Systems and methods for using a network identifier to determine emergency alert information

• US 8,824,995 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2008
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2008
• 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): Vu, Michael T
• Application Number:
  US12/264,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20100112975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,128 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/412.1, 455/435.1, 455/567, 4554141-4144
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• 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 device may be activated and/or updated to receive alert messages from a network. For example, the mobile device may initiate a registration request with a network. Upon initiating the registration request, the mobile device may receive a network identifier from the network. The mobile device may then access information associated with alert messages for a location of the network based on the network identifier such that the mobile device may be activated to receive an alert message from the network based on the accessed information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, during a registration sequence with a network, a network identifier from the network, the network identifier comprising at least one of an operator identification number or an alphanumeric representation that is indicative of the network and is indicative of a network provider associated with the network;

accessing, during the registration sequence, information associated with an alert based on the network identifier, wherein the information comprises an identification of an alert message capable of being disabled, an identification of a channel capable of being disabled, an identification of an alert message incapable of being disabled, an identification of a channel incapable of being disabled, and an indication of a language of an alert message;

configuring, during the registration sequence, the mobile device to receive the alert based on the accessed information; and

comparing the received network identifier with an alert profile, wherein;

the alert profile comprises alert information for one or more networks; and

the information associated with the alert for the location of the network is accessed if, based on the comparison, the network identifier matches an identifier in the alert profile.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a registration request to the network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the network identifier is received from the network in response to the registration request.

4. A mobile device comprising:

a communication component that provides communication between the mobile device and a network;

a memory component for storing program code and a profile; and

a processor in operative communication with the communication component and the memory component, wherein;

the processor executes the program code; and

the program code directs the mobile device to;

receive, during a registration sequence with the network, via the communication component, a network identifier from the network, the network identifier comprising at least one of an operator identification number or an alphanumeric representation that is indicative of the network and is indicative of a network provider operating the network;

determine, during the registration sequence, whether the network identifier is associated with alert information in the profile, the alert information comprising an identification of an alert message capable of being disabled, an identification of a channel capable of being disabled, an identification of an alert message incapable of being disabled, an identification of a channel incapable of being disabled, and an indication of a language of an alert message; and

load during the registration sequence, the alert information if, based on the determination, the network identifier is associated with the alert information in the profile.

5. The mobile device in of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the network identifier is associated with alert information in the profile by comparing the network identifier to one or more identifiers in the profile.

6. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the alert information is loaded if, based on the comparison, the network identifier matches one of the one or more identifiers in the profile.

7. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to activate the mobile device to receive an alert message from the network based on the loaded alert information.

8. The mobile device in of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to receive an alert message, via the communication component, based on the loaded alert information.

9. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to receive, via the communication component, the alert information from the network;

and store, via the memory component, the alert information in the profile.

10. The mobile device of claim 4, the processor is further configured to provide, via the communication component, a registration request to the network.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to receive the network identifier in response to the registration request.

12. A method comprising:

receiving, during a registration sequence with a network, a registration request from a mobile device;

determining, during the registration sequence, whether the mobile device has permission to access the network based on the received registration request;

providing, during the registration sequence, a network identifier, the network identifier comprising at least one of an operator identification number or an alphanumeric representation that is indicative of the network and is indicative of a network provider associated with the network;

comparing the network identifier with an alert profile, wherein;

the alert profile comprises alert information for the network; and

information associated with the alert is accessed if, based on the comparison, the network identifier matches an identifier in the alert profile; and

providing, during the registration sequence and based on the comparing, the alert information to the mobile device if, based on the determination, the mobile device has permission to access the network, the alert information comprising an identification of an alert message capable of being disabled, an identification of a channel capable of being disabled, an identification of an alert message incapable of being disabled, an identification of a channel incapable of being disabled, and an indication of a language of an alert message.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining whether the mobile device has permission to access the network based on the received registration request comprises determining whether an agreement exists between the network and a home network of the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein providing alert information to the mobile device if, based on the determination, the mobile device has permission to access the network comprises providing emergency alert information to the mobile device if, based on the determination, the agreement exists between the network and the home network of the mobile device.

15. A mobile device comprising:

a communication component for providing communication between the mobile device and a network;

a memory component for storing program code;

a processor in operative communication with the communication component and the memory component, wherein;

the processor executes the program code and

the program code directs the mobile device to;

receive, during a registration sequence with a network, via the communication component, a network identifier, the network identifier comprising at least one of an operator identification number or an alphanumeric representation that is indicative of the network and is indicative of a network provider associated with the network;

compare the network identifier with an alert profile, wherein;

the alert profile comprises alert information for the network; and

information associated with the alert is accessed if, based on the comparison, the network identifier matches an identifier in the alert profile; and

receive, during the registration sequence and based on the comparison, the alert information associated with an alert message capable of being broadcast from the network, the alert information comprises an identification of an alert message capable of being disabled, an identification of a channel capable of being disabled, an identification of an alert message incapable of being disabled, an identification of a channel incapable of being disabled, and an indication of a language of an alert message; and

configure, during a registration sequence, the mobile device to operate in accordance with the received alert information.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the program code further directs the mobile device to:

create the profile; and

store, via the memory component, the created profile.