Receiving an emergency alert message via a broadcast data channel

• US 9,537,588 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2015
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• 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 K., Sennett, DeWayne A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MEHRA, INDER P
• Application Number:
  US14/921,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20160050038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/550.1, 455/553.1, 455/437, 455/435.1, 455/461, 455/41.2, 455/450, 455/452.1, 455/456.2, 455/39, 455/405, 455/412.2, 455/41.1, 455/420, 455/414.1, 455/456.1, 370/329, 370/336, 370/280, 370/312, 370/338
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/59 for emergency or urgency
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/71 Wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/02 Broadcasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• 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

A mobile device may be configured with multiple receivers (e.g., a cellular receiver, a broadcast receiver such as FM, AM, DTV, a satellite receiver, a NWR receiver, etc.). Upon receipt of an emergency alert message via at least one of the receivers, the mobile device, via an application installed on the mobile device, may extract the emergency alert message from a data channel of the broadcast. The mobile device, via the application, may process the extracted emergency alert message to determine if the emergency alert message is to be rendered via the device. And, if the emergency alert message is to be rendered, the mobile device, via the application, may format the extracted emergency alert message to conform to a standard format (e.g., Commercial Mobile Alert System, CMAS, format).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a communications device, that a first information received via a first receiver of the communications device is related to an alert message;

determining, by the communications device, that a second information received via a second receiver of the communications device is related to the alert message;

determining, by the communications device, that a third information associated with the first information and the second information is to be rendered via the communications device; and

responsive to determining that the third information is to be rendered via the communications device;

generating the third information according to one of the first information or the second information, based on a user preference; and

rendering the generated third information via the communications device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert message is an emergency alert message.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

formatting the generated third information in accordance with a predetermined format.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information comprises a first broadcast and the second information comprises a second broadcast, and further comprising:

correlating the first information from the first broadcast and the second information from the second broadcast.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

aggregating information from the first information from the first broadcast and the second information from the second broadcast.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information comprises a first broadcast and the second information comprises a second broadcast, and wherein the first broadcast is a Short Message Peer to Peer (SMPP) broadcast.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the SMPP broadcast is received by the communications device from a Push Proxy Gateway (PPG).

8. A device comprising:

a processor; and

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

determining that a first information received via a first receiver of the device is related to an alert message;

determining that a second information received via a second receiver of the device is related to the alert message;

determining that a third information associated with the first information and the second information is to be rendered via the device; and

responsive to determining that the third information is to be rendered via the device;

generating the third information according to one of the first information or the second information, based on a user preference; and

rendering the generated formatted third information via the device.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the alert message is an emergency alert message.

10. The device of claim 8, further comprising:

formatting the generated third information in accordance with a predetermined format.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the first information comprises a first broadcast and the second information comprises a second broadcast.

12. The device of claim 11, further comprising:

aggregating information from the first information and the second information.

13. The device of claim 12, further comprising rendering a confidence level based on the aggregated information.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein at least one of first broadcast and the second broadcast has an associated data channel.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the first broadcast is one of an FM, AM, NWR, TV, DTV, or satellite broadcast.

16. The device of claim 8, wherein the determining that the generated information is to be rendered via the device is based on an alert preference.

17. A system comprising:

a display; and

a device communicatively connected with the display, the device comprises;

a processor; and

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

determining that a first information received via a first receiver of the device is related to an alert message;

determining that a second information received via a second receiver of the device is related to the alert message; and

responsive to determining that a third information associated with the first information and the second information is to be rendered via the display;

generating the third information according to one of the first information or the second information, based on a user preference; and

providing instructions to render the generated third information via the display.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the alert message is an emergency alert message.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

formatting the generated third information in accordance with a predetermined format.

20. The system claim 17, wherein the first information comprises a first broadcast and the second information comprises a second broadcast, and further comprising:

correlating the first information and the second information from the second broadcast;

or

aggregating information from the first information and the second information.