Method and apparatus for status reporting triggered by an authority-issued alert

• US 9,014,656 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2010
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Courtney, Sean Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): SAMS, MATTHEW C
• Application Number:
  US12/951,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20120129569A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,611 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041-4042, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/10 responsive to calamitous events, e.g. tornados or earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A method and apparatus for reacting to an alert message, such as a commercial mobile alert system (CMAS) message, is provided. A mobile device in receipt of an alert message automatically obtains status information such as mobile device position, for example via GPS, and prompts a user for status information such as emergency preparedness. A response message is automatically generated and transmitted to designated recipients, such as address book contacts or a datacentre.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a processing module configured, upon receiving an alert message issued by an alert issuer, to generate and send a response message to a recipient other than and independent from the alert issuer, the response message comprising information associated with at least one of the mobile device and a user, the processing module further configured to obtain user information by issuing prompts to the user for one or more responses, wherein content of said prompts, timing of said prompts or both, is generated and customized by the processing module by processing additional information together with content of the alert message, said content of the alert message indicative of a nature of the alert message, said additional information available to the mobile device via a medium other than the alert message, wherein the additional information is a location of the mobile device or the additional information is user profile information stored on the mobile device, and wherein the response message is generated based on the obtained user information.

2. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the response message is indicative of one or more of:

mobile device operational status and user response to one or more prompts.

3. The mobile device according to claim 1, the mobile device further comprising a user interface module configured for obtaining said information associated with the user.

4. The mobile device according to claim 3, wherein obtaining said information associated with the user comprises:

a. presenting, on an output of the user interface module, a series of one or more prompts for specified user information; and

b. monitoring one or more inputs of the user interface module for information indicative of user response to the series of one or more prompts.

5. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein said information associated with the user comprises one or more aspects selected from the group comprising:

user'"'"'s physical well-being;

user'"'"'s access to transportation;

user'"'"'s access to emergency equipment;

user'"'"'s responsiveness or unresponsiveness; and

user'"'"'s immediate situation.

6. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein said information associated with the mobile device comprises information selected from the group comprising:

location, temperature, battery level, wireless signal strength, and orientation.

7. The mobile device according to claim 1, further comprising a memory module, wherein at least a portion of the information is retrieved from the memory module.

8. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the response message is configured based at least in part on content of the alert message.

9. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the recipient is selected from the group comprising:

a contact center, an address book contact, and another mobile device.

10. A method in a mobile device, the method comprising:

a. the mobile device receiving from a wireless network an alert message issued by an alert issuer;

b. the mobile device generating and transmitting a response message comprising information associated with at least one of the mobile device and a user to a recipient other than and independent from the alert issuer; and

c. the mobile device obtaining user information by issuing prompts to the user for one or more responses, wherein content of said prompts, timing of said prompts or both, is generated and customized by the mobile device by processing additional information together with content of the alert message, said content of the alert message indicative of a nature of the alert message, said additional information available to the mobile device via a medium other than the alert message, wherein the additional information is a location of the mobile device or the additional information is user profile information stored on the mobile device, and wherein the response message is generated based on the obtained user information.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the message is indicative of one or more of:

mobile device operational status and user response to one or more prompts.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising obtaining the information, wherein obtaining said information associated with the user comprises:

a. presenting a series of one or more prompts to a user for specified user information; and

b. receiving information indicative of user response to the series of one or more prompts.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein said information associated with the user comprises one or more aspects selected from the group comprising:

user'"'"'s physical well-being;

user'"'"'s access to transportation;

user'"'"'s access to emergency equipment;

user'"'"'s responsiveness or unresponsiveness; and

user'"'"'s immediate situation.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein said information associated with the mobile device comprises information selected from the group comprising:

location, temperature, battery level, wireless signal strength, and orientation.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the information is obtained prior to receipt of the alert message.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the transmitted response message is configured based at least in part on content of the alert message.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein the recipient is selected from the group comprising:

a contact center, an address book contact, and another mobile device.

18. A method in a wireless network, the method comprising:

a. sending an alert message issued by an alert issuer to a mobile device;

b. generating a response message by the mobile device;

c. receiving the response message from the mobile device and forwarding the response message to a recipient other than and independent from the alert issuer, the response message comprising information associated with at least one of the mobile device and a user; and

d. obtaining user information by issuing prompts to the user for one or more responses, wherein content of said prompts, timing of said prompts or both, is generated and customized by the mobile device by processing additional information together with content of the alert message, said content of the alert message indicative of a nature of the alert message, said additional information available to the mobile device via a medium other than the alert message, wherein the additional information is a location of the mobile device or the additional information is user profile information stored on the mobile device, and wherein the response message is generated based on the obtained user information.

19. A non-transitory computer program product comprising code which, when loaded into memory and executed on a processor of a mobile device, is adapted to:

a. obtain, in response to receipt of an alert message issued by an alert issuer and wirelessly received by the mobile device via a wireless network, information associated with at least one of the mobile device and a user;

b. initiate transmission of a message comprising the obtained information to the wireless network for a recipient other than and independent from the alert issuer; and

c. obtaining said information associated with the user by issuing prompts to the user for one or more responses, wherein content of said prompts, timing of said prompts or both, is generated and customized by the mobile device by processing additional information together with content of the alert message, said content indicative of a nature of the alert message, said additional information available to the mobile device via a medium other than the alert message, wherein the additional information is a location of the mobile device or the additional information is user profile information stored on the mobile device, and wherein the response message is generated based on the obtained user information.

20. The computer program product according to claim 19, wherein the code is further adapted to generate the transmitted message based at least in part on the obtained information.

21. The computer program product according to claim 19, wherein the code is further adapted to:

a. present a series of one or more prompts to a user for specified user information; and

b. receive information indicative of user response to the series of one or more prompts.

22. The computer program product according to claim 19, wherein the code is further adapted to obtain at least a portion of the obtained information prior to receipt of the alert message.

23. A mobile device comprising:

a processing module configured, upon receiving an alert message issued by an alert issuer, to generate and send a response message to a recipient other than and independent from the alert issuer, the response message comprising information associated with at least one of the mobile device and a user, the processing module further configured to obtain user information by issuing prompts to the user for one or more responses, wherein content of said prompts, timing of said prompts or both, is generated and customized by the processing module by processing additional information together with content of the alert message, said content of the alert message indicative of a nature of the alert message, said additional information available to the mobile device via a medium other than the alert message, wherein said additional information is a location of the mobile device, and wherein generating and customizing timing of said prompts comprises postponing issuing said prompts when the location of the mobile device is determined to be in a critical location posing danger to the user, said critical location being determined according to said nature of the alert message and wherein the response message is generated based on the obtained user information.

24. A mobile device comprising:

a processing module configured, upon receiving an alert message issued by an alert issuer, to generate and send a response message to a recipient other than and independent from the alert issuer, the response message comprising information associated with at least one of the mobile device and a user, the processing module further configured to obtain user information by issuing prompts to the user for one or more responses, wherein content of said prompts, timing of said prompts or both, is generated and customized by the processing module by processing additional information together with content of the alert message, said content of the alert message indicative of a nature of the alert message, said additional information available to the mobile device via a medium other than the alert message, wherein said additional information is user profile information stored in the mobile device, and wherein generating and customizing content of said prompts comprises increasing specificity of said prompts when said user profile information indicates that the user is a potential first responder to events corresponding to the nature of the alert message and wherein the response message is generated based on the obtained user information.