System for transmitting emergency broadcast messages with selectivity to radio, television, computers and smart phones

• US 8,841,990 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2012
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Franklin W. Bell
• Original Assignee: Franklin W. Bell
• Inventors: Bell, Franklin W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Knox, Kaleria
• Application Number:
  US13/506,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20130300536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.16, 340/7.45, 380/258, 725/24, 725/46, 709/240, 370/359.64, 455/3.01, 455/13.1
• US Class Current: 340/7.45
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/001 Signalling to an emergency team, e.g. firemen

Abstract

A system digitally retransmits an emergency alert message to a plurality of recipients. A specialized category of recipients, which function to combat an emergency, receive specialized instructions to coordinate and handle an emergency situation. The digitally retransmitted emergency alert message includes a specialized unique code for each of the specialized category of recipients, along with specialized instructions along with an uncoded generic public or private emergency alert message. Each of the receivers of specialized category of recipients decodes the message pertinent to that recipient upon receipt of a matching specialized code programmed within the receiver. The generic uncoded public emergency message is received by all generic devices without specialized codes. The emergency alert message is devoid of additional information which, when present, could be burdensome. This implementation is optimized to provide very rapid alerts for specific message types e.g. earthquakes.

Claims

1. An emergency alert and message delivery system comprising:

a) one or more receivers for receiving EAS signals from different sources;

b) said system analyzing the emergency signal or message data evaluating a specialized category of recipients or general public in a geographic area and, said each of the specialized category recipients having a special unique code;

c) said system encoding said special code in combination with an EAS message and instructions for each of specialized category of recipients according to needs for the recipient to fulfill an emergency combating function;

d) said system terminating the last message for the specialized category recipient with a delimiter followed by an uncoded public emergency alert message, wherein said system distinguishing specialized category recipients and other private transmission from public transmission by code selection and Program ID usage;

e) digitally retransmitting encoded emergency alert message to everyone including selected recipients or selected retransmission, in said geographic area;

f) said digitally retransmitted encoded emergency alert message received and decoded by specialized category recipient receivers having equivalent specialized unique codes and each of the specialized category of recipients receiving coordinated emergency combating instructions; and

g) said uncoded or publically transmitted portion of said encoded emergency alert message being received by generic basic devices without any special code;

whereby said generic or public emergency alert message is free from instructions while all of said specialized category of recipients receive coordinated instructions to combat an emergency or deliver a message.

2. The emergency alert message system as recited by claim 1, wherein said emergency includes weather related problems, earthquakes, fire emergencies, traffic accidents, road closures, earthquakes and amber alerts.

3. The emergency alert message system as recited as recited by claim 1, wherein said specialized category of recipients includes first responders, fireman, police and ambulance.

4. The emergency alert message system as recited as recited by claim 1, wherein said system broadcasts of data files to computers of specialized category of recipients.

5. The emergency alert message system as recited by claim 1, wherein said system maintains a list of said specialized category of recipients, their specialization and skills, and the special unique codes of recipient receivers.

6. The emergency alert message system as recited as recited by claim 1, wherein said encoded emergency alert message for said specialized category of recipients includes video data, audio data and computer data instructions.

7. The emergency alert message system as recited by claim 1, wherein said retransmitting system receives EAS information through an antenna, a computer network, a fiber optic network Internet, an intercom audio source, a satellite radio or TV network, a telephone line or a cable/fiber TV network said messages may be retransmitted as routing is selected, though not always presented to the public.

8. The emergency alert message system as recited by claim 1, wherein said digital retransmitting of emergency alert messages is delivered through an antenna, coaxial cable or optical fiber.

9. The emergency alert message system as recited by claim 1, wherein said digital retransmitting of emergency alert messages is delivered through the Internet or Local Area Network.

10. The emergency alert message system as recited by claim 1, wherein said specialized category recipient receivers receive an encoded emergency alert message through an antenna, coaxial cable or optical fiber receivers that are not selected to present the alert to the user, but continue to present the regular program content instead of the emergency audio and/or video.

11. The emergency alert message system as recited by claim 1, wherein said specialized category recipient receivers receive an encoded emergency alert message through the Internet, antenna, coaxial cable or optical fiber.

12. The emergency alert message system as recited by claim 1, wherein receivers present emergency messages in the user selected language using audio and/or text displaying the form of closed captioning or Teletext, and the user is optionally provided with a means of message selection.

13. The emergency alert message system as recited by claim 1, wherein receivers present emergency messages of earthquakes or other alerts in a rapid manner.

14. The emergency message system as recited by claim 1, comprising an alternative carrier signal including unused emergency audio channels.