information included within the alert information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein generating the third message part includes selecting a promotional offer within a predefined proximity to the alert location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the alert information includes:

aggregating alert information from a plurality of sources; and

correlating location information included in the alert information received from the plurality of sources to generate the alert information associated with a single event.

11. An information alert system comprising:

a central server including one or more processors and a memory device, the memory device including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the central server to;

receive alert information including an alert location and an alert-information-related choice;

select a mobile device to receive an alert message based at least in part on the alert location;

generate the alert message including at least a portion of the alert information including the alert-information-related choice; and

send the alert message to the mobile device.

12. The information alert system of claim 11, wherein the instructions that cause the server to select the mobile device further include instructions that cause the server to correlate location information received from the mobile device with the alert location.

13. The information alert system of claim 12, wherein the instructions that cause the server to correlate the location information received from the mobile device with the alert location further include instructions that cause the server to:

generate an event zone associated with the alert location, and

determine whether the location information received from the mobile device includes a location within the event zone.

14. The information alert system of claim 11, wherein the instructions that cause the server to generate the alert message further include instructions that cause the server to select a hot key as a response to the alert-information-related choice, wherein the hot key is selectable on the mobile device upon receipt of the alert message.

15. The information alert system of claim 11, wherein the instructions that cause the server to generate the alert message further include instructions that cause the server to associate a promotional offer with the alert-information-related choice.

16. The information alert system of claim 15, wherein the instructions that cause the server to associate the promotional offer further include instructions that cause the server to link one or more contact references related to the promotional offer with the alert-information-related choice, wherein selecting the alert-information-related choice on the mobile device causes the mobile device to activate one of the one or more contact references.

17. The information alert system of claim 11, wherein the instructions that cause the server to receive alert information further include instructions that cause the server to receive information about one or more of the following types of events:

traffic incident;

weather event;

sporting event;

recreation event; and

an emergency situation.

18. The information alert system of claim 11, wherein instructions that cause the server to generate the alert message further include instructions that cause the server to generate:

a first message part including information describing the event;

a second message part including an alert-information-related choice; and

a third message part including an event-information-related choice, wherein the event-information-related choice is selected based at least in part on information included within the alert information.

19. The information alert system of claim 18, wherein instructions that cause the server to generate the third message part further include instructions that cause the server to select a promotional offer within a predefined proximity to the alert location.

20. The information alert system of claim 11, wherein instructions that cause the server to receive the alert information further include instructions that cause the server to:

aggregate alert information from a plurality of sources; and

correlate location information included in the alert information received from the plurality of sources to generate the alert information associated with a single event.

21. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed on a machine, cause the machine to:

receive alert information about an event from multiple sources, the alert information including an event location and an event-information-related choice;

aggregate the alert information received from multiple sources to identify a single event location and a single event-information-related choice;

select a plurality of mobile devices to receive an alert message based at least in part on the single event location;

generate the alert message including at least a portion of the alert information including the single event-information-related choice; and

send the alert message to the plurality of mobile devices.