Mapping cellular coverage of alert areas

• US 8,639,212 B1
• Filed: 09/15/2006
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sennett, DeWayne Allan, Daly, Brian Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Behnamian, Shahriar
• Application Number:
  US11/532,347
• Time in Patent Office: 2,692 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 4554561-457, 455/414.1, 455/423, 340/539.2, 340/48, 340/905
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• 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

Emergency alert area definitions are mapped to associated cell sites. Emergency alert messages are provided to subscribers within the alert area. Areas not having cellular coverage are identified. The identification of areas not having cellular coverage is provided to appropriate personnel, such as an incident commander. Accordingly, alternate mechanisms can be utilized for providing the alert message to the areas not having cellular coverage.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by an emergency alert interface server, an indication of an emergency alert for an alert area, wherein the emergency alert interface server is part of a system comprising the emergency alert interface server, a geographic information system based alert mapping server, a cellular site radio frequency propagation database, and a cellular ID lookup table;

querying the cell ID lookup table, by the emergency alert interface server, for determining cellular sites configured to provide coverage for the alert area during the emergency;

receiving, from the cell ID lookup table, a list of cellular sites configured to provide coverage for the alert area during the emergency;

providing, by the emergency alert interface server, for distribution to subscriber, the list of cellular sites and an emergency alert message indicative of the emergency;

providing, by the emergency alert interface server, the list of cellular sites to a geographic information system based alert mapping server to determine geographic areas within the alert area that do not have cellular coverage during the emergency;

receiving from the geographic information system based alert mapping server an alert area radio frequency propagation map indicating the geographic areas within the alert area that do not have cellular coverage, wherein the received indication of the geographic areas within the alert area that do not have cellular coverage is indicative of the geographic information system based alert mapping server querying the cellular site radio frequency propagation database to obtain radio frequency propagation characteristics for each cellular site of the list of cellular sites;

providing the indication of the geographic areas within the alert area that do not have cellular coverage, wherein intended recipients of the provided indication of the geographic areas within the alert area that do not have cellular coverage are emergency event command personnel associate with the emergency; and

providing, during the emergency, via a portable cell tower, an indication of the emergency alert to a geographic area within the alert area that does not have cellular coverage.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an indication of the emergency alert to the cellular sites configured to provide coverage for the alert area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a geographic area is determined to have coverage in accordance with propagation characteristics associated with a cellular site configured to provide coverage for a respective geographic area.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a map indicative of the alert area and the geographic areas, within the alert area, that do not have cellular coverage.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert area is determined in accordance with at least one of a Federal Information Processing Standard code, a ZIP code, and a National Weather Service Specific Area Message Encoder (SAME) code.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the received indication of the emergency alert comprises a description of the alert area.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the description of the alert area is in accordance with a World Geodetic System format.

8. A system comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising;

receiving, by an emergency alert interface server, an indication of an emergency alert for an alert area, wherein the emergency alert interface server is part of a system comprising the emergency alert interface server, a geographic information system based alert mapping server, a cellular site radio frequency propagation database, and a cellular ID lookup table;

querying the cell ID lookup table, by the emergency alert interface server, for determining cellular sites configured to provide coverage for the alert area during the emergency;

receiving, from the cell ID lookup table, a list of cellular sites configured to provide coverage for the alert area during the emergency;

providing, by the emergency alert interface server, for distribution to subscriber, the list of cellular sites and an emergency alert message indicative of the emergency;

providing, by the emergency alert interface server, the list of cellular sites to a geographic information system based alert mapping server to determine geographic areas within the alert area that do not have cellular coverage during the emergency;

receiving from the geographic information system based alert mapping server an alert area radio frequency propagation map indicating the geographic areas within the alert area that do not have cellular coverage, wherein the received indication of the geographic areas within the alert area that do not have cellular coverage is indicative of the geographic information system based alert mapping server querying the cellular site radio frequency propagation database to obtain radio frequency propagation characteristics for each cellular site of the list of cellular sites;

providing the indication of the geographic areas within the alert area that do not have cellular coverage, wherein intended recipients of the provided indication of the geographic areas within the alert area that do not have cellular coverage are emergency event command personnel associate with the emergency; and

providing, during the emergency, via a portable cell tower, an indication of the emergency alert to a geographic area within the alert area that does not have cellular coverage.

9. The system of claim 8, the operation further comprising providing an indication of the emergency alert to the cellular sites configured to provide coverage for the alert area.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein a geographic area is determined to have coverage in accordance with propagation characteristics associated with a cellular site configured to provide coverage for a respective geographic area.

11. The system of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

generating a map indicative of the alert area and the geographic areas, within the alert area, that do not have cellular coverage.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the alert area is determined in accordance with at least one of a Federal Information Processing Standard code, a ZIP code, and a National Weather Service Specific Area Message Encoder (SAME) code.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the received indication of the emergency alert comprises a description of the alert area.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the description of the alert area is in accordance with a World Geodetic System format.

15. A tangible computer readable storage medium that is not a propagating signal, the computer readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising:

receiving, by an emergency alert interface server, an indication of an emergency alert for an alert area, wherein the emergency alert interface server is part of a system comprising the emergency alert interface server, a geographic information system based alert mapping server, a cellular site radio frequency propagation database, and a cellular ID lookup table;

querying the cell ID lookup table, by the emergency alert interface server, for determining cellular sites configured to provide coverage for the alert area during the emergency;

receiving, from the cell ID lookup table, a list of cellular sites configured to provide coverage for the alert area during the emergency;

providing, by the emergency alert interface server, for distribution to subscriber, the list of cellular sites and an emergency alert message indicative of the emergency;

providing, by the emergency alert interface server, the list of cellular sites to a geographic information system based alert mapping server to determine geographic areas within the alert area that do not have cellular coverage during the emergency;

receiving from the geographic information system based alert mapping server an alert area radio frequency propagation map indicating the geographic areas within the alert area that do not have cellular coverage, wherein the received indication of the geographic areas within the alert area that do not have cellular coverage is indicative of the geographic information system based alert mapping server querying the cellular site radio frequency propagation database to obtain radio frequency propagation characteristics for each cellular site of the list of cellular sites;

providing the indication of the geographic areas within the alert area that do not have cellular coverage, wherein intended recipients of the provided indication of the geographic areas within the alert area that do not have cellular coverage are emergency event command personnel associate with the emergency; and

providing, during the emergency, via a portable cell tower, an indication of the emergency alert to a geographic area within the alert area that does not have cellular coverage.

16. The tangible medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising providing an indication of the emergency alert to the cell sites configured to provide coverage for the alert area.

17. The tangible medium of claim 15, wherein a geographic area is determined to have coverage in accordance with propagation characteristics associated with a cellular site configured to provide coverage for a respective geographic area.

18. The tangible medium in accordance with claim 15, the operations further comprising generating a map indicative of the alert area and the geographic areas, within the alert area, that do not have cellular coverage.

19. The tangible medium of claim 15, wherein the alert area is determined in accordance with at least one of a Federal Information Processing Standard code, a ZIP code, and a National Weather Service Specific Area Message Encoder (SAME) code.

20. The tangible medium of claim 15, wherein the received indication of the emergency alert comprises a description of the alert area formatted in accordance with a World Geodetic System format.