Method for geo-targeting wireless emergency alerts

• US 8,676,153 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2013
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• 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: Sennett, DeWayne Allan, Daly, Brian Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): PHUONG, DAI
• Application Number:
  US13/913,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20130267192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 281 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041-4042, 4554121-4143, 4554561-4563
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• 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 computer-readable storage medium that is not a propagating signal, the computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that when executed by a process cause the process to effectuate operations comprising:

receiving an indication of an affected geographic area;

identifying at least one cell site relevant to the affected geographic area;

determining broadcast alert capabilities of each of the at least one identified cell site;

providing an indication of the determined capabilities of the at least one identified cell site; 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 capabilities for the at least one identified cell site in the affected geographic area are determined based on capabilities of at least one cell site in the at least one secondary geographic area; and

a same base station serves the affected geographic area and the at least one secondary geographic area.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein providing the indication of the capabilities for the at least one identified cell site comprises providing an indication of a broadcast technology supported by the at least one identified cell site.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising storing an identity of each of the at least one identified cell site relevant to the affected geographic area and the indication of the capabilities for each of the cell sites.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising providing a message to a broadcast network with the capabilities of the at least one identified cell site relevant to the affected geographic area.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising broadcasting an alert to the affected geographic area from at least one of the at least one identified cell site having respective broadcast capabilities.

6. An apparatus 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;

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

compiling indications of the 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 first geographic area, wherein;

the first geographic area is a subset of a second geographic area;

the second geographic area is mapped to the first geographic area such that the cell site identity (ID) is associated with the first geographic area and the second geographic areas; and

a same base station serves the first geographic area and the second geographic area.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, the operations further comprising mapping the broadcast capabilities to the geographic area.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, the operations further comprising:

receiving an indication of an event; and

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

9. The apparatus of claim 6, the operations further comprising:

providing the indication of broadcast technology supported by the cell site.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, the operations further comprising:

providing the cell site identity (ID) to a broadcasting network.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, the operations further comprising:

providing the cell site identity (ID) associated with the second geographic area to a broadcasting network for broadcasting an alert within the second geographic area.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, the operations 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).

13. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the geographic area comprises 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.

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

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

compiling indications of the 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 first geographic area, wherein;

the first geographic area is a subset of a second geographic area;

the second geographic area is mapped to the first geographic area such that the cell site identity (ID) is associated with the first geographic area and the second geographic areas; and

a same base station serves the first geographic area and the second geographic area.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, the operations further comprising mapping the broadcast capabilities to the geographic area.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, the operations further comprising:

receiving an indication of an event; and

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

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, the operations further comprising:

providing the indication of broadcast technology supported by the cell site.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, the operations further comprising:

providing the cell site identity (ID) to a broadcasting network.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, the operations further comprising:

providing the cell site identity (ID) associated with the second geographic area to a broadcasting network for broadcasting an alert within the second geographic area.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, the operations 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).