Use of the commercial mobile alert system to trigger alternative receivers

• US 8,843,103 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2012
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Daly, Brian Kevin, Sennett, DeWayne A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER, BRANDON J
• Application Number:
  US13/454,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20130281045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041-4042, 455418-420, 455/414.1, 455/458, 455/553.1, 455/466, 4554561-4566, 455/450, 455/452.1
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• 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 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• 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 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system and method for providing a message to a user of a device, such as a mobile cellular phone, which includes using a signal, such as a CMAS alert, to turn on one or more receivers of the device configured to receive the message, conserves battery power for the device until it is needed in order to receive and transmit the message.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a device, a commercial mobile alert message system (CMAS) message through a CMAS application;

employing the CMAS application to download configuration data corresponding to at least one broadcast source for a geographic location responsive to at least one of;

the device being powered on for a first time in the geographic location;

or

the device migrating, while powered on, to the geographic location;

receiving a CMAS alert;

displaying the CMAS alert;

determining via the CMAS application that the device is capable of receiving signals from the at least one broadcast source; and

tuning to a channel determined by the CMAS application to be associated with the geographic location of the device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring the device to be in an on state for receiving the CMAS message while the at least one receiver is initially in the off state; and

powering on the device in response to receiving the CMAS message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration data is obtained via a website.

4. The method of claim 1, the at least one broadcast source comprising at least one of a digital television broadcast, a frequency modulation broadcast, an amplitude modulation broadcast, a satellite broadcast, or a national oceanic and atmospheric administration weather radio broadcast.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a source of the at least one broadcast source based on a relative signal strength of a respective at least one signal provided by the at least one broadcast source.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a signal strength associated with each of the at least one broadcast source.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the device comprises at least one of a digital television receiver, a frequency modulation receiver, an amplitude modulation receiver, a satellite receiver, or a national oceanic and atmospheric administration weather radio receiver.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to receiving an indication of a transmission of information, tuning to a channel to receive the information.

9. A mobile device comprising:

memory comprising executable instructions; and

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

receiving a commercial mobile alert message system (CMAS) message through a CMAS application;

employing the CMAS application to download configuration data corresponding to at least one broadcast source for a geographic location responsive to at least one of;

the mobile device being powered on for a first time in the geographic location;

or

the mobile device migrating, while powered on, to the geographic location;

receiving a CMAS alert;

displaying the CMAS alert via the mobile device;

determining via the CMAS application that the mobile device is capable of receiving signals from the at least one broadcast source; and

instructing at least one receiver of the mobile device configured to receive signals from the at least one broadcast source to tune to a channel determined by the CMAS application to be associated with the geographic location of the mobile device.

10. The mobile device of claim 9 wherein the device is configured to be in an on state for receiving the CMAS message while the at least one receiver is initially in the off state, and the device is configured to instruct the at least one receiver to power on in response to receiving the CMAS message.

11. The mobile device of claim 10 wherein the device is configured to receive broadcast signals from at least one of a digital television broadcast, a frequency modulation broadcast, an amplitude modulation broadcast, a satellite broadcast, or a national oceanic and atmospheric administration weather radio broadcast.

12. The mobile device of claim 11 wherein the device comprises at least one of a mobile media broadcast receiver, a cellular telephone, a multimedia Internet enabled cellular telephone, a tablet computer, a laptop, a netbook, an in-car navigation system, a personal data assistant, a palm-top computer, wireless electronic mail receivers, Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, wireless gaming controllers, portable media players, smart phones, Session Initiation Protocol phones, video phones, thin clients, TVs, DVD players, set top boxes, monitors, displays, receivers within motor vehicles, of a motor vehicle control.

13. The mobile device of claim 11 wherein the device is configured to default to receive one of the broadcast signals.

14. The mobile device of claim 11 wherein the device is configured to determine relative signal strength of the broadcast signals.

15. The mobile device of claim 14 wherein the devices is configured to default to a broadcast having the strongest relative signal.

16. The mobile device of claim 10 wherein the device is configured to receive configuration data corresponding to broadcast sources that the device determines can broadcast emergency message alerts in the geographic location in which the device is located.

17. 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, via a first receiver of the system, emergency alert information from at least a first source of information, the first receiver being in an initial off state;

downloading configuration data for the first source of information corresponding to a geographic location in which the system is operating,

receiving a CMAS alert from a second source of information, and

initiating, based on the CMAS alert, an instruction to power the first receiver from the off state to an on state, and to tune the first receiver to a channel associated with the geographic location of the system.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the first source of information comprises at least one of a digital television broadcast, a frequency modulation broadcast, an amplitude modulation broadcast, a satellite broadcast, or a national oceanic and atmospheric administration weather radio broadcast.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the operations further comprising downloading the configuration data responsive to at least one of:

the mobile device being powered on for a first time in the geographic location;

or

the mobile device migrating, while powered on, to the geographic location.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising a second receiver, the operations further comprising:

determining to use one of the first receiver or the second receiver based on respective signal strength received the first receiver and the second receiver.