Method, apparatus and system for broadcasting an alarm for an alarm group

• US 9,589,454 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2014
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Panneerselvam, Kavitha, Tripuram, JanardhanReddy, Vaidhyanathan, Aravind, Sriraman, Venkatesan M., Parthasarathy, Sivasubramanian, Radhakrishnan, Vijayan, Natarajan, Deepak
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US14/480,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20160071403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/539.1, 340/502, 340/12.5, 340/531, 340/501, 340/540, 340/539.11, 340/686.6, 455/418, 455/404.2, 455/458, 455/404.1, 455/519, 709/223, 709/206, 709/204, 709/203, 705/7.19, 715/716, 715/734, 715/735, 715/736
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/00 Alarm systems in which the alarm condition is signalled from a central station to a plurality of substations
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/008 with transmission via TV or radio broadcast

Abstract

An approach for broadcasting an alarm to a plurality of devices associated with an alarm group. The alarm is associated with a plurality of devices in an alarm group. The approach includes receiving a request. The request designates a plurality of devices as the alarm group. The approach includes determining an implementation of the alarm for the alarm group based on the request. The approach also includes broadcasting the alarm to the plurality of devices in the alarm group based on the implementation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, via an alarm application, a request designating a plurality of devices as an alarm group,

wherein the request also includes at least one specified time for an alarm, and the alarm group is based on contextual information associated with users of the plurality of devices;

determining, via a rules engine, an implementation of the alarm, based on the at least one specified time and alarm group data related to the plurality of devices, for the alarm group,

wherein the alarm group data includes communication capabilities and device status of each of the plurality of devices in the alarm group; and

broadcasting, via communication channels associated with the communication capabilities, the alarm to the plurality of devices in the alarm group based on the determination of the implementation of the alarm on the plurality of devices.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, as part of the request, an instruction to personalize the alarm; and

generating a personalized alarm based on the instruction, wherein the personalized alarm includes a voice capture, a video capture, a selected tone, a selected rhythm, a selected signal, or a combination thereof, and wherein the alarm that is broadcasted is the personalized alarm.

3. A method of claim 1, wherein the request originates from one device in the alarm group;

and wherein the alarm is a wake-up alarm.

4. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an alarm acknowledgement associated with at least one device of the plurality of devices; and

transmitting an acknowledged alarm notice based on the alarm acknowledgement.

5. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, within a predetermined time period, a lack of alarm acknowledgement associated with at least one device of the plurality of devices;

determining an alternate implementation based on the lack of alarm acknowledgement; and

broadcasting an alternate alarm to the plurality of devices in the alarm group based on the alternate implementation.

6. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the implementation based on an alarm condition associated with any one of the plurality of devices, a device preference, a group preference, or a combination thereof.

7. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a change notice associated with an activity state of at least one device of the plurality of devices; and

initiating, based on the change notice, the request, the determining of the implementation, a determining of an alternate implementation, the broadcasting of the alarm, a broadcasting of an alternate alarm, or a combination thereof.

8. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting an implementation instruction based on the implementation; and

receiving an implementation acknowledgement associated with the implementation instruction.

9. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an updated request associated with the alarm group;

determining an alternate implementation based on the updated request;

transmitting an alternate implementation instruction based on the alternate implementation; and

receiving an alternate implementation acknowledgement associated with the alternate implementation instruction.

10. An apparatus comprising a processor configured to:

receive, via an alarm application, a request designating a plurality of devices as an alarm group,

wherein the request also includes at least one specified time for an alarm, and the alarm group is based on contextual information associated with users of the plurality of devices;

determine, via a rules engine, an implementation of the alarm, based on the at least one specified time and alarm group data related to the plurality of devices, for the alarm group,

wherein the alarm group data includes communication capabilities and device status of each of the plurality of devices in the alarm group; and

broadcast, via communication channels associated with the communication capabilities, an alarm to the plurality of devices in the alarm group based on the determination of the implementation of the alarm on the plurality of devices.

11. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, as part of the request, an instruction to personalize the alarm; and

generate a personalized alarm based on the instruction, wherein the personalized alarm includes a voice capture, a video capture, a selected tone, a selected rhythm, a selected signal, or a combination thereof, and wherein the alarm that is broadcasted is the personalized alarm.

12. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the request originates from one device in the alarm group;

and wherein the alarm is a wake-up alarm.

13. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive an alarm acknowledgement associated with at least one device of the plurality of devices; and

transmit an acknowledged alarm notice based on the alarm acknowledgement.

14. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine, within a predetermined time period, a lack of alarm acknowledgement associated with at least one device of the plurality of devices;

determine an alternate implementation based on the lack of alarm acknowledgement; and

broadcast an alternate alarm to the plurality of devices in the alarm group based on the alternate implementation.

15. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

select the implementation based on an alarm condition associated with any one of the plurality of devices, a device preference, a group preference, or a combination thereof.

16. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a change notice associated with a change in an activity state of at least one device of the plurality of devices; and

initiate, based on the change notice, the request, the determining of the implementation, a determining of an alternate implementation, the broadcasting of the alarm, a broadcasting of an alternate alarm, or a combination thereof.

17. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

transmit an implementation instruction based on the implementation; and

receive an implementation acknowledgement associated with the implementation instruction.

18. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive an updated request associated with the alarm group;

determine an alternate implementation based on the updated request;

transmit an alternate implementation instruction based on the alternate implementation; and

receive an alternate implementation acknowledgement associated with the alternate implementation instruction.

19. A system comprising:

a platform configured to;

receive, via an alarm application, a request designating a plurality of devices as an alarm group,

wherein the request also includes at least one specified time for an alarm, and the alarm group is based on contextual information associated with users of the plurality of devices;

determine, via a rules engine, an implementation of the alarm, based on the at least one specified time and alarm group data related to the plurality of devices, for the alarm group,

wherein the alarm group data includes communication capabilities and device status of each of the plurality of devices in the alarm group; and

broadcast, via communication channels associated with the communication capabilities, an alarm to the plurality of devices in the alarm group based on the determination of the implementation of the alarm on the plurality of devices.

20. A system of claim 19, wherein the platform is further configured to:

receive, as part of the request, an instruction to personalize the alarm; and

generate a personalized alarm based on the instruction, wherein the personalized alarm includes a voice capture, a video capture, a selected tone, a selected rhythm, a selected signal, or a combination thereof, and wherein the alarm that is broadcasted is the personalized alarm.